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Learn about the life and reign of Charles IV, the weak and passive king of Spain who ruled from 1788 to 1808. Find out how he inherited a stable empire, but lost it to Napoleon Bonaparte and his brother Joseph.
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Learn about Charles IV, the king of Spain (1788–1808) who abdicated after Napoleon invaded his country. Find out his biography, family, and role in the Enlightenment and the Bourbon Dynasty.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Learn about the life and reign of Charles IV, the king of Spain who abdicated in favor of Napoleon in 1808. Find out how his policies, wars, and ministers shaped the decline of the Spanish empire in America and Europe.
Learn about the history and significance of The Family of Carlos IV, a painting by Francisco Goya in 1800 depicting the royal family of Spain. Find out how Goya captured the individual characters, the political context, and the artistic influences of the work.
Charles IV ( Spanish: Carlos Antonio Pascual Francisco Javier Juan Nepomuceno José Januario Serafín Diego de Borbón y Sajonia; 11 November 1748 – 20 January 1819) was King of Spain and ruler of the Spanish Empire from 1788 to 1808.
King of Spain from 1788 to 1808, fifth monarch of the House of Bourbon. Son of Carlos III and María Amalia of Saxony, his reign marked the start of the crisis of the Ancien Régime in Spain.
Learn about the life and reign of Charles IV, the last king of the Spanish branch of the Bourbon dynasty. Find out his marriage, children, abdication, and death.