Carlos, Don 1545-68
Spanish prince

Born in Valladolid, son of King Philip II of Spain by his first wife, Maria of Portugal, he was sent to study at Alcal� de Henares, where he showed so little improvement that the king invited a nephew, Archduke Rudolf, to Spain, intending to make him his heir. Weak, inascible, and cruel, and with a hatred of the king's advisers, on Christmas Eve 1567 Don Carlos confessed to a priest that he intended to assassinate a certain person. The priest believed that the king was the intended victim, and betrayed Don Carlos, who was tried and found guilty of conspiring against the life of his father. The sentence was left for the king to pronounce. Philip declared that he could make no exception in favour of such an unworthy son, but sentence of death was not formally recorded. When, shortly afterwards, Don Carlos died, it was suspected that he had been poisoned or strangled but no evidence was found to support this.