Philip the Handsome


Philip the Handsome, also called Philip the Fair, was ruler of the Habsburg Netherlands from 1482, including the counties of Artois, Burgundy and Charolais from 1493, and the first king of Castile from the House of Habsburg in 1506.
Philip was the son of Maximilian I of Austria and Mary of Burgundy. Maximilian was a prince of the House of Habsburg who became Holy Roman emperor. Mary was the daughter of Charles the Bold and heiress of the wealthy and extensive complex of domains that made up Valois Burgundy, including the Burgundian Netherlands. In 1482, at the age of three, Philip's mother died and he inherited her titles and domains. As a result, he became the first Habsburg ruler of the Netherlands. Although his inheritance was, in part, challenged by the French king Louis XI, it was largely confirmed by the Treaty of Arras and the Treaty of Senlis. Despite his young age, Philip quickly proved himself an effective ruler beloved by his people in the Low Countries, pursuing policies that favored peace and economic development, while maintaining a steady course of the government building.
In 1496, Philip's father arranged for him to marry Joanna, the second daughter of Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. Around the same time, Philip's sister, Margaret, was given in marriage to Joanna's brother John, Prince of Asturias. After the deaths of her brother John, sister Isabella, and nephew Miguel, Joanna became heir presumptive to the thrones of Castile and Aragon. Most of Philip's time in Spain was spent consolidating his power, often leading to conflicts with his wife and her father. Joanna became queen of Castile when her mother died in 1504. Philip was proclaimed king in 1506, but died a few months later, leaving his wife distraught with grief. Joanna's father, Ferdinand II of Aragon, and son, Charles, were quick to seize power, confining the queen for the rest of her life on account of her alleged insanity.
Philip died before his father, and therefore never inherited his father's territories or became emperor. However, his son Charles eventually united the Habsburg, Burgundian, Castilian, and Aragonese inheritances. By inheriting the Burgundian Netherlands and acquiring much of Spain and its possessions in the New World by marriage to Joanna, Philip was instrumental in greatly enhancing the territories of the Habsburgs, and his progeny would rule over vast European territories for the next five centuries.

Early life

Philip was born in Bruges on 22 June/July 1478, the son of Maximilian I of Austria and Mary of Burgundy. He was born in the County of Flanders during the reign of his grandfather Emperor Frederick III. His father Maxmillian was only 19 at the time of Philp's birth. When Philip was born, King Louis XI of France, the chief opponent of his parents, spread the rumour that the child was actually a girl, not a boy. When Philip's baptism was organized, his step-grandmother Margaret of York showed the boy naked to the populace, so that any doubt about the child's sex would disappear. The child was named in honour of his maternal great-grandfather, Philip the Good, paternal grandfather of his mother Mary. In his first presentation to the father, the parents expressed double dynastic pride. Mary said: “Sir, look at your son and our child, young Philip of imperial seed.” Maximilian kissed the baby, and replied, “O noble Burgundian blood, my offspring, named after Philip of Valois.”
Philip was only four years old when his mother died from a horse accident in March 1482, resulting in him succeeding all of her titles, and effective possessions in the Burgundian Netherlands, under the guardianship of his father. Already in December 1482, the Treaty of Arras was concluded with the king Louis XI of France, that secured Philip's rule over much of the Low Countries, but also left the Duchy of Burgundy in French possession, and additionally defined the counties of Artois, Burgundy and Charolais as the dowry of Philip's sister Archduchess Margaret of Austria, who was engaged to the French prince.
A period of turmoil ensued which witnessed sporadic hostilities between, principally, the large towns of Flanders and the supporters of Maximilian. Philip became caught up in events and his custody was taken away by a council appointed by the Netherlandish Estates as part of the larger Flemish campaign to support their claims of greater autonomy, which they had wrested from Mary of Burgundy in an agreement known as the Great Privilege of 1477. It was only in the summer of 1485 that Maximilian, marching into Ghent with German troops and forcing its leader Jan Coppenhole to flee, could embrace his son again. Young Philip was then brought to Mechelen and delivered to the loving care of Margaret of York.
By 1492, the rebellions were completely suppressed. Maximilian revoked the Great Privilege and established a strong ducal monarchy, undisturbed by particularism. But he would not reintroduce Charles the Bold's centralizing ordinances. Since 1489, the government under Albert III, Duke of Saxony, had made more efforts in consulting representative institutions and showed more restraint in subjugating recalcitrant territories. Notables who had previously supported rebellions returned to city administrations. The Estates General continued to develop as a regular meeting place of the central government. By the time Maximilian handed over the government to Philip, Habsburg rule was a matter of fact.
Despite tumultuous political conditions, the early death of Philip's mother as well as the separation from his father and sister, Philip's young life did not lack luxuries. He was educated for the needs of a person of his social class. He became accomplished in archery, tennis, stick fighting, hunting. He also proved a valiant knight, like his father. He was a good dancer and conversationalist. He also inherited his parents' passion for music. Although, this boisterousness would not manifest in his manners as a politician.
Constant campaigning caused Maximilian, the father, to be absent from the young Philip's life. Later, emotional problems made Maximilian try to avoid returning to the Netherlands, and he would miss both the 1494 inauguration and 1496 wedding of his son. Philip's tutors since arriving at Mechelen were Olivier de la Marche and François de Busleyden, who would later be his chancellor in Flanders.

