| Content from Wikipedia under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license ⇔ Maps from OpenStreetMap under the ODbL license |
Charles of Austria (Prince of Asturias)
| Charles of Austria | |
|---|---|
| Prince of Asturias | |
 The Prince of Asturias by Alonso Sánchez Coello, around 1564 | |
| Prince of Asturias | |
| Reign | 1560–1568 |
| Predecessor | Philip of Austria |
| Successor | Ferdinand of Austria |
| Born | 8 July 1545 Valladolid, Spain |
| Died | 24 July 1568 (aged 23) Madrid, Spain |
| Burial | |
| House | House of Austria |
| Father | Philip II |
| Mother | Maria Manuela of Portugal |
Charles of Austria (Valladolid, 8 July 1545 – Madrid, 24 July 1568) was the son of King Philip II of Spain and his first wife, the Infanta Maria Manuela of Portugal, and Prince of Asturias.
His short life (he died at the age of twenty-three) was marked by the conflict he maintained from an early age with his father, the King. This poor relationship with his father, together with his confinement and death, served to foster the Black Legend against Philip II, whom the countries that rivaled Spain at that time groundlessly accused of murdering his son while he was in detention; they described the son as a noble and valiant soul whose only crime had been to fight for freedom.[1]
Numerous literary and musical works arose on this theme, such as Don Carlos, a grand opéra composed by Giuseppe Verdi, based on Dom Karlos, Infant von Spanien, a work on the same theme by Schiller. For their authors, these works represented the struggle of freedom against political and religious oppression, embodied in the character of Philip II, in a context in which the Counter-Reformation, the Inquisition and the rebellion of the Calvinists in Flanders, Brabant and Holland also appear.
Early years
His parents' marriage was arranged by his grandfather, the Emperor Charles V, with the purpose of achieving political stability in the Iberian Peninsula, in addition to obtaining the substantial dowry of Maria Manuela of Portugal.
However, the marriage carried risks, since Philip and Maria were double first cousins. Two years after the wedding, when Philip II was 18 years old, Charles was born; he lost his mother four days after his birth.
Charles was raised first in the company of his aunts and, after their marriages, by close relatives, since his father was not in Spain from 1548 to 1551, nor from 1554 to 1559. According to the courtier Gramiz, the prince grew up very spoiled and displayed exaggerated behavior. As a child, he was known to take pleasure in roasting hares alive, and on one occasion he blinded the horses of the royal stable. At the age of eleven he had a young girl flogged for his sadistic amusement. The whim was settled with a ridiculous compensation paid to the victim's father.[2]
He was educated at the University of Alcalá de Henares together with the King's half-brother Don John of Austria and his first cousin Alexander Farnese. José Luis Gonzalo Sánchez-Molero has been able to reconstruct his library and his fondness for culture from the documentation and the studies on his education.[3] From 1554 his education was supervised by the tutor Honorato Juan, who frequently ordered the purchase of books to form a "school" library for the Prince, made up above all of books on the history of Spain, the Crown of Aragon, the history of Portugal, and technical disciplines such as astronomy and cartography. Although he did not have many books in Latin, he did read in Portuguese, and from 1566 he had a German tutor. Despite the accident of 1562, in which he suffered serious brain injuries, his intellectual abilities were not affected, and thereafter he would carry out notable patronage of his servants, students and writers (Juan de Mal Lara, Bartolomé Frías de Albornoz, Bernardo Pérez de Vargas, Juan Ruiz de Angulo, etc.). His bibliophilia reflects his broad culture and the variety of his interests, which was accompanied by the collecting of rare objects and antiquities to form an authentic "cabinet of wonders", characteristic of so many Renaissance princes.
In 1560, as the firstborn son of King Philip II of Spain, he was recognized as heir to the throne by the Cortes of Castile.
