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| Source: Alchetron |
I won't lie, the title sounds like something out of a modern-day erotica where the male protagonist is some hot-shot business guy and should theoretically be in jail for sexual assault but isn't because he's that "dreamy guy". Believe me, this is far from that. Charles V was known as one of the most well-known Holy Roman Emperors. A child of Europe, Charles was a descendant of major ruling families on the continent. His maternal grandparents ruled as sovereigns in their own right that unified Spain through their marriage, and were champions of the Crusades. His maternal aunt was the Queen of England. His father and his grandfather were also Holy Roman Emperors. With such a background, it is not surprising that he was well-versed in various languages, a master of diplomacy, and an expert in warfare. Considering his reputation, he made a number of enemies over his reign. Something I noticed, however, was that there was a lot to Charles' personality beyond his public life. As a husband, Charles was extremely devoted to his wife, Isabella; the two had an unconventional marriage, being one of political significance and of love. More about that later.
History is written by the winners. Always. When you look back at major events, often there is already a preconceived notion of who is the good guy and who is the bad guy. The westernised perspective is the dominant one when one studies History. In World War 2, immediately one thinks, "Nazis bad." When 9/11 happened, the first thought is, "Taliban bad." However, it's all about perspective. To Nazi supporters, they might think the British or the French or the Russians as the bad guys. To Taliban supporters, they might think of the Americans as the villains. Such can be said of Charles V. To many historians, especially supporters of the Protestant Reformation, Charles V was a tyrant who wanted to squash what the reformers of the time thought to be the true religion in favour of what they might consider "papist imperialism." In the early 1520s, Charles encountered Martin Luther at the Diet of Worms, where he rejected Luther's doctrines openly, while preparing for an ideological war with reformers and their supporters across Europe. Being from a strong imperial and Catholic family, his ascension as Holy Roman Emperor bestowed the heavy burden of maintaining Catholicism throughout Europe. It was an unfortunate coincidence that this would take place at the time of strong reform.
The Holy Roman Empire was frequently at war with France during this time, in spite of their shared disdain for what they considered heresy. It reached a point where Pope Clement VII formed an alliance with Francis I of France against Charles V, believing that the Habsburg dynasty might attempt to take control of the Catholic Church. This alliance resulted in the capture of the Pope, who would be imprisoned in Castel Sant'Angelo. While the Sack of Rome was instigated by Habsburg rebels who mutinied against Charles V, there was a widespread fear around Europe that the Holy Roman Empire was a dangerous power. He took the opportunity to shape the Church according to his own design; Clement VII agreed to his demands, appointing cardinals nominated by Charles, crowning Charles Holy Roman Emperor of the Italian region, and refusing to acknowledge that the marriage between King Henry VIII and Queen Catherine of Aragon was invalid. His zeal for the preservation of Catholicism sparked the movement that would become the Counter-Reformation in 1545, a movement that his son, Philip II of Spain, would push in the form of the Inquisition. Interestingly, Charles was opposed to a holy war in light of the spread of Protestantism around Charles' German territories, largely because the Imperial army was involved in wars against France and, one point, the Ottoman Empire.
Yet while all this was happening, Charles' private life was another matter. Given his reputation as a prince of Europe, a desirable marriage was necessary, not just for the purpose of producing heirs, but also for political gain. In 1507, a betrothal was proposed between Charles and Mary Tudor, King Henry VII's daughter; instead, the engagement was broken in 1513, and Mary was sent to France to marry the King in 1514. In 1521, his aunt, Catherine of Aragon, suggested that he be proposed to her daughter, Mary, to secure an alliance with England - however, Mary was sixteen years younger than him, and Charles would have needed to wait until she was of proper age to marry. He called off the engagement in 1525, unconvinced at the prospect of waiting in order to have legitimate heirs. Instead, he married Isabella of Portugal, who brought a very large dowry to the marriage. In spite of this marriage being pursued primarily for political gain, the two were very much in love with each other, a concept that was considered foreign in this time. Although Charles frequently took foreign trips as part of his role as Emperor, the two were strongly devoted to each other. Isabella even acted as regent in the times Charles was away, eventually becoming a policy-maker on occasion. The two were married for thirteen years, producing seven children, though only three would live past infancy. Unfortunately, Isabella fell sick during her seventh pregnancy, resulting in a miscarriage; she died two weeks later following post-partum complications resulting in infections.
The death of Isabella was hard on Charles. He exiled himself to a monastery for two months in order to mourn her alone, and dressed in black for the rest of his life. Honestly, it reminds me a bit of Queen Victoria, who went into seclusion after Prince Albert died, and wore black for the remainder of her life. Charles commissioned many artists and composers to create tributes to Isabella. Some of these paintings were taken with him whenever he travelled. Charles did have a brief affair with a mistress some many years after Isabella's death, but unlike many of his royal kin, he never remarried.
