MARIA OF AUSTRIA: (1528-1603) Holy Roman Empress. Daughter of Emperor Charles V and sister of Philip II King of ...

MARIA OF AUSTRIA: (1528-1603) Holy Roman Empress. Daughter of Emperor Charles V and sister of Philip II King of Spain and of England. A good L.S., `Yo la Princesa´, two pages, folio, Valladolid, 3rd June 1559, in Spanish. The document refers to salaries due to an artillery officer, the Princess in her capacity as Regent of Spain stating in part `Whichever salaries are due by my Kingdoms, and for past and present services are paid to officer Juan de Aturia and in future make sure they are duly paid in time.´ and further insisting but not extending the order to other similar cases `And in order to fulfil this order you will give to him the necessary payment letters and provisions, even if this is not done to other artillery officers in same situation..´ Countersigned by Francisco de Ledesma `By mandate of her Majesty´. To the verso a written text dated in Toled, 2oth December 1559, saying that nothing is due to Juan de Aturia who is not even an artillery officer and who was in fact acting on behalf of Juan de Villarreal, carpenter of the this artillery regiment `Having explained so, Juan de Villarreal is due twenty thousand maravedis for the past ten months..´. The document states at the heading in a secretary´s hand `El Rey´, the King being absent and his sister acting as Regent. Folded, with the right edge only very slightly trimmed. VG £100-150 Maria of Austria served twice as regent of Spain. While her father Charles V was occupied with German affairs, and Prince Philip being absent, Maria and her husband Maximilian II, future Holy Roman Emperor, acted as regents of Spain from 1548 to 1551. During another absence of her brother, now King Philip II, from 1558 to 1561, the present letter was signed during this period, Maria was again regent of Spain.