Editing Charles III of Spain (section)

==Personal life==
[[File:4 Maravedis à l'effigie de Charles III.jpg|thumb|Charles III of Spain]]
[[File:EscorialBorbo1.jpg|thumb|Tomb of Charles III in the [[Escorial]]]]
Charles received the strict and structured education of a Spanish Infante by [[Giovanni Antonio Medrano|Giovanni Antonio de Medrano]]; he was very pious and was often in awe of his domineering mother, who according to many contemporaries, he resembled greatly. The [[Alvise Giovanni Mocenigo]], [[Doge of Venice]] and [[Ambassador]] of [[Venice]] to [[Naples]] declared<ref name="V48">{{in lang|it}} Vittorio Gleijeses, ''Don Carlos'', Napoli, Edizioni Agea, 1988, p. 48.</ref> that "...he received an education removed from all studies and all applications in order to be able to govern himself" (''...tenne sempre un'educazione lontanissima da ogni studio e da ogni applicazione per diventare da sé stesso capace di governo'').<ref>''Il di lui talento è naturale, e non-stato coltivato da maestri, sendo stato allevato all'uso di Spagna, ove i ministri non-amano di vedere i loro sovrani intesi di molte cose, per poter indi più facilmente governare a loro talento. Poche sono le notizie delle corti straniere, delle leggi, de' Regni, delle storie de' secoli andati, e dell'arte militare, e posso con verità assicurare la MV non-averlo per il più sentito parlar d'altro in occasione del pranzo, che dell'età degli astanti, di caccia, delle qualità de' suoi cani, della bontà ed insipidezza de' cibi, e della mutazione de' venti indicanti pioggia o serenità''. Michelangelo Schipa, ''Il regno di Napoli al tempo di Carlo di Borbone'', Napoli, Stabilimento tipografico Luigi Pierro e figlio, 1904, p. 72.</ref>

Giovanni Antonio de Medrano taught him geography, history and mathematics, as well as military art and architecture during his stay in the cities of Florence, Parma and Piacenza. He was also educated in [[printmaking]] (remaining an enthusiastic [[etcher]]), [[painting]], and a wide range of physical activities, including a future favourite of his, [[hunting]]. [[Sir Horatio Mann, 2nd Baronet|Sir Horatio Mann]], a British diplomat in [[Florence]] noted that he was greatly impressed at the fondness Charles had for the sport.

His physical appearance was dominated by the Bourbon nose that he had inherited from his father's side of the family. He was described as "a brown boy, who has a lean face with a bulging nose", and was known for his happy and exuberant character.<ref>{{in lang|it}} Michelangelo Schipa, ''Il regno di Napoli al tempo di Carlo di Borbone'', Naples, Stabilimento tipografico Luigi Pierro e figlio, 1904, p. 74.</ref>

Charles's mother Elisabeth Farnese sought potential brides for her son, when he was formally recognized as King of Naples and Sicily. It was impossible to get an [[Archduke|Archduchess of Austria]] as a bride, so she looked to [[Poland]], choosing Princess [[Maria Amalia of Saxony]], a daughter of the newly elected Polish king Augustus III and his (ironically) Austrian wife [[Maria Josepha of Austria]]. Maria Josepha was a niece of Emperor Charles; the marriage was seen as the only alternative to an Austrian marriage. Maria Amalia was only 13 when she was informed of her proposed marriage. The marriage date was confirmed on 31 October 1737. Maria Amalia was married by proxy at [[Dresden]] in May 1738, with her brother [[Frederick Christian, Elector of Saxony]] representing Charles. This marriage was looked upon favorably by the Holy See and effectively ended its diplomatic disagreement with Charles. The couple met for the first time on 19 June 1738 at [[Portella]], a village on the frontier of the kingdom near [[Fondi]]. At court, festivities lasted till 3 July. As part of the celebration, Charles created the [[Order of Saint Januarius]]—the most prestigious order of chivalry in the kingdom. He later had the [[Order of Charles III]] created in Spain on 19 September 1771.

The first crisis that Charles had to deal with as King of Spain was the death of his beloved wife Maria Amalia. She died unexpectedly at the [[Buen Retiro Palace]] on the eastern outskirts of Madrid, aged 35, on 27 September 1760. She was buried at the El Escorial in the royal crypt. Charles did not marry again. The example of his actions and works was not without effect on other Spanish nobles. In his domestic life, King Charles was regular, and was a considerate master, though he had a somewhat caustic tongue and took a rather cynical view of humanity. He was passionately fond of hunting. During his later years he had some trouble with his eldest son and daughter-in-law.

Charles was one of the largest slave owners in the Spanish Empire, owning 1,500 slaves in the [[Iberian Peninsula]] and a further 18,500 in [[Spanish colonization of the Americas|Spain's American colonies]]. His slave ownership influenced the [[Spanish nobility]], which started to emulate Charles by purchasing more slaves, to the point where by the 1780s 4% of Madrid's population was enslaved.<ref> {{Cite news |last=Kassam |first=Ashifa |date=2024-04-02 |title='Hidden in plain sight': the European city tours of slavery and colonialism |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/02/hidden-in-plain-sight-the-european-city-tours-of-slavery-and-colonialism |access-date=2024-09-13 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} </ref> Charles was buried at the [[El Escorial|Pantheon of the Kings]] located at the Royal Monastery of El Escorial.