From the year 1547, King Ferdinand spent most of his time outside of Bohemia, either carrying on the war against the Turks, or attending to the duties of the empire, having been elected to the imperial crown after the resignation of his brother, Charles V. During his absence, his second son was regent; for, although Maximilian had already been declared his successor, he regarded him with distrust on account of his leaning to the teachings of the Bohemian Brethren, and it was not till many years later, when he had modified his religious views, that his father received him into favor.
In the year 1560, Maximilian, as the younger king of Bohemia, came to Prague with his wife, the daughter of Charles V, and was crowned with great honor. Shortly after, he was also crowned as King of the Romans.
During his whole reign, Ferdinand never relinquished his design of undermining the power of the Protestants and strengthening the Catholics. To weaken the Evangelicals, he succeeded in establishing a firm union between the two established Churches, by obtaining permission from Pope Pius IV to have communion in both kinds given in the Catholic Churches. The news of this concession was proclaimed with great solemnity and glory by the archbishop himself, and the Jesuits of St. Clement immediately proceeded to give both bread and wine to their communicants. Ferdinand anticipated great things from this step on the part of the Church; but he did not live to rejoice in the results. He died the following year (1564). His remains were taken to Prague, and buried in the royal tomb in St. Vitus Cathedral.
