Family
Philip was married four times and had children with three of his wives. Even so, most of his children died young.
Philip's first wife was his first cousin, Maria Manuela, Princess of Portugal. She was a daughter of Philip's uncle, John III of Portugal (brother of Philip's mother, thus making her also his first cousin) and Philip's aunt Catherine of Habsburg. The marriage produced one son, at whose birth Maria died in 1545:
- Carlos, Prince of Asturias, (8 July 1545 – 24 July 1568), died unmarried and without issue.
Philip's second wife was his first cousin once removed, Queen Mary I of England. The 1554 marriage to Mary was political. By this marriage, Philip became jure uxoris King of England, although the couple was apart more than together as they ruled their respective countries. The marriage produced no children and Mary died in 1558.
Philip's third wife was Elisabeth of Valois, the eldest daughter of Henry II of France and Catherine de' Medici. Their marriage (1559–1568) produced five children. Elisabeth died hours after a miscarriage in 1568. Their children were:
- Miscarried twin daughters (1564).
- Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain (12 August 1566 – 1 December 1633), married Albert VII, Archduke of Austria, had three children, all of whom died in infancy.
- Catherine Michelle of Spain (10 October 1567 – 6 November 1597), married Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy, and had issue.
- miscarried or stillborn daughter (1568).
Philip's fourth and final wife was Anna of Austria, who was also his niece and cousin to her stepdaughter Catherine Michelle of Spain. (This marriage would be the first of three uncle-niece marriages that would be in the pedigree of the great grandson of Philip II, Charles II of Spain. Charles's genetically caused diseases would end the Habsburg line in Spain.) By contemporary accounts, this was a convivial and satisfactory marriage (1570–1580) for both Philip and Anna. This marriage produced four sons and four daughters. Anna died after giving birth to Maria in 1580. Their children were:
- Ferdinand, Prince of Asturias (4 December 1571 – 18 October 1578), died young
- Carlos Lorenzo (12 August 1573 – 30 June 1575), died young
- Diego, Prince of Asturias (15 August 1575 – 21 November 1582), died young
- Philip III of Spain (3 April 1578 – 31 March 1621)
- Maria (14 February 1580 – 5 August 1583), died young
Read more about this topic: Philip II Of Spain
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who wait for their jaws to open and shut.”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)
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—Chinese proverb.