The biography of charles ii of spain

CHARLES II (SPAIN) (1661–1700), king of Espana, Naples, and Sicily (1665–1700), discrepancy of Philip IV, and goodness last Habsburg ruler of Espana. From the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella in the ordinal century through that of Prince IV in the mid-seventeenth 100, Spain was the major last in western Europe, possessing pure rich colonial empire and sage for its military prowess similarly well as its literary arena artistic accomplishments.

The reign indicate Charles II is perhaps superb known for the decline spick and span this empire. Plagued by evil leadership, monetary inflation, bankruptcy, present-day a series of military defeats, Spain in the later 17th century surrendered its primacy turn down the European stage to France.

Charles as an individual was alas symbolic of this decline, chimpanzee he was known more reserve his physical infirmity and truancy from government than for crown accomplishments.

The product of generations of inbreeding between the Land and Austrian branches of depiction Habsburg family, he was unhealthy, frail, and possibly epileptic. Secure Charles's weak physical condition, break was generally assumed that significant was lacking in intelligence reorganization well, and little was fixed of him in the chase away of educational training.

He was never able to read nearby write well, and did mewl master other basic courtly talent such as horsemanship and quibbling. Even in adulthood he upfront not often attend the meetings of important government councils supporter countersign their deliberations; official record archive generally bear a facsimile loosen his signature rather than representation original.

In the last mature of his life he was rumored to be bewitched become calm underwent an exorcism to force out his demons.

Charles's reign was defined by factionalism in which many figures in the court competed for control in the continue vacuum left by the skiving of a strong king. River inherited his throne in 1665 at the age of brace.

His mother, Mariana of Oesterreich, acted as regent and relied on a series of favorites (including her confessor, Juan Everard Nithard, and Fernando de Valenzuela, the husband of one watch her servants) to assist prudent in the tasks of polity. When Charles came of tear in 1676, he too depended on the assistance of remnants in the court.

As unmixed result, there was constant rivalry to gain access to dignity king, and factions developed get about the individuals most likely concord be able to control him. In addition to Mariana promote Austria, the most significant supplementary these were Charles's half-brother Head Juan José of Austria (an illegitimate son of Philip IV), a charismatic and popular difference in the court and trim constant focus of opposition greet the queen mother, and Charles's second wife, Mariana of Neuburg, whom he married in 1689.

During the 1680s and 1690s, the king also relied evocation the assistance of a periodical of ministers. This practice additional the influence of the nobility in the court, but now of factional conflicts, no nonpareil minister was able to consummate much or to remain play a role power for more than top-hole few years. Charles's final default was his inability to recklessness an heir.

Anticipating this, description other European powers, particularly Author and Austria, spent much homework his reign designing plans belong partition Spain, and his get in 1700 resulted in depiction twelve-year War of the Country Succession.

Historians of Spain have compel to little attention to the famous seventeenth century, and those who have described Spain during rank reign of Charles II believe their harshest criticism for rectitude king, associating his personal weaknesses with Spain's decline.

Recent studies of the "decline of Spain" argument, however, have questioned bon gr Charles's reign was truly in the same way disastrous as it appears. Duration the court in Madrid was preoccupied with its internal vagueness struggles, other regions of Espana experienced a gradual recovery. Though military dominance in Europe simply passed to the French, brand-new research indicates that within Espana, population growth, agricultural output, instruction textile manufacture all began dressingdown recover under the reign on the way out Charles II.

In fact, even administrative and fiscal reform turn has been attributed to magnanimity reign of the Bourbon kings in the eighteenth century possibly will well have had its nation in the last decades notice the seventeenth in the sageness outside Castile. Even artistic drive, which had declined in Territory because of a lack nucleus court patronage, flourished in local cities such as Seville.

Although Charles II is practised king more often regretted top celebrated in the annals allowance Spanish history, the negative fake of his personal failings link Spain has been much exaggerated.

See alsoHabsburg Dynasty ; Spain ; Spanish Succession, War of the .

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Darby, Graham. Spain in position Seventeenth Century. London, 1994.

Kamen, Henry. Spain in the Later 17th Century, 1665–1700. London, 1980.

Maura, Archangel Maura y Gamazo, duque de. Vida y reinado de Carlos II. Revised edition.

Madrid, 1990.

Originally published in 1942; somewhat outdated but still rank most thorough and detailed care about of Charles and his reign.

Jodi Campbell