Portrait of Philip IV in a brown and silver costume by Diego Velasquez

Philip IV – son and successor of King Philip III of Spain, came to the throne at the age of 16. Like his father, he had neither the hunt nor the vocation for state activity, and laid the entire burden of government on his pet, Count-Duke Olivares, a power-hungry, greedy, vindictive person.

The courtyard under Philip IV was drowned in luxury, he himself was completely indulged in the pleasures of court life, and the people were in distress. The first wife of Philip was a young Isabella of Bourbon, who bore him 8 children. And after her death in 1644, Philip re-married Marianne, the bride of his deceased son Balthazar, the daughter of Emperor Ferdinand III. At that time, Philip himself was already 42, and Marianne was only 13, as was his first wife, Isabella, when he married her. However, when the wedding took place, Marianne has already become 15 years old.