Charles II Gonzaga, Duke of Nevers
Charles II Gonzaga was the son of Charles I, Duke of Mantua, and Catherine de Lorraine-Guise. He was the Duke of Nevers and Rethel, together with his father.
Biography
In 1621, he succeeded his uncle Henri de Lorraine-Guise as Duke of Mayenne.In 1627 he married his cousin Maria Gonzaga, Marquise of Montferrat and heiress to the Duchy of Mantua. However, Cesare II Gonzaga, Duke of Guastalla and Emperor Ferdinand II rejected her claim to Mantua, leading to the War of Mantuan Succession.
Charles, who predeceased his father, never held the title, Duke of Mantua. When the latter died in 1637, Charles's eight-year-old son, Charles II, became Duke of Mantua, his widow Maria acting as regent. His daughter Eleonora became Holy Roman Empress.
Family
In December 1627, Charles married his cousin Maria Gonzaga, the marriage being arranged by her uncle, Vincenzo II Gonzaga.Charles and Maria had:
- Maria Gonzaga
- Charles II, Duke of Mantua and Montferrat.
- Eleonora, who married in 1651 Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor.