Albert (1559 - 1621) was the Archbishop of Toledo from 1595 until 1598, and the Governor of the Spanish Netherlands from 1595 until 1621.
Albert was born in Wiener Neustadt on 13 November 1559 as a son of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II. Albert was educated at the court of his uncle King Philip II of Spain, and was dedicated to a religious life. From 1583 until 1595 Albert was the viceroy of Portugal. In 1595 he became the Archbishop of Toledo, and was appointed by Philip the governor of the Netherlands. In 1598 he left his religious commitments with permission from the Pope, resigned the Archbishopric, and married his cousin Isabella Clara Eugenia, the daughter of King Philip.
In the Netherlands Albert and Isabella consolidated Spanish rule in the south, and he was rewarded in 1599 by being made a prince. On the other hand hope of reconquering the free Dutch was lost. Albert led the Spanish forces to defeat at the Battle of Nieuwpoort on 2 July 1600, although the Dutch were forced to withdraw and the Flemish population remained loyal to Spain. Albert died in Brussels on 15 July 1621.
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Preceded by: |
Albert |
Succeeded by: |
|---|---|---|
| Gaspar I de Quiroga y Vela | Archbishop of Toledo 1595 - 1598 |
Garcia Loayasa y Giron |
| Pedro Enríquez de Acevedo | Governor of the Netherlands 1595 - 1621 with... Isabella Clara Eugenia 1598 - 1621 |
Isabella Clara Eugenia |