Person

Charles II of Spain

1661–1700 · 17th century

Charles II of Spain was the last Habsburg king of Spain, reigning from 1665 to 1700. Sickly and childless, he presided over a period of economic weakness and military losses to France. His will left the throne to Philip of Anjou, grandson of Louis XIV, which brought the Bourbon dynasty to Spain and led to the War of the Spanish Succession.

Charles II of Spain
Image: Juan Carreño de Miranda · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 state histories

Habsburg SpainBourbon Spain

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Charles II of Spain. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/charles-ii-of-spain
MLA
“Charles II of Spain.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/charles-ii-of-spain. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Charles II of Spain.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/charles-ii-of-spain.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Charles II of Spain’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/charles-ii-of-spain (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