Monarchs

1474 - 1504

Daughter of King John II of Castile (1405-1454) and his second wife, Isabella of Portugal (1428?-1496), the future Isabella the Catholic barely knew her father, who died in July 1454. Her early years were spent in Arévalo (Ávila), in the company of her mother and her brother, the Infante Alfonso (1453-1468). The then-Infanta Isabella was taught by Fray Martín de Córdoba, her tutor, under the supervision of Gonzalo Chacón, Commander of Montiel. Little is known about her childhood education although as an adult, she did learn Latin, the language of culture and diplomacy in late 15th-century Europe, thanks to Beatriz Galindo, also called La Latina. The Infanta Isabella and her brother Alfonso left Arévalo in 1461 to settle at the co...

1479 - 1516

Son of King John II of Aragón and Navarre (1398-1479) and his second wife, Juana Enríquez (1425-1468), the future Ferdinand the Catholic inherited the Kingdoms of the Crown of Aragón at the age of nine, after the death of his older brother, Charles of Viana, in September 1461. As a child, he received a humanist education under the supervision of Francisco Vidal de Noya, Bishop of Cefalú. In February 1465, the Prince was initiated into the art of war after taking part, albeit more as an observer than an active participant, in the battle of Calaf. ...

1504 - 1555

The third of five children born to the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand (1452-1516) and Isabella (1451-1504), the Infanta Joanna was brought up in a humanist environment populated by intellectuals such as Lucius Marinius Siculus, Pietro Martire d'Anghiera, and the brothers Antonio and Alessandro Geraldini. Before she reached the age of seventeen, the Catholic King and Queen had arranged her marriage to the Archduke Philip of Austria (1478-1506), also known as Philip the Handsome, Sovereign of the Burgundian Netherlands and son of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor. The marriage arranged as a foreign policy measure by the Catholic Monarchs and conditioned at the time by Spanish-French rivalry, was solemnised in the Church of Saint Gummarus in Lier (Antwerp, Belgium) on 20th October 1...

1506 - 1506

The eldest son of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (1459-1519) and Mary of Burgundy (1457-1482), Philip of Austria inherited the Burgundian Netherlands on his mother's death in 1482, although a Council of Regency exercised power until he was proclaimed of age in 1494. Known as Philip the Handsome, his rule in the Netherlands was characterised by balance between the Sovereign’s authority and respect for local governmental institutions, as well as the promotion of economic activities. In terms of foreign policy, Philip the Handsome was in favour of maintaining cordial relations with France, reinstating trade with England, and exploring new diplomatic and commercial opportunities with other European powers. This was the case of the alliance he entered into, at the ...

1516 - 1556

The second of six children born to Joanna I (1479-1555) and Philip the Handsome (1478-1506), the future Charles I of Spain and V, Holy Roman Emperor spent his childhood in Mechelen (Belgium). Count of Flanders and Lord of the Netherlands since the death of his father in September 1506, his aunt, Archduchess Margaret of Austria (1480-1530) –the widow of Prince John (1478-1497), second son of the Catholic Monarchs, and younger sister of Philip the Handsome– ruled as Regent until he attained his majority in 1515. He was educated by Adriaan Florensz Boeyens, the future Pope Adrian VI. Although Prince Charles had a Spanish tutor, Luis Cabeza de Vaca, his childhood and early youth were spent in a predominantly French-speaking cultural environment. On 11th March 152...

1526 - 1539

Second daughter of King Manuel I of Portugal (1469-1521) and the Infanta Maria of Aragón (1482-1517), Isabella of Portugal was brought up at the royal court in Lisbon, which was frequented, amongst other literary figures, by the great playwright Gil Vicente. Her education was supervised by her mother who was the fourth daughter of the Spanish Catholic Monarchs. In addition to various modern languages and Latin, which she translated and spoke fluently, Isabella of Portugal also learned to play several musical instrume...

1556 - 1598

The eldest son of Charles I of Spain and V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500-1558) and Isabella of Portugal (1503-1539), the future Philip II was educated by his tutor, Juan de Zúñiga, by Cardinal Silíceo, his teacher of elementary education and confessor, and by Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda, who provided his pupil with a humanist education. Prince Philip’s political apprenticeship commenced in 1543, when he first replaced his father, Charles I, as Governor of Spain. In 1548, the heir to the Crown set out on a long tour of northern Italy, Austria, Germany and the Netherlands, thus visiting some of the territories that he would rule over in the future. Married four times, Philip II's wives were María Manuela de Portugal (1527-1545), whom he married on...

1559 - 1568

The second of ten children born to King Henry II of France (1519-1559) and Catherine de' Medici (1519-1589), Elisabeth of Valois was brought up at the Château of Blois together with her siblings including the future Kings Francis II, Charles IX and Henry III of France. She was first betrothed to the King of England, Edward VI, who died in 1553. Four years later, Philip II's victory over the French army at the Battle of Saint Quentin (10 August 1557) precipitated peace negotiations between France and the Hispa...

1570 - 1580

The eldest daughter of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor (1527-1576) and Maria (1528-1603), sister of Philip II, Anna of Austria was born in Cigales (Valladolid) while her parents were acting as governors during one of Charles I's absences. She studied Geography, History, hunting and composing letters, as well as languages such as Latin, Italian, German and Spanish at the imperial court. Engaged in 1564 to Prince Charles (1545-1568), heir to the Hispanic Monarchy, the marriage suffered several delays. After the death o...

1598 - 1621

The fourth of five children born to Philip II (1527-1598) and his last wife, Anna of Austria (1549-1580), the future Philip III became heir to the Crown after the death of his older brothers, Princes Ferdinand and Diego, in 1578 and 1582 respectively. Prince Philip’s education was supervised by his tutor, García de Loaysa y Girón, who designed an educational programme that included subjects such as History and Geometry, languages (Latin, French and Portuguese) and classical and modern works of literature. In the early 1590s, Philip II ordered the Prince to participate in the sessions of the Government Council. Thereafter, the latter not only began to gain experience in how to conduct affairs of state, but he also had the opportunity to comprehend the political struggles...

1599 - 1611

The eleventh of fifteen children born to Archduke Charles II of Austria-Styria (1540-1590) and Maria Anna of Bavaria (1551-1608). Margaret was chosen by Philip II to be the wife of his son and heir, Prince Philip (1578-1621), in order to strengthen bonds between the two branches of the House of Habsburg at a time of crisis and instability in European international relations. Her marriage to Philip III, who had ascended the throne on 13th September 1598, was celebrated in Valencia on 18th April 1599. During their life toget...

1621 - 1665

The third son of Philip III (1578-1621) and Margaret of Austria (1584-1611), the future Philip IV was born in Valladolid, the capital of the Hispanic Monarchy between 1601 and 1606. Sworn heir to the Crown on 30th January 1608, in the Church of San Jerónimo El Real in Madrid, he was educated by Galcerán Albanell, a Catalan nobleman of renowned erudition. Prince Philip, as he was then, received classes in History, Geography, Mathematics and military tactics. After ascending the throne in 1621, he furthered his education by expanding his reading and learned languages such as Italian and French. ...

1621 - 1644

The second of six children born to King Henry IV of France and III of Navarre (1553-1610) and Marie de' Medici (1575-1642), Elisabeth of France was reared at the refined court of her mother, who inculcated in her a deep artistic and cultural sensitivity. Her marriage to Prince Philip, the future Philip IV (1605-1665), was part of a new diplomatic rapprochement between France and the Hispanic Monarchy that also included the marriage between the Infanta Anne of Austria (1601-1666)...

1649 - 1665

The second of six children born to Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor (1608-1657) and the Infanta Maria Anna of Spain (1606-1646), the younger sister of Philip IV, Mariana of Austria was initially betrothed to Prince Balthasar Charles (1627-1646), the heir to the Hispanic Monarchy. The Prince’s sudden death on 9th October 1646 left Philip IV without male heirs and he sought the Archduchess’s hand in marriage. The royal marriage, arranged to ensure the succession to the Crown and to strengthen the ties between the Madrid and Viennese branches of the House of Habsburgs, was celebrated in Navalcarnero on 7th October 1649. The King and Queen had five children: the Infanta Margaret Theresa (1651-1673), Holy Roman Empress by marriage to Leopold I (1640-1705); the Infanta Maria Ambrosi...

1665 - 1700

The last of five children born to Philip IV (1605-1665) and his second wife, Mariana of Austria (1634-1696), the future Charles II was born just five days after the death of his older brother, Prince Felipe Prospero, then heir to the Spanish throne. A frail child, the Prince nonetheless managed to survive against all odds and succeed his father, Philip IV, to the throne on 17th September 1665. He was less than four years old when he became King of Spain, and his mother, Mariana of Austria, ruled as Regent until he was officially declared of age in November 1675. The infant King's education was entrusted to Francisco Ramos del Manzano and included elementary education, Catholic dogma, Latin, Italian and French, as well as geography and history. Throughout his youth, Charles II witnesse...

