Charles II of Spain

Charles II of Spain , 6 November 1661 to 1 November 1700, was the last ruler of Habsburg Spain. Best remembered for his physical disabilities and the war that followed his death, his reign has traditionally been viewed as one of managed decline. However, many of the issues he faced pre-dated his succession, while he left a Spanish Empire that remained largely intact. For reasons still debated, Charles experienced extended periods of ill health throughout his life. From the moment he became king at the age of three in 1665, the succession was a prominent consideration in European politics. Historian John Langdon-Davies summarised his life as follows: "Of no man is it more true to say that in his beginning was his end; from the day of his birth, they were waiting for his death". Although he married twice, neither union produced children, and on his death in November 1700, Charles was succeeded by the 16-year-old Philip of Anjou, grandson of his elder half-sister Maria Theresa and Louis XIV of France. However, the question of who inherited the crown was less important than the division of his territories, and failure to resolve the issue through diplomacy led to war in 1701. Personal details Born on 6 November 1661, Charles was the only surviving son of Philip IV of Spain and Mariana of Austria, who were uncle and niece. While European nobility commonly married within the same extended family to retain property, the Spanish and Austrian Habsburgs were unusual in the extent to which they followed this policy. Of eleven marriages contracted by Spanish monarchs between 1450 and 1661, the vast majority contained some element of consanguinity, while Philip and Mariana were one of two unions between uncle and niece. One suggestion is this policy may have been partially driven by Spanish or "blood purity" statutes enacted in the early 16th century, which remained in use until the 1860s.