CHARLES V
In the history of world rulers, with all facts on paper, Charles V should rub shoulders with the greatest. Charles was not only head of the influential House of Habsburg, but his dominions over Europe extended from Germany to Spain to northern Italy, and even Austria and the Low Countries – modernday Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. All these dominions combined with the Spanish colonisation of what would become known as the Americas prompted his realms to be labelled the very first ‘empire on which the sun never sets’. Despite the staggering reach of his power, the pedigree of his name and the huge number of crowns balancing atop his head, Charles V never quite achieved the legendary status this empire should have ensured.
Charles’ reign was one not only of impressive power but also failure. It is an epic tale of one man’s determination against impossible odds. But no matter how inspiring the story, it ultimately ended in defeat. But why was this? Was Charles doomed from the start? Was ruling such a vast kingdom an impossible task, or does the blame lie with Charles himself and the lethal thread of ambition that sent him down a disastrous path he could have avoided?
From the beginning of his life Charles was imbued with great purpose due to the two ambitious and influential dynasties that joined to birth him. His mother, Joanna
