The Spectator

Who had the most highly attended state funeral?

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issue 24 September 2022

The namesakes

Some of history’s other Charles IIIs:

– Charles III, King of Naples (1382-86): forced Pope Urban VI into exile, then moved to Hungary, whose throne he had assumed through marriage. Was assassinated.

– Charles III, King of Navarre (1387-1425): made peace with France.

– Charles III, Duke of Savoy (1504-53): lost when France invaded Savoy in 1536. Remained king in name but spent the rest
of his life in exile.

– Charles III, Duke of Bourbon (1505-21): tried to regain independence from France by partitioning the kingdom. Fled to Italy when the plot was discovered.

– Charles III, King of Spain (1759-88): invaded the Kingdom of Naples and claimed it for Spain.

– Charles III, Duke of Parma (1849-54): placed Parma under martial law. Was assassinated.

Death by numbers

Who has had the most highly attended state funeral? Some estimates for numbers who physically attended service or procession:

– Duke of Wellington (1852): 1.5 million

– Victor Hugo (1885): 2 million

– Ayrton Senna (1994): 3 million

– John Paul II (2005): 4 million

– Ayatollah Khomeini (1989): 10 million

– C.N.

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