Charles II, Duke of Parma

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Charles II of Parma, also known as Charles Louis (22 December 1799- 16 April 1883), was Louis II, King of Etruria (1803-1807), the Duke of Lucca (1815-1847) and the Duke of Parma (1847-1848).

He was the grandson of Duke Ferdinand of Parma. After Ferdinand had been deposed by Napoleon Bonaparte his son, Louis I of Parma, Charles Louis's father, was made King of Etruria, a new state Bonaparte created from the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Charles Louis succeeded his father in 1803, under regency of his mother, Marie Louise of Spain, Duchess of Lucca. In 1807 he was driven from Etruria by Napoleon's army, who instead promised Charles Louis the throne of the Kingdom of Northern Lusitania (in the North of Portugal).

After Napoleon's downfall in 1815 the House of Bourbon was not restored to the Duchy of Parma, but rather the duchy was given to another Marie Louise, Napoleon's wife. Charles Louis was compensated with the smaller Duchy of Lucca. Maria Louisa died in 1847 and was succeeded by Charles Louis as Charles II. Lucca was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.

Charles was an ally of the Carlist camp in Spanish civil war, being made in 1834 Infante of Spain by the so-called Carlos V.

Charles was reportedly homosexual, frequenting Lucca's casino. He banned his wife Maria Teresa of Savoy (1803-79, daughter of Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia) to a rural villa, being not willing to live with her. They however managed to have one son, Ferdinand Charles Joseph (1823-54).

On 19 April 1848 Duke Charles II abdicated his Parmesan duchy, in uprisings of that year. For the rest of his long life (he survived his son), he lived in France under name count of Villafranca.

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Preceded by: Louis	King of Etruria 1803–1807	Succeeded by: Annexed by France
Preceded by: Maria Louisa, his mother	Duke of Lucca 1824–1847	Succeeded by: Annexed by Tuscany
Preceded by: Maria Louisa	Duke of Parma 1847–1848	Succeeded by: Charles III