We love watching the Royals. We envy their lives of splendor and indulge our contempt for their fecklessness. Of course some of them are admirable. I can think of King Alfred the Great (848-899), and in our own day, Queen Elizabeth II. But many of them, such as Queen Isabella II of Spain, cause us to shake our heads in wonder.
A king used to be like a father. He had absolute power over his people. Then parliaments sprang up, which divided power, as in a marriage. America divorced its king in 1776. Any royals that remain today are treated like mildly demented grandparents.
Isabella became Queen of Spain at the age of two after the death of her father. Her uncle was opposed to a female ruler and led a series of civil wars. Little Isabella with her mother's guidance and the support of the army won out. Isabella became effective queen when she turned 13 in 1843. Her supporters, the Liberals, demanded and got a transition from absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy.
That was fine with Isabella. She just wanted to be left alone. But then the king of France ordered that she marry her cousin at the age of 16. That was ok because Isabella wanted children, but her cousin was gay and not inclined to do what was necessary. Isabella found courtiers who were willing to help. She was pregnant 12 times. Five of her children survived to adulthood, including the future king Alfonso XII. People could be catty about this, giving her children nicknames based on their supposed fathers' names.
Her courtiers played games behind the throne, manipulating Isabella's power to veto legislation. Now the Liberals, were ahead, now the Conservatives. One frustrated priest stabbed Isabella in the chest. Fortunately the gold brocade of her dress delflected the knife and Isabella escaped with a nick. The priest was defrocked and strangled.
Eventually both sides got sick of this and on this day in 1868, Isabella was forced off her throne. There was a minor battle a week later in which Isabella's supporters were defeated. After the battle, she got on a train to France. As in all respectable divorces, there was a financial settlement and Isabella bought a mansion in Paris where she lived until her death in 1904.
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| She loved children. |
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