Charles Joseph was born on 7 August 1649, in Vienna to parents Ferdinand III and Maria Leopoldine.

Destined for a life in the clergy, he was appointed as the Bishop of Passau and Olmütz at the young age of 13, following in the footsteps of his uncle Archduke Leopold Wilhelm.

[2][3] Due to his youth, Charles Joseph was unable to attain higher orders as a bishop.

He died at the age of 14 on 27 January 1664, in Linz, Austria, exhausted from battling an illness.

[4] His remains were transported by ship to Vienna, where he was laid to rest in the Imperial Crypt on 21 February 1664.