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Hogge Wild posted:He married Maria Anna of Savoy, the sixth child of Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia. They had no issue. Ferdinand was incapable of ruling his empire because of his mental deficiency, so his father, before he died, drafted a will promulgating that he consult Archduke Louis on every aspect of internal policy, and urged him to be influenced by Prince Metternich, Austria's foreign minister. You forgot to mention just what his mental deficiency was: he was severely, incredibly epileptic. He was recorded as having as many as 20 seizures per day, making him totally incapable of ruling for more than a few minutes most of the time before convulsing. He died without any heirs, as he had 5 seizures just trying to consummate his marriage.
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Jun 30, 2016 14:24
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| # ¿ May 28, 2024 20:51 |
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Charles II of Spain Come on, you all knew this guy was coming. Charles II (or Carlos II) was known as El Hechizado (The Bewitched) for being the prime example of Habsburg genetics. For those who forgot, the Habsburg royal family engaged in extreme inbreeding and inter-marrying to consolidate power since the 11th century until they maintained control over the entirety of Europe at some point in their existence, including controlling the Holy Roman Empire from 1438 to 1740. Emperors, kings, and queens of the Habsburgs ruled virtually every major power in Europe during their heyday. The line eventually split into Spanish and Austrian lines, and Charles II was the finale of the Spanish line. As you can see from his portrait, being the product of a man loving his niece after centuries of further inbreeding doesn't leave you looking too handsome. Charles II was essentially incompetent at even the most minor noble duties, having not been forced to attend school as a child to avoid overtaxing him and not even being expected to bathe or brush his hair. The famous Habsburg Chin was so prominent that his deformed jaw made it nearly impossible for him to speak or chew. He took command during a time when Spain was in crisis, so he was basically ignored until palace intrigue controlled the country. Charles was fragile of both mind and body, demanding that the corpses of his family be exhumed so he could stare at them. Even the most basic duties of a king were too much for the young mutant to bear, and when he was in his 30s he officially retired after a nervous breakdown. He lived a simple life of playing games until he finally died five days before his 39th birthday. The physician who autopsied him described his body thusly: quote:His body "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." American historians called him "short, lame, epileptic, senile, and completely bald before 35, he was always on the verge of death, but repeatedly baffled Christendom by continuing to live." He never produced any heirs and was likely totally impotent and/or infertile, and so the entire Spanish line of the Habsburg dynasty died with him. The Austrian line followed 80 years later with the death of Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina, the Holy Roman Empress. While there is a modern House of Habsburg-Lorraine, the bloodline had to be diluted to survive.
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Jun 30, 2016 19:22
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