Health, accident and differences with the King
Charles's delicate state of health, with persistent fevers, led the court physicians in 1561 to recommend that he take up residence in Alcalá de Henares, away from the unhealthy air of Madrid.[4]
In 1562, in Alcalá, he fell down the stairs while chasing a servant girl, striking his head; after many different treatments had been tried, including recourse to the healer Pinterete[5] and placing the mummy of Friar Diego de Alcalá at the foot of his bed,[6] Vesalius finally performed a trepanation on him, a very risky operation that left him with after-effects, as his cruelty and eccentricities increased. His recovery was attributed to a miracle of the glorious Saint Didacus.[7] Also, because of this accident, the image of the Virgin of Atocha was carried in procession for the first time, to the chapel of the Palace. In thanksgiving, Princess Joanna donated a gilded silver image of Saint Dominic, and Queen Elisabeth an entire set of vestments with altar frontal and processional cross cover of rich brocade with marvelous embroidery. Likewise, the King and the Prince also made precious gifts.[7]
His physical development was also deficient, because he had fallen ill with malaria at the age of 11, which caused an abnormal development of his spine and legs, so that he could not walk upright and limped.
After his recovery, and having heard his complaints, since Charles reproached his father numerous times for his lack of trust, King Philip II appointed him a member of the Council of Aragon and the Council of Castile in 1564, in an unsuccessful attempt to have him become acquainted with government. This appointment only infuriated him further, since he knew that the Council of State was merely a consultative body, as all decisions were really made by the Monarch.
Philip II considered marrying him to Mary I of Scotland, a risky marriage, since it would provoke the enmity of France, England and possibly the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. These reasons, together with the Prince's personality, caused Philip II to let the negotiations cool. On the other hand, Charles wanted to govern the Habsburg Netherlands, as his father had promised him in 1559, but the instability in those territories together with the Monarch's distrust led him to break that promise, and in fact he did not even summon him to discuss the question.
Seeing how little credibility he had with his father, Charles grew desperate, a feeling that was heightened because his father, who had fathered him so young, still had a long reign ahead of him. The Prince mocked the King, comparing his hesitations with the figure of his grandfather, the Emperor Charles I. The Prince went so far as to approach the door of the chamber where the situation in the Netherlands was being discussed in order to spy on what was being said there.
Confinement and death
One of the rebel leaders in the Netherlands, the Count of Egmont, had contact in Madrid in 1565 with Prince Charles, who was thinking of escaping to those lands. The Prince confided his plan to Ruy Gómez de Silva, Prince of Eboli, who informed the King.[citation needed]
In 1566 Floris de Montmorency, Baron of Montigny, arrived in Madrid representing the rebels of the Netherlands Lamoral, Count of Egmont, and Philip de Montmorency, Count of Horn, who also had contact with the Prince.
During 1567 the Prince committed new excesses, such as ordering a house to be set on fire from which some dirty water had been thrown that splashed him; the public attempt to stab Fernando Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel, Duke of Alba de Tormes, who by order of the King was to leave for Flanders in his place; throwing out of a window a page whose behavior annoyed him; and, on another occasion, throwing out the keeper of his jewels and clothing.
Charles attempted another plan to go to the Netherlands: he asked his uncle Don John of Austria to take him to Italy, but the latter asked him for 24 hours to make the decision and went to inform the King. Charles, on learning of the betrayal, loaded a pistol and had him summoned again to his chambers, but he was unable to fire because one of his servants had unloaded the weapon beforehand. The Prince's fury was such that he seized his hand and threw himself at John, although the latter, who was stronger than him, immobilized him. He also informed the Prior of the convent of Atocha of his desire to kill the King.
Finally, on 18 January 1568, Philip II himself ordered his son Charles to be shut up in his chambers, without receiving correspondence and with limited communication with the outside world. As the Prince threatened to take his own life, Philip II ordered that he not be allowed knives or forks. In informing public opinion, as well as the rulers of Europe, the King was ambiguous, as he tried to justify himself without revealing Charles's faults. This lack of transparency fed the rumors and the negative propaganda of his enemies, especially William of Orange.
While captive, the Prince attempted a hunger strike, in which he failed. This, together with his physical weakness, was the probable cause of his death, which occurred on 24 July 1568.
In literature and music
The case of Prince Don Charles of Austria is the central theme of Schiller's literary work Don Carlos. In it, Charles and Elisabeth of Valois, wife of Philip II, fight for their love against an implacable Philip II, while the Netherlands, defended by the Prince, fight for their liberties. This is also the theme of the opera Don Carlos by Verdi: the old king, jealous and repressive, against the young prince, brave and romantic. It is Verdi's longest opera, and the one with the most adaptations made.
