Charles III of Spain: Encyclopedia II - Charles III of Spain - King of Naples and Sicily

Charles III of Spain - King of Naples and Sicily

It was his good fortune to be sent to rule as Duke of Parma by right of his mother at the age of sixteen, and thus come under more intelligent influence than he could have found in Spain. On December 1, 1734 he made himself master of Naples and Sicily by arms. Charles had, however, no military tastes, seldom wore uniforms, and could, only with difficulty, be persuaded to witness a review. The peremptory action of the British admiral commanding in the Mediterranean at the approach of the War of the Austrian Succession, who forced him to promise to observe neutrality under a threat to bombard Naples, made a deep impression on his mind. It gave him a feeling of hostility to the Kingdom of Great Britain which, in after-times, influenced his policy. In 1735, he resigned Parma to Emperor Charles VI in exchange for recognition as King of the Two Sicilies.

As King of the Two Sicilies, Charles began there the work of internal reform which he afterwards continued in Spain. Foreign ministers who dealt with him agreed that he had no great natural ability, but he was honestly desirous to do his duty as king, and he showed good judgment in his choice of ministers. The chief minister in Naples, Tanucci, had a considerable influence over him. It was during his rule that the Roman cities of Herculaneum (1738) and Pompeii (1748) were re-discovered. The king encouraged the excavations and was informed about the findings even after moving to Spain.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "King of Naples and Sicily", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki