Portraits of the Infantas María Teresa and María Antonia Fernanda de Borbón

The second son of Louis of Bourbon (1661-1711), commonly known as the Grand Dauphin, heir to the French Crown, and Maria Anna Christine Victoria of Bavaria (1660-1690), the future Philip V grew up at the court of Versailles during the reign of his grandfather, Louis XIV of France. He was educated by François Fénelon, later Archbishop of Cambrai. Grandson of the Infanta Maria Theresa, eldest daughter of Philip IV, on his father’s side, he ascended the Spanish throne after the death of Charles II, who appointed him as his successor in his last will and testament dated 3rd October 1700. 

The first Spanish monarch of the House of Bourbon, Philip V's reign took place in two stages. The first lasted from November 1700 until 10th January 1724, when the monarch abdicated in favour of his eldest son, Louis I. The second stage was from 6th September 1724, when King Louis died of smallpox, until 9th July 1746, the date of his own death. 

Philip V was married twice. His first wife was Princess Maria Luisa Gabriella of Savoy (1688-1714), whom he married in Figueras (Gerona) on 3rd November 1701. The royal couple had four children: the future Louis I (1707-1724), who reigned briefly in 1724; the Infante Felipe (born and died in 1709); the Infante Philip Peter (1712-1719); and Ferdinand VI (1713-1759), who succeeded his father in 1746. After Queen Maria Luisa Gabriella of Savoy died on 14th February 1714, the King married Princess Elisabeth Farnese (1692-1766) of Parma, in Guadalajara on 24th December that same year. The couple had seven more children: the future Charles III of Spain (1716-1788); the Infante Francisco (born and died in 1717); the Infanta Mariana Victoria (1718-1781), Queen of Portugal by marriage to Joseph I (1714-1777); the Infante Philip (1720-1765), Duke of Parma; the Infanta Marie Thérèse (1726-1746), Dauphine of France by marriage to Louis, Dauphin of France (1729-1765); the Infante Luis Antonio (1727-1785), who was to become Archbishop of Toledo and Cardinal of the Holy See; and the Infanta Maria Antonia Ferdinanda (1729-1785), Queen of Sardinia by her marriage to Victor Amadeus III of Savoy (1726-1796).

The early years of Philip V's reign were marked by the outbreak of the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714), which pitted France and the Hispanic Monarchy against the powers of the Grand Alliance of The Hague: England, the Dutch Republic and the Holy Roman Empire, joined by Portugal and Savoy in 1703. Although the origins of the conflict lay in Leopold I's defence of the succession rights of his son, Archduke Charles of Austria, it was also influenced by political, economic and commercial factors. In Spain, the War of the Spanish Succession also resulted in a civil conflict. While there was widespread loyalty to Philip V amongst Castilians, Navarrese and the Basque, large sectors of society in Valencia, Aragón, the Balearic Islands and Catalonia, known as "Habsburgists", were in favour of Archduke Charles, who established his court in Barcelona in 1705. 

Throughout 1713, all European powers, with the sole exception of Austria until 1725, recognised Philip V as King of Spain. However, under the Peace Treaty of Utrecht-Rastatt (1713-1714), the Hispanic Monarchy had to relinquish the Netherlands and its territories in Italy, as well as Gibraltar and Minorca to England, which also received certain trade privileges overseas. The end of the War of the Spanish Succession also meant the entry into force of the Nueva Planta Decrees in Valencia, Aragón, Mallorca and Catalonia. These decrees were enacted between 1707 and 1716 and proposed a complete overhauling of the prevailing political and administrative systems of the Hispanic Monarchy up to that time.  

Post-1714, Spain’s foreign policy was dictated by the revisionism of the Treaties of Utrecht-Rastatt and by the Spanish government's interest in reconquering Minorca, Gibraltar and the Italian territories ceded after the peace. This prompted the signing of the first and second "Family Pact” on 7th November 1733 and 25th October 1743 respectively with France, as well as Spain's intervention in the Wars of the Polish Succession (1733-1735) and the Austrian Succession (1740-1748). Although it could not recover Minorca and Gibraltar, Spain managed to conquer the Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily, as well as the Duchy of Parma, granted to the King's sons, the Infantes Charles, the future Charles III, and Philip of Bourbon. Prior to this, the Spanish government had re-established relations with the Holy See by signing the Concordats of 1717 and 1737. 

In terms of domestic policy, Philip V's reign was characterised by reform and administrative rationalisation, driven by the creation of the Secretaries of State and of the Office. Initially, foreigners such as the Frenchman Jean de Orry, the Parmese Cardinal Alberoni, and the Dutch Juan Guillermo Ripperdá shared power with ministers of Spanish origin such as José Grimaldo and Melchor de Macanaz. However, from the late 1720s onwards, the technocrats José Patiño and José del Campillo would become the most influential figures in the government. Improvements in tax administration, the introduction of intendants, restructuring the army and navy, stimulating the development of industry, establishing the Royal Manufacturers and chartered trading companies, and moving the House of Trade of the Indies from Seville to Cadiz (1717) were some measures adopted by Philip V's ministers after the War of the Spanish Succession. 

Within the cultural sphere, notable achievements include the foundation of the Royal Library in 1711, the precursor to the current National Library of Spain; the Royal Academies of Spanish and History in 1714 and 1738 respectively; the University of Cervera in 1717, and other scientific institutions such as the Royal College of Surgeons of Cadiz, for example. A lover of the fine arts, Philip V was also a patron of the Neapolitan singer Carlo Broschi, known as Farinelli, and the painters Miguel Jacinto Meléndez, Jean Ranc and Louis-Michel van Loo, among others. He was also responsible for the building of the Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso (Segovia) and the Royal Palace of Madrid. 

The King died in Madrid on 9th July 1746. His remains are buried alongside those of his second wife, Elisabeth Farnese, in the crypt of the Royal Collegiate Church of the Holy Trinity in the Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso. 

Source: Royal Academy of History (https://www.rah.es)

Daughter of Odoardo Farnese (1666-1693), Prince of Parma, and Dorothea Sophie of Neuburg (1670-1748), sister of Maria Anna of Neuburg (1667-1740), second wife of Charles II of Spain (1661-1700), Elisabeth Farnese’s upbringing was supervised by her mother, who saw to it that she received a solid artistic and cultural education. Betrothed to the King of Spain in 1714, at the urging of the diplomat Jules Alberoni, of Parma, and the Princesse des Ursins, the chief chambermaid and confidante of the King's first wife, Maria Luisa Gabriella of Savoy (1688-1714), her marriage to Philip V (1683-1746) was celebrated in Guadalajara on 24th December 1714. A woman with a strong personality, one of her first measures was to banish the influential Princesse des Ursins, the person responsible for her marriage.

The King and Queen formed a well-matched couple who had seven children: the future Charles III of Spain (1716-1788); the Infante Francisco (born and died in 1717); the Infanta Mariana Victoria (1718-1781), Queen of Portugal by marriage to Joseph I (1714-1777); the Infante Philip (1720-1765), Duke of Parma; the Infanta Marie Thérèse (1726-1746), Dauphine of France by marriage to Louis Ferdinand of Bourbon, Dauphin of France (1729-1765); the Infante Luis Antonio (1727-1785), who was to become Archbishop of Toledo and Cardinal of the Holy See; and the Infanta Maria Antonia Ferdinanda (1729-1785), Queen of Sardinia by her marriage to Victor Amadeus III of Savoy (1726-1796). 

As Queen, Elisabeth Farnese exercised considerable political influence and protected the careers of ministers such as the Cardinal Alberoni, Juan Guillermo Ripperdá, José Patiño and the Marquess of Villadarias. Moreover, when Philip V was ill, the Queen personally, albeit unofficially, took over the management of state affairs.

