Carlos, Prince of Asturias

Prince of Asturias; eldest child of Philip II of Spain

Carlos, Prince of Asturias, also known as Don Carlos (8 July 1545 – 24 July 1568), was the oldest son of King Philip II of Spain. He was heir apparent to the throne. His mother was Maria Manuela of Portugal. She was the daughter of John III of Portugal.

Carlos
Prince of Asturias
Portrait by Alonso Sánchez Coello, 1564.
Born(1545-07-08)8 July 1545
Valladolid, Spain
Died24 July 1568(1568-07-24) (aged 23)
Madrid, Spain
Burial
HouseHouse of Habsburg
FatherPhilip II of Spain
MotherMaria Manuela, Princess of Portugal
ReligionRoman Catholicism

Carlos went mad and so his father put him in prison in early 1568. Carlos died after half a year of solitary confinement. His sad fate became a theme for a play by Friedrich Schiller and an opera by Giuseppe Verdi.