Oath of Don Fernando as Prince of Asturias
Artist: Luis Paret y Alcázar (Spanish, 1746-1799)
Date: 1791
Medium: Oil on canvas
Collection: Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, Spain
The Oath of Allegiance to Don Fernando (later King Ferdinand VII of Spain) as Prince of Asturias took place on September 23, 1789, in the church of the Real Monasterio de San Jerónimo in Madrid. This monumental occasion solidified his position as heir to the Spanish throne.
Alonso Sánchez Coello, Portrait of Infante Ferdinand of Spain, Oil on canvas, Walters Art Museum
Born on 4 December 1571 at the Royal Alcázar of Madrid, Ferdinand was the eldest child of Philip II and Anne of Austria. His mother was Philip II's niece and fourth wife. His elder half-brother, Don Carlos, had died in 1568, which meant that he was the new heir-apparent at birth and therefore Prince of Asturias.
Most of his time was spent with his mother, his nurses and his two elder half sisters Catherine and Isabella.
Ferdinand died of dysentery. His father was eventually succeeded by his youngest brother, Philip III of Spain.
