Charles I: Did you mean...?

Statue of Charles Martel at the Château de Chambord, photograph by Babeth Étiève-Cartwright, France, 30 October, 2025. Charles Martel (r. 718-741) was the illegitimate son of Pepin II (r. 687-714), and his concubine Alpaïde, born while he...

A late-19th century cigarette card showing the English pirate Captain Charles Vane (d. 1721) and the notorious episode when he fired at the ship of the Governor of the Bahamas. Produced by Allen & Ginter. Lithographer: George S. Harris &...

The War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714) was the first of several major wars fought between the great powers of Europe in the 18th century. Triggered by the death of the sickly and childless King Charles II of Spain, the war was fought...

James II of England (r. 1685-1688) reigned briefly as the king of England, Scotland, and Ireland until he was deposed by the Glorious Revolution of November 1688. James, also known as James VII of Scotland, was the fourth Stuart monarch...

Portrait of Talleyrand, oil on canvas by François Gérard, 1808. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Charles Philippe de France, comte d'Artois (1757-1836), during the French Revolution, oil on canvas painting by Henri-Pierre Danloux, 1798. As the youngest brother of King Louis XVI, Artois was one of the first emigres to flee France after...

A map indicating in red the territory controlled by Charles the Simple, aka Charles III of West Francia (r. 893-923 CE)

A silver coin of Charles the Simple, aka Charles III of France (r. 879-929 CE).

Gisela of France was a legendary 10th-century CE Francian princess, who, according to tradition, was married off to Viking leader Rollo of Normandy. Her name, Gisela or Gisla, comes from an Old German word meaning "to pledge", the French...

A c. 1683 painting by John Riley of Charles II of England (r. 1660-1685 CE) wearing armour and with the new British Crown Jewels. (The Weiss Gallery)