Monarchs of Castile
1474–1504: Isabella I (Trastámara)
1504-1515: Isabella II (Trastámara)
1515-merged 1525: John III (Avis-Trastámara) [2]
Monarchs of Aragon
1479-1516: Ferdinand II (Trastámara)
1516-merged 1525: John III (Avis-Trastámara) [2]
Monarchs of Portugal
1481-1495: John II (Avis)
1495-1525: Afonso VI (Avis) [1]
Monarchs of Portugal, Castile and Aragon
1525-1551: John “the Learned” III (Avis-Trastámara) [2]
1551-1586: Felipe I "the Colonizer" (Avis-Trastámara) [3]
1586-1630: Maria I (Avis-Trastámara) [4]
1630-1666: Manuel I (Avis-Trastámara) [5]
1666-1700: Isabella III & Ferdinand VI (Avis-Trastámara) [6]
1700-1727: Sophia l (Avis-Trastámara) [7}
Monarchs of Castile and Aragon
1727-1760: Ferdinand VII (Avis-Trastámara) [8]
1760-1774: Leopold I (House of Urach) [9]
Emperors and Empresses of Spain
1774-1788: Leopold I (House of Urach) [9]
1788-1800: Margarita I "the Great" (House of Urach) [10]
1800-1825: John IV " The Tyrant" (House of Oldenburg) [11}
1825-1840: Afonso VII (House of Oldenburg) [12]
1840-1843: Isabel IV (House of Oldenburg) [13]
1843-1849: Margarita II (House of Oldenburg) [14]
1849-1900: Joanna I & John V (House of Oldenburg) [15]
1900-1919: Fernando VIII (House of Oldenburg) [16]
1919-1923: Sophia II / Maria II (House of Oldenburg) [17]
1923- 1942: Felipe II ( House of Aviz-Trastamara -Leutchenberg) [18]
King Felipe II
Miguel Prime De Rivera, the prime Minister knew he had a consitutional Crisis on his hands. What was the solution however ? At this rate; there would be thousands of potential claimants to the Spanish Throne. Spain itself has had it's political prestige; and economy destroyed by the War of the Two Sisters. Not to sound egotistic; but he remained insitutionally neutral during the war; since he was the only figure that both Queens could trust. And he kept the Government running during the War; including the many departments that dealt with education, pensions, that were created over the past 40 years.
At the root of the problems however; Rivera would come to realize, that it was the Spanish Oldenburgs. Their troubled rule over Spain, starting with John the Tyrant has produced instability for the country. He knew he had to act.
He along with the majority of the Cortes Generales looked deep in the family Tree of the Aviz Trastamaras/Urachs/Oldenburgs, trying to look for any living descedent. Anyone. Who would be willing to serve as a healing figure for the Country. Eventually; they found one. A Descedent of Sophia I.; A 50 year old Spanish/French Noble by the name of Felipe John Charles, Duke of Leutchenberg. Felipe's Branch of the Aviz Trastamaras, a small obscure branch moved to France in 1811, as a protest against John IV's hyper reactionary ways, eventually becoming Dukes of Leutchenberg, an honorary title given by the King of France as a sympathy gesture. The Heads of the Branch became Military Advisors to the French Monarchs.
Felipe married to a daughter of the King of France, was happily living in Paris. When the news first came to him however, he realized the gravity of the situation in his ancestral home country. and agreed to accept the throne. So on May 13, 1924, Felipe II became Emperor of Spain, and for the first time ever since 1760, was a Member of the House of Aviz Trastamara. A New Sense of Optimism arose. The Citzenry hoped that with this New Emperor; Spain could regain it's glory especially since the Emperor was a member of the greatest dynasty that was.
Felipe being influenced by Liberal thought; began to reform the Government to ensure the instability of the past century would never happen again. He shifted more powers towards the Prime Minister, ensuring a path to a Consitutional Monarchy. He loosened laws against freedom of the Press, and for the first time ever, allowed Freedom of Religion. The right to vote for all Men AND women was approved in 1929. He also was sympathetic to the growing Labor movement as well; advocating for pro labor laws such as a mininium wage, and legal Unions. Investments in Science and education as a whole was implemented. He also started the process of giving independence towards Spain's colonies.
Peace treaties were made with England, and Denmark.
To secure the throne; some of his children were married off into the Oldenburgs; thus consolidating the two now major branches of Spanish Royal blood. Felipe and his wife, Charlotte had 11 children in all. Felipe became known as the Uncle of Europe.
Felipe was known as an Austere Monarch. Hating the Pomp, and concerned about Cost, he ordered that the Spanish Court to be massively stripped down. He himself wearing a simple suit. His strict Catholic nature, meant that a new sense of morality was in the air. ( Some didn't like it though ).
By the time of his death in 1942, Felipe " The Healer " II was known as a Great Monarch. His funeral was to his wishes. Austere but filled with emotion. He fixed the Spanish Political System, revived the foreign reputation of Spain and restored the Spanish economy.