After her husband's death on 9th July 1746, Elisabeth Farnese was forced by her stepson, Ferdinand VI, to retire to the Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso (Segovia). During the thirteen years of her retirement, the Queen concentrated on her cultural interests, such as expanding her art collection, and the construction of the Palace of Riofrío (Segovia). After Ferdinand VI died without heirs on 10th August 1759, Elisabeth Farnese served as interim Governor while her eldest son, the new King Charles III, travelled to Spain. 

The Queen died at Aranjuez Palace on 11th July 1766. Her remains lie alongside those of Philip V in the crypt of the Royal Collegiate Church of the Holy Trinity in the Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso (Segovia). 

Source: Royal Academy of History (https://www.rah.es)

The fourth and last son of Philip V (1683-1746) and his first wife, Queen Maria Luisa Gabriella of Savoy (1688-1714), the future Ferdinand VI lost his mother when he was less than five months old. As was customary at the time, he spent his early years being cared for by a group of palace maidservants until Philip V ordered that he be placed "in a separate room to be served and attended by men only”, in 1721. That same year, the Count of Salazar and Carlos Arizaga were respectively appointed caretaker and assistant caretaker to the Infante, while the Jesuit priest Ignace de Laubrussel was appointed his tutor. From then on, the Infante Ferdinand’s training would be stricter and more planned, and would include music, dance, fencing and the art of hunting, as well as religion and basic intellectual knowledge. 

On 25th November 1724, the Infante Ferdinand was sworn in as Prince of Asturias before the Cortes, following the death of Louis I and the return of Philip V to the throne. On the occasion of his recognition as heir to the Crown, the King ordered the formation of his first Household, of which the Duke of Béjar was to be chief steward and which also included his former tutor and assistant tutor, the Count of Salazar and Carlos Arizaga. Shortly afterwards, the marriage of Prince Ferdinand to the Portuguese Infanta Bárbara of Braganza (1711-1758) began to be negotiated. The marriage of the Princes of Asturias, which was arranged in order to bring about diplomatic and dynastic rapprochement between the courts of Madrid and Lisbon, was finally ratified in Badajoz on 19th January 1729. The Prince Ferdinand and Bárbara of Braganza were a well-matched couple, but they had no children. 

The future Ferdinand VI's life as heir to the Crown was marked by his tense relationship with Philip V and especially with Queen Elisabeth Farnese. Often manipulated by members of what was known as the "Prince's party", a court faction critical of Philip V's domestic and foreign policies, the Prince of Asturias and his wife became involved in court intrigues, even serious ones that questioned the legitimacy of Philip V's return to the throne in 1724, following the death of Louis I. 

Ferdinand VI became King of Spain on 9th July 1746. Lacking experience in dealing with affairs of state when he ascended the throne, the King was greatly influenced by his wife, Bárbara of Braganza, throughout his reign. Some early measures adopted by the new King were to remove the widowed Dowager Queen Elisabeth Farnese from Madrid, who was forced to return to the Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso (Segovia), as well as some of her most loyal ministers such as the Marquess of Villadarias. The dismissal of the latter was accompanied by the appointments of José de Carvajal and the Marquess of La Ensenada as heads of Spanish foreign and domestic policy, where both introduced changes with respect to the previous reign.  

In the field of diplomacy, Ferdinand VI advocated "armed neutrality", which led Spain to abandon its traditional alliance with France and to build bridges with Portugal, Austria, England and the Holy See. Specifically, with the former, José de Carvajal negotiated an unpopular Treaty of Limits of Conquests, signed on 13th January 1750, which affected territory in the Americas, and which would later be annulled by Charles III. As for the Holy See, during the reign of Ferdinand VI, the Concordat of 1753 was signed, restoring normal relations between Madrid and Rome.

