He was the second son of King Maximilian I of Bavaria and his first wife Princess Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt.

[1] Charles fought against Napoleon at the Battle of Hanau in 1813, became a general of division, and took part in the Campaign of 1814.

His differences with Prince Wrede led to his retirement from 1822 till some time after the latter's death in 1838, when his brother King Ludwig I of Bavaria appointed him field marshal and general inspector of the army.

[1] On 1 October 1823 he morganatically married Marie-Anne-Sophie Petin [de] (Neuburg, 27 July 1796 – Munich, 22 February 1838), who was created Baroness von Bayrstorff upon their marriage.

[3] She was a daughter of Franz Moritz Petin, Captain in the Bavarian Army, and Baroness Maria Theodora von Branca.