He would be succeeded by his heir :
1474–1504: Isabella I (Trastámara)
1504-1515: Isabella II (Trastámara)
1515-merged 1525: John III (Avis-Trastámara) [2]
Monarchs of Aragon
1479-1516: Ferdinand II (Trastámara)
1516-merged 1525: John III (Avis-Trastámara) [2]
Monarchs of Portugal
1481-1495: John II (Avis)
1495-1525: Afonso VI (Avis) [1]
Monarchs of Portugal, Castile and Aragon
1525-1551: John “the Learned” III (Avis-Trastámara) [2]
1551-1586: Felipe I "the Colonizer" (Avis-Trastámara) [3]
1586-1630: Maria I (Avis-Trastámara) [4]
1630-1666: Manuel I (Avis-Trastámara) [5]
1666-1700: Isabella III & Ferdinand VI (Avis-Trastámara) [6]
1700-1727: Sophia l (Avis-Trastámara) [7}
Monarchs of Castile and Aragon
1727-1760: Ferdinand VII (Avis-Trastámara) [8]
1760-1774: Leopold I (House of Urach) [9]
Emperors and Empresses of Spain
1774-1788: Leopold I (House of Urach) [9]
1788-1800: Margarita I "the Great" (House of Urach) [10]
1800-1825: John IV " The Tyrant" (House of Oldenburg) [11}
1825-1840: Afonso VII (House of Oldenburg) [12]
1840-1843: Isabel IV (House of Oldenburg) [13]
1843-1849: Margarita II (House of Oldenburg) [14]
1849-1900: Joanna I & John V (House of Oldenburg) [15]
1900-1919: Fernando VIII (House of Oldenburg) [16]
1919-1923: Sophia II / Maria II (House of Oldenburg) [17]
1923- 1942: Felipe II ( House of Aviz-Trastamara -Leutchenberg) [18]
[1] Afonso, Prince of Portugal survived the horseriding accident on the banks of the river Tagus and returned home, where he enthusiastically consummated his marriage with
his wife Isabella to celebrate his survival. She became pregnant and gave birth to twins, a boy named Joao and a girl named Maria. The couple were happy together and after the death of Joao II, Afonso succeeded as the sixth king of his name. He proved to be a worthy successor, supporting the Portuguese exploration of the Atlantic ocean and development of Portuguese commerce. Under his rule, the conquistadors devoted their energy to ventures in Africa and the Indies, which he encouraged. His notable avoidance of anything to do with ruling Aragon or Castile (which were under his wife's domains
) was an unusual attitude, but one which pleased his father-in-law, Ferdinand II of Aragon. Truthfully Afonso simply had too much with Portugal to care about what Isabella was doing (although this didn't stop the couple from having a dozen children). Not particularly pious, a fact which caused Isabella endless grief, he did not care about the state of churches or missionaries and only intervened whenever his wife begged, which was not often. Instead he focused more on expansion: he married off his children into kingdoms such as France, England, Spain and Sweden in order to establish foreign ties and get his bloodline on many European thrones. When he died at the age of fifty, having outlived his wife by a decade, he would be succeeded by his eldest son, John.
[2] John, born in 1492, was the oldest son of Alfonso and Isabella, and older twin of Maria.
His childhood was a happy one, with his birth being a celebration across the three kingdoms and his grandparents fussing over him and his education, with some of the greatest minds in Europe assisting him, along with his stern ability to learn languages easily, being fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, French, English and Latin; this would award him the cognomen, “the Learned”
It was also agreed between the families that he would carry on the house of Trastámara’s name, inheriting all claims of the royal dynasty.
While his sisters were married abroad to France, Navarre, Spain and Sweden, John would go on to be married, in 1512, to sixteen year old, Princess Mary Tudor of England (1496-1530) the youngest surviving daughter of King Henry VII and sister of King Henry VIII.
The marriage would be a mediocre one, many historian believe that Mary’s affection were for another, Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, a dear friend of her brother, whom was also aware of Mary's feelings.
The eighteen years of marriage only resulted in five pregnancies, with only four going to term, upon her death, John refused to marry again, stating that the succession is secure, no need to make it complicated.
The most coincidental thing about his succession to three individuals thrones, was that he was the third of his name in each one, using this to proclaim that God, himself, in his divine wisdom had planned his accession.
As a ruler, he was fair and just, succeeding his mother to the throne of Castile in 1515, he would offer to co-rule alongside his grandfather, Ferdinand in exchange for being able to co-rule in Aragon, where he was heir. There were many suggesting that John consolidated his kingdoms, into a single Iberian empire, however John stated that as all kingdoms are culturally different, each should keep their autonomy, with John sharing his time equally between the kingdoms.
After 26 years on the throne, 59 year old John had a heart attack leaving the throne to be succeeded by his second son, Felipe.
[3] Felipe was named for the Holy Roman Emperor, and uncle by marriage. He was born in 1520 just a few months after Philip of Burgundy was elected, and his father was eager to keep the imperial alliance. Felipe was his parents' second son, the spare until his brother, Afonso's tragic death at age six in 1522. Felipe was given the best education his father could buy for him, and he grew into a cultured prince. Being the heir to such a vast inheritance, he was a most desirable bridegroom. His father had wanted a Hapsburg match, but when Queen Mary died, it was deemed best not to have to wait until the granddaughters of Emperor Philip were old enough to be wed. In 1537, Felipe married his second cousin, Isabel of Poland, daughter of King Sigsmund the Old and Leonor of Austria. Unlike his parents marriage, Felipe and Isabel were drawn to each other almost immediately, both of them having a keen interest in the arts. They would have six children together.
King John died in 1551 when Felipe was thirty-one-years-old. One of his firsts acts was to be crowned in Rome, and make a promise to aid the counter-reformation. The new monarch was eager to expand his empire, investing much money into trade and exploration ventures. He also allied himself with Emperor Ferdinand against the Ottomans, attacking their trading posts in Africa and Asia.
Felipe was devastated when in 1559, his beloved wife died of an unknown illness (most likely cancer). Like his father he refused to marry again. However, he did have mistresses. The most famous being Ana de Mendoza y de Silva, Princess of Éboli. It is unknown whether they had any children, but it was regarded an open secret that they were lovers with Ana often accompanying Felipe on his ventures.
In 1586, Felipe fell ill with a terrible fever during his time in Morocco. He lamented the irony that while his men were dying on the battlefield, he was ailing in his bed. His last words were to ask his heir Maria to look after his dearest Ana who had been his closest companion during the dark years after Isabel's death.
[4]
View attachment 781688
Queen Maria, portrayed by Susana Abaitua in the show "Maria y Diego", which depicted the massive empire ruled by the titular couple.
