The last king of Hungary was given little time on the throne. Charles (in Hungarian Károly IV.) took over the estate of Emperor and King Ferenc József in November 1916. Just two years later, he was forced to relinquish his sovereign rights. Károly IV. died in exile, on the Portuguese island of Madeira, on April 1, 1922. He was infected by the Spanish flu. One of the most infamous and most devastating epidemics in modern history.