Charles V was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain from 1516 to 1556, and Lord of the Netherlands as titular Duke of Burgundy from 1506 to 1555. He was heir to and then head of the rising House of Habsburg. His dominions in Europe included the Holy Roman Empire, extending from Germany to northern Italy with rule over the Austrian hereditary lands and Burgundian Low Countries, and Spain with its possessions of the southern Italian kingdoms of Naples, Sicily and Sardinia. In the Americas, he oversaw the continuation of Spanish colonization and a short-lived German colonization. The personal union of the European and American territories he ruled was the first collection of realms labelled "the empire on which the sun never sets".
The entrance gate to the Prinsenhof, Dutch for "Princes' Court", in Ghent, where Charles V was born
A painting by Bernhard Strigel representing the extended Habsburg family with a young Charles in the middle
A 1519 portrait of Charles V by Bernard van Orley with the insignia of the Order of the Golden Fleece prominently displayed
Monarchy of Spain
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The monarchy of Spain or Spanish monarchy is the constitutional form of government of Spain. It consists of a hereditary monarch that reigns as the head of state, being the highest office of the country. The current King is Felipe VI since 19 June 2014, after the abdication of his father, King Juan Carlos I.
Felipe of Bourbon and Greece takes the oath before the Cortes Generales during the proclamation ceremony at the Palacio de las Cortes, Madrid the 19th of June, 2014.
Statue of Queen Urraca in the Parque del Buen Retiro in Madrid. Urraca succeeded as queen in 1108.
A copy of the Spanish Constitution, signed by King Juan Carlos, is held at the Palace of the Cortes.