Carlos

Carlos, Don, son of Philip II. of Spain, was born in 1545 at Valladolid. Considered unfit to reign, he, though heir to the throne, was passed over in favour of his cousins, Rudolph and Ernest. This made him conceive an aversion to his father, and at the confessional, on Christmas Eve of 1567 he revealed his design of intending to assassinate a certain person. The king was believed to be the marked victim, and Don Carlos's papers were seized. He was tried and found guilty of plotting against the king's life, sentence being left for Philip to pronounce. On July 24, 1568, he died, presumably murdered - at least, the enemies of the king did not hesitate to put it about that he had murdered his own son; of this, however, there is no proof, and it has been a vexed question ever since. The story of Don Carlos has provided the subject of various tragedies, chief amongst which is Schiller's.