Charles II of Spain

Charles II, known as El Hechizado ("The Hexed " ) ( born November 6, 1661 Madrid, † November 1, 1700 in Madrid) was when Carlos II King of Spain as Charles V, King of Naples and Sicily and as Carlo II King of Sardinia. He was the last Spanish Habsburgs (Casa de Austria ); by his childless death of the War of Spanish Succession was triggered.

Family

Charles II was descended from the second marriage of Philip IV with Maria Anna of Austria. The wedding was a reaction of Philip IV on the death of his only son and successor throne Baltasar Carlos. This died a few weeks after having Emperor Ferdinand III. It was agreed that he should marry his daughter Maria Anna. The then 42 -year-old Philip IV decided that, even to marry the bride of his deceased son, even though she was his biological niece and only 13 years old. Maria Anna met only in autumn 1649 in Madrid, so that she was 15 years old at the marriage.

Philip IV fathered with his mistresses a number of healthy children. In contrast, conceived by Anna Maria children died either shortly after birth or were stillborn. After nine years of marriage was only the Margarita María daughter is still alive, which was later married like her mother with her uncle ( Leopold I ).

Charles II was therefore a much- desired child, but from birth to weak and sick. It showed him clear signs of degeneration, due to centuries of inbreeding between the royal houses: In the last 7 generations he had taken of the possible 128 only 48 individual ancestors (ancestors loss ). This all came his great-grandparents ( sometimes multiple) of Juana la Loca and from under his Alteltern Renata of Lorraine was the only one who was not a descendant of Joan's mother Isabella I..

Physically is considered to be so-called prognathism strongly pronounced chin a Familieneigentümlichkeit the Habsburg represents the Habsburg lower lip so-called. The lower jaw is held behind him in front of the upper jaw. However, it was rejected scientifically that this salient feature is due to the special " over breeding ".

Succession and political development

Charles II was King of Spain in 1665 and ruled until 1700's. The regency took over until the coming of age of Charles in 1675, first his mother. She was advised to 1669 mainly by the Austrian Jesuit Johann Eberhard Graf Neidhardt. This, however, was dismissed from his duties because of the pressure from the aristocracy. Become of legal age, called Karl his half-brother Juan José de Austria in Aragon, where he had held office from 1669-1676 as viceroy, back. This illegitimate son of Philip IV now largely determined the policy and sought the reorganization of the Monarchy. Since 1677 he was the first minister of the king. The attempts to rehabilitate the state budget failed due to a plague epidemic.

After Juan José de Austrias death on September 17, 1679 Duque de Medinaceli first minister. During his tenure, the stabilization of the financial system by a drastic devaluation and a restructuring of the tax system succeeded. This course was continued under the Conde de Oropesa, so it was succeeded at the end of the 17th century, to overcome a persistent for about eighty years period of economic depression. In foreign policy, the king and his government not stepped forward.

Marriages

On November 19, 1679 he married his first wife, Maria Louisa of Orleans. The marriage remained childless and was probably never consummated. Maria Louisa died on 12 February 1689th second wife of Charles II married on May 4, 1690 Maria Anna of Pfalz- Neuburg ( 1667-1740 ). She was a daughter of the Elector Philip William of Neuburg of the house, which presented the Elector Palatine since 1685. About her eldest sister Eleonore Magdalene Therese of the Palatinate she was the sister of Emperor Leopold I ( HRR ), besides, she was the sister of the King of Portugal and the aunt of Elisabetta Farnese, which was to be Queen of Spain later. The Elector Johann Wilhelm ( Pfalz), Charles III. Philipp and Franz Ludwig von Pfalz- Neuburg were her brothers.

Since both marriages remained childless, the extinction of the Spanish Habsburg was in sight.

Succession rules

In order to regulate the succession to the throne, Charles II initially used the Bavarian Elector Ferdinand Joseph, the grandson of his sister as heir. However, this already died on February 6, 1699 at the age of six years and so certain Karl Philip of Anjou, a grandson of his half-sister Maria Theresa and Louis XIV, as his successor.

Charles II died on 1 November 1700 in Madrid. Since both King Louis XIV and Emperor Leopold I, both sisters married to Charles, claims to the Spanish throne set, broke out of the War of Spanish Succession.

After Charles II, the archipelago of the Caroline Islands in the Pacific was named ( Islas Carolinas ).

Drive up

Kaiser Karl V. (1500-1558) ∞ 1526 princess Isabella of Portugal (1503-1539)

Kaiser Maximilian II (1527-1576) ∞ 1548 princess Maria of Spain (1528-1603)

Kaiser Ferdinand I. (1503-1564) ∞ 1521 princess Anna of Bohemia and Hungary (1503-1547)

Duke Albrecht V of Bavaria (1528-1579) ∞ 1546 princess Anne of Austria (1528-1590)

Archduke Charles II of Inner Austria (see below) ∞ 1571 princess Maria Anna of Bavaria (see below)

Duke William V of Bavaria (1548-1626) ∞ princess Renata of Lorraine (1544-1602)

King Philip II of Spain (1527-1598) ∞ 1570 Archduchess Anna of Austria (1549-1580)

Archduke Charles II of Inner Austria (1540-1590) ∞ 1571 Princess Maria Anna of Bavaria (1551-1608)

Emperor Ferdinand II (1578-1637) ∞ 1600 Princess Maria Anna of Bavaria (1574-1616)

King Philip III. of Spain ( see below) ∞ 1599 Archduchess Margaret of Austria (see below)

King Philip III. of Spain (1578-1621) ∞ 1599 Archduchess Margaret of Austria (1584-1611)

Emperor Ferdinand III. (1608-1657) ∞ 1631 Infanta Maria Anna of Spain (1606-1646)

King Philip IV of Spain (1605-1665) ∞ 1649 Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria (1634-1696)

King Charles II of Spain (1661-1700)