Maria genuinely wasn't expected to succeed. As the youngest child (and, if she admitted it to herself, the most spoiled because of that status), she had had an older brother and sister ahead of her (the remaining three siblings had been stillborn or died in infancy). As such, she was well-educated but never to the extent of the heir. However, her older sister Isabel died giving birth to her first child (a stillborn daughter), while her brother Juan had died of heatstroke a week before their father's death (Felipe, who was ailing with fever, was not informed and had honestly thought he would be succeeded by his son). But God's will had meant that she was crowned queen in 1586. This was a bit awkward, as by then she was married to Elizabeth I's default heir, James VI of Scotland, who was a decade younger than her. Despite this age gap, they had five children who had grown to adulthood (and several who sadly hadn't). However, she proved quite competent as queen. She continued the family policies of expanding power, marrying her children to foreign rulers. She also established councils to advise her on the affairs of her realms, and gave prominent positions to men and women of different nationalities in each council to try and ease tensions. Under her rule, the Portuguese spice trade rose to its peak and it became a very wealthy, prosperous country. Castile and Aragon on the other hand were both going broke and Portugal resented having to consistently loan money. This caused Maria endless strife. So in 1603, half a decade after giving birth to her final child, when she became queen consort of England, Ireland and Scotland, she was frankly a little wary of this. Sure, it was amazing good luck, but who God can bring up, he can also bring down (and she was VERY aware of the fears of foreign interference that floated around in England). She struggled to consolidate a power base in her husband's kingdoms and eventually the couple lived separately, as Maria was sick of constantly traveling back and forth and being hated in England and Scotland (she had not expected some very loyal Irish partisans that supported her), although the loving letters between them prove that it was a difficult decision to make. Having outlived her husband by four years, she died a heartbroken widow, being succeeded by her beloved heir.
[5] When Maria became queen, the Portuguese Cortes, along with the Spanish nobility convinced her to make her cousin her heir in order to avoid the combine the Catholoic kingdoms with the Calvinist and Luthern Scotland and England. Therefore when Maria died, her cousin, Manuel (the grandson of King John III's younger brother) became ruler. Her son Charles of course disputed his mother's will, but he found little support among his mother's subjects, who prefered the Spanish born and raised Manuel over a man who spoke none of their languages and had proved himself to be quite boorish.
Manuel would no sooner be crowned by King Charles tried to press his claim. In exchange for France's support, Manuel offered his daughter to the Dauphin with a heft dowry and some lands in the New World. Even though the English Queen was his sister, King Francois III decided to hedge his bets and throw his support behind the King of Spain and Portugal.
The war lasted for nine years, ending with King Charles being taken captive, and forced to repudiate the claims of him and his siblings. England also had to pay a large ransom to get him back, something the English people were not happy with.
The rest of King Manuel's reign was largly peacefuyl with only a few scrimmages here and there. He created the title Princess of Brazil for his heiress, Isabella. He even had a palace commisioned in Brazil in order for future heirs to have their own little court if they so desired. After thirty-six years on the throne, Manuel died during an influenza outbreak.
[6]
Queen Isabella III during her coronation.
Isabella, the younger daughter of Manuel I, was designated his successor as her older sister Manuela was married to Francois IV of France (son of Francois III). She married her cousin Ferdinand, youngest grandson of Maria I through her son Charles I of England (as Charles had only repudiated the claims of his generation, his children's claim was still quite strong and often looked at as a popular alternative to her own). This marriage was quite stormy as both viewed themselves as the rightful monarch and often vied for power (despite both being crowned together as joint rulers). They took the Castilian regnal numbers as it was the most senior - she was the third of her name, he was the sixth. They would have three children together, all of whom lived to adulthood.
She is remembered as one of the most well-educated women of the seventeenth century. She was fond of books, manuscripts, paintings, and sculptures. With her interest in literature, religion, philosophy and history, she attracted many artists and writers to Lisbon, where she founded some universities. Notably, she founded two universities exclusively for women (although the school fees were astronomically expensive). She is also remembered for her frequent public fights with her husband, one incident was so vicious that both were beaten bloody by the time it ended. Despite this, she refused to countenance any thought of divorce and remained a faithful wife until he died from choking on a fish bone at dinner.
Ferdinand VI was often away on military campaigns after their marriage irreparably deteriorated, and Isabella reigned on her own, proving to be a firm ruler who took active interest from interfering in political matters. She made many proclamations lambasting licentiousness, insobriety and vice; she was also the guest of five consecutive popes. However, her experimental fashion choices have proved to be what stands the legacy of time, often replicated in modern European women's clothing. She died peacefully in her sleep, and was succeeded by her heir.
[7}
Portrait of Queen Sophia
Sophia was the eldest daughter of Queen Isabella III and King Ferdinand VI. She had two younger sisters; Isabella and Maria. As such, because there was no male heir, Sophia became heir presumptive. When she became of Marriageable age; multiple suitors throughout Europe sought her hand for marriage as she was considered one of the most beautiful royals, if not the most beautiful royal in Europe. She was quite picky however; and rejected most of her parents's suggestions including royals/nobility from from Italy, and France. With the two younger sisters refusing to marry, Queen Isabella had no choice but to give in to whoever her daughter would choose. Eventually Sophia settled on a little known noble from Austria; a Baron by the name of John Erwin, who was the ruler of Schonborn in the Holy Roman Empire. Although the Schonborn Noble was Catholic, the seemingly unequal match created quite alot of controversy in the Kingdoms. Queen Isabella resolved the issue by giving Erwin an Iberian title, making him a Duke, in addition to his German titles. Sophia and John Erwin quickly married. They had a happy marriage. Despite John Erwin's lack of fluency in Spanish or Portuguese, and Sophia's lack of fluency in German, the two grew to love each other deeply. They had 7 children altogether, 4 boys and 3 girls. Sophia was a doting mother who took a unusually large role in raising her children. All 7 of the Children would be married off into various European Royal Houses.
