| Charles II of Spain ♔ | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Names | |
| Birth Name: | Carlos de Austria |
| Full Name: | Charles II, King of Spain |
| Title(s): | King of Spain Infant of Spain |
| Biographical Information | |
| Predecessor: | Philip IV |
| Successor: | Philip V |
| Age: | 38 |
| Born: | November 6, 1661 |
| Dies: | November 1, 1700 |
| Birthplace: | Royal Alcazar of Madrid, Spain |
| Originally From: | Spain / Austria |
| Current Location: | Madrid, Spain |
| Religion: | Roman Catholic |
| Physical Description | |
| Status: | Alive |
| Gender: | Male |
| Eye Colour: | Brown |
| Hair Colour: | Blonde |
| Signature: | 
|
| Relationships | |
| Spouse: | Marie Louise d‘Orléans |
| Parents: | Philip IV of Spain † (father) Mariana of Austria (mother) |
| Family: | Maria Theresa of Spain † (half-sister) Anne Marie d‘Orléans (sister-in-law) Philippe I (father-in-law) Henrietta of England † (mother-in-law) |
| House: | Habsburg |
| Affiliations: | Kingdom of Spain Holy Roman Empire Kingdom of France |
| TV Character Information | |
| First Episode: | Question of Trust (mentioned) |
Charles II of Spain is the King of Spain and the husband of Marie Louise d‘Orléans, a niece of Louis XIV of France.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Charles was born in Madrid to Philip IV of Spain and his second wife, Mariana of Austria. The only surviving son of his father's two marriages, he was given the title Prince of Asturias, traditionally held by the heir to the Spanish throne.
Charles suffered ill-health throughout his life and has been described as "short, lame, epileptic, senile and completely bald before 35, always on the verge of death but repeatedly baffling Christendom by continuing to live." In his case, the so-called Habsburg lip was so pronounced he spoke and ate only with difficulty, did not learn to talk until the age of four or walk until eight. However, foreign observers such as the Marquess of Torcy noted his mental capacities remained intact.
Charles was three years old when his father, Philip IV, died on 17 September 1665; as he was a legal minor, his mother Mariana was appointed Queen Regent by the Council of Castile. While Charles theoretically ruled in his own name after her death in 1696, in reality his frequent ill-health meant power was often exercised by others. This resulted in bitter internal struggles for control of government, the long feud between his mother and illegitimate half-brother John of Austria the Younger being especially damaging.
Season Three[]
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Notes[]
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Historical Facts[]
- Charles II was the last king of Spain who belonged to the House of Habsburg. Because he never had issue, he will named his successor as 16-year-old Philip of Anjou, grandson of Louis XIV and Charles's half-sister Marie-Thérèse.
- Charles has been the subject of various studies on the impact of inbreeding, which have suggested he may have had the endocrine disease acromegalyand a combination of rare genetic disorders often transmitted through recessive genes, including combined pituitary hormone deficiency and distal renal tubular acidosis.