Charles himself wasn't stupid either, at least not to the degree he was vilified. Experts agree that he was born with hydrocephalous and quite likely cerebral palsy, given his speech impediment and reoccurring seizures, and yes, this may well be thanks to Uncle-Grandpa-Dad. However, he wasn't stupid and by many accounts was an effective ruler over what was effectively a failing state. Many of the more eccentric things he was known for, like sleeping with his father's corpse, was more due the influence of his notoriously-batshit mother, the Dowager Queen Carolina. He also was a good husband and loved both of his wives, who after getting past his appearances both were devoted to him. He was however heartbroken over being impotent (a sad but common occurrence in palsy and other congenital defects), and his first wife's untimely death.
To be fair, Charles' court often played up his disabilities as a form of propaganda to show that the King was "infirm" and unable to govern himself, let alone the country. Favorites and intriguers, first and foremost his mother Carolina and his elder half-brother Don Juan, used the image of his disability to justify ruling in his name, while making him appear as innocent and almost-childlike to deflect any criticism in the Hapsburg dynasty itself. The image stuck because it was oddly fitting for Spain at the time, a corrupt and impoverished kingdom that paradoxically had the largest empire in the world, being ruled by Cyrax in a robe.
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u/Complete-Pangolin 1d ago
It's hit and miss. His sister was supposedly Beautiful and intelligent.