reign of Isabella II of Spain
Spain, 1833–1868. Draft, not yet reviewed
Isabella's reign spanned the death of Ferdinand VII in 1833 until the Spanish Glorious Revolution of 1868, which forced the Queen into exile and established a liberal state in Spain. After the death of Ferdinand VII on 29 September 1833, his wife Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies assumed the regency with the support of the liberals, on behalf of their daughter Isabella. Conflict with her brother-in-law, Carlos María Isidro de Borbón, who aspired to the throne, led the country into the First Carlist War. Isabella II was proclaimed of age at the age of thirteen by resolution of the Cortes Generales in 1843.
Seat of power: Madrid
Rulers
Isabella II of Spain
Monarch of Spain, 1833–1868
Under the regency of her mother, Spain transitioned from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy, adopting the Royal Statute of 1834 and Constitution of 1837. In 1843, Isabella was declared of age and began her personal rule. The defeat of her forces by Marshal Francisco Serrano, 1st Duke of la Torre, brought her reign to an end, and she went into exile in France.
Portrait of Isabella II of Spain: Jean Laurent, Public domain, file
Culture
- Her reign was a period marked by palace intrigues, back-stairs and antechamber influences, barracks conspiracies, and military pronunciamientos.
- Isabella's effective reign is usually divided into four periods: the moderate decade (1844 to 1854), the progressive biennium (1854 to 1856), the period of the Liberal Union governments (1856 to 1863) and the final crisis (1863 to 1868).
Picture
The Teatro Real, an opera house in Madrid, was formally opened by Queen Isabella II on 19 November 1850.
Image: Fernando, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
Sources
- Reign of Isabella II (Wikipedia)
- reign of Isabella II of Spain (Wikidata)
- About the picture (Wikipedia)
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.