invest Lutheran administrators of prince-bishoprics with their imperial fiefs. Yet on a personal basis he granted freedom of worship to the Protestant nobility and worked for reform in the Roman Catholic Church, including the right of priests to marry. This failed because of Spanish opposition. Maximilian II was a member of the Order of the Golden Fleece. Patronage of arts and sciences Under Ferdinand I and Maximilian II, the imperial court itself became the centre of humanist scholarship. The court held close ties to the University of Vienna but the university, that reached its summit under Maximilian I, had been severely diminished due to wars and civil disturbances. In his court, Catholic and Prostestant scholars equally thrived. Many artists and scholars came from Spain, Italy and Spanish Netherlands. Maximilian employed scholars like the botanist Carolus Clusius and the diplomat Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq. Maximilian's library curated by Hugo Blotius later became the nucleus of the Austrian National Library. He implemented the Roman School of composition with his court orchestra, however, his plans to win Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina as Kapellmeister foundered on financial reasons. Marriage and children On 13 September 1548, Maximilian married his first cousin Maria of Spain, daughter of Emperor Charles V and Isabella of Portugal. Despite Maria's commitment to Habsburg Spain and her strong Catholic manners, the marriage was a happy one. The couple had sixteen children: Archduchess Anna of Austria (1 November 1549 – 26 October 1580). Married Philip II of Spain, her uncle. She was the mother of Philip III of Spain. Archduke Ferdinand of Austria (28 March 1551 – 25 June 1552). Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor (18 July 1552 – 20 January 1612). Archduke Ernest of Austria, (15 July 1553 – 12 February 1595). He served as Governor of the Low Countries. Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria (5 July 1554 – 22 January 1592). Married Charles IX of France. Archduchess Marie of Austria (27 July 1555 – 25 June 1556). Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor (24 February 1557 – 20 March 1619). A stillborn son (20 October 1557). Archduke Maximilian of Austria (12 October 1558 – 2 November 1618). Elected king of Poland, but never crowned. He served as grandmaster of the Teutonic Order and Administrator of Prussia. Archduke Albert of Austria (15 November 1559 – 13 July 1621). He served as Governor of the Low Countries. Archduke Wenceslaus of Austria (9 March 1561 –