Ferdinand of Spain and Porutgal

A child becomes cardinal

How does a 10 year old prince become cardinal in 1609? Well he doesn’t. Unless the king and pope have compatible business interests.

King Phillip III of Spain has a somewhat over-ambitious minister with his eye on the cardinal’s job. To put him in his place and make some extra cash he makes his own son Archbishop of Toledo, the richest diocese in Spain. This requires papal authorisation. Pope Paul V has no objection as he’d like a favour from the king - a noble title for his family. (Popes at this time are allowed to have children.) The only problem is that church law prohibits princes from becoming cardinals.

But in the Baroque if it’s good politics one ignores such trivialities. Being cardinal does not stand in the way of Ferdinand’s successful military career. In the autumn of 1634 he comes to his cousin’s aid at Nördlingen on his way to the Netherlands, where he is to be governor.