Chapter I: Front Matter

Transcriber's note: Italic font is indicated by _underscores_.

THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE
COURT OF SPAIN

THE SECRET HISTORY OF
THE COURT OF SPAIN
DURING THE LAST CENTURY

BY
RACHEL CHALLICE

WITH THIRTY ILLUSTRATIONS

NEW YORK
D. APPLETON & COMPANY
MCMIX

AUTHOR’S NOTE

In presenting this history to the British public, I must draw attention to the fact that the material is gathered solely from Spanish sources, so that where the statements do not tally with the reports of English historians it must be remembered that the book, as the mouthpiece of Spanish writers, may lay claim to a special interest of its own, particularly as some of these books are not known in our country.

Thus, the account of the character of Ferdinand VII., the story of the Second of May, 1808, the relations between England and Spain during the reign of Isabella II., and the account of the recent Regency of Maria Cristina, may open points of view not generally entertained in England, but the fact of their sources may entitle them to some attention.

The history of the Regency ending in 1902, by Ortega Rubio, was only published last year, and it was as a privileged reader of the library of the Royal Palace at Madrid that I studied it. The book referred to by Galdos has also only recently seen the light. I owe much of the information to the celebrated bibliophile, Don Fernando Bremon, who garnered it for me from many histories now out of print and from manuscripts which came into his hand from his connection with celebrities of the Spanish Court. Other sources of information were open to me at the valuable library of the Athenæum at Madrid, of which I was made an honorary member during my stay in the capital; and I have also to render tribute to those whose personal recollections have added to the interest of my survey of Court life during the last century.

RACHEL CHALLICE.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. INTRIGUES OF FERDINAND, PRINCE OF ASTURIAS,
AGAINST HIS PARENTS AND GODOY 1

II. THE OVERTHROW OF GODOY 24

III. HOW NAPOLEON I. CHECKMATED THE SPANISH
ROYAL FAMILY 53

IV. KING FERDINAND VII. AND HIS HOME LIFE 79

V. MARIA CRISTINA, FERDINAND’S FOURTH WIFE--INTRIGUES
AT COURT 105

VI. MARIA CRISTINA AS REGENT AND AS WIFE OF
MUÑOZ 122

VII. QUEEN ISABELLA’S GIRLHOOD AND THE DANGERS
WHICH BESET IT 142

VIII. MINISTERIAL DIFFICULTIES IN THE PALACE 149

IX. ROYAL MATRIMONIAL SCHEMES--HOW QUEEN
ISABELLA’S SISTER FLED FROM PARIS IN 1848 161

X. A ROYAL QUARREL AND THE RECONCILIATION 173

XI. ATTEMPT ON THE LIFE OF QUEEN ISABELLA--THE
OVERTHROW OF THE QUEEN-MOTHER, MARIA
CRISTINA 180

XII. COURT INTRIGUES 193

XIII. THE COURT OF SPAIN UNDER ITALIAN SWAY 224

XIV. SOME TRUTHS ABOUT THE REPUBLIC OF 1873-1874 242

XV. THE REVIVAL OF COURT LIFE IN SPAIN UNDER
ALFONSO XII. 252

XVI. THE PALACE AND POLITICS DURING THE REGENCY
OF QUEEN MARIA CRISTINA 281

XVII. ALFONSO XIII. 305

XVIII. PRINCESS VICTORIA EUGÉNIE OF BATTENBERG AS
QUEEN OF SPAIN 314

INDEX 345

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

ALFONSO XIII. AND QUEEN VICTORIA OF SPAIN _frontispiece_
From a photograph by Franzen, Madrid.

TO FACE PAGE
MARIA LUISA, QUEEN OF CHARLES IV. 8
From the painting by Goya in the Museo del Prado.

MARIA ANTONIA, PRINCESS OF ASTURIAS, FIRST WIFE
OF FERDINAND VII. 34
From an engraving.

MARIA ISABEL FRANCISCA OF BRAGANZA, SECOND WIFE
OF FERDINAND VII. 84
From an engraving.

MARIA JOSEFA AMALIA, THIRD WIFE OF FERDINAND VII. 92
From an engraving.

MARIA CRISTINA, FOURTH WIFE OF FERDINAND VII.
AND MOTHER OF ISABELLA II. 106
From an original painting.

DON CARLOS DE BOURBON, DUKE OF MADRID 112
From a photograph.

MARSHAL PRIM 122
From an engraving.

GENERAL ESPARTERO, PRINCE OF VERGARA 128
From a painting by Casado del Alisal.

MARSHAL LEOPOLDO O’DONNELL, DUKE OF TETUAN 138
From an engraving.

RECEPTION OF ISABELLA II. AT THE ESCORIAL 150
From a painting by Benjumea.

ISABELLA II., QUEEN OF SPAIN 162
From a painting by Madrazo.

THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS OF ISABELLA II. DECLARES
WAR AGAINST MOROCCO 184
From a painting by Benjumea.

GENERAL NARVAEZ 214
From a photograph.

EMILIO CASTELAR 224
From a photograph.

AMADEUS OF SAVOY, DUKE OF AOSTA, AFTERWARDS
KING OF SPAIN 226
From a photograph by J. Laurent, Madrid.

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL LUIS DE FIGUEROLA FERRETTI 242
From a painting by Miss A. J. Challice, exhibited at the Royal
Academy, London.

KING ALFONSO XII. VISITING CHOLERA PATIENTS AT
ARANJUEZ 252
From a painting by J. Bermudo y Mateos.

DON CARLOS, PRINCE OF ASTURIAS, AND HIS LATE
WIFE, THE INFANTA MERCEDES 266
From a photograph by Franzen, Madrid.

PRAXEDES MATEO SAGASTA, LIBERAL PRIME MINISTER 274
From a photograph.

DEATH OF ALFONSO XII. 276
From a painting by J. A. Benlliure y Gil.

ANTONIO CANOVAS DEL CASTILLO, CONSERVATIVE PRIME
MINISTER 292
From a photograph.

THE INFANTA MARIA TERESA AND KING ALFONSO XIII. 294
From a photograph by Debas, Madrid.

ALFONSO XIII., KING OF SPAIN 306
From a photograph by Franzen, Madrid.

THE QUEEN-MOTHER MARIA CRISTINA OF SPAIN 310
From a photograph by Debas, Madrid.

VICTORIA EUGÉNIE, QUEEN OF SPAIN 314
From a photograph by J. Beagles and Co.

QUEEN VICTORIA OF SPAIN AND THE QUEEN-MOTHER
AT A BULL-FIGHT 316
From a photograph.

PRINCE FERDINAND OF BAVARIA, BROTHER-IN-LAW OF
ALFONSO XIII. 318
From a photograph by Baumann, Münich.

THE INFANTA MARIA TERESA, AFTERWARDS WIFE OF
PRINCE FERDINAND OF BAVARIA 320
From a photograph by Franzen, Madrid.

CHRISTENING OF THE PRINCE OF ASTURIAS, SON OF
ALFONSO XIII. 338

CARLOS III. = Maria Amalia of Saxony (daughter of
| Augustus III., King of Poland)
|
Several children, of whom
the second son was CARLOS IV. = Maria Luisa of Parma
| (his cousin)
+------------------------------+--------+-------+
| | |
FERNANDO VII. Don Carlos = MF FP = Luisa Carlota
= 1. Maria Antonia of Naples | | of Naples
= 2. Isabel of Braganza | |
= 3. MJA +-------++ |
= 4. MCN | | FA = ISABELLA II.
| DCM Don Juan = PM (his cousin)
| |
+--+-----------------------------+ Don Carlos (now living)
| |
ISABELLA II. = FA (her MLF = Duke of Montpensier
| cousin) |
| +--+-----------------+
| | |
| Mcd = ALFONSO XII. A = Eulalia
| (her cousin) (see below)
|
+----------+-----+--------------------+-----+------------+
| | | | |
Isabel = CG ALFONSO XII. = (1) Mcd P DP = LF Eulalia = A
| (2) MCA | |
| | |
+--------------+-------+-------+ +--------+ +--------+--+
| | | | | |
MM = CB ALFONSO XIII. = VE MT = Fernando Alfonso Fernando
(Infante)

Key
===
A = Antonio (son of Duke of Montpensier)
CB = Carlos de Bourbon
CG = Count of Girgenti
DCM = Don Carlos, Count of Montemolin
DP = De la Paz
FA = Francisco de Asis
FP = Francisco de Paula
LF = Luis Ferdinand of Bavaria
MCA = Maria Cristina of Austria
MCN = Maria Cristina of Naples
(sister of Luisa Carlota and of Princess of Beira)
Mcd = Mercedes (cousin to Alfonso XII.)
MF = Maria Francisca of Portugal (sister of Isabel of Braganza)
MJA = Maria Josefa Amalia of Saxony
MLF = Maria Luisa Fernanda
MM = Maria de las Mercedes (Princess of Asturias)
MT = Maria Teresa
P = Pilar (Infanta)
PM = Princess of Modena
VE = Victoria Eugénie of Battenberg

INFORMATION DRAWN FROM

A three-volume History of Ferdinand VII., published 1843, with the original correspondence of Napoleon and Bourbon family as Appendix.

“Memorias de un Setenton” (septuagenarian), by Ramon Mesoneros Romanos. 1880.

“Estafeta del Palacio Real,” by Bermejo. 3 large vols.

Unpublished MSS., the property of Don Fernando Bremon, brother-in-law to the Marchioness of Salamanca, the lady-in-waiting of the present Prince of Asturias.

“Memorias de Don Antonio Alcalá Galiano.” 1886.

“La de Los Tristes Destinos,” Perez Galdos. 1907.

Rare old book: “Narracion de Don Juan Van Halem.”

“Regencia de Maria Cristina,” by Juan Ortega Rubio. 1907. 2 large vols.

THE SECRET HISTORY
OF THE COURT OF SPAIN IN THE
NINETEENTH CENTURY