View source for Charles II, Duke of Guelders

{{Short description|Dutch duke and count (1467–1538)}}
{{More citations needed|date=May 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox noble
| name = Charles II, Duke of Guelders
| image = Karl von Egmond.JPG
| caption = Charles II, Duke of Guelders
| noble family = [[House of Egmond]]
| father = [[Adolf of Egmond]]
| mother = [[Catherine of Bourbon, duchess of Guelders|Catherine of Bourbon]]
| spouse = [[Elisabeth of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Duchess of Guelders|Elisabeth of Brunswick-Lüneburg]]
| birth_date = 9 November 1467
| birth_place = [[Grave, Netherlands|Grave]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|1538|6|30|1467|11|9|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Arnhem]]
}}
'''Charles II''' (9 November 1467 – 30 June 1538) was a member of the [[House of Egmond]] who ruled as [[Duke of Guelders]] and [[Count of Zutphen]] from 1492 until his death. He had a principal role in the [[Frisian peasant rebellion]] and the [[Guelders Wars]].

==Life==
Charles was the son of [[Adolf of Egmond]] and [[Catherine of Bourbon, duchess of Guelders|Catherine of Bourbon]].{{sfn|Nijsten|2004|p=14}} He born either at [[Arnhem]]<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Karel (van Egmond)|editor=[[Philipp Christiaan Molhuysen|P. C. Molhuysen]] and [[P. J. Blok]]|encyclopedia=Nieuw Nederlandsch Biografisch Woordenboek|pages=441–447|language=Dutch|volume=10|year=1937|url=http://www.historici.nl/retroboeken/nnbw/#source=10&page=229}}</ref><ref name="vanderaa">{{cite encyclopedia|title=Karel, hertog van Gelre|editor=A. J. van der Aa, K. J. R. van Harderwijk and G. D. J. Schotel|year=1862|publisher=J. J. van Brederode|encyclopedia=Biographisch woordenboek der Nederlanden|url=http://www.historici.nl/retroboeken/vdaa/#source=aa__001biog12_01.xml&page=48|language=Dutch}}</ref> or at [[Grave, Netherlands|Grave]],<ref name="vanderaa"/> and raised at the [[Duchy of Burgundy|Burgundian]] court of [[Charles the Bold]], who had bought the duchy of Guelders from [[Adolf of Egmond]] in 1473. Charles fought in several battles against the armies of [[Charles VIII of France]], until he was captured in the [[Battle of Béthune]] in 1487.{{sfn|Simpson|1996|p=119}}

[[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|King Maximilian]] subsequently managed to acquire the Burgundian lands for the [[Habsburg]]s by marriage. In 1492, the citizens of Guelders, disenchanted with Maximilian's rule, [[ransom]]ed Charles and recognized him as their Duke. As Duke his regent was his aunt [[Catherine of Guelders|Catherine]].<ref>{{Citation|last=Kloek|first=Els|title=1001 Vrouwen en de 'achterkant' van de geschiedenis.|date=2018-11-08|work=Hedendaagse biografieën over vroegmoderne lieden|pages=73–86|publisher=Universitaire Pers Leuven|doi=10.2307/j.ctv4s7h6v.6|isbn=978-94-6166-268-2|s2cid=189476124 }}</ref> Charles was supported by the French King, but in 1505, Guelders was regained by King Maximilian's son [[Philip the Handsome]]. Charles had to accompany Philip to [[Spain]] to attend Philip's coronation as King of Castile but at [[Antwerp]], Charles managed to escape. Shortly afterwards, Philip died in Spain and by July 1513 Charles had regained control over the whole of Guelders.
In his conflict with the Habsburgs, Charles also became a major player behind the scenes of the [[Frisian peasant rebellion]] and at first financially supported the rebel leader [[Pier Gerlofs Donia]]. After the tides turned against the rebels, Charles stopped his support and switched sides together with his military commander [[Maarten van Rossum]].
In the [[Treaty of Gorinchem]] (1528), [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor Charles]], son of Philip the Handsome, proposed to recognize Charles of Egmond as Duke of Guelders under the condition that he would inherit the Duchy should the Duke die without issue. The Duke, who at the time did not have any children, delayed signing the treaty. Another battle ensued, after which the passage was removed from the treaty. In 1536 there was finally peace between Guelders and Burgundy with the [[Treaty of Grave]].