1679 - 1689

The first-born daughter of Philippe of France, Duke of Orléans (1640-1701), brother of Louis XIV of France (1638-1715), and Henrietta Anne of England (1644-1670), Marie Louise d'Orléans received a careful education in horse riding, playing musical instruments such as the harpsichord, singing and dancing with ease, and holding conversations typical of the most select courtly circles.  Her marriage to Charles II (1661-1700) was celebrated in the village of Quintanapalla in Burgos on 18th November 1679, within the context of the signing of the Treaties of Nijmegen between France and the Hispanic Monarchy. The new Queen made her official entry into Madrid on 13th January 1680. Numerous public festivities such as bullfights and comedies were held in her honour, in additi...

1689 - 1700

The twelfth of seventeen children born to Philip William (1615-1690), Elector Palatine and Duke of Neuburg, and Elisabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt (1635-1709), Maria Anna of Neuburg was chosen as the wife of Charles II, both because of her mother's remarkable fertility and her status as sister-in-law of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor (1640-1705). Their marriage was ratified in Valladolid on 4th May 1690.  The new Queen had a smooth beginning at the court in Madrid. Her relationship with Charles II (1661-1700) was cordial and it was hoped that she would soon provide an heir to the Crown. However, these expectations would not be fulfilled. The long-awaited pregnancy never happened and Maria Anna of Neuburg's political activities led to her enmity with both the Queen Mother, Mar...

1700 - 1746

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 abdica......

1701 - 1714

The second daughter of Victor Amadeus II (1666-1732), Duke of Savoy, and Anne Marie d'Orléans (1669-1728), the princess Maria Luisa Gabriella was educated at the court of Turin. Her marriage to Philip V (1683-1746), ratified in Figueras on 3rd November 1701, was arranged by Louis XIV of France, the King's grandfather, in order to strengthen the alliance between the House of Savoy and the Bourbons, within the context of the War of the Spanish Succession.  Although the King and Queen were wed when Maria Luisa Gabriella of Savoy was not yet thirteen, the Queen surprised the Spanish court with her maturity: “she has the spirit and penetration of a woman in her thirties", confessed a contemporary witness after meeting her. Endowed with considerable personal charm......

1714 - 1746

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 fo...

1724 - 1724

The eldest son of Philip V (1683-1746) and his first wife, Maria Luisa Gabriella of Savoy (1688-1714), Louis I was the first Bourbon monarch to be born in Spain. His birth was hailed with joy by the people, who had not witnessed the birth of an heir to the Crown for forty-six years. Christened Louis Ferdinand, his godparents were his great-grandfather, King Louis XIV of France, and his aunt, the Duchess of Orléans. Prince Louis' childhood coincided in part with the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714). On 7th April 1709, when he was not yet two years old, he was sworn in as Prince of Asturias at the Church of San Jerónimo El Real in Madrid. His early years were spent in the company of his mother, Queen Maria Luisa Gabriella of Savoy, his governess, the Princesse des ......

1724 - 1724

Daughter of Philippe II, Duke of Orléans (1674-1723), Regent of France, and Françoise Marie de Bourbon (1677-1749), the natural daughter of Louis XIV, Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans spent her early years at the French court, where her education was mostly neglected. Her marriage to Prince Louis (1707-1724) was negotiated as part of a new diplomatic rapprochement between France and Spain, which was to be crowned by a double marriage: that of Louise Élisabeth and the Prince of Asturias, on one hand, and the planned marriage of the Spanish Infanta Mariana Victoria to the young King Louis XV of France on the other. The latter finally did not take place.  The Prince and Princess of Asturias were wedded in the town of Lerma on 20th January 1722. Almost tw...

1746 - 1759

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 ...

1746 - 1758

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 Pri...

1759 - 1788

The first-born son of Philip V (1683-1746) and his second wife, Elisabeth Farnese (1692-1766), the future Charles III was educated by Joseph Arnaud, the Jesuit priest Ignace de Laubrussel, and Father Saverio de la Conca. Together with learning to read and write, his training included knowledge of geography, history, religion, military tactics, Latin and modern languages, as well as other disciplines of a more social nature such as horse riding, hunting, dancing and music.  Charles III was not originally destined to reign, as his older brothers, the future Louis I and Ferdinand VI, preceded him in the line of succession to the Spanish throne. However, in early 1731, he was recognised as Duke of Parma and Piacenza, following the death of Antonio Farnese, and heir to the Grand Duchy of ......

1759 - 1760

The fourth of fourteen children born to Augustus III (1696-1763), King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, and Maria Josepha of Austria (1699-1757), Maria Amalia of Saxony spent her childhood between Dresden, Pilnitz and Warsaw, where she moved after her father's accession to the Polish throne. Described by a contemporary witness as a "tall and robust" young woman, she had a strong personality, was noted for her religious piety and fondness for animals, especially exotic ones such as monkeys and parrots. Her marriage to the future Charles III (1716-1788), then King of Naples and Sicily, was ratified in Portella (Naples) on 19th June 1738, when Maria Amalia of Saxony had not yet reached the age of fourteen. The King and Queen had thirteen children: the Infanta María Isabe...

1788 - 1808

The seventh of thirteen children born to Charles III (1716-1819) and Maria Amalia of Saxony (1724-1819), the future Charles IV was sworn in as Prince of Asturias before the Cortes on 9th June 1760, after his older brother Philip was excluded from the line of succession due to his poor health. On 14th September 1765, he married his cousin, Princess Maria Luisa of Parma (1751-1819), at the Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso (Segovia). The royal couple had fourteen children: the Infante Carlos Clemente (1771-1774); the Infanta Carlota Joaquina (1775-1830), Queen of Portugal by marriage to John VI (1767-1826); the Infanta Maria Luisa (1777-1782); the Infanta Maria Amalia (1779-1798), married to her uncle, the Infante Antonio Pascual; the Infante Carlos Domingo (1780-1783); the Infanta Maria ......

1788 - 1808

Daughter of the Infante Philip (1720-1765), Duke of Parma, and of Louise-Élisabeth of France (1727-1759), Maria Luisa of Parma was the granddaughter of Philip V of Spain (1683-1746) and Louis XV of France (1710-1774). Her marriage to Charles, then Prince of Asturias and future Charles IV, was held at the Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso (Segovia) on 4th September 1765. During her first years in Spain, she found it difficult to adapt to the austere court of her father-in-law, Charles III (1716-1788). The royal couple had fourteen children: the Infante Carlos Clemente (1771-1774); the Infanta Carlota Joaquina (1775-1830), Queen of Portugal by marriage to John VI (1767-1826); the Infanta Maria Luisa (1777-1782); the Infanta Maria Amalia (1779-1798), married to her uncle, the Infant...

1808 - 1813

The third of twelve sons born to Carlo Buonaparte and Maria Letizia Ramolino, Joseph Bonaparte was the elder brother of Napoleon. A lawyer by profession, he entered politics after his appointment as councillor for Ajaccio (Corsica) in 1792. Joseph Bonaparte's career advancement, as well as his gradual social ascent, were due to the military successes of his brother Napoleon after the end of the Reign of Terror in France (1793-1794). During the period of the French Directory and Consulate (1795-1804), Joseph Bonaparte carried out diplomatic missions in Parma and Rome and negotiated various treaties with the United States, Austria, Great Britain and the Holy See. By then, he had married Julie Clary (1771-1845) near Marseilles on 1st August 1794. The couple had three children: Julie (born...

1808 - 1813

The daughter of François Clary, a wealthy merchant of humble origins, and his second wife, Françoise Rose Somis, a member of the Marseilles gentry, Julie Clary was educated with her sister in a school run by nuns until the outbreak of the French Revolution on 14th July 1789 forced them to return home. During the Reign of Terror in France (1793-1794), Julie and her sister Désirée met the Bonaparte brothers, Joseph and Napoleon. The latter, then in love with Désirée (who would become Queen of Sweden by marriage to Marshal Bernadotte, the future Charles XIV John), encouraged Julie Clary's marriage to his brother Joseph (1768-1844). The wedding took place near Marseilles on 1st August 1794. The couple had three children: Julie (born and died in 179...

1814 - 1833

The ninth of fourteen children born to Charles IV (1748-1819) and Maria Luisa of Parma (1751-1819), the future Ferdinand VII was sworn in as Prince of Asturias before the Cortes on 23rd September 1789, following the successive deaths of his older brothers. The Prince’s early years were spent under the tutelage of his caretaker, the Marquess of Santa Cruz, and his successive tutors, of whom the best known were Canon Escóiquiz and his teacher, Father Cristóbal Bencomo. As part of his education, Prince Ferdinand studied philosophy, grammar and Latin, as well as being introduced to music and drawing, the latter being taught by the painter Antonio Carnicero.  Married four times, Ferdinand VII's wives were Princess María Antonia of Naples and Sicily (1784-180...

1816 - 1818

The third of nine children born to John VI of Portugal (1767-1826) and the Spanish Infanta Carlota Joaquina (1775-1830), the elder sister of Ferdinand VII (1784-1833), Maria Isabel of Braganza's childhood was spent at the court in Lisbon until the invasion of Portugal by Napoleonic troops in 1807 forced her and her family to flee to Brazil. In 1816, in order to strengthen diplomatic and dynastic relations between Spain and Portugal, the double marriages of Maria Isabel of Braganza and her sister Maria Francisca (1800-1834) were arranged with their uncles, King Ferdinand VII (1784-1833) and the Infante Carlos Maria Isidro (1788-1855). The new Queen made her official entry into Madrid on 29th September 1816. That same night, the nuptials of the King and Queen were celebrated at the Royal...

1819 - 1829

The youngest of seven children born to Prince Maximilian of Saxony (1759-1838) and Princess Carolina of Parma (1770-1804), Maria Josepha Amalia of Saxony was orphaned at the age of three months. Educated in a convent in her home town from the age of five, she left it against her will to become the third wife of Ferdinand VII (1784-1833). Their marriage was ratified in Madrid on 20th October 1819.  Initially, the royal couple had a difficult relationship. Maria Josepha Amalia of Saxony refused to consummate the marriage and was only convinced otherwise by the express intervention of Pope Pius VII himself, who managed to overcome the Queen's religious scruples and convince her to fulfil her conjugal duties. In spite of this complicated start, the King and Queen had a harmonious mar......

1829 - 1833

The second of twelve children born to Francis I, King of the Two Sicilies (1777-1830), and the Infanta Maria Isabella of Spain (1789-1848), Maria Christina married Ferdinand VII (1784-1833) on 12th December 1829 in the Church of Our Lady of Atocha in Madrid. The news of the royal wedding was welcomed by Spanish liberals in exile, who hoped that the new Queen would ameliorate the King’s government policies. By contrast, she received a cooler reception from the ultra-Royalists who supported the absolutist regime in Spain and were grouped around the Infante Carlos María Isidro (1788-1855), then heir to the Crown. The King and Queen had two daughters: the Infanta María Isabel Luisa (1830-1904), the future Isabella II, and Infanta María Luisa Fernanda (1832-1897), Duc......

1833 - 1868

The first-born daughter of Ferdinand VII (1784-1833) and his fourth wife, Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies (1806-1878), the future Isabella II was sworn in as Princess of Asturias before the Spanish Cortes in the Church of San Jerónimo El Real in Madrid, on 20th June 1833. Barely three months later, she became Queen of Spain after the death of Ferdinand VII on 29th September that same year. During her minority, her mother Queen Maria Christina, and later General Baldomero Espartero, acted as regents. Isabella II's childhood was marked not only by the outbreak of the first Carlist War (1833-1840), which called into question her legitimacy as Queen against the supporters of her uncle, the Infante Carlos María Isidro (1788-1855), but also by internal conflicts within Span...

1846 - 1868

The third of eleven children born to the Infante Francisco de Paula (1794-1865) and Luisa Carlotta of the Two Sicilies (1804-1844), Francisco de Asís de Borbón was the grandson of Charles IV (1748-1819) on his father’s side. An Infante of Spain, Duke of Cadiz and Knight of the Orders of Charles III and the Golden Fleece, he married his first cousin Isabella II (1830-1904) on 10th October 1846 in a ceremony held at the Royal Palace of Madrid. Francisco de Asís de Borbón's pretensions to the hand of his cousin the Queen was boosted by his support among the French and British governments, as well as by his Spanish origin. From the moment of their marriage, Francisco de Asís de Borbón held the title of King consort and the right to be address......

1870 - 1873

The son of Victor Emmanuel II (1820-1878), the first King of Italy, and Archduchess Adelaide of Austria (1822-1855), Amadeo of Savoy received a military education. After distinguishing himself in the battle of Custoza against Austria (24 June 1866), the then Duke of Aosta joined the Italian Navy as vice-admiral in 1868. In his youth, Amadeo of Savoy visited France, England, Sweden, Denmark, Turkey and Spain, where he was received by Isabella II in 1865. Two years later, on 30th May 1867, the Duke of Aosta married Maria Vittoria dal Pozzo (1847-1876), of the Piedmontese aristocracy. The couple had three children: Emanuele Filiberto (1869-1931), future Duke of Aosta; Vittorio Emmanuele (1870-1946), Count of Turin; and Luigi Amedeo (1873-1933), Duke of the Abruzzi, born in Madrid during his p...

1870 - 1873

The eldest daughter of Carlo Emanuele dal Pozzo (1787-1864), Prince of Cisterna, and Countess Louise de Mérode-Westerloo (1819-1868), Maria Vittoria dal Pozzo spent her early childhood in Paris. She settled in Turin with her parents and sister in 1852, and as a young girl, learned to speak several languages correctly, including Spanish. She was also interested in subjects such as literature, algebra, economics and international law.  After the death of her father and sister in 1864, Maria Vittoria dal Pozzo became the heir to the family estate. Three years later, on 30th May 1867, her marriage to Prince Amadeo of Savoy (1845-1890), Duke of Aosta and son of Victor Emmanuel II (1820-1878), the first King of Italy, was celebrated in Turin. The couple had three children: Emanuele ......

1874 - 1885

The sixth of ten children born to Queen Isabella II (1830-1904) and her husband and King consort Francisco de Asís (1822-1902), the future Alfonso XII was first educated by the Marquess of Alcañices, then head of the Prince's Chamber. In 1865, the responsibility of his education was given to the Count of Ezpeleta. That same year, General Álvarez Osorio was appointed his head of studies; Canon Cayetano Fernández, his professor of religion, later succeeded by the Archbishop of Burgos; and Bernardo Uribarri, Isidro Losa and Guillermo Morphy were appointed his Gentlemen of the Bedchamber. ...

1878 - 1878

Daughter of Antoine of Orléans (1824-1890), Duke of Montpensier, and the Infanta Maria Luisa Fernanda (1832-1897), second daughter of Ferdinand VII (1784-1833), Maria de las Mercedes of Orléans spent her early years between Seville, Sanlúcar de Barrameda (Cádiz) and England, where her paternal family lived in exile. As a child, María de las Mercedes of Orléans had very little contact with her Bourbon cousins, the children of Isabella II (1830-1904), only meeting them at family events and public functions.  After the 1868 Revolution in Spain, the Duke and Duchess of Montpensier and their family settled in Auvergne (France). There they were visited in 1872 by Prince Alfonso (1857-1885) whose mother, Isabella II, had abdicated her dynastic right......

1879 - 1885

Daughter of Archduke Karl Ferdinand (1818-1874) and Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria (1831-1903), Maria Christina of Austria was well educated. By the age of twelve she had mastered several languages, was an accomplished pianist, and had extensive knowledge of political science and economics. Her marriage to Alfonso XII (1857-1885) was arranged by Antonio Cánovas del Castillo, president of the Council of Ministers. The King and Queen were wedded at the Basilica of Our Lady of Atocha in Madrid on 29th November 1879. Although Alfonso XII and Maria Christina of Austria were married for a short time, two daughters were born to them within two years: María de las Mercedes (1880-1904), Princess of Asturias and also Princess of the Two Sicilies, by marriage to her cousin Carlos of t...

1886 - 1931

The last of three sons born to Alfonso XII (1857-1885) and his second wife, the Archduchess Maria Christina of Austria (1858-1929), Alfonso XIII was King at birth, due to his father's death on 25th November 1885. His mother, Queen Maria Christina ruled as Regent of Spain until 1902. The education of the child King was supervised by General Sanchiz and he was placed in the charge of, among others, the Jesuit priest José Fernández Montaña and the prestigious jurist Vicente Santamaría Paredes, who was his teacher of Constitutional Law. The King was proclaimed of age after he swore allegiance to the Constitution on 17th May 1902. On 31st May 1906, he was married to Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg (1887-1969), granddaughter of Queen Victoria I of England......

1906 - 1931

The second of four children born to Prince Henry of Battenberg (1858-1896) and Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom (1857-1944), Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg was the youngest granddaughter of Queen Victoria I of England (1819-1901). She was educated at the British court during the last years of her grandmother’s reign. Called Ena by her family, after the last of her baptismal names, she met Alfonso XIII (1886-1941) during his state visit to England in June 1905. Months later, her engagement to the King was officially announced in January 1906. Shortly before the wedding, Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg renounced her Anglican faith and converted to Catholicism. The royal wedding was celebrated at the Church of San Jerónimo in Madrid on 31st May 1906. That same day, the King......