Editing Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor (section)

==Personal life==
[[File:Lucas van Valckenborch - Portrait of Emperor Rudolf II - c. 1580.jpg|thumb|''Portrait of Rudolf II'' by [[Lucas van Valckenborch]], c. 1580]]
Like [[Elizabeth I of England]], whose birth was 19 years before his, Rudolf dangled himself as a prize in a string of diplomatic negotiations for marriages but never in fact married. Rudolf was known to have had a succession of affairs with women, some of whom claimed to have been impregnated by him.<ref name=marshall/> He had several illegitimate children by his mistress [[Catherina Strada]]. Their eldest son, [[Don Julius Caesar d'Austria]], was likely born between 1584 and 1586 and received an education and opportunities for political and social prominence from his father.<ref name="Don Julius D">{{Cite web |title=Don Julius D'Austria and his Fate |url=http://www.castle.ckrumlov.cz/docs/en/zamek_oinf_dojuda.xml |publisher=State Castle and Chateau Český Krumlov |access-date=4 January 2013 |archive-date=19 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171219104139/http://www.castle.ckrumlov.cz/docs/en/zamek_oinf_dojuda.xml |url-status=live}}</ref> Another famous child was {{ill|Karolina d'Austria|fr|Caroline d'Autriche|lt=Karolina}} (1591–1662), Princess of Cantecroix, mother-in-law of [[Béatrix de Cusance|Beatrice de Cusance]], later [[List of Lorrainian royal consorts|Duchess of Lorraine]] as the second wife of [[Charles IV of Lorraine]].

During his periods of self-imposed isolation, Rudolf reportedly had affairs with his [[Obersthofmeister]], Wolfgang Siegmund Rumpf vom Wullroß (1536–1606), and a series of [[valet]]s. One of them, Philipp Lang von Langenfels (1560–1609), influenced him for years and was hated by those seeking favours with the emperor.<ref name="rowse">Rowse, 1977.</ref><ref>''Philipp Lang, Kammerdiener Kaiser Rudolphs II. Eine Criminal-Geschichte aus dem Anfang des siebzehnten Jahrhunderts''</ref>

Rudolf succeeded his father, Maximilian II, on 12 October 1576.<ref name="Treccani" /> In 1583, he moved the court to [[Prague]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/easterneuropeint0000unse/page/252 |title=Eastern Europe |publisher=ABC-CLIO |year=2005 |isbn=978-1-57607-800-6 |editor-last=Frucht |editor-first=Richard C. |page=[https://archive.org/details/easterneuropeint0000unse/page/252 252]}}</ref>

In 1607, Rudolf sent Julius to live at [[Český Krumlov]], in [[Bohemia]], in what is now the [[Czech Republic]], a castle that Rudolf had purchased from [[Peter Vok of Rosenberg]], the last member of the [[House of Rosenberg]], who had fallen into financial ruin. Julius lived at Český Krumlov in 1608, when he reportedly abused and murdered the daughter of a local barber, who had been living in the castle, and then disfigured her body. Rudolf condemned his son's act and suggested that he should be imprisoned for the rest of his life.<ref name="Don Julius D"/>
 
However, Julius died in 1609 after he had shown signs of [[schizophrenia]], refused to bathe and lived in squalor. His death was apparently caused by an ulcer that ruptured.<ref name="Don Julius D"/>

Many artworks commissioned by Rudolf are unusually erotic.<ref>Trevor-Roper, pp. 116–120</ref> The emperor was the subject of a [[whispering campaign]] by his enemies in his family and the [[Catholic Church]] in the years before he was deposed. Sexual allegations may well have formed a part of the campaign against him.<ref>Trevor-Roper, pp. 121–123.<br>Trevor-Roper mentions many stories and rumours but not those of Rudolf's homosexuality.</ref>