Charles Emmanuel IV was King of Sardinia from 1796 to 1802.
Background
Carlo Emanuele Ferdinando Maria di Savoia was born in Turin, the eldest son of Victor Amadeus III, King of Sardinia and of his wife Infanta Maria Antonietta of Spain. In 1775 Charles Emmanuel married Marie Clotilde of France, the daughter of Louis, Dauphin of France and Princess Marie-Josèphe of Saxony, and sister of King Louis XVI of France.
Career
From his birth until his own succession to the throne of Sardinia in 1796 Charles Emmanuel was styled "Prince of Piedmont". Their attempts to have children, however, were unsuccessful. At the death of his father (14 October 1796), Charles Emmanuel succeeded as King of Sardinia.
The kingdom included not only the island of Sardinia, but also significant territories in northwest Italy including all of Piedmont.
At his succession to the throne in 1796, Sardinia had been forced to conclude the disadvantageous Treaty of Paris (1796) with the French Republic, giving the French army free passage through Piedmont. On December 6, 1798, the French under Joubert occupied Turin and forced Charles Emanuel to abdicate all his territories on the Italian mainland and to withdraw to the island of Sardinia, which stayed out of the reach of the French army.
The following year he tried unsuccessfully to regain Piedmont. On 7 March 1802 Charles Emmanuel"s wife Marie Clothilde died.
Charles Emmanuel retained the personal title of King.
He lived in Rome and in the nearby town of Frascati. Charles was descended from Henrietta Anne Stuart, the youngest daughter of Charles I, whereas Henry Benedict Stuart was descended from James II who was the second son of Charles I.
When Henry died in 1807, Charles Emmanuel became the senior heir-general of King Charles I of England and Scotland. There is no documentary evidence that Charles Emmanuel ever attempted to make a public claim to the title of King of England or Scotland.
Charles Emmanuel died at the Palazzo Colonna in Rome on 6 October 1819.
He is buried in the Church of Sant"Andrea al Quirinale. Titles and styles
24 May 1751 – 16 October 1796: His Royal Highness the Prince of Piedmont
16 October 1796 – 4 June 1802: His Majesty the King of Sardinia
4 June 1802 – 6 October 1819: His Majesty King Charles Emmanuel.