Wikimedia Commons Marie-Anne, Charles II’s second wife. His ministers and advisers suggested the next move in Charles II of Spain’s reign: to marry a second wife. The lower jaw was the kicker, though, as it made Charles II seem stunted. The Spanish monarch was depressed after his first wife died.ĭepression was a common trait among the Habsburgs. Marie died in 1689 without producing an heir for Charles II. The French ambassador wrote to the Spanish court in 1679 that Marie wanted absolutely nothing to do with Charles, saying that “The Catholic King is so ugly as to cause fear and he looks ill.”Ĭharles II of Spain could barely walk because his legs could not support his weight. His first wife, Marie Louise of Orleans (Charles II’s second niece), came from an arranged marriage. The king was illiterate and totally dependent on those around him. He was not allowed to walk until he was almost fully grown and his family didn’t bother to educate him. Charles II’s tongue was so huge he could barely speak. After 16 generations of this, Charles II’s family was so inbred that his grandmother and his aunt were the same person.Ĭharles II’s most prominent feature was his jaw, known as the Habsburg jaw, that identified him as part of his royal family. The Habsburgs were so bent on keeping power, as they had for a few hundred years, that they often married their own blood relatives. Wikimedia Commons Charles V, a Holy Roman Emperor and ancestor of Charles II of Spain, who has the same prominent jaw.

King charles 2