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Character Spanish Male Royal Prince Season 3 Season Four
Don Carlos
Don Carlos
Biographical Information
In History: Carlos, Prince of Asturias
Title: Prince of Spain
Height: 5'10
Gender: Male Male
Nationality: Spanish Flag - Spain
Status: Alive
Religion: Roman Catholic
Originally From: Spain
Affiliations: Kingdom of Spain

House of Habsburg
Don Carlos and Elizabeth
Don Carlos and Mary

Relationship Information
Parents: King Philip (Father)

Princess Maria † (Mother)
Queen Leeza (Stepmother)

Wife: Queen Mary (Ex-fiancée)
Family: King Charles V(Grandfather)
Interests: Queen Mary of Scotland

Anna of Austria
Queen Elizabeth of England

Character Information
First Appearance: The Price
Last Appearance: With Friends Like These
Portrayed By: Mark Ghanimé
GALLERY


"A prince answers to his father. A king answers to no one!"
Don Carlos

Don Carlos is the eldest son of King Philip, making him the Crown Prince of Spain. He is attractive, cheeky, and on the prowl for his own queen to gain even more wealth and power.

Personality

Don Carlos is nothing like Mary expected of him. He is charming, playful, and he enjoys adventures. He is overtly sexual to the point that it made Mary uncomfortable around him. However, after his incident, Carlos showed an unexpectedly vile and cunning side to him, as displayed by how he intended to trick Mary into bequeathing him Scotland and then have her assassinated on her way to Spain.

Biography

Early Life

Don Carlos developed his proclivities quite a while ago, but they were kept secret by his advisors. When Anna of Austria found out about them, she drove him out of her court.

Season 3

The Price
Don Carlos is invited to English Court by Queen Elizabeth to court her. On their first meeting, he is charming enough for Elizabeth to ask him to extend his stay. However, their second meeting goes awry.

Don Carlos asks Elizabeth why she hasn't married. While she explains that it is because she must thread carefully, being a woman living in a patriarchial society, Don Carlos questions whether she is a woman at all. He has heard a rumor circulating around court that Elizabeth is actually a man masquerading as the Queen of England. To disprove that rumour, Don Carlos asks Elizabeth to lift her skirt up and show him her "womanhood". Shamed, Elizabeth storms out, thus ending their very brief relationship.

Fight or Flight - (Mentioned)
Greer encourages Queen Mary to find a suitor, as many are eager to court her: Charles of Austria, the earl of Arran, even Prince Don Carlos of Spain. By the end of the episode, Mary tells a servant to send Don Carlos her favourite portrait of her. She is ready to court him.

The Hound and the Hare
Queen Mary and Prince Don Carlos discuss their courtship and the political ramifications of aligning Scotland with Spain. He would like to play a game called 'The Hound and the Hare', but she declines and invites him to tea instead.

Upon receiving a threat, Don Carlos tells Mary he plans to leave as soon as his travel belongings have arrived from Austria.

Mary finds Don Carlos walking the halls of the castle and offers to play the hound and the hare with him. She learns that in his version of the game, women are the pursuers. The hunt begins that afternoon, but Don Carlos is never found by Mary.

He later catches her looking inside his luggage and confronts her about it. He decides to show her what's inside - a sex horse. He explains that to him, pain equals pleasure. And if she can give him pain, he can give her all of Spain's gold and support. However, Mary declines. She doesn't believe she can marry him believing that their marriage wouldn't be the kind she wants.

Much to Don Carlos' surprise, Mary approaches him that evening with a willigness to try. So Don Carlos straps himself to the sex horse and is blindfolded by Mary, who creates a scenario while Catherine whips him. When he finds out that Mary didn't act alone, he flips out and falls on the back of his head.

Our Undoing
Don Carlos' accident has impaired him. He is barely able to form coherent sentences and follow the conversation. To Mary's luck, he doesn't remember the details surrounding his accident. His advisors agree to a marriage between him and Mary on his behalf.

