All in the Family
The union between King Philip IV and Mariana of Austria is a shocking one because they were uncle and niece. It was common for royals to marry relatives in order to keep and grow their land and power, which seems pretty incomprehensible to us today. Besides being a taboo, we now know that inbreeding can cause many harmful effects for offspring such as poor health and increased genetic disorders. Unfortunately, this was the case with Philip and Mariana’s child Charles.
Charles suffered from physical disabilities his whole life as a result of his inbreeding. He had the infamous “Habsburg jaw,” drooled almost constantly, and could barely chew food. He was known as “The Bewitched” because people, unfortunately, understood his physical appearance to be the result of witchcraft, not inbreeding. Charles was sterile and unable to produce an heir, resulting in the War of Spanish Succession.