Charles V is one of my favourite historical figures, and no doubt Protestant writers will view him as tyrannical. In a way, he was. As an advocate for libertarianism, the idea of a religious conquest to wipe out those with other beliefs is not a concept I could support, largely because even if people converted, inner belief may not reflect actions. Yet Charles was unlike many rulers of this time, and in a way, progressive in the ways of love. Typically, advisors would be encouraging rulers to remarry not long after the death of a consort to ensure the security of the throne. Charles' loyalty to Isabella was immeasurable, and truly beautiful.
History is written by the winners. Always. When you look back at major events, often there is already a preconceived notion of who is the good guy and who is the bad guy. The westernised perspective is the dominant one when one studies History. In World War 2, immediately one thinks, "Nazis bad." When 9/11 happened, the first thought is, "Taliban bad." However, it's all about perspective. To Nazi supporters, they might think the British or the French or the Russians as the bad guys. To Taliban supporters, they might think of the Americans as the villains. Such can be said of Charles V. To many historians, especially supporters of the Protestant Reformation, Charles V was a tyrant who wanted to squash what the reformers of the time thought to be the true religion in favour of what they might consider "papist imperialism." In the early 1520s, Charles encountered Martin Luther at the Diet of Worms, where he rejected Luther's doctrines openly, while preparing for an ideological war with reformers and their supporters across Europe. Being from a strong imperial and Catholic family, his ascension as Holy Roman Emperor bestowed the heavy burden of maintaining Catholicism throughout Europe. It was an unfortunate coincidence that this would take place at the time of strong reform.
The Holy Roman Empire was frequently at war with France during this time, in spite of their shared disdain for what they considered heresy. It reached a point where Pope Clement VII formed an alliance with Francis I of France against Charles V, believing that the Habsburg dynasty might attempt to take control of the Catholic Church. This alliance resulted in the capture of the Pope, who would be imprisoned in Castel Sant'Angelo. While the Sack of Rome was instigated by Habsburg rebels who mutinied against Charles V, there was a widespread fear around Europe that the Holy Roman Empire was a dangerous power. He took the opportunity to shape the Church according to his own design; Clement VII agreed to his demands, appointing cardinals nominated by Charles, crowning Charles Holy Roman Emperor of the Italian region, and refusing to acknowledge that the marriage between King Henry VIII and Queen Catherine of Aragon was invalid. His zeal for the preservation of Catholicism sparked the movement that would become the Counter-Reformation in 1545, a movement that his son, Philip II of Spain, would push in the form of the Inquisition. Interestingly, Charles was opposed to a holy war in light of the spread of Protestantism around Charles' German territories, largely because the Imperial army was involved in wars against France and, one point, the Ottoman Empire.
Yet while all this was happening, Charles' private life was another matter. Given his reputation as a prince of Europe, a desirable marriage was necessary, not just for the purpose of producing heirs, but also for political gain. In 1507, a betrothal was proposed between Charles and Mary Tudor, King Henry VII's daughter; instead, the engagement was broken in 1513, and Mary was sent to France to marry the King in 1514. In 1521, his aunt, Catherine of Aragon, suggested that he be proposed to her daughter, Mary, to secure an alliance with England - however, Mary was sixteen years younger than him, and Charles would have needed to wait until she was of proper age to marry. He called off the engagement in 1525, unconvinced at the prospect of waiting in order to have legitimate heirs. Instead, he married Isabella of Portugal, who brought a very large dowry to the marriage. In spite of this marriage being pursued primarily for political gain, the two were very much in love with each other, a concept that was considered foreign in this time. Although Charles frequently took foreign trips as part of his role as Emperor, the two were strongly devoted to each other. Isabella even acted as regent in the times Charles was away, eventually becoming a policy-maker on occasion. The two were married for thirteen years, producing seven children, though only three would live past infancy. Unfortunately, Isabella fell sick during her seventh pregnancy, resulting in a miscarriage; she died two weeks later following post-partum complications resulting in infections.
The death of Isabella was hard on Charles. He exiled himself to a monastery for two months in order to mourn her alone, and dressed in black for the rest of his life. Honestly, it reminds me a bit of Queen Victoria, who went into seclusion after Prince Albert died, and wore black for the remainder of her life. Charles commissioned many artists and composers to create tributes to Isabella. Some of these paintings were taken with him whenever he travelled. Charles did have a brief affair with a mistress some many years after Isabella's death, but unlike many of his royal kin, he never remarried.
Charles V is one of my favourite historical figures, and no doubt Protestant writers will view him as tyrannical. In a way, he was. As an advocate for libertarianism, the idea of a religious conquest to wipe out those with other beliefs is not a concept I could support, largely because even if people converted, inner belief may not reflect actions. Yet Charles was unlike many rulers of this time, and in a way, progressive in the ways of love. Typically, advisors would be encouraging rulers to remarry not long after the death of a consort to ensure the security of the throne. Charles' loyalty to Isabella was immeasurable, and truly beautiful.
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