Ruler of Habsburg Netherlands and Habsburg Burgundy

In 1493, the Treaty of Senlis was concluded with the king Charles VIII of France, expanding Philip's effective rule to the counties of Artois, Burgundy and Charolais. In the same year, his grandfather, emperor Frederick III died, thus Philip's father Maximilian I became the new ruler of the Holy Roman Empire. Burdened with his new responsibilities and personally exasperated by his relationship with the Burgundian lands, he decided to transfer power to the 15-year-old Philip. The news was welcomed by Burgundian lands, as the new ruler was native-born, spoke the language, was peace-loving and trusted his advisors, while Maximilian was warlike and did not respect the Great Privilege. From this year, Philip was in control of the government. As King of the Romans, Maximilian did not accept homage from Philip though, a signal that he intended to exercise direct control over the lands. His defeated subjects were too exhausted to resist.
At his inauguration in 1494, one of Philip the Fair's first administrative acts was the abolition of the Great Privilege. He swore to maintaining only the privileges granted at the time of Philip the Good. As during the revolts, many of the rebels had claimed Philip as their rightful and natural prince, Philip capitalized on this to restore several of his great-grandfather and grandfather's centralizing policies, while abandoning their expansionism.
Philip was an inexperienced ruler and had a reputation for accommodating and trusting advisors, but also had a backbone. Philip freed himself from his father's control. Although Busleyden was temporarily disgraced when Maximilian summoned his son in 1496 to Germany, he was soon restored. In 1497, Philip replaced Jean Carondelet, the chancellor Maximilian had appointed, with Thomas de Plaine, who was devoted to his interests. His pursuit of peace with France frustrated Maximilian, who was waging war against Charles VIII of France. Philip reconciled the regionalism represented by the Great Privilege with the harsh centralization the country had experienced under Charles the Bold, softening the rigorous demands of both sides while giving in to neither. He reimposed the Parliament of Mechelen and reclaimed royal domains. He placated France while reopening the trade route with England in the Magnus Intercursus. His policies gained him the love of the country. Patricia Carson opines, though, that it was clear from the beginning that this was not meant to last, as Philip would never be able to focus on Burgundian lands forever. He was the heir of his father as Holy Roman Emperor. What the Low Countries could not have foreseen, was that Philip would one day claim the throne in Spain as well, as the husband of Joanna.
From the time of Philip, the government in the Low Countries constituted a compromise between the states and the Empire. The chancellor of Burgundy became responsible for the government's practical work in the absence of the emperor while the Great Council acted as the country's highest body of judicial power.
Philip's policy was focused on maintaining peace and economic development for his Burgundian lands. Maximilian wanted to recover Guelders, but his son wanted to keep a neutral policy and thus the father was left fighting Charles of Egmond over Guelders on his own. Only at the end of his reign, Philip decided to deal with that threat together with his father. Guelders had been weakened because of the continuous state of war and other problems. That would turn out to be the only campaign in Philip's life. The duke of Cleves and the bishop of Utrecht, hoping to share spoils, gave Philip aid. Maximilian invested his own son with Guelders and Zutphen. Within months, Philip conquered the whole land and Charles of Egmond was forced to prostrate himself in front of his sovereign at the palace of Rosendaal. Charles was then forced to follow Philip wherever he went. In October 1505, they were in Brussels. But after that, Charles was able to escape and start the war again. Philip was not in a good position to make good his claims yet, because by this time he needed to depart to Spain to claim the Castilian throne.
At the same time, while he often carefully avoided direct confrontation with the French king, in promoting his Great Council, he slowly eroded the capacity of intervention of the Parlement of Paris in Flanders and Artois, lands under the sovereignty of France. This process would be completed by Charles V in 1521. In August 1505, this resulted in written protests from King Louis XII of France, who accused him of usurpation of the rights of the sovereign and threatened Philip with sanctions. To this, Maximilian, who at this time was with Philip after returning from Gelderland, angrily sent threats and stated that he would defend his son. Philip reacted in a concilliatory manner, stating that he had consulted Maximilian and did not mean to offend Louis.
Philip joined his father in patronising the devotion of the Seven Sorrows that associated his own mother Mary of Burgundy, who had died young and been idealised in vernacular literature, with the Virgin Mary. The devotion, with its strong current of patriotism and Burgundian nostalgia, successfully helped to rally loyalty to the ruling family in the turbulence after Mary's death. The same devotion was later used to promote dynastic and territorial unity.
He visited Germany several times:
  • On 31 August 1496, he came to Lindau to represent his father at the Reichstag of Lindau because Maximilian could not come to the Diet personally.
  • In 1498, he accompanied his father to the Reichstag in Freiburg.
  • In 1505, he attended the Reichstag at Hagenau, where he and his father met the minister of the king of France, the Cardinal of Amboise.