QUEEN MARIANA OF AUSTRIA (SPAIN) - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 10/12/1653 CO-SIGNED BY: COUNTESS OF SALVATIERRA (ANTONIA MARCELA DE ACUÑA Y GUZMAN) - HFSID 53087

QUEEN MARIANA OF AUSTRIA (SPAIN) and COUNTESS OF SALVATIERRA (ANTONIA MARCELA DE ACUÑA Y GUZMAN)
These letters signed by the two royal women concern the child Margarita Teresa, who would later be the Holy Roman Empress and German Queen
Autograph Letter Signed: "Yo La Reyna" and "La condesa de Salbatiera" in iron gall ink. 2p, 12x8¼ folded, 12x16½ flat. In Spanish, translated in full: "The chambermaid has given me very good news this morning. She said Your Majesty arrived healthy and I thank God for it. May God protect Her Highness, she is very cute and happy, Her Highness spent this evening in the room of the King Our Lord, but when she arrived to the room of Your Majesty she missed Your Majesty very much. The weather has been nice, I am sure Your Majesty would had enjoyed the camp. Too much loneliness can be felt here. May God protect you. Palace, October 12, 1653. The Countess of Salbatiera” and “I received good news about my daughter yesterday. Thank God I am pretty good, but yesterday was a bad day due to a strong headache I had, and I did not want to go out today, [illegible] visit to the convent. Give my regards to everyone there. God is great. Madrid, October 12, 1653.I, the Queen". Daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III, Queen Mariana of Austria (1634-1696) was destined to continue the tradition of intermarriage between the two branches of the Habsburg family. Accordingly, she became the second wife of King Philip IV of Spain, marrying him in 1649 at the young age of 14. In 1621, the King had inherited a declining throne with economic woes caused by lengthy wars. Mariana successfully produced an heir for King Philip, Charles II (1661-1700). Upon Philip's death in 1665, Mariana served for a decade as regent for their small son Charles. During her regency, she recognized Portugal's independence (1668) and renewed war with France (1673-1675) even though her stepdaughter Maria Teresa was married (1660) to King Louis XIV as part of a peace treaty with the French. The sickly and weak-minded Charles could not produce an heir, and his death caused the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1713), which resulted in Maria's grandson Philip of Anjou inheriting the Spanish Crown. Water marked. Lightly toned. Light surface creases. Edges somewhat worn and soiled. Otherwise, fine condition.