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Charles III of Spain

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Charles III
Portrait by Anton Raphael Mengs, c. 1761
King of Spain
Reign10 August 1759 – 14 December 1788
PredecessorFerdinand VI
SuccessorCharles IV
King of Naples and Sicily
Reign15 May 1734 – 6 October 1759
Coronation3 July 1735, Palermo Cathedral
PredecessorCharles VI
SuccessorFerdinand IV & III
Duke of Parma and Piacenza
Reign29 December 1731 – 3 October 1735
PredecessorAntonio Farnese
SuccessorCharles VI
Born20 January 1716
Royal Alcazar of Madrid, Spain
Died14 December 1788(1788-12-14) (aged 72)
Royal Palace of Madrid, Spain
Burial
SpouseMaria Amalia of Saxony
Issue
Detail
Infanta Maria Josefa
Maria Luisa, Holy Roman Empress
Infante Philip, Duke of Calabria
Charles IV of Spain
Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
Infante Gabriel
Infante Antonio Pascual
Infante Francisco Javier
Full name
Spanish: Carlos Sebastián de Borbón y Farnesio
Italian: Carlo Sebastiano di Borbone e Farnese
HouseBourbon
FatherPhilip V of Spain
MotherElisabeth Farnese
ReligionRoman Catholicism
SignatureCharles III's signature

Charles III (20 January 171614 December 1788) was a king of Spain and the oldest son of Philip V and Elisabeth Farnese. He ruled Spain from 1759 until his death in 1788. After he died, his son, Charles IV, became king. He was also the king of Naples and Sicily from 1734 until 1759. In those places he was known as Charles VII of Naples and Charles V of Sicily. He was the builder of the Palace of Caserta as well as the Royal Palace of Madrid and the Real Albergo dei Poveri in Naples.

Charles III grew up in Madrid. When he was 16 years old, he went to live in Parma, a city in Italy. He ruled that city, and the nearby city of Piacenza as their Duke from 1731 until 1734. In 1738 he married the Princess Maria Amalia of Saxony. They had 13 children. Only 8 of them lived to be adults.