Figure 1.--.

Ferdinand VII (1784-1833) was the son of King Charles IV and Queen María Luisa of Parma. He proved to be even more inept as king than his father. He was exclude from any governmental role by his father and Chief Minister Godoy who Ferdinad came to hate. As a result, he he became the center of various plots against Godoy who became very unpoular with the Spanish people. Ferdinand toyed at gaining support from Napoleon who was closely following developments in Spain. King Charles arrested his son and accused him of plotting to dethrone him and murder his mother and Godoy who was closely associated with the Queen. His parents reortedly forgave him which seems difficult to understand if the charges were true. The image of the royal family was badly tarnished. This helped convince Napoleon that the time was right to seize Spain. A French army was already in Portugal fighting the Britush. The French invasion launched a new phase of the Penisular Campaign. A palace revolution at Aranjuez resulted in the the dismissal of Godoy and the abdication of Ferdinand's father. Ferdinand VII was enthusiastically received by the Spanish people. Ferdinand was convinced that his army could not effectively resist the French and that an arrangent was necessay with Napoleon. He refussed the Portuguese option of resisting Napoleon from the Spanish colonies in America. He was duped by Napoleon into a meeting accross the border at Bayonne. Napoleon refused to negotuiate and demanded that Ferdinand abdicate in favor of his father. Napoleon than forced his father to abdigate again and Napoleon put his brother Joseph Bonaparte on the throne. Thus during the vicious fighting of the Peninsular Campaign (1807-14), Ferdinand was imprisoned by Napoleon in France. Spanish nationalists, including those with liberal sentients, resisted the French and with assisrtance from the British under the Duke of Wellington involved Napoleon in a debilitating campaign that lasted until Napoleon's. The Spanish Cortes approved a liberal constitution in Ferdinand's name (1812). Elements in Spain's American colonies pushed for more democratic government in Ferdinand's name. After Napoleon's defeat, Ferdinand was restored to the Spanish throne (1814). He proved to be very different than what the liberals had expected. He proved as reactionary as the French bourbons. He immediately revoked the liberal constitution of 1812 and attempted to rule as an absolute monarch. Several uprisings failed. The liberals organized into increasingly effective secret societies (the Carbonari) and finally succeeded. They forced the King to reinstate the constitution (1820). The reactionary Holy Alliance was concerned not only about events in Spain, but what it might lead to elsewhere. The European powers discussed the matter at the Congress of Troppau, but failed to reach an agreed course of action. At the Confress of Verona, France was scantioned by the Holy Alliance to intervene in Spain (1822). King Ferdinand this supported by a French ally again abolished the constitution and ruthlessly retaliated against the liberal opposition (1823). It was during Ferdinand's reign that Spain lost most of its American colonies. During the turmoil of the Napoleonic Wars, the American colonists had exercized effective political power and there was considerable reluctance to retuen to absolutist ruke from Madrid. Dredinand died 10 years after reestablishing absolute rule in 1833, but even his death caused serious difficulties for Spain. He had maried four times. His last wife, Maria Christina (1806-78), convinced him to suspend the Salic law requiring succession through the male line. This allowed his so that his only surviving child, Princess Isabella (1830-1904), would succeed. This excluded Ferdinand's younger brother, Don Carlos (1788-1855). On Ferdinand's death in 1833 a civil war ensued called the Carlist Wars erupted. Liberals backed Isabella II, still a small child. Reactionary forces supported Don Carlos.

Parents

Ferdinand VII was the son of King Charles IV (1748-1819) and Queen María Luisa of Parma. The two married in 1765.

Father

King Charles was the son of King Charles III (1716- ) and Maria Louisa (Wettin) of Parma (1724-1819). Charles IV (1748-1819) had the misfortune of reigning during the tumultous period of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. He succeded from his father, Charles III because his older brother was retarded. The Spanish master Goya was a court artist and painted several highly relalistic portraits of the royal family. Unlike his father, he proved to be ineffectual as king. After only a few years (1792) he turned the government over to his first minister, Godoy. Godoy was the favorite of his wife, María Luisa of Parma.

Mother

Queen María Luisa (1751-1819) was the daughter of Duke Philip (Bourbon) of Parma (1720- ). Her mother was Princess Elizabeth of France (1727-1759), a daughter of French King Louis XV.

Siblings

King Charles and Queen María Luisa had an impressive 14 children. Many did not, however, sirvive childhood. The children mostly married within the Bourbon family. The eldest child Karl Klemens (1771-74) died as a young child. Charlotte (1775-1830) as a young girl married the future King John VI (de Bragança) of Portugal and Brazil in 1785. Marie Louise (1777-82) also died as a young child. Marie Amalie (1779-98) died at age 12. Karl Dominik (1780-83) also died very young. Marie Louise (1782-1824) married Duke Louis I (Bourbon) of Parma of Parma in 1795. Twin boys Karl Franz (1783-84) and Philipp Franz (1783-84) both died at only 1 year of age. The future Ferdinand VII (1784-1833 was the seventh child. His younger brother Charles (1788-1855) was made Duke of Molina. Ferdinand's failure to follow the Salic Laws resulted in Carlista Wars on his behalf. Charles married Princess Francisca (de Bragança) of Portugal in 1816. He died in exile in Trieste in 1855. Marie Isabella (1789-1848) married King Francis I (Bourbon) of Sicily in 1802. Marie Therese (1791-94) died as a young child. Philipp (1792-94) also died as a young child. Francisco de Paula (1794-1865) was Duke of Cadiz and married Luisa (Bourbon) of Sicily in 1819. Their child, Francisco de Asis married Queen Isabela, Ferdinand's daughter, in 1846.

Childhood

Ferdinand was born in 1784. I have few details on his childhood, but given the size of the royal family, it must have been lively. Given the number of children that died, we wonder if it may have been a rather sad family.

Childhood Clothes

We have few details, but we do note the princes wearing red velvet skeleton suits. The one Goya image we have at this time appears to be of Ferdinan's brother Francisco. We do not yet have a childhood image of Ferdinand, but we assume that we would have worn a very similar skeleton suit as a boy.

Education

Intrigues

Ferdinand proved to be even more inept as king than his father. He was exclude from any governmental role by his father and Chief Minister Godoy who Ferdinad came to hate. As a result, he became the center of various plots against Godoy who became very unpoular with the Soanis people. Ferdinand toyed at gaining support from Napoleon who was closely following developments in Spain. King Vharles arrested his son and accused him of plotting to dethrone him and murder his mother and Godoy who was closely associated with the Queen. His parents reortedly forgave him which seems difficult to understand if the charges were true. The image of the royal family was badly tarnished.

Napoleonic Wars

The difficulties of the Spanish royal family helped convince Napoleon that the time was right to seize Spain. A French army was already in Portugal fighting the Britush. The French invasion launched a new phase of the Penisular Campaign. The Peninsula Campaigns lasted 8-9 years and devestated ares of te country. Ir was there that Wellington made his name. The Campaign was notable for its savegery and ot proved extremely costly to the French. The term guerrella fighters was coined by the Spanish.

Family

Ferdinand married four times. He had four children, all girls. Only two survived to adulthood. Isabella succeeded her father as queen.

First, as Crown Prince he married Princess Antonia (Bourbon) of Sicily in 1802. She was the daughter of King Ferdinand IV of Naples and Sicily (1751- ). Her mother was Maria Carolina (Habsburg-Lotharingen) (1752- ). She died childless in 1806.

Second, after the restoration he married Princess Isabella (de Bragança) of Portugal (1797-1818) in 1816. Her father was King John VI de Bragança of Portugal (1767- ) and Princess Charlotte of Spain (1775- ). They had two children: Marie Isabella (1817-18) and a daughter who died in child birth. She died in 1818 with complication from child birth.

Third, Ferdinand in 1819 married Mary Josepha (1802-19). Her father was Duke Maximilian (Wettin) of Saxony (1759- ). Her mother was Caroline of Parma, (1770- ). Ferdinand and Mary Josepha were married for 10 years, there were no children.

Fourth, Ferdinand married Mary Christina (Bourbon) of Sicily in 1829. Mary Christina of Sicily. Her father was King Francis I of Sicily (1777). Her mother was Marie Isabella of Spain (1789). They had two children. The first was the future Queen Isabella II of Spain (1830-97). The second was Louise (1832-97). She married Anton d'Orleans, Duke of Montpensier. They had 10 children.

Proclaimed King

A palace revolution at Aranjuez resulted in the the dismissal of Godoy and the abdication of Ferdinand's father. Ferdinand VII was enthusiastically received by the Spanish people. Ferdinand was convinced that his army could not effectively resist the French and that an arrangent was necessay with Napoleon. He refussed the Portuguese option of resisting Napoleon from the Spanish colonies in America.

Imprissonment

Ferdinand was duped by Napoleon into a meeting accross the border at Bayonne. Napoleon refused to negotuiate and demanded that Ferdinand abdicate in favor of his father. Napoleon than forced his father to abdigate again and Napoleon put his brother Joseph Bonaparte on the throne. Thus during the vicious fighting of the Peninsular Campaign (1807-14), Ferdinand was imprisoned by Napoleon in France. Spanish nationalists, including those with liberal sentients, resisted the French and with assisrtance from the British under the Duke of Wellington involved Napoleon in a debilitating campaign that lasted until Napoleon's defeat (1814).

Restoration

The Spanish Cortes approved a liberal constitution in Ferdinand's name (1812). Elements in Spain's American colonies pushed for more democratic government in Ferdinand's name. After Napoleon's defeat, Ferdinand was restored to the Spanish throne (1814). He proved to be very different than what the liberals had expected. He proved as reactionary as the French bourbons. He immediately revoked the liberal constitution of 1812 and attempted to rule as an absolute monarch. Several uprisings failed. The liberals organized into increasingly effective secret societies (the Carbonari) and finally succeeded. They forced the King to reinstate the constitution (1820). The reactionary Holy Alliance was concerned not only about events in Spain, but what it might lead to elsewhere. The European powers discussed the matter at the Congress of Troppau, but failed to reach an agreed course of action. At the Confress of Verona, France was scantioned by the Holy Alliance to intervene in Spain (1822). King Ferdinand this supported by a French ally again abolished the constitution and ruthlessly retaliated against the liberal opposition (1823).

American Colonies

It was during Ferdinand's reign that Spain lost most of its American colonies. During the turmoil of the Napoleonic Wars, the American colonists had exercized effective political power and there was considerable reluctance to retuen to absolutist rule from Madrid.

The Succession

Feredinand died in 1833, 10 years after reestablishing absolutist rule. Even his death caused serious difficulties for Spain. He had maried four times. His last wife, Maria Christina (1806-78), convinced him to suspend the Salic law requiring succession through the male line. This allowed his so that his only surviving child, Princess Isabella (1830-1904), would succeed.

Carlist Wars

This selection of Princess Isabella to succeed Ferdinand excluded his younger brother, Don Carlos (1788-1855). On Ferdinand's death in 1833 a civil war ensued called the Carlist Wars erupted. Liberals backed Isabella II, still a small child. Reactionary forces supported Don Carlos.

Created: September 19, 2002
Last updated: September 19, 2002