Wedlock
Mary is helping Don Carlos sign a decree to help her people in Scotland when Narcisse brings in a document that promises France Spanish gold if signed. Narcisse wants to pay the French soldiers for their sacrifice in Scotland, and despite her moral dilemma, Mary allows Don Carlos to sign the paper.

While Mary discusses her marriage to Don Carlos with the Spanish envoy, Gideon interrupts her to report that Elizabeth has recently reconsidered Don Carlos as a husband. A formal marriage proposal will arrive in two days' time. Gideon is bluffing, but Mary and the Spanish don't know it. Upon hearing the news, Don Carlos' advisors decide to delay the marriage between the Prince and Mary until Elizabeth's proposal arrives.

While watching a performer, Don Carlos has flashes of memories of the night of his accident. He asks to be taken back to the castle to lie down. When alone with his advisor, Don Carlos reveals that his speech and movement have been returning, but he has kept it a secret. He knows Mary used him and is planning to use her in return to take Scotland.

In a meeting with Mary and Catherine, Don Carlos' advisors ask that Don Carlos be granted the Crown Matrimonial upon the request of his father, King Philip. If Mary died without an heir, Don Carlos would retain the title to her country. Catherine and Mary believe the request to be very large, but they will take it into consideration.

Later, Mary agrees to grant Don Carlos the Crown Matrimonial under the condition that the wedding take place on the following day. However, during their wedding ceremony, Mary tricks Don Carlos into revealing his healing and plan to steal Scotland away from her. Catherine runs him out of her country when Narcisse is too afraid to.


Season 4

With Friends Like These
It is revealed that Don Carlos has gone mad with desire for his step-mother, Queen Leeza.

Playing With Fire - (Mentioned)
Mary Stuart mentioned the last person who wanted The Crown Matrimonial as part of their marriage agreement tried to have her murdered.

Notes and Trivia

  • Ben Geurens, who plays Gideon Blackburn, was originally supposed to play Don Carlos. [1]
  • Don Carlos is described as "Spain's sexy and charming prince with aspirations to be king" in the casting notes. [1]
  • He is said to be looking for a wife, trying his luck with Queen Elizabeth, Anna of Austria and Mary Stuart.
    • He has gotten himself banished from all three courts.
  • He believes the rumour that Queen Elizabeth is a man. [2][3]
  • His fetish is revealed to be a sex horse. [3]
  • He is the first person to ask Mary Stuart for The Crown Matrimonial. [4]

In History

  • Don Carlos had a sexual fetish, but it didn't occur until after his head injury. [5]
  • It was heavily rumored by multiple people of importance that Don Carlos tortured and abused animals.
  • Don Carlos didn't have his head injury for another 2 years in 1562 when he was 17. [5]
  • Anna of Austria, the woman whom Don Carlos courted on the show, was 32 years old and married with several children by 1560, so they wouldn't have been able to marry in history. [5]
  • There were two important figures named Don Carlos in the 1500s. The first, who was more commonly referred to as Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, was the father of King Philip II. The second Don Carlos, who is seen in the show, is referred to as Don Carlos on the show but was known as Carlos, Prince of Asturias in history.
  • Unlike in the show, Carlos was betrothed to Elizabeth of Valois, and, years later, her younger sister, Margaret of Valois. However, Don Carlos is shown to be infatuated with Queen Leeza in show. [6]
  • Similarly to the show, Carlos was briefly in talks to marry Mary, Queen of Scots and Anna of Austria.

Appearances

Season Three
Three Queens, Two Tigers Betrothed Extreme Measures The Price In a Clearing Fight or Flight The Hound and the Hare Our Undoing Wedlock
Bruises That Lie Succession No Way Out Strange Bedfellows To The Death Safe Passage Clans Intruders Spiders in a Jar
Season Four
With Friends Like These A Grain of Deception Leaps of Faith Playing With Fire Highland Games Love & Death Hanging Swords Uncharted Waters
Pulling Strings A Better Man Dead of Night The Shakedown Coup de Grace A Bride. A Box. A Body. Blood in the Water All It Cost Her

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