Diego Félix of Austria, Prince of Asturias and Portugal was the fourth son of Philip II of Spain, and also his third son by his fourth wife Anna of Austria.
Background
Friedrich Christoph Schlosser, Georg Ludwig Kriegk: World History for the German people, Volume 13, Varrentrapp, 1852, p. 202.
Freiherr von Münch: Book for Latin and English literature, Ferd.
Dümmler, 1860, p.159.
Career
At the time of his birth, Diego"s elder brother, Prince Ferdinand, was still the heir-apparent. Diego also had another elder brother, Carlos Lorenzo, who died in infancy. He was formally invested as Prince of Asturias on 1 March 1580 by the Courts in Madrid.
The poet Cristóbal de Virués dedicated a sonnet to the new Prince, where he proposed that Diego follow the steps of his father.
In 1580, his father became king of Portugal as well, making Diego heir-apparent of that realm also. His mother, Anna, died during a trip to their new kingdom.
In a letter dated 1582 the king wrote to the Indian Viceroy Francisco de Mascarenhas commanding that he bring an elephant to the Prince of Asturias as a gift. In addition, Philip II planned to betroth Diego to one of the daughters of John, Duke of Braganza and Catherine of Portugal.
Diego never became king.
In late 1582 he contracted smallpox and died. At his death, Philip II was inconsolable, for the only heir to the throne remaining was the small and sickly Infante Philip, assuming the position of Prince of Asturias. The king gave orders that continuous prayers be said at the Church of Our Blessed Lady in Zaragoza for the health of the royal children remaining.
Diego"s brother, Philip III, would become king upon his father"s death in 1598.
Thus continued the lineage of the Spanish Habsburgs.