Charles II in Armour, 1681, by Juan Carreno de Miranda.
One recent discovery comes from a 17th-century portrait of a royal.
The Habsburgs ruled early modern Europe.
Charles II in Armour, 1681, by Juan Carreño de Miranda. (Photo:Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
For almost seven centuries, members of the clan intermarried and ruled across Europe.
Charles II was born in 1661.
His father, Philip IV, was the uncle of his mother Mariana of Austria.
Carlos II de España, circa 1680, by Juan Carreño de Miranda. (Photo:Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
He became king as a child in 1665, so his mother acted as regent.
However, Charles II was unfortunately destined for a life of difficulty and disease throughout his childhood and adulthood.
Charles II was the only one of his parent’s children to survive to adulthood.
However, x-ray examinations of the painting reveal the canvas previously boasted a different image.
Behind the young man was a much shorter, yet similar in appearance, child king.
His hair in both images is loose, his face long, and his pose similar.
In particular, he had the Habsburg jaw, a severe underbite which made life difficult.
He was infertile and left no heirs, dying at 35, plagued by senility and seizures.
Behind this portrait of the Spanish King Charles II is a past portrait, x-rays reveal.
The king is depicted as younger and shorter in the older version.
Carlos II de Espana, circa 1680, by Juan Carreno de Miranda.