In Spanish literature, the subject has always aroused great interest. Thus, Juan López de Hoyos, Relación de la muerte y honras fúnebres del S. Príncipe Don Carlos (1568). The playwright Diego Jiménez del Enciso dedicated El príncipe don Carlos to him, written around 1621 and printed in 1634. José de Cañizares premiered another El príncipe don Carlos around 1700. Eugenio de Ochoa wrote a portrait of Philip II and his son in Auto de fe (1837). The poet Gaspar Núñez de Arce dedicated to him the drama in five acts and in verse El haz de leña (1872). Salvador de Madariaga, Don Carlos, poema dramático en cuatro actos (1940). Finally, Carlos Muñiz wrote his Tragicomedia del serenísimo príncipe don Carlos (1972).
Ancestry
Ancestors of Charles of Austria, Prince of Asturias
| Generation | Ancestors |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1. Charles of Austria and Portugal |
| 2 | 2. Philip II of Spain 3. Maria Manuela of Portugal |
| 3 | 4. Charles I of Spain 5. Isabella of Portugal 6. John III of Portugal 7. Catherine of Austria |
| 4 | 8. Philip I of Castile (=14) 9. Joanna I of Castile (=15) 10. Manuel I of Portugal (=12) 11. Maria of Aragon (=13) 12. Manuel I of Portugal (=10) 13. Maria of Aragon (=11) 14. Philip I of Castile (=8) 15. Joanna I of Castile (=9) |
| 5 | 16. Maximilian I of the Holy Roman Empire (=28) 17. Mary of Burgundy (=29) 18. Ferdinand II of Aragon (=26) 19. Isabella I of Castile (=27) 20. Ferdinand of Portugal, Duke of Viseu (=24) 21. Beatrice of Aveiro (=25) 22. Ferdinand II of Aragon (=18) 23. Isabella I of Castile (=19) 24. Ferdinand of Portugal, Duke of Viseu (=20) 25. Beatrice of Aveiro (=21) 26. Ferdinand II of Aragon (=18) 27. Isabella I of Castile (=19) 28. Maximilian I of the Holy Roman Empire (=16) 29. Mary of Burgundy (=17) 30. Ferdinand II of Aragon (=18) 31. Isabella I of Castile (=19) |
References
- ↑ Parker, Geoffrey (2002). Philip II. Open Court, pp. 92-93, 101. 4th edition. ISBN 978-0-8126-9519-9.
- ↑ Secretos y misterios de la historia, publisher Reader's Digest, p. 111
- ↑ Gonzalo Sánchez-Molero, José Luis (2004). "Lectura y bibliofilia en el príncipe don Carlos (1545-1568), o la alucinada búsqueda de la 'sabiduría'". La memoria de los libros. Estudios sobre la historia del escrito y de la lectura en Europa y América Tomo I (in español). Instituto de Historia del Libro y de la Lectura: 705–734.
- ↑ Justo Hernández: Cristóbal de Vega, médico de cámara de príncipe D. Carlos[dead link].
- ↑ Relación del doctor Dionisio Daza Chacón on the head wound of Prince Charles; CODOIN, vol. XVIII, pp. 537 - 563.
- ↑ Relación del doctor Santiago Diego Olivares on the same matter; CODOIN, vol. XV, pp. 553 - 574.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 de León Pinelo, Antonio (1971). Pedro Fernández Martín (ed.). Anales de Madrid (desde el año 447 al de 1658 ) (in español). Madrid: Instituto de Estudios Madrileños. pp. 85–86.
Bibliography
- Fernández Álvarez, Manuel (2006). "1568: Annus horribilis-El Príncipe Don Carlos p.395-425". Felipe II y su tiempo (in español). Madrid: Espasa Calpe. ISBN 84-670-2292-2..
- Buchanan, Iain. "The 'Battle of Pavia' and the Tapestry Collection of Don Carlos: New Documentation", The Burlington Magazine, Vol. 144, No. 1191 (Jun., 2002), pp. 345-351, The Burlington Magazine Publications, Ltd.
External links
- Biografía de Carlos de Austria Real Academia de la Historia
- Pérez, Joseph. "El Príncipe Don Carlos, un problema de Estado para Felipe II", special lecture at the 28th edition of the Summer Courses of the Complutense University of Madrid, given by Joseph Pérez, Prince of Asturias Award for Social Sciences 2014, 22 July 2015.
