New biography debunks myths about Spain's 'bewitched' King Charles II

Historian Alberto Bravo has published a biography of Charles II of Spain (1665-1700), the last Habsburg monarch, challenging the long-held view of him as feeble and incompetent. Bravo, a professor of Early Modern History at the Autonomous University of Madrid, spent over a decade researching the king's reign. He argues that Charles II was neither stupid nor sad, and that despite his epithet 'the Bewitched,' he successfully maintained Spain's colonial empire and oversaw a period of cultural splendor. The king, who ascended the throne as a child, surrounded himself with capable ministers and even stood up to the rising power of France. The biography, titled 'Yo, el rey,' presents a revisionist account of a monarch traditionally blamed for Spain's decline.