Charles of Habsburg, who later became Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, was born in the Flemish city of Ghent on 24 February 1500 (3) to Philip the Fair and Joan the Mad (2). He had four sisters: Eleanor, Isabel, Mary and Katherine. Ferdinand I was his only brother (7). His maternal grandparents were the very famous Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon who financed Columbus's expeditions (6). His paternal grandfather was Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (7). Charles V grew up in the Netherlands without his parents (3). His aunt Margaret of Austria raised him after his father's death (9) due to the fact that his mother was insane and therefore incapable of caring for him (11). Hadrian of Utrecht, who later became Pope Hadrian VI, was Charles V's teacher during his early years and became something of a mentor to him (8). Charles V married Isabella of Portugal in 1526. They remained married for thirteen years and had three children named Maria, Joanna and Philip II (7). Charles V died on 21 September 1558 in the monastery of San Jeronimo de Yuste in Spain (3) of malaria (4) nineteen years after the death of his wife (7). Charles V gained control of the Netherlands and several other countries when his father died. At the age of 16, his grandfather, Ferdinand II, died, leaving Charles V as joint ruler of Castile and full ruler of Aragon, Naples, and Spanish America, as well as numerous other kingdoms. The death of Ferdinand II opened the door for Charles V to become King Charles I of Spain in 1516. In 1519, when Maximilian I died, Charles V remained with the Habsburg dominions and was elected Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (11) . Considering all the nations he inherited combined, his rule was estimated at four million......middle of paper......retired, Charles went to live in a Spanish monastery until his death (3).Charles V essentially failed in all aspects of his plan for universal empire (3). Ultimately he was never able to stop the spread of the Reformation throughout his empire (5). Even though he did not achieve the goals set for his reign, people still remember him for his sense of duty, willpower and integrity (11). Although the reign of Charles V was not as successful as he would have liked, he is credited with continuing the very powerful Habsburg line. All the children he fathered continued to do so. His son, Philip II, married Mary of England (7), also known as Bloody Mary (13). This marriage made him brother-in-law of Queen Elizabeth I of England. The marriages of Charles V's descendants to the royal elite of Europe ensured the Habsburg legacy for many generations to follow (7).