In 1531, Charles II turned against his former ally, the [[County of East Frisia]]. The Lutheran counts of East Frisia were locked in a struggle with [[Balthasar Oomkens von Esens|Balthasar Oomkens]], the lord of [[Lordships of Esens, Stedesdorf and Wittmund|Esens, Stedesdorf, and Wittmund]]. Balthasar was driven from his territory by [[Enno II, Count of East Frisia|Enno II of East Frisia]] and turned to the Catholic Charles II for help. Balthasar ceded his territory to the duke in exchange for aid against the East Frisians. Thus, in 1531, the [[East Frisian-Gueldrian War (1531-1534)|Guelderian Feud]] broke out when [[Meindert van Ham|Meindert von Hamme]], the Guelderian army commander, invaded East Frisia and wreaked havoc. Count Enno II and [[Johan I of East Frisia|Johan I]] were no match for this overwhelming force and accepted their defeat in 1534. Balthasar's rule was thus secured.<ref>Karl Ernst Hermann Krause (1892), "Esens, Balthasar von", Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 2, Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 27–28</ref>

Charles died at Arnhem, and is buried in the St. Eusebius Church there.<ref>{{cite book
|last=Busken Huet
|first=Conrad
|authorlink=Conrad Busken Huet
|title=Het land van Rembrand
|publisher=H.D. Tjeenk Willink/[[Digitale bibliotheek der Nederlandse letteren|dbnl]]
|url=http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/busk001land02_01/busk001land02_01_0052.php
|year=1882–84
|language=Dutch
}}</ref>

==Family==
In 1519, Charles married young [[Elisabeth of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Duchess of Guelders|Elisabeth of Brunswick-Lüneburg]] (1494–1572).{{sfn|Nijsten|2004|p=263}} The marriage remained childless. Charles however fathered several illegitimate children.

His only legitimate (twin) sister, [[Philippa of Guelders|Philippa]] (1467–1547), survived him and died during the reign of her great-grandson, [[Charles III, Duke of Lorraine]] (1543–1608).

<gallery>
Wapen_van_Egmont.svg|Coat of Arms
Graf Karel van Gelre vanuit het zuiden - Arnhem - 20024757 - RCE.jpg| Tomb
</gallery>

== Ancestors ==
{{ahnentafel
|collapsed=yes |align=center
|boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
| 1= 1. '''Charles II of Guelders''' 
| 2=2. [[Adolf, Duke of Guelders]] (1438–1477)
| 3=3. [[Catherine of Bourbon, duchess of Guelders|Catherine of Bourbon]] (1440–1469)
| 4=4. [[Arnold, Duke of Guelders]] (1410–1473)
| 5=5. [[Catherine of Cleves (1417–1479)]]
| 6=6. [[Charles I, Duke of Bourbon]] (1401–1456)
| 7=7. [[Agnes of Burgundy, Duchess of Bourbon|Agnes of Burgundy]] (1407–1476)
| 8=8. [[John II, Count of Egmond]] (c.1385–1451)
| 9=9. [[Maria van Arkel]] (c.1385–1415)
| 10=10. [[Adolph I, Duke of Cleves]] (1373–1448)
| 11=11. [[Marie of Burgundy, Duchess of Cleves|Marie of Burgundy]] (1393–1463)
| 12=12. [[John I, Duke of Bourbon]] (1381–1434)
| 13=13. [[Marie, Duchess of Auvergne]] (1370–1434)
| 14=14. [[John the Fearless]] (1371–1419) (= 22)
| 15=15. [[Margaret of Bavaria]] (1363–1423)) (= 23)
}}

{{S-start}}
{{S-hou|[[House of Egmond]]|9 November|1467|30 June|1538}}
{{s-reg}}
{{Succession box|
before=[[Philip the Handsome|Philip I]]|
title=[[Duke of Guelders]]|
years=1492–1538|
after=[[Wilhelm, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg|William II]]}}
{{S-end}}
{{DrentheStadtholders}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
*{{cite book |title=In the Shadow of Burgundy: The Court of Guelders in the Late Middle Ages |first=Gerard |last=Nijsten |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2004 }}
*{{cite book |title=Scotland and the Low Countries 1124–1994 |first=Grant G. |last=Simpson |publisher=Tuckwell Publishers |year=1996 }}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Charles 02, Duke of Guelders}}
[[Category:1467 births]]
[[Category:1538 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Grave, North Brabant]]
[[Category:House of Egmond]]
[[Category:Dukes of Guelders]]
[[Category:15th-century dukes in Europe]]