The King and his ministers were equally active in matters of domestic policy: the promulgation of the Naval Ordinances (1748), the creation of the "Ensenada Cadastre" from 1749 onwards, the boost to the Royal Workshops, the development of certain financial and tax reforms, and the reform of the Royal Households in 1748 were some of the measures adopted during his years of government. Patrons of music, arts and literature, Ferdinand VI and Bárbara of Braganza sponsored the careers of the composer Domenico Scarlatti, the singer Carlo Broschi, also known as Farinelli, and illustrious Spanish writers such as the Benedictine priest Benito Feijoo. The King also encouraged the creation of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in 1752. 

The last years of Ferdinand VI’s reign were marked by the death of José de Carvajal, his replacement by Ricardo Wall, and the dismissal of the Marquess of La Ensenada. At the same time, the outbreak of the Seven Years' War (1756-1763) in Europe threatened the policy of neutrality that the King had been committed to since the beginning of his reign. In this context, the death of Queen Bárbara of Braganza on 27th August 1758 caused the king to go into seclusion in the castle of Villaviciosa de Odón (Madrid), where he died nearly a year later, on 10th August 1759. Ferdinand VI is buried in the Church of the Royal Salesians in Madrid. 

Source: Royal Academy of History (https://www.rah.es)

The first-born daughter of King John V of Portugal (1689-1750) and his wife, the Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria (1683-1754), Bárbara of Braganza was educated at the court of Lisbon. During her childhood, she learned to speak six languages (Latin, French, Italian, German and Spanish, in addition to her native Portuguese) and received lessons from the renowned Neapolitan composer Domenico Scarlatti. 

In 1728, in order to bring about a new diplomatic and dynastic rapprochement between the Kingdoms of Spain and Portugal, the double marriages of Bárbara of Braganza and Ferdinand, Prince of Asturias (1713-1759), and the Spanish Infanta Mariana Victoria (1718-1781) and the heir to the Portuguese throne, the future Joseph I (1714-1777), were arranged. The marriage of the Prince and Princess of Asturias was ratified in Badajoz on 19th January 1729. Prince Ferdinand and Bárbara of Braganza were a close couple, although they had no children. Becoming Queen of Spain after Ferdinand VI's accession to the throne on 9th July 1746, Bárbara of Braganza enjoyed considerable political influence during the reign of her husband, who consulted the Queen on affairs of state. In matters of government, the Queen was especially invested in the smooth running of diplomatic relations between Spain and Portugal, her native country.

A patron of music, arts and literature, Bárbara of Braganza sponsored the careers of the composer Domenico Scarlatti and the singer Carlo Broschi, known as Farinelli; she contributed to the consolidation of Italian opera at the Spanish court and financed the construction of the Church and Convent of the Royal Salesians in Madrid, the latter specialising in female education, another of the Queen's concerns.

Having suffered from asthma, Barbara of Braganza's health worsened in the last years of her life. The Queen died in the Palace of Aranjuez on 27th August 1758. After the death of his wife, Ferdinand VI retired to the Castle of Villaviciosa de Odón (Madrid) where he lived until his death a year later. The remains of Bárbara of Braganza are buried in the Church of the Royal Salesians in Madrid. 

Source: Royal Academy of History (https://www.rah.es)

Loo, Louis-Michel van. Toulon (France), 02.03.1707 - Paris (France), 20.03.1771. Painter.

French painter descended from a family of Dutch artists dating back to the 16th century, of whom Jacob van Loo stood out as a 17th-century master of genre paintings and portraits. Louis-Michel trained in the workshops that were opened one after another by his father, Jean-Baptiste Van Loo, in Turin and Rome, having previously worked, like other members of the saga, in various towns in Provence. To complete his training, the young artist travelled to Paris and entered the Académie Royale, where he won the Grand Prix de Rome in 1726. He returned to the Eternal City in 1727 with his brother François and his uncle...