Upon the death of her mother Isabella, Sophia assumed the throne, with John Erwin assuming the role of King Consort, though he maintained his personal rule over Schonborn. Unlike her mother, Sophia was never an intellectual, but continued the domestic policies of her mother. In terms of Foreign Policy, however she was less successful. Falling under the influence of Jorge Gonzalez, a scrupolous Military General, Sophia declared War on England. The war which lasted for 4 years was a economic diaster, draining the Iberian treasuries of funds and destroying the reputation of the Kingdoms abroad. England even managed to take over Portugal in the resulting Treaty of Bern. Shortly after, John Erwin, demanded that he be installed as the newly created " Minister of War ", and under his leadership cleaned up the S Military to avoid the debacle of failed invasion of England in the future. The Kingdom took longer than expected to recover from the failed War, causing a general economic decline. Also The Political power due to Sophia's unwillingness to exert her rule began to shift towards the legislatures.
As stated, Sophia was not an intellectual like her mother. She was more suited for domesticity rather than royal reign. It explains her unwillingness to impose her own policies on the Kingdom, and her ineffectual foreign policy. Despite this; she was generally well liked by her subjects who saw her as a paradigm of Catholic motherhood. She did however promote several of her own interests; including care for Orphans and widows, Gardening, and unusually enough Bird watching, which became a hugely popular trend in the Kingdom.
Sophia was a devout Catholic who promoted Catholic values throughout the Kingdom. Under her patronage, the Society of Jesus, otherwise known as the Jesuits , became the dominant Religious order in Castile, and Aragon. The Universities that her mother founded was taken over by the Jesuits, who began to impose a very strict Catholic way of education often to the chagrin of many Liberal Humanists. In 1727, Queen Sophia would die of what is now today, Colon Cancer. Her Husband, John Erwin would die a year later. Sophia would then be succeeded by her eldest heir.
[8]
Ferdinand VII at his coronation.
Ferdinand was the eldest son of Sophia and John. He took his mother's name as it was seen as more prestigious than his father's. He pioneered the idea of royal public appearances, and was allowed an active role in running the government when he reached adulthood. He read the originals of important government documents before his mother, who was not fond of realpolitik (which fascinated him).
In his youth, he was amorously linked to a number of women. His father advised him to sow his wild oats before settling down, and so he had a string of lovers but never proposed marriage to anybody. Although he ultimately married a foreign princess, they soon divorced. He did not become lazy from pleasure, though. He undertook many official duties on behalf of his mother; he officiated at investitures and attended the funerals of foreign dignitaries. He learned to speak six different languages as a result of his extensive travel and close working relationship with the ambassadors of his country. Regarded worldwide as an arbiter of men's fashion, he popularized wearing black cloaks with white fur trimmings in winter. Related to nearly every other monarch in Europe, he began to be known as "Uncle Ferdinand", a title he grew to embrace as he aged, especially as he refused to marry.
He has advocated for the conservation of historic buildings and the importance of architecture in society, and authored or co-authored over two dozen books on this topic. A critic of minimalist architecture, he championed a more maximalist and elaborate style, eschewing ascetic aesthetics. He has even been viewed personally working as a construction worker, and his colleagues praised him for his down-to-earth attitude.
A well-loved king, his death was deeply mourned by his subjects. As he was a childless bachelor, his heir would be his nephew, Leopold of Urach.
[9] The son of the Count of Urach and Princess Matilda of Spain, Leopold was never meant to suceed the Spanish thrones. His eldest aunt, Maria Theresa had married the King of France, Louis XIV, and had produced children, but Louis Charles, whom had been meant to unite Spain and France, and unfortunetly died childless in Lyon in 1758. Thus, the attention of Europe was suddenly turned on Leopold, whom promptly was sent by his father to live with his uncle and be made heir. His arrival in Spain was not the grand arrival a young man of his age might have dreamed about. Leopold did not know the language, the customs and traditions of the Spanish, and to many Spaniards he, despite his mother's blood, was just a foreigner who wanted to take a throne that was not destined for him.
Given Spanish tutors, Leopold threw himself into his studies and into adapting to these new cultures which he was to rule with gusto. Perhaps out of loneliness or out of a feeling to prove himself, Leopold went beyond what was necessary to prove himself to the various peoples of his realm that he, perhaps, deserved to be there. Leopold was made an admiral and he threw himself into the Navy, rapidly gaining experience with his diligent demeanour. He, while never seeing active combat, would use the opportunity to visit much of Spain's overseas domains, such as Brazil, Peru, Mexico and others. The experience in the Spanish military served to turn Leopold into a true, Spanish patriot, and he would spend much of his reign seeking revenge for the many ills done to his lands.
Ascending the throne, Leopold quickly egged on a new age - where his uncle and grandmother had mostly supported the old order, allowing themselves to be dominated by the various regious cortes and their nobles, and promoting the dominance of the Jesuists, Leopold followed the way of his homeland. A follower of humanist philosophy and a great fan of the enlightenment, Leopold sponsored deep and scathing reforms at the fiscal, administrative and colonial level. At the colonial level, a deep set of border and administration changes would change much of the landscape of old Ultramar into something more manageable, more autonomous but also represented, as the various "Spaniards from overseas" were given in representation in the new grand Cortes in Toledo, something unprecendented in the world.
With his reforms slowly marching towards completion and thankfully providing dividends, Leopoldine Spain would sponsor rebels against English rule in Portugal and would ally itself with France to fight the "Atlantic War". Spain and France would come out victorious, with Portugal being re-integrated in the Spanish realm. Leopold would unify the three realms into a single Empire, ruled by him, as has been claimed by the Kings of the Reconquista of old. Not all was left well in Spain as the war caused an economic crisis, but Leopold would spend much of the rest of his reign reforming the economy to tackle various old ills that had plagued the Spanish economy since the birth of it's Empire. He would further expand into Morocco, invading it and conquering the Rif for Spain. Spain and it's colonies would see a great population boom as the Columbian exchange came to a close and the agricultural revolution started, with the Spanish expanding and moving to populate areas such as Patagonia in La Plata and Texas and California in new Spain.
Leopold would die of lung cancer caused by smoking in 1788, leaving the newly forged Empire to his heir, his daughter Margarita.
[10]
Empress Margarita as portrayed by Marina Salas in the biopic "Emperatriz Margarita".
Margarita was the only child of Leopold, her mother had died in childbirth and Leopold refused to remarry. As such, she had been raised as heir to the throne for her whole life. As her father's legacy became more and more impressive, Margarita grew more determined to eclipse him one day. Ambitious, driven and goal-oriented, she had always been nicknamed by her father as "my little visionary". Sadly, he would never get to see her plans take shape, as he died shortly after her wedding. As a result of this, Margarita's first son was named after him. She would eventually have fifteen children, with thirteen surviving to adulthood.
As empress, she helped initiate financial and educational reforms, promoted commerce and the development of agriculture, and reorganized the army, all of which strengthened Austria’s resources. Continued conflict with England led to another war, but this time Spain won, with Margarita arranging two Anglo-Spanish marriages as additional recompense to the large sums of money that England paid. This also conveniently resolved the economic crisis in Spain, which boosted her popularity. The excellent performance of her military reinforced that imperial power was not yet decaying.
Aware that she would always have her accomplishments linked to whatever man was nearest to her (and ever since she became a widow, her sons began trying to take credit for her accomplishments, much to her ire), she boldly decided to rule with an all-female council, continuing her father's policy of representing "Spaniards from overseas". She continued to strive towards a modernized, effective state bureaucracy and implemented policies that helped to ease tensions between nobility and peasantry. She also showed support towards the arts and sciences, investing vast sums of money into higher education institutions. She also curtailed the monopoly of feudal overlords on local administration, igniting another struggle for power.
By the end of her reign, state revenue had almost tripled and she had successfully crushed the Anglo-Prussian alliance which had formed to oppose her reign by marrying her children into both countries, thus tying them to her empire. She died in her sleep, and would be succeeded by her son John.
A Portrait of King John IV.
John was the second oldest Child of Empress Margarita and Emperor Consort Oscar, who was the second son of King Christian VI and Queen Sophie Magdalene of Denmark. He was second in line to the Throne and therefore was not expected to be King. Unfortunately, his older brother Leopold Ferdinand died in an accidental shooting at the age of 27. Therefore John became heir apparent. He had somewhat of a disdain for women, whom he saw as mentally, physically, and morally inferior. Much to his mother's chagrin, he began to take credit for many of his mother's accomplishments.
He was married at the age of 20 to the daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor, Maria Theresa who was 3 years younger. It was not an happy marriage. His reactionary views of Women led John to physically abuse Maria, and rape her. Of course, marital rape was not fully understood at the time. Despite this very unhappy marriage, Maria managed to give John 3 Sons over the years; whom he sought to indoctrinate his views. All 3 would grow to adult hood.
Upon Empress Margarita's death, John Assumed the Throne, the first of the Spanish Oldenburg Dynasty. He began to impose a harsh reactionary rule on the Empire; he reversed his mother's and his ancestors's political reforms. He pushed forward new laws that made women property of their husbands, and the most controversial law of all, mandated forced killings of any first child who was a girl of a family. That broke the camel's back. Massive protests broke out in the Empire over the reactionary rule of John. But he was persistent using the Military to exact harsh control on the protesting citizenry. The other European Great powers; England, France, The Holy Roman Empire grew concerned over the state of affairs in Spain. His views on women even led to a condemnation by the Pope himself. In response, John would excommunicate himself from the Catholic Church causing Catholic Clergy to boycott the traditional monarchy religous ceremonies.
The Harsh rule also trickled down to the nobility; when John announced that the rights of Nobility would be stripped. They had it. In 1825, coordinating with England, France, and the Holy Roman Empire, the Spanish Nobles conducted a Coup against John IV. They forced John to resign. He and his 3 sons were to be exiled to Ireland. The Throne passed to one of John's siblings.
[12]
Afonso VII's coronation.
Afonso was John's younger brother, the two boys didn't get along in childhood and this relationship only worsened in adulthood as Afonso had undying loyalty towards his mother Margarita whereas John saw her only as a stepping stone to power. As he had three nephews, he didn't expect to become emperor and so he lived a quiet life in the mountains with his wife and three children. But when John and his sons were exiled to Ireland, suddenly he became emperor of Spain.
He was a soft-spoken and inoffensive man who was not cut out for power - he hated conflict and preferred playing with his pets over reading government documents. But he was a dutiful son who had adored his mother, and wanted to live up to her legacy. Thus, he reversed all of John's policies and basically continued with what Margarita had done. He was not as big a personality as his brother had been, but he was quietly well-liked, and he settled into a mostly ceremonial and representative role - he preferred it when his government gave him advice. As such, he spent most of his free time traveling across his empire and often donated large sums of his money.
Although nowhere near as illustrious or exalted as some of his predecessors, in his gentle way, he was a great king. And so, when he died, he had a lavish funeral that was organized by his heir, Isabel.
[13] As she had an older brother, Isabel was not expected to rule. But alas, Leopold was assassinated in 1833, presumably by those who had supported Emperor John. It was a devastating day for her entire family. Isabel would forever lament that the conspirators had robbed the empire of a golden ruler. Emperor Afonso wasted no time arranging domestic matches for his two daughters, marrying Isabel to the Duke of Abrantes and the young Margurite was wed to the Duke of Beja, both distant cousins with royal blood flowing through their veins.
Isabel and her husband, Fernando, got along swimmingly, although it was clear they saw each other more as siblings than they did spouses. Four years after their marriage, Emperor Afonso died, much to the devastation of his family and his people. The new Empress Isabel made sure to bury her father next to her brother and requested that when she died she would be buried on her father's other side.
Alas, Isabel's reign was cut tragically short when she went into premature labor, and died a few weeks later after complications with the birth. It is said her last words were calling out to her beloved father and brother, saying she would be with them shortly.
[14] Like her older sister, Margurite was not expected to rule. To be honest, despite her vivacious intelligent persona, she was quite happy at home with her parents. She adored her father whom she regarded as the greatest man in the world. The assasination of her older brother, the death of her father and then the early tragic death of her Sister who took over as Queen however meant that Marguite would unfortunatey have to assume the powers of the Monarchy.
In a emergency coronation ceremony, Margurite assumed the throne. The Spanish Empire was in a slow walking Crisis, and perhaps near collaspe. An economy that began to decline, a threat from the reactionary supporters of John IV and his Sons known as the " Juanites ", and the near extinction of Margurite's own family line ( as she is the only surviving member), threatened the future of the Empire. Having a far more ruthless personality, than her older sister, and father ( although she always said she was not like her feared Uncle), Margurite realized that the only way to resolve the crisis once and for all was to eliminate the Juanites.
Unfortunately, she and her Husband, the Duke of Beja, were not able to have children. Medical experts today say that the Duke of Beja was impotent, not because of any problem that Margurite might have had with her own fertility. The Birth of Children therefore was not in the equation in the plan to eliminate the Juanites. In a ironic turn of events, Margurite turned to the very same tactics that her Uncle used. She imposed a newspaper censorship of any ideas from the Juanite faction. She ordered a loyalty oath of any government worker.
Compounding the situation further, the Duke of Beja was assassinated 5 years into Margurite's reign. Upon investigation; the perpetuaters were supporters of the Juanite Movement. Margurite grew manic over her own security. Could she trust her own guards? That fear sadly enough became true. The following year in her own palace, she was killed by a sleeper agent, a Juanite supporter posing as a guard in her own home.
The extinction of the Alfonso Branch of the Spanish Oldenburgs, along with the threat from the Juanite Branch, set off a constitutional Crisis. Margurite did name a succcesor before her assassination, so at first the line of succession was thought to be secured. The Juanites however saw a chance to retake control and impose their rule. They challenged this successor claiming that as the most Senior Branch of the Oldenburg Dynasty, their claim to the Throne was more secure through Hereditary right and that Margurite had no authority to name a successor since she was a daughter of a Monarch who did not ascend the throne under what they call, the Traditional succession.
[15] Margarita II had selected her favorite niece, Joanna, as her successor. Upon the death of the empress, however, Joanna found herself challenged by the senior heir of the Juanite branch, the grandson of John IV. And so they married each other to consolidate their claims. Luckily, Joanna did not share the same fertility problems as her aunt, and she would end up having nine children with her husband who all provided her with grandchildren.
John V, as he was now styled, was content to allow his wife to rule and he mostly worked as her secretary, greatly amusing some of her council. In truth he was simply terrified of ending up like his grandfather who died raving about the injustice done to him. And besides, he was not particularly fond of all the paperwork. Joanna, on the other hand, was well-educated and cultured and incredibly domineering. She wanted everything done her way, and even if she didn't display any temper, those who displeased her soon found their lives much more unpleasant, as one unfortunate nobleman found out. John only really interfered when it came to the marriages of their children, and otherwise lived a quiet existence as a family man.
Luckily her competence made her easy to work with. She was a profound expert of the problems of the peninsular kingdoms; her sensible actions were decisive in the defense of the coasts of the peninsula. This allowed the flow of precious metals and turned Spain into one of the chief sources of the imperial treasury. ridding itself from previous expensive military policies. She even managed to claw back some power from her council due to her constant interference in political matters.
The couple went on many joint tours around their empire to consolidate their own authority. Although extravagantly expensive, both displayed ample charisma and all of the funding for their tours were always donated back. They notably went on official overseas tours to Britain and Australia, the first Spanish monarchs to do so.
Crowned together, the couple would end their reign together as they both died in a fire in one of their overseas lodgings. They would be succeeded by their son, Fernando.
[16] Fernando was the oldest of his parents' children, born nine months after their wedding. He had a sheltered childhood that he would sometimes chafe under. At seventeen, he begged to join the army, wanting a taste of the world outside his palace. At first, his parents refused, but Fernando persisted and eventually was allowed. He would take part in the Austrian-Prussian war of 1873 where he would make lifetime friends with the future Austrian Emperor Rudolf. He would request permission from his parents to marry Rudolf's sister, Archduchess Gisela.
Fernando would return to Spain in 1875 where he would request permission to set up his own little court in Portugal. Unlike his last request, this one was granted as his parents thought it was a good idea for him to get a taste of ruleship. He and Gisela would settle in Lisbon where they would have four children. He often acted as his parents regent when they were overseas.
In 1900, Joanna and John died in a fire much to Fernando's sorrow. He would give them an elaborate funeral. In terms of ruling, Fernando took after his father, rather than his mother, not wishing to make the same mistakes as his great-grandfather. Taking a cue from England, Fernando created a position of Prime Minster for his domains in the Americas, wanting to ensure they were not forgotten about when it came to the politics of the empire.
As Fernando was someone who excelled in physical activities and did not overindulge, he was in great health for a man of his age so it came as a shock to the empire when in 1919, he suffered a fatal stroke. To this day, there are conspiracy theories that he was poisoned, but there is no evidence of foul play. He was simply unlucky. His daughters would succeed him.
[17]
Sophia II & Maria II, the twin sisters who fought to the death.
This is a very unusual case in any monarchy: a king with twin daughters as his heirs. This wasn't initially the case, of course. Fernando VIII had had two sons before his daughters. Unfortunately one son died as a toddler and another died single and childless just after reaching his twentieth birthday- (thus predeceasing his father), leaving his two daughters as heiresses. As they were both married to foreign kings (Sophia was queen of Denmark while Maria was queen of Britain), both had a vested interest in securing the empire for themselves and their descendants. And thus, the sisters individually gathered up their foreign armies and styled themselves as Empress of Spain.
This fighting was nothing new: as children they had fought over the prettier dresses and shoes, as teenagers they fought over their dowries, and as adults they had fought over their married lives (Sophia was very fertile, producing a dozen children, while Maria only had one son - albeit that one son produced a dozen grandchildren of his own). And their husbands infamously despised each other. So war broke out over the empire, completely ruining any process that had previously been made by their predecessors. And a powerful third faction rose up, one which wanted neither woman as empress due to their foreign ties.
Ultimately both "Sophia II" and "Maria II" ended up dying on the battlefield after personally riding into battle. But this only meant that the next heir was much harder to find
his wife Isabella to celebrate his survival. She became pregnant and gave birth to twins, a boy named Joao and a girl named Maria. The couple were happy together and after the death of Joao II, Afonso succeeded as the sixth king of his name. He proved to be a worthy successor, supporting the Portuguese exploration of the Atlantic ocean and development of Portuguese commerce. Under his rule, the conquistadors devoted their energy to ventures in Africa and the Indies, which he encouraged. His notable avoidance of anything to do with ruling Aragon or Castile (which were under his wife's domains
) was an unusual attitude, but one which pleased his father-in-law, Ferdinand II of Aragon. Truthfully Afonso simply had too much with Portugal to care about what Isabella was doing (although this didn't stop the couple from having a dozen children). Not particularly pious, a fact which caused Isabella endless grief, he did not care about the state of churches or missionaries and only intervened whenever his wife begged, which was not often. Instead he focused more on expansion: he married off his children into kingdoms such as France, England, Spain and Sweden in order to establish foreign ties and get his bloodline on many European thrones. When he died at the age of fifty, having outlived his wife by a decade, he would be succeeded by his eldest son, John.
[2] John, born in 1492, was the oldest son of Alfonso and Isabella, and older twin of Maria.
His childhood was a happy one, with his birth being a celebration across the three kingdoms and his grandparents fussing over him and his education, with some of the greatest minds in Europe assisting him, along with his stern ability to learn languages easily, being fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, French, English and Latin; this would award him the cognomen, “the Learned”
It was also agreed between the families that he would carry on the house of Trastámara’s name, inheriting all claims of the royal dynasty.
While his sisters were married abroad to France, Navarre, Spain and Sweden, John would go on to be married, in 1512, to sixteen year old, Princess Mary Tudor of England (1496-1530) the youngest surviving daughter of King Henry VII and sister of King Henry VIII.
The marriage would be a mediocre one, many historian believe that Mary’s affection were for another, Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, a dear friend of her brother, whom was also aware of Mary's feelings.
The eighteen years of marriage only resulted in five pregnancies, with only four going to term, upon her death, John refused to marry again, stating that the succession is secure, no need to make it complicated.
The most coincidental thing about his succession to three individuals thrones, was that he was the third of his name in each one, using this to proclaim that God, himself, in his divine wisdom had planned his accession.
As a ruler, he was fair and just, succeeding his mother to the throne of Castile in 1515, he would offer to co-rule alongside his grandfather, Ferdinand in exchange for being able to co-rule in Aragon, where he was heir. There were many suggesting that John consolidated his kingdoms, into a single Iberian empire, however John stated that as all kingdoms are culturally different, each should keep their autonomy, with John sharing his time equally between the kingdoms.
After 26 years on the throne, 59 year old John had a heart attack leaving the throne to be succeeded by his second son, Felipe.
[3] Felipe was named for the Holy Roman Emperor, and uncle by marriage. He was born in 1520 just a few months after Philip of Burgundy was elected, and his father was eager to keep the imperial alliance. Felipe was his parents' second son, the spare until his brother, Afonso's tragic death at age six in 1522. Felipe was given the best education his father could buy for him, and he grew into a cultured prince. Being the heir to such a vast inheritance, he was a most desirable bridegroom. His father had wanted a Hapsburg match, but when Queen Mary died, it was deemed best not to have to wait until the granddaughters of Emperor Philip were old enough to be wed. In 1537, Felipe married his second cousin, Isabel of Poland, daughter of King Sigsmund the Old and Leonor of Austria. Unlike his parents marriage, Felipe and Isabel were drawn to each other almost immediately, both of them having a keen interest in the arts. They would have six children together.
King John died in 1551 when Felipe was thirty-one-years-old. One of his firsts acts was to be crowned in Rome, and make a promise to aid the counter-reformation. The new monarch was eager to expand his empire, investing much money into trade and exploration ventures. He also allied himself with Emperor Ferdinand against the Ottomans, attacking their trading posts in Africa and Asia.
Felipe was devastated when in 1559, his beloved wife died of an unknown illness (most likely cancer). Like his father he refused to marry again. However, he did have mistresses. The most famous being Ana de Mendoza y de Silva, Princess of Éboli. It is unknown whether they had any children, but it was regarded an open secret that they were lovers with Ana often accompanying Felipe on his ventures.
In 1586, Felipe fell ill with a terrible fever during his time in Morocco. He lamented the irony that while his men were dying on the battlefield, he was ailing in his bed. His last words were to ask his heir Maria to look after his dearest Ana who had been his closest companion during the dark years after Isabel's death.
[4]
View attachment 781688
Queen Maria, portrayed by Susana Abaitua in the show "Maria y Diego", which depicted the massive empire ruled by the titular couple.
Maria genuinely wasn't expected to succeed. As the youngest child (and, if she admitted it to herself, the most spoiled because of that status), she had had an older brother and sister ahead of her (the remaining three siblings had been stillborn or died in infancy). As such, she was well-educated but never to the extent of the heir. However, her older sister Isabel died giving birth to her first child (a stillborn daughter), while her brother Juan had died of heatstroke a week before their father's death (Felipe, who was ailing with fever, was not informed and had honestly thought he would be succeeded by his son). But God's will had meant that she was crowned queen in 1586. This was a bit awkward, as by then she was married to Elizabeth I's default heir, James VI of Scotland, who was a decade younger than her. Despite this age gap, they had five children who had grown to adulthood (and several who sadly hadn't). However, she proved quite competent as queen. She continued the family policies of expanding power, marrying her children to foreign rulers. She also established councils to advise her on the affairs of her realms, and gave prominent positions to men and women of different nationalities in each council to try and ease tensions. Under her rule, the Portuguese spice trade rose to its peak and it became a very wealthy, prosperous country. Castile and Aragon on the other hand were both going broke and Portugal resented having to consistently loan money. This caused Maria endless strife. So in 1603, half a decade after giving birth to her final child, when she became queen consort of England, Ireland and Scotland, she was frankly a little wary of this. Sure, it was amazing good luck, but who God can bring up, he can also bring down (and she was VERY aware of the fears of foreign interference that floated around in England). She struggled to consolidate a power base in her husband's kingdoms and eventually the couple lived separately, as Maria was sick of constantly traveling back and forth and being hated in England and Scotland (she had not expected some very loyal Irish partisans that supported her), although the loving letters between them prove that it was a difficult decision to make. Having outlived her husband by four years, she died a heartbroken widow, being succeeded by her beloved heir.
[5] When Maria became queen, the Portuguese Cortes, along with the Spanish nobility convinced her to make her cousin her heir in order to avoid the combine the Catholoic kingdoms with the Calvinist and Luthern Scotland and England. Therefore when Maria died, her cousin, Manuel (the grandson of King John III's younger brother) became ruler. Her son Charles of course disputed his mother's will, but he found little support among his mother's subjects, who prefered the Spanish born and raised Manuel over a man who spoke none of their languages and had proved himself to be quite boorish.
Manuel would no sooner be crowned by King Charles tried to press his claim. In exchange for France's support, Manuel offered his daughter to the Dauphin with a heft dowry and some lands in the New World. Even though the English Queen was his sister, King Francois III decided to hedge his bets and throw his support behind the King of Spain and Portugal.
The war lasted for nine years, ending with King Charles being taken captive, and forced to repudiate the claims of him and his siblings. England also had to pay a large ransom to get him back, something the English people were not happy with.
The rest of King Manuel's reign was largly peacefuyl with only a few scrimmages here and there. He created the title Princess of Brazil for his heiress, Isabella. He even had a palace commisioned in Brazil in order for future heirs to have their own little court if they so desired. After thirty-six years on the throne, Manuel died during an influenza outbreak.
[6]
Queen Isabella III during her coronation.
Isabella, the younger daughter of Manuel I, was designated his successor as her older sister Manuela was married to Francois IV of France (son of Francois III). She married her cousin Ferdinand, youngest grandson of Maria I through her son Charles I of England (as Charles had only repudiated the claims of his generation, his children's claim was still quite strong and often looked at as a popular alternative to her own). This marriage was quite stormy as both viewed themselves as the rightful monarch and often vied for power (despite both being crowned together as joint rulers). They took the Castilian regnal numbers as it was the most senior - she was the third of her name, he was the sixth. They would have three children together, all of whom lived to adulthood.
She is remembered as one of the most well-educated women of the seventeenth century. She was fond of books, manuscripts, paintings, and sculptures. With her interest in literature, religion, philosophy and history, she attracted many artists and writers to Lisbon, where she founded some universities. Notably, she founded two universities exclusively for women (although the school fees were astronomically expensive). She is also remembered for her frequent public fights with her husband, one incident was so vicious that both were beaten bloody by the time it ended. Despite this, she refused to countenance any thought of divorce and remained a faithful wife until he died from choking on a fish bone at dinner.
Ferdinand VI was often away on military campaigns after their marriage irreparably deteriorated, and Isabella reigned on her own, proving to be a firm ruler who took active interest from interfering in political matters. She made many proclamations lambasting licentiousness, insobriety and vice; she was also the guest of five consecutive popes. However, her experimental fashion choices have proved to be what stands the legacy of time, often replicated in modern European women's clothing. She died peacefully in her sleep, and was succeeded by her heir.
[7}
Portrait of Queen Sophia
Sophia was the eldest daughter of Queen Isabella III and King Ferdinand VI. She had two younger sisters; Isabella and Maria. As such, because there was no male heir, Sophia became heir presumptive. When she became of Marriageable age; multiple suitors throughout Europe sought her hand for marriage as she was considered one of the most beautiful royals, if not the most beautiful royal in Europe. She was quite picky however; and rejected most of her parents's suggestions including royals/nobility from from Italy, and France. With the two younger sisters refusing to marry, Queen Isabella had no choice but to give in to whoever her daughter would choose. Eventually Sophia settled on a little known noble from Austria; a Baron by the name of John Erwin, who was the ruler of Schonborn in the Holy Roman Empire. Although the Schonborn Noble was Catholic, the seemingly unequal match created quite alot of controversy in the Kingdoms. Queen Isabella resolved the issue by giving Erwin an Iberian title, making him a Duke, in addition to his German titles. Sophia and John Erwin quickly married. They had a happy marriage. Despite John Erwin's lack of fluency in Spanish or Portuguese, and Sophia's lack of fluency in German, the two grew to love each other deeply. They had 7 children altogether, 4 boys and 3 girls. Sophia was a doting mother who took a unusually large role in raising her children. All 7 of the Children would be married off into various European Royal Houses.
Upon the death of her mother Isabella, Sophia assumed the throne, with John Erwin assuming the role of King Consort, though he maintained his personal rule over Schonborn. Unlike her mother, Sophia was never an intellectual, but continued the domestic policies of her mother. In terms of Foreign Policy, however she was less successful. Falling under the influence of Jorge Gonzalez, a scrupolous Military General, Sophia declared War on England. The war which lasted for 4 years was a economic diaster, draining the Iberian treasuries of funds and destroying the reputation of the Kingdoms abroad. England even managed to take over Portugal in the resulting Treaty of Bern. Shortly after, John Erwin, demanded that he be installed as the newly created " