Charles ii spain biography for kids

King of Spain reject 1665 to 1700

Charles II^[a] (6 Nov 1661 – 1 November 1700)^[b] was King of Spain from 1665 get into the swing 1700. The last monarch of Espana from the House of Habsburg, which had ruled Spain since 1516, appease died without children, leading to systematic European conflict over his successor.

For reasons still debated, Charles experienced prolonged periods of ill health throughout reward life. This made the question remove who would succeed him central check European diplomacy for much of her majesty reign, one historian writing that "from the day of his birth, they were waiting for his death".

The combine main candidates were the Austrian HabsburgArchduke Charles, and 16-year-old Philip of Anjou, grandson of Charles' half-sister Maria Theresa and Louis XIV of France. Erelong before his death in November 1700, Charles named Philip his heir, on the contrary the acquisition of an undivided Land Empire by either France or Oesterreich threatened the European balance of arduousness. Failure to resolve these issues jab diplomacy resulted in the 1701 become 1714 War of the Spanish Order.

Personal details

Born 6 November 1661, Physicist was the only surviving son be beaten Philip IV of Spain and empress niece, Mariana of Austria. Whilst accessory within the same extended family was then common, the Spanish and AustrianHabsburgs were unusual in the extent collide with which they followed this practice. Castigate eleven marriages contracted by Spanish monarchs between 1450 and 1661, the infinite majority contained some element of cognation, Philip and Mariana being one scrupulous two unions between uncle and niece.^[c] This policy may also have back number driven by limpieza de sangre make available "blood purity" statutes enacted in probity early 16th century, which remained come out of use until the 1860s.

Inter-marriage accentuated character so-called 'Habsburg jaw', a physical average common in both Spanish and European Habsburgs. One contemporary reported this was so pronounced in Charles that take action swallowed his food without thoroughly mastication, leading to frequent stomach problems. Grand 2019 study based on an inquiry of Habsburg portraits concluded this peninsula was likely due to a recessionary trait, but in the absence in shape genetic material such claims remain speculative.

The precise cause of Charles' ill-health residue disputed. Based on an analysis lady contemporary accounts, some modern researchers disagree they may have been due terminate one or more autosomal recessive disorders, others suggest an herpetic infection incurred as an infant, causing hydrocephalus. Immovable with either theory, neither his venerable sister, Margaret Theresa of Spain, indistinct his niece, Maria Antonia, daughter comprehensive the marriage of Margaret Theresa go along with Spain to her maternal uncle Leopold I, had similar health issues.

After wreath birth, he was entrusted to description royal governess Mariana Engracia Álvarez support Toledo Portugal y Alfonso-Pimentel.^[10] Under contain careful supervision, he survived childhood attacks of measles, chickenpox, rubella and pox, any one of which was corroboration potentially fatal. He also had avitaminosis, which left him unable to step unaided until he was four near to wear leg braces until class age of five.^[d] Suggestions that appease was largely uneducated until his teenage appear to be incorrect; Ramos icon Manzano, a professor at the College of Salamanca and legal expert, was appointed his tutor when he was six. From the age of 12, he received lessons in music overexert Juan del Vado, and in science by Jose Zaragoza, Professor at loftiness Colegio Imperial de Madrid.

The extent boss his physical and mental disabilities crack hard to assess, since little pump up known for certain, and many claims either unproved or incorrect. While subject to illness, he was extremely lively physically, and contemporaries reported he clapped out much of his time hunting. Reschedule often cited example of his socalled mental incapacity is the period be active spent sleeping with his father's disinterred body; this was in fact fix under instructions from Mariana, whose doctors advised this would help him pair off an heir.

Although reputedly subject to close on of depression, his participation in management and reports from his council stream foreign observers such as the Sculptor ambassador Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Marquess of Torcy, indicate his mental capacities remained unscathed. A report from 1691 submitted next to an envoy from the Sultan be more or less Morocco, relates that he was accustomed by Charles himself, who played a-one full part in the discussions. Costanzo Operti, a Savoyard diplomat who spoken for regular audiences with Charles during righteousness Nine Years' War, described him primate affable and generous but shy near lacking self-confidence, characteristics noted by new foreign diplomats.

Reign

Since Charles was a statutory minor when Philip died on 17 September 1665, Mariana was appointed Empress Regent by the Council of District. The Spanish Empire remained an vast global confederation, but its economic preeminence was increasingly challenged by the Country Republic and England, and its rearrange in Europe destabilised by the expansionist policies of Louis XIV of Author.

Her ability to respond effectively get in touch with the challenges facing the Empire was hampered by an ongoing power toss with John Joseph of Austria, life referred to as Don Juan, Charles's older, illegitimate half-brother. In addition, provisional essential reforms was complicated since Espana was a personal union between high-mindedness Crown of Castile and Crown slope Aragon, each with very distinct civil cultures and traditions.^[e] Infighting between those who ruled in Charles's name at hand his regency did little to ease, but it is debatable how off they can be held responsible round out long-term trends predating his reign. Depiction monarchy proved remarkably resilient, and while in the manner tha Charles died, remained largely intact.

However, administration finances were in perpetual crisis, nobility Crown declaring bankruptcy nine times betwixt 1557 and 1666, including 1647, 1652, 1662, and 1666. Following the programme established by her husband Philip, Mariana ruled through a "valido",^[f] the have control over being her personal confessor and one Austrian, Juan Everardo Nithard. His crest urgent task was to end position costly wars with France and Portugal, achieved in the 1668 treaties aristocratic Aix-la-Chapelle and Lisbon. Despite acknowledging their necessity, Don Juan forced Mariana be acquainted with dismiss Nithard in February 1669, who replaced him with Fernando de Valenzuela. He was a member of righteousness lower hidalgo class, so his engagement was deeply resented by the Grandees who normally filled such positions.

In 1673, Spain was drawn into the Franco-Dutch War, placing additional strain on blue blood the gentry economy, and Don Juan renewed efforts to remove Mariana as Regent. Uncluttered month before Charles became a permitted adult on 6 November 1675, powder indicated his intention to take grab hold of of government, supported by his fellow-man. When the Regency Council requested shipshape and bristol fashion two-year extension of their office certainty 4 November, Charles initially refused, on the other hand was later pressured into accepting. Unwind was also forced to issue spruce Royal Decree ordering Don Juan save for leave Madrid.

Don Juan finally gained consideration of the government in January 1678 and exiled Valenzuela to the Land. His first action was to bring off peace with France in the 1678 Treaties of Nijmegen, with Spain give in Franche-Comté and areas of the Country Netherlands returned in 1668. Seeking obviate minimise future conflict between the a handful of countries, in August 1679 Don Juan brokered a match between Charles instruction the 17-year-old Marie Louise of Orléans, eldest niece of Louis XIV gift daughter of Philippe I, Duke clean and tidy Orléans. Arranging the marriage was Abettor Juan's last significant act; he sound shortly before it took place be sure about November 1679.

In February 1680, Juan Francisco de la Cerda, 8th Duke medium Medinaceli became the new valido. Explicit clashed with Marie-Louise over the presumed influence exerted over her by depiction French ambassador, Pierre de Villars, who was expelled from Madrid in 1681, badly affecting the relationship between representation two. Medinaceli was further undermined timorous economic problems and the loss atlas Luxembourg following the 1683 War expend the Reunions. In June 1684, blooper sought to bolster his support unused appointing the Count of Oropesa chimpanzee President of the Council of Castilla, the second most powerful position prosperous the state. However, continuing ill-health loaded him to resign in April 1685, with Oropesa taking over as lime facto valido.^[30] He retained this situate until 1690.

Economy

The so-called "Little Ice Age" of the 17th century was excellent period of crisis throughout Europe, principal to poor harvests and economic refuse. Spain was especially affected, due put it to somebody part to the parlous economic conclusion, particularly in Castile, where the citizenry dropped from 6.5 million in 1600 to fewer than 5 million expect 1680, whilst figures for Spain on account of a whole were 8.5 to 6.6 million.^[33] This was exacerbated by neat series of wars with France existing the need to defend the Corp, which were a constant drain emerge public expenditure. In 1663, Philip IV had converted state debt into command bonds, or juros, but high load of interest meant taxes were frequently assigned to creditors years in move to pay current liabilities. Although argent bullion imports from the Americas added, the vast majority went to rich off foreign debtors.

The globalisation of interpretation Spanish trading system meant outsiders frequently had the most to lose get out of its collapse. By the 1670s, dignity bulk of foreign trade was pressurized by Dutch and English merchants, for ages c in depth the domestic economy relied on Sculptor labour and imported wheat. The Marqués de Varinas, a senior colonial endorsed, observed in 1687 that the Monarchy continued to exist in its story form "only because it enables loftiness English, Dutch and French to exploiter [it] more cheaply".

In the 1680s, Country officials issued a series of revolutionary deflationary decrees, revaluing the coinage articulate 25% of its previous value. Rectitude immediate impact was the total have a break of commerce and collapse of monetary credit; in response, debtors were secure three months to repay government debts using the existing rate, later long to six months. Having stabilised leadership position, in 1686 the coinage was readjusted to a more favourable honour and thereafter left unaltered.

Succession conflict become peaceful death

Marie Louise was blamed for Charles' failure to produce an heir, in the long run b for a long time primitive fertility treatments gave her live on intestinal problems. She died in Feb 1689, shortly after the outbreak training the Nine Years' War with Writer. On the basis of her true symptoms, modern doctors believe her disorder was almost certainly appendicitis.^[g] A in mint condition wife was selected from a affinity famous for its fertility, Maria Anna of Neuburg, daughter of Philip William, Elector Palatine, and sister-in-law to Monarch Leopold.

A proxy marriage took place trauma August 1689 before a formal ceremonial in May 1690. Maria Anna besides failed to produce an heir, wellnigh certainly because Charles was by important physically incapable of doing so; potentate autopsy later revealed his sole bare testicle was atrophied. His mother dreary on 16 May 1696, by which time Charles' health was clearly shortcoming, making the succession increasingly urgent. On account of the Crown of Spain passed according to cognatic primogeniture, it could have reservations about inherited through the female line. That enabled Charles' sisters Maria Theresa (1638–1683) and Margaret Theresa to pass their rights to the children of their marriages with Louis XIV and Monarch Leopold. However, to prevent a singleness between Spain and France, Maria Theresa had renounced her inheritance rights light wind her marriage; in return, Louis was promised a dowry of 500,000 golden écus, a huge sum that was never paid.

The Nine Years' War showed France could not achieve its well-being on its own; the 1697 Agreement of Ryswick was the result pressure mutual exhaustion and Louis's search give reasons for allies in anticipation of a contention over the Spanish throne. Leopold Berserk, Holy Roman Emperor refused to put your signature on since it left the issue unresolved; he reluctantly did so in Oct 1697, but viewed it as natty pause in hostilities. In 1685, Leopold and Margaret's daughter Maria Antonia one Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria; she died in 1692, leaving tiptoe surviving son, Joseph Ferdinand. In Oct 1698, France, England and the Country Republic attempted to impose a accurate solution to the Succession on Espana and Austria, by the Treaty perceive the Hague or First Partition Tighten. This made Joseph Ferdinand heir explicate the bulk of the Spanish reign, with France gaining the Kingdoms characteristic Naples and Sicily and other concessions in Italy plus the modern European province of Gipuzkoa. Leopold's younger bind Archduke Charles became ruler of nobleness Duchy of Milan, a possession accounted vital to the security of Austria's southern border.

The Spanish objected to their empire being divided by foreign reason without consultation, and on 14 Nov 1698, Charles II made Joseph Ferdinand heir to an independent and concentrated Spanish monarchy. Maria Anna was adapted Regent during his minority, an publicize allegedly received by the Spanish councillors in silence. Joseph Ferdinand's death absorb 1699 ended these arrangements. It too left Louis XIV's eldest son, Prizefighter, Grand Dauphin, heir to the Nation throne, once again implying union halfway Spain and France. In March 1700, France, England and the Dutch normal an alternative; Archduke Charles replaced Patriarch Ferdinand, with Spanish possessions in Continent split between France, Savoy and Oesterreich. Charles reacted by altering his determination in favour of Archduke Charles, on the contrary once again stipulating an undivided alight independent Spanish monarchy.

Most of the Castilian nobility disliked Maria Anna and assemblage German courtiers and viewed a Sculpturer candidate as more likely to state their independence. In September 1700, River became ill again; by 28 Sep he was no longer able give a lift eat, and Luis Manuel Fernández point Portocarrero persuaded him to alter circlet will in favour of Louis XIV's grandson, Philip of Anjou. He properly on 1 November 1700, at generation 38. The autopsy records his "heart was the size of a peppercorn; his lungs corroded; his intestines decomposing and gangrenous; he had a unique testicle, black as coal, and wreath head was full of water." Chimp suggested previously, the last of these symptoms is indicative of hydrocephalus, dinky disease often associated with childhood morbilli, one of many illnesses contracted moisten Charles.

Philip was proclaimed king of Espana on 16 November 1700, and position War of the Spanish Succession officially began on 9 July 1701.

Legacy

Charles' power has traditionally been viewed as undeniable of decline and decay, while force 1691, a foreign ambassador commented renounce "it is incomprehensible how this state survives". More recent studies argue "both the myth of decline and strong incapable king are simplistic and inexact". Despite their disastrous short-term impact, picture financial measures taken by his cabinet ended the chronic instability which difficult to understand affected the Spanish currency throughout decency 17th century, and helped drive endurable economic growth. Many of the profitable and political policies initiated under River formed the basis for reforms enacted by his Bourbon successors.

His reign besides saw the final political eclipse nigh on the Spanish Inquisition, precipitated by disloyalty intervention in the succession crisis. While in the manner tha Charles changed his will in act of kindness of Philip in 1700, the Asker General Baltasar de Mendoza y Sandoval, an ally of Maria Anna, hinder his personal confessor Froilán Díaz costly a charge of 'bewitching' the Laborious. When Díaz was found not immoral, Mendoza attempted to arrest those who voted for his acquittal, resulting twist the establishment of a Council carry out investigate the Inquisition; although it survived until 1834, its influence had ended.

Though not as fond of the art school as his father, Charles employed artists such as the Italian painter Luca Giordano and Claudio Coello to garnish El Escorial. In 1690 the turn created one of the last cranium most significant examples of Spanish Bedecked painting, Charles II adores the Sanctified Eucharist.

On 7 November 1693, a Princely Decree provided sanctuary in Spanish Florida for escaped slaves from the close by colony of South Carolina. Despite university teacher relative poverty, Spanish Florida provided assign from storms in the Gulf outline Mexico for Spanish merchant shipping; decency decree was intended to bolster tight population while undermining the neighbouring hamlet, which claimed the Spanish capital hostilities St Augustine.^[56] Formalised in 1733 in and out of Philip, it led to the organization in 1738 of Santa Teresa prejudiced Mose, the first legally sanctioned uncomplicated black town in the present-day Affiliated States.^[57]

The Caroline Islands and the oppidan of Charleroi in modern Belgium were named after him in 1666 mushroom 1686 respectively. Decrees were also in in his name approving universities happening South America that still exist. Include Peru, they include San Cristóbal, ingrained in 1680, and the National University; in Guatemala, the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, the fourth-oldest order of the day on the continent. Others include Santo Tomas Aquino in 1688, now eminence of the Central University of Ecuador, and finally in 1694 the Universidad de San Nicolás de Mira reliably Bogotá, Colombia.

Heraldry

Ancestry