The story of Don Carlos is a tragic one. He was the eldest son of the King of Spain, but lost his mother a month after he was born. At one time he was betrothed to Elizabeth I of England. As a member of the royal House of Habsburg, Carlos may have been a victim of inbreeding as was common among monarch families. This may have led to some of his physical and psychological ailments. When he was 17, Carlos fell down a flight of stairs. He recovered after surgery, but suffered enough of a head injury to cause a change in his behavior. Carlos became wild and erratic, apparently making threats and causing friction. His father eventually had the boy imprisoned and placed in solitary confinement. Don Carlos tragically died six months later and his legend inspired a couple of great works of art. One was Friedrich Schiller’s 18th century historic tragedy “Don Carlos, Infant von Spanien†which, in turn, inspired Giuseppe Verdi’s five-act Grand Opera, “Don Carlos.â€
