![]() John Lynch, Spain Under the Habsburgs, vol. The local precedent often trumped the laws encoded in the Recopilación however, such as in 1685 when the Viceroyalty of Peru printed its own Recopilación provincial, a compendium of laws created by Peruvian viceroys. The crown intended to use this information to keep the legal codes of Spain and the Americas as close in nature as possible. One of the bright spots of his reign was the 1680 publication of a vast compendium of the local laws of America, known as the Recopilación de las leyes de Indias. Yet Castile's very weakness forced its ministers to recognize the need for administrative and economic reforms and to act upon it, a policy that characterized the reigns of Charles's Bourbon successors. In addition to this costly war, Castile suffered a number of natural disasters-harvest failures caused by a drought-and-deluge cycle, locusts, an earthquake, and epidemics-all of which exacerbated the effects of monetary depression. Charles's reign was marked by increasing governmental decentralization accompanied by a resurgence of aristocratic influence in government and a revival of provincial liberties.ĭuring Charles's tenuous rule, Spain fought the French to retain the Spanish Netherlands but lost strategic territory at considerable cost to the ailing economy. ![]() Toward the end of his reign, he ruled through titled prime ministers. Chronically ill throughout his life, Charles II ruled early on through his mother, as regent, and a five-member government junta, which was an aristocratic faction headed by his illegitimate brother, Don John of Austria. did not contain a single drop of blood his heart was the size of a peppercorn his lungs corroded his intestines rotten and gangrenous he had a single testicle, black as coal, and his head was full of water." Life in the Georgian Court, true tales of 18th century royalty, is available at the links below.Charles II of Spain ( b. The final word must go his memorable autopsy notes, which leave us in no doubt that the king's famously poor health was nothing if not comprehensive: Just a few days prior to his thirty ninth birthday, Charles passed away quietly at his home, leaving no heir to take his place and plunging Spain into the war of succession. Once the pressure of politics drove his frays nerves to collapse, however, Charles decided to officially retire from court life.Īlthough his post-retirement life was short, it was more happy and he was able to pass his days in undemanding activities such as simple games and sport, with the king having a particular love of shooting. Of course, the fact that he was a king meant that Charles was indulged to a point by those who quite enjoyed life under an ineffectual monarch. His behaviour, always wayward, became utterly erratic and he became fascinated in his deceased relatives, even going so far as to have their corpses exhumed so that he might view them. Towards the end of his life, Charles always weak health deteriorated even further and as it did, his psychological health also began to grow worse. He had little or no real power and the Spanish court descended into intrigue and infighting, ruled by Regents and favourites. Charles struggled through his reign and was considered something of a distraction at court, an unimportant figure who could be sidelined and ignored. All the privilege and royal blood in the world was of little use to him as he suffered from a number of disabilities, both physical and psychological. His reign had not been easy, his short life plagued by ill health and when he died with no heir to follow him despite two marriages, he shuffled into history as the last Hapsburg to sit on the Spanish throne.Ĭharles had not had an easy time of it. On this day, King Charles II of Spain breathed his last.
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