Carlos, Prince of Asturias

Prince of Asturias; eldest child of Philip II of Spain

Source-basedFalling

Lived 1545–1568, aged 23Spain

Spain Business ProfessionalsOther

Fame18.2
Momentum0.0
Spain rank#93
Business Professionals rank#226
Wikipedia15.3K

Wikipedia
42 languages
Cross-language footprint
Rank in Spain
#93
Business Professionals
Era
1545–1568
Aged 23

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People connected to Carlos, Prince of Asturias

FatherPhilip II of Spain

MotherMaria Manuela, Princess of Portugal

SiblingInfanta Catherine Michelle of Spain

SiblingIsabella Clara Eugenia

SiblingPhilip III of Spain

Summary

Updated 2026-05-29

Philip II's unstable heir who got locked up in 1568 and died in solitary—a scandal that became literary gold for Schiller and Verdi decades later.

Biography

About

Don Carlos, Prince of Asturias, was the eldest son and heir apparent of King Philip II of Spain. His mother was Maria Manuela of Portugal, daughter of John III of Portugal. Carlos was known to be mentally unstable and was imprisoned by his father in early 1568, dying after half a year of solitary confinement. His imprisonment and death were utilized in Spain's Black Legend. His life inspired the play Don Carlos by Friedrich Schiller and the opera Don Carlos by Giuseppe Verdi.

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