| “ | So I'm to learn about trade routes and intricate power plays that our nobles favour? Every guardian I've ever had says the same. | ” |
— Charles to Francis in Three Queens, Two Tigers
| ||
Charles IX is a recurring character in the first and third season and a main character in the fourth season of Reign. He is portrayed by Peter DaCunha in Season One, while in Season Three and Season Four, he is portrayed by Spencer MacPherson.
Charles is the son of Catherine de' Medici and Henry II. Upon the death of his brother Francis II, Charles officially became the new King of France. While his reign wasn't marked by civil war, it met with a lot of upheaval concerning his rumoured necrophilia, runaway from court, and most recently, his announcement that he is Protestant, much to the horror of his staunchly Catholic family. Charles is a member of the House of Valois by birth.
Biography
Early Life
Charles was born to King Henry and Queen Catherine of France. Growing up, he was closest to his older brother, Francis.
In the Series
Personality
During the third season, he is described as mischievous and a party-boy.
During the 4th season, he becomes sullen, disengaged, disinterested, unruly, after experiencing the death of his friend. He displays behaviors that would be considered dangerous in a king, showing signs of mental instability.
Name
Charles is a masculine given name from the French form Charles of a Germanic name Karl. The original Anglo-Saxon was Ċearl or Ċeorl, as the name of king Cearl of Mercia, that disappeared after the Norman conquest of England.
Physical Appearance
King Charles has dark brown hair and light blue eyes, pale skin paired with soft features.
Relationships
TBA
Appearances
| Season One | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode | Appearance Status | ||
| Pilot | Absent | ||
| Snakes in the Garden | Appears | ||
| Kissed | Appears | ||
| Hearts and Minds | Absent | ||
| A Chill in the Air | Absent | ||
| Chosen | Absent | ||
| Left Behind | Appears | ||
| Fated | Absent | ||
| For King and Country | Absent | ||
| Sacrifice | Absent | ||
| Inquisition | Absent | ||
| Royal Blood | Appears | ||
| The Consummation | Absent | ||
| Dirty Laundry | Absent | ||
| The Darkness | Absent | ||
| Monsters | Absent | ||
| Liege Lord | Absent | ||
| No Exit | Absent | ||
| Toy Soldiers | Absent | ||
| Higher Ground | Absent | ||
| Long Live the King | Absent | ||
| Slaughter of Innocence | Absent | ||
| Season Three | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode | Appearance Status | ||
| Three Queens, Two Tigers | Appears | ||
| Betrothed | Appears | ||
| Extreme Measures | Appears | ||
| The Price | Appears | ||
| In a Clearing | Absent | ||
| Fight or Flight | Appears | ||
| The Hound and the Hare | Mentioned | ||
| Our Undoing | Absent | ||
| Wedlock | Mentioned | ||
| Bruises That Lie | Appears | ||
| Succession | Appears | ||
| No Way Out | Appears | ||
| Strange Bedfellows | Appears | ||
| To The Death | Appears | ||
| Safe Passage | Appears | ||
| Clans | Appears | ||
| Intruders | Appears | ||
| Spiders in a Jar | Appears | ||
| Season Four | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode | Appearance Status | ||
| With Friends Like These | Mentioned | ||
| A Grain of Deception | Appears | ||
| Leaps of Faith | Appears | ||
| Playing with Fire | Appears | ||
| Highland Games | Appears | ||
| Love & Death | Mentioned | ||
| Hanging Swords | Appears | ||
| Uncharted Waters | Appears | ||
| Pulling Strings | Credit Only | ||
| A Better Man | Appears | ||
| Dead of Night | Appears | ||
| The Shakedown | Appears | ||
| Coup de Grace | Appears | ||
| A Bride. A Box. A Body. | Appears | ||
| Blood in the Water | Appears | ||
| All It Cost Her | Appears | ||
Trivia
- His full name was Charles Maximilian of France.
- Historically, Charles was never Dauphin. At his birth he was created Duke of Orleans after his brother Louis, who had died in infancy the year before.
- The title Dauphin belonged to heir apparent to the throne of France. Charles, being a brother to the king, is merely an heir presumptive - which means he could be displaced from the line of succession by someone of superior birth, such as a legitimate son of Francis.
- The proper honorific for the King's eldest brother is Monsieur.
- Charles was the third son and fifth child of King Henry and Queen Catherine, and becomes King after his brother's death.
- Historically, Charles married Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria and not Madeleine.
- Although she married a Prince of France, Elisabeth spoke no French.
- Historically, he had 3 half-siblings and 6 more siblings from his parents marriage.
- He died when he was 23 years old.
- The same age his older sister Elisabeth de Valois was when she died.
- He died when he was 23 years old.
- In Season One, he was often seen with his younger brother, Henri.
- He was the second to know of Clarissa, the first being Nostradamus.
- His coronation took place in Succession.
Gallery
Charles IX has a photo gallery. |
See Also