Charles Felix of Sardinia

For other people named Charles Felix, see Charles Felix (disambiguation).

Charles Felix King of Sardinia Reign 12 March 1821 – 27 April 1831 Predecessor Victor Emmanuel I Successor Charles Albert Spouse Maria Cristina of Naples and Sicily Full name Carlo Felice Giuseppe Maria di Savoia House House of Savoy Father Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia Mother Maria Antonietta of Spain Born April 6, 1765(1765-04-06) Royal Palace of Turin, Turin Died April 27, 1831(1831-04-27) (aged 66) Palazzo Chablais, Turin Burial Basilica of Superga, Turin, Italy

Charles Felix (Carlo Felice Giuseppe Maria; 6 April 1765 – 27 April 1831) was the Duke of Savoy, Piedmont, Aosta and King of Sardinia from 1821 to 1831.

Biography

Early life

Carlo Felice di Savoia was born in Turin as the eleventh child and fifth son born to Victor Amadeus III of Savoy and Maria Antonietta of Spain. His paternal grandparents were Charles Emmanuel III of Savoy and his German wife Polyxena Christina of Hesse-Rotenburg. His maternal grandparents were French born King Philip V of Spain and his Italian wife Elizabeth Farnese.

He was a younger brother of two other rulers of Savoy Charles Emmanuel IV and Victor Emmanuel I. He spent his childhood with his sister Maria Carolina and Count of Moriana where they lived at the Castle of Moncalieri. Carlo Felice was reported as having a closed character, prone to loneliness, with an almost ascetic (which for some time, had flashed the ecclesiastical career) and a sacral conception of the monarchy and the right to reign. With the Napoleonic occupation of Piedmont in 1796, he lost the crown of Savoy, the Duchy of Savoy and area of Genevois. Carlo Felice, who was titled Duke of Genevois, obtained the title of Marquis of Susa in compensation for his nominal loss.

Succession

He was a younger brother of Charles Emmanuel IV of Savoy and Victor Emmanuel I of Savoy. He was not expected to ever succeed to the throne. However Charles Emmanuel never had any children and abdicated the throne on June 4, 1802. Victor Emmanuel had four living daughters when he abdicated the throne in 1821. As the succession was regulated by the Salic Law, Charles Felix succeeded his brother on the throne.

Marriage

He was married by proxy to Princess Maria Cristina of Naples and Sicily (January 17, 1779- March 11, 1849) on 7 March 1807. She was a daughter of Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies and Maria Carolina of Austria, sister of Marie Antoinette.

Charles Felix died without issue after a reign of ten years. He was succeeded by the senior male of his House as Charles Albert of Savoy after he died in Turin at the Palazzo Chablais which had been given to him by his sister Princess Maria Ana of Savoy.

Legacy

The Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa is entitled to him.

The principal road of the island of Sardinia, the Strada statale 131 Charles Felix, that connects the towns of Cagliari and Sassari-Porto Torres, realised in 19th century, is entitled to him.

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

Arms of Charles Felix, King of Sardinia

• 6 April 1765 – 12 March 1821 His Royal Highness the Duke of Genevois
• 12 March 1821 – 27 April 1831 His Majesty the King of Sardinia

Arms

• écartelé, en 1 d'argent, à la croix de gueules, cantonnée de quatre têtes de maures de sable, tortillées d'argent, en 2 grand quartier parti en 1 burelé d'azur et d'argent de dix pièces au lion de gueules armé lampassé et couronné d'or brochant sur le tout et en 2 d'argent à la croix potencée d'or cantonné de quatre croisettes de même, en 3 grand quartier d'argent à la croix de gueules et en 4 grand quartier de gueules à la croix d'argent brisé d'un lambel d'azur, sur le tout d'or à l'aigle de sable, sur le tout du tout de gueules à la croix d'argent