Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor

Charles V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1519, King of Castile and Aragon from 1516, and Lord of the Low Countries as Duke of Burgundy from 1506.

Charles V
Imperator Romanorum (more...)
Holy Roman Emperor (more...)
Reign	28 June 1519 – 24 February 1558[a]
Coronation	23 October 1520 (Germany) 22 February 1530 (Italy) 24 February 1530 (Empire)[22]
Predecessor	Maximilian I
Successor	Ferdinand I
King of Spain as Charles I
Reign	14 March 1516 – 16 January 1556
Predecessor	Joanna
Successor	Philip II
Co-monarch	Joanna (until 1555)
Regents	See list Adrian, Cardinal-Bishop of Tortosa Isabella, Holy Roman Empress Philip, Prince of Asturias Archduke Maximilian of Austria Infanta Maria of Spain
Archduke of Austria as Charles I
Reign	12 January 1519 – 21 April 1521
Predecessor	Maximilian I
Successor	Ferdinand I[b]
Lord of the Netherlands Duke of Burgundy[c] as Charles II
Reign	25 September 1506 – 25 October 1555
Predecessor	Philip the Handsome
Successor	Philip II of Spain
Governors	See list Margaret of Austria Mary of Austria
Born	24 February 1500 Prinsenhof of Ghent, Flanders, Habsburg Netherlands, Holy Roman Empire
Died	21 September 1558(1558-09-21) (aged 58) Monastery of Yuste, Crown of Castile, Spain
Burial	El Escorial, Spain
Spouse	Isabella of Portugal ​ ​ (m. 1526; died 1539)​
Issue more...	Philip II, King of Spain Maria, Holy Roman Empress Joanna, Princess of Portugal Illegitimate: Margaret, Duchess of Florence and Parma John of Austria
House	Habsburg
Father	Philip the Handsome
Mother	Joanna, Queen of Castile and Aragon
Religion	Catholic Church
Signature

Philip the Handsome (son of Maximilian I of Austria and Mary of Burgundy) and Joanna the Mad (daughter of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile) were his parents. He ruled Austria, Spain, Two Sicilies, Sardinia, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Hungary, Bohemia, Croatia, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela.

His Majesty or His Imperial Majesty was first used when he was king. His Empire became large and was known as "in which the sun does not set". He was also known as "The Emperor of Universal Dominion."

He divided his empire between his brother Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor and his son Philip II of Spain.

Issue

Charles and Isabella had seven legitimate children, but only three of them survived to adulthood. Charles also had natural children before he married and after he was widowed.

Name	Portrait	Lifespan	Notes
Philip II of Spain		21 May 1527 – 13 September 1598	Only surviving son, successor of his father in the Spanish crowns and became king of Portugal.
Maria		21 June 1528 – 26 February 1603	Married her first cousin Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor.
Ferdinand		22 November 1529 – 13 July 1530	Died in infancy.
Son		29 June 1534	Stillborn.
Joanna		24 June 1535 – 7 September 1573	Married her first cousin João Manuel, Prince of Portugal.
John		19 October 1537 – 20 March 1538	Died in infancy.
Son		21 April 1539	Stillborn.

Due to Philip II being a grandson of Manuel I of Portugal through his mother he was in the line of succession to the throne of Portugal, and claimed it after his uncle's death (Henry, the Cardinal-King, in 1580), thus establishing the personal union between Spain and Portugal.

Charles also had six children out of wedlock:

• Infanta Isabella of Castile (20 August 1518 – 1537), perhaps daughter of Charles's maternal step-grandmother, Germaine of Foix,^[23] but strongly disputed by biographer Geoffrey Parker;^[24] Isabella died at the age of 19, never married, and had no issue.
• Margaret of Austria (1522–1586), daughter of Johanna Maria van der Gheynst, who Charles recognized^[25][26] a servant of Charles I de Lalaing, Seigneur de Montigny, daughter of Gilles Johann van der Gheynst and wife Johanna van der Caye van Cocamby. Married firstly with Alessandro de' Medici, Duke of Florence, and secondly with Ottavio Farnese, Duke of Parma.
• Joanna of Austria (1522–1530), daughter of Catalina de Rebolledo (or de Xériga), lady-in-waiting of Queen Joanna I of Castile and Aragon^[27] or attached to the household of Henry of Nassau. She was brought up in an Augustinian convent in Madrigal de las Altas Torres.^[25]
• Tadea of Austria (1523? – c. 1562), daughter of Orsolina della Penna. Married to Sinibaldo di Copeschi.^[28]
• Cornelis de Hooghe (1541-1583), Dutch cartographer
• John of Austria (1547–1578), victor of the Battle of Lepanto, son of Barbara Blomberg.^[29]

Notes

1. The chronology of his abdications has been disputed since early scholarship.^[1] His public abdication to the States General of the Netherlands certainly took place on 25 October 1555.^[1][2] His abdication as Spanish king is generally dated to 16 January 1556, although some give other dates.^[1] This was ratified in a document dated 17 February.^[1] On 3 August, he announced his abdication as emperor and instructed his commissioners to negotiate with Ferdinand and the electors the formal transfer of power.^[3][4] On 27 August, Charles wrote a document to the Imperial court in Speyer (referred to as a Constitutio or Rescriptum) renouncing the Empire in favour of Ferdinand.^[5][6] Then, on 7 September, he sent an edict to all States of the Empire urging them to recognize Ferdinand as their new ruler.^[5][7] The abdication was not recognized by the electors until 24^[14] (or 28)^[20] February 1558. Ferdinand was finally proclaimed and crowned Emperor-elect on 14 March,^[12] after sworing the Electoral capitulation.^[21]
2. In the name of Charles V until 1556
3. Monarchs from the House of Habsburg ruled the Low Countries with the titular title of Duke/Duchess of Burgundy.

Regnal titles of Charles V

Title		From	To	Regnal name
	Titular Duke of Burgundy	25 September 1506	25 October 1555	Charles II
	Duke of Brabant	25 September 1506	25 October 1555	Charles II
	Duke of Limburg	25 September 1506	25 October 1555	Charles II
	Duke of Lothier	25 September 1506	25 October 1555	Charles II
	Duke of Luxemburg	25 September 1506	25 October 1555	Charles III
	Margrave of Namur	25 September 1506	25 October 1555	Charles II
	Count Palatine of Burgundy	25 September 1506	5 February 1556	Charles II
	Count of Artois	25 September 1506	25 October 1555	Charles II
	Count of Charolais	25 September 1506	21 September 1558	Charles II
	Count of Flanders	25 September 1506	25 October 1555	Charles III
	Count of Hainault	25 September 1506	25 October 1555	Charles II
	Count of Holland	25 September 1506	25 October 1555	Charles II
	Count of Zeeland	25 September 1506	25 October 1555	Charles II
	King of Castile and León	14 March 1516	16 January 1556	Charles I
	King of Aragon	14 March 1516	16 January 1556	Charles I
	King of Sicily	14 March 1516	16 January 1556	Charles I (II)
	Count of Barcelona	14 March 1516	16 January 1556	Charles I
	King of Naples	14 March 1516	25 July 1554	Charles IV
	Archduke of Austria	12 January 1519	12 January 1521	Charles I
	Holy Roman Emperor	28 June 1519	27 August 1556	Charles V
	King of the Romans	23 October 1520	24 February 1530	Charles V
	Count of Zutphen	12 September 1543	25 October 1555	Charles II
	Duke of Guelders	12 September 1543	25 October 1555	Charles III