CHARLES ALBERT, King of Sardinia (1831-49), b. 2d Oct., 1798, was the son of the prince Charles Emmanuel of Savoy-Carignan, and in 1800, succeeded to his father's title and estates in France and Piedmont. In 1817, he married*Maria Theresa, daughter of the archduke Ferdinand of Tuscany. When the revolutionary movement took place in Piedmont in 1821, he was made regent, upon the abdication of Victor Emmanuel, until Charles Felix, the brother of the late king, should arrive to assume the sovereignty. He displeased both the liberal party and their opponents, and Charles Felix disallowed all his acts, and for some time forbade his appearance at court. In 1829, he was appointed viceroy of Sardinia. On the death of Charles Felix, 27th April, 1831, he as cended the throne. The liberals had great expectations from him, but were for a long time disappointed; his government much resembled the other Jesuitic and despotic Italian gov ernments, except that he sought to promote the interests of the country, and to restrict the influence of the clergy in political affairs. It was not till after the elevation of
Pius IX. to the popedom, when a new impulse was given to the cause of reform, that the Sardinian government adopted the constitutional and liberal policv to which it has since adhered. C. A. entered warmly into the project of Italian unity, and evidently expected to place himself at the head of the whole movement and of the new kingdom of Italy. When the Lombards and Venetians rose against the Austrian government, he declared war against Austria, 23d Mar., 1848, and at first was exceedingly successful, but was insufficiently- supported by the immbards, and finally defeated by the Austrians; so that after the fatal battle of Novara, 23d Mar., 1849, he was obliged, for the preser_ vation of the integrity of his kingdom, to resign the crown in favor of his son, Victor Emmanuel. He afterwards retired to Portugal, and died at Oporto on 28th July of the same year.