Portrait of Philip III – King of Spain

The young king did not have the willful character of the ruler, and he got bored because of government’s affairs. Therefore, for the Duke de Lerma, who was striving for power, had no difficulty in persuading to transfer the solution of all important issues to his greedy hands. Arriving at the Spanish court, Margaret realized that the duke was in charge of everything, and the king was left with entertainment and hunting.
Governing the country, de Lerma decided that the young queen, who at that time was only fourteen years old, is not difficult to manage. But he was wrong. After many years of hostility, Maria finally managed to gather evidence of the mercenary motives of de Lerma and he was removed by King Philip III.