On September 29, 1833, King Ferdinand VII of Spain breathed his last, leaving behind a nation on the brink of civil war and a throne to be inherited by his two-year-old daughter, Isabella II. This moment marked a pivotal turn in Spanish history, setting the stage for decades of political turmoil and social upheaval.
Ferdinand VII’s reign had been characterized by absolutism and resistance to liberal reforms. His death at the age of 48 came after years of ill health and left Spain in a precarious position. The king’s decision to alter the succession laws in favour of his daughter Isabella, born in 1830, had already sown the seeds of conflict.
Traditionally, the Spanish monarchy followed Salic law, which excluded women from inheriting the throne. However, Ferdinand VII, desperate for a direct heir, had issued the Pragmatic Sanction of 1830, abolishing this law to ensure his daughter could succeed him. This move infuriated his younger brother, Don Carlos, who had previously been next in line for the crown.
As news of Ferdinand’s death spread, the young Isabella was proclaimed Queen of Spain, with her mother, Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies, appointed as regent. The proclamation took place amid an atmosphere of uncertainty and tension. Supporters of Isabella, known as Cristinos (after the regent), rallied behind the young queen, while those loyal to Don Carlos, called Carlists, rejected her claim to the throne.
The ascension of a female infant to the Spanish throne was unprecedented and fraught with challenges. Many questioned whether a child could effectively rule, even with a regent, and feared the influence of foreign powers on the young queen’s upbringing and future policies.
Isabella’s proclamation as queen ignited the First Carlist War, a conflict that would rage from 1833 to 1840. This civil war pitted the conservative, traditionalist Carlists against the liberal Cristinos, who supported Isabella’s claim and advocated for constitutional monarchy.
The young queen’s reign, which would last until 1868, was destined to be marked by political instability, military pronunciamientos (coups), and struggles between conservative and progressive factions. Isabella II’s ascension to the throne in 1833 not only changed the course of the Spanish monarchy but also set in motion a series of events that would shape Spain’s tumultuous 19th century.
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