Ferdinand IV, King of the Romans

Ferdinand IV (8 September 1633 – 9 July 1654) was made and crowned King of Bohemia in 1646, King of Hungary and Croatia in 1647, and King of the Romans on 31 May 1653. He also served as Duke of Cieszyn.

Ferdinand IV
Portrait by Frans Luycx, c. 1647-68
King of the Romans
Reign	31 May 1653 - 9 July 1654
Predecessor	Ferdinand III
Successor	Ferdinand III
Co-ruler	Ferdinand III
King of Hungary and Croatia
Reign	16 June 1647 - 9 July 1654
Predecessor	Ferdinand III
Successor	Ferdinand III
Co-ruler	Ferdinand III
Born	8 September 1633 Vienna, Archduchy of Austria, Holy Roman Empire
Died	9 July 1654(1654-07-09) (aged 20) Vienna, Archduchy of Austria, Holy Roman Empire
House	Habsburg
Father	Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor
Mother	Maria Anna of Spain
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Early life

Born in Vienna on 8 September 1633, and baptised as Ferdinand Franz, Ferdinand IV was the eldest son of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor and his first wife Maria Anna, the daughter of Philip III of Spain.^[1]

Biography

Ferdinand had been the hope of the Habsburg dynasty during the final stages of the Thirty Years' War. According to his father Emperor Ferdinand III's succession plan, he was expected to lead the Habsburg monarchy into a period of stability after the Peace of Westphalia.^[2]

At a young age, Ferdinand IV took his father's place as Archduke of Austria.^[3] In 1646, Ferdinand IV became King of Bohemia, sharing the role and that of Duke of Cieszyn with his father Emperor Ferdinand III. He was crowned on 5 August 1646.^[4][5] Ferdinand IV also shared the role of King of Hungary and Croatia with his father; his coronation took place on 16 June 1647 in Pressburg, present-day Slovakia.^[1][4]

After the French attempted to modify the system of the election of King of the Romans, Emperor Ferdinand III took advantage of a recent decline in the prestige of France, and was able to install Ferdinand IV as King of the Romans, and de facto heir to the Holy Roman Empire in the 1653 imperial election. He was crowned in Ratisbon (Regensburg, present-day south-east Germany) on 18 June 1653 after gaining the position on 31 May 1653.^[6] However, Ferdinand IV unexpectedly died of smallpox in Vienna on 9 July 1654.^[1] Prior to his death, it was planned that he would marry Philip IV of Spain's daughter Maria Theresa of Spain, his cousin.^[3] Upon the death of Ferdinand III, Leopold was elected as Holy Roman Emperor.^[6]

Ancestors

Ancestors of Ferdinand IV, King of the Romans

8. Charles II, Archduke of Inner Austria[7] 4. Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor[8] 9. Maria Anna of Bavaria[7] (= 15, ≠ 5) 2. Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor 10. William V, Duke of Bavaria[9] 5. Maria Anna of Bavaria[8] (≠ 9, 15) 11. Renata of Lorraine[9] 1. Ferdinand IV, King of the Romans 12. Philip II of Spain[10] 6. Philip III of Spain[11] 13. Anna of Austria[10] 3. Maria Anna of Austria 14. Charles II, Archduke of Inner Austria[12] (= 8) 7. Margaret of Austria[11] 15. Maria Anna of Bavaria[12] (= 9, ≠ 5)

Male-line family tree

v t e House of Habsburg[n 1]
Original line Albert Count of Habsburg c. 1188–1239 Rudolf I of Germany c. 1218–1291 Albert I of Germany 1255–1308 Hartmann 1263–1281 Rudolf II Duke of Austria 1270–1290 Rudolf I of Bohemia 1281–1307 Frederick the Fair c. 1289–1330 Leopold I Duke of Austria 1290–1326 Albert II Duke of Austria 1298–1358 Henry the Friendly 1299–1327 Otto Duke of Austria 1301–1339 John Parricida c. 1290–1312/1313   Albertinian line   Leopoldian line Rudolf IV Duke of Austria 1339–1365 Frederick III 1347–1362 Albert III Duke of Austria 1349–1395 Leopold III Duke of Austria 1351–1386 Frederick II Duke of Austria 1327–1344 Leopold II Duke of Austria 1328–1344 Albert IV Duke of Austria 1377–1404 William Duke of Austria c. 1370–1406 Leopold IV Duke of Austria 1371–1411 Ernest Duke of Austria 1377–1424 Frederick IV Duke of Austria 1382–1439 Albert II of Germany 1397–1439 Frederick III HRE 1415–1493 Albert VI Archduke of Austria 1418–1463 Sigismund Archduke of Austria 1427–1496 Ladislaus the Posthumous 1440–1457 Maximilian I HRE 1459–1519 Philip I of Castile 1478–1506   Spanish / Iberian line   Austrian / HRE line Charles V HRE 1500–1558 Ferdinand I HRE 1503–1564 Philip II of Spain 1527–1598 Maximilian II HRE 1527–1576 Ferdinand II Archduke of Austria 1529–1595 Charles II Archduke of Austria 1540–1590 Carlos Prince of Asturias 1545–1568 Philip III of Spain 1578–1621 Rudolf II HRE 1552–1612 Ernest of Austria 1553–1595 Matthias HRE 1557–1619 Maximilian III Archduke of Austria 1558–1618 Albert VII Archduke of Austria 1559–1621 Wenceslaus Archduke of Austria 1561–1578 Andrew Margrave of Burgau 1558–1600 Charles Margrave of Burgau 1560–1618 Ferdinand II HRE 1578–1637 Maximilian Ernest of Austria 1583–1616 Leopold V Archduke of Austria 1586–1632 Charles of Austria 1590–1624 Philip IV of Spain 1605–1665 Charles of Austria 1607–1632 Ferdinand of Austria 1609–1641 John-Charles of Austria 1605–1619 Ferdinand III HRE 1608–1657 Leopold Wilhelm of Austria 1614–1662 Ferdinand Charles Archduke of Austria 1628–1662 Sigismund Francis Archduke of Austria 1630–1665 Balthasar Charles Prince of Asturias 1629–1646 Charles II of Spain 1661–1700 Ferdinand IV King of the Romans 1633–1654 Leopold I HRE 1640–1705 Charles Joseph of Austria 1649–1664 Joseph I HRE 1678–1711 Charles VI HRE 1685–1740   Lorraine Maria Theresa HRE 1740–1780 Francis I HRE 1745–1765   Habsburg-Lorraine Joseph II HRE 1765–1790 Leopold II HRE 1790–1792 Francis II HRE 1792–1806
Notes: "Habsburg family tree". Habsburg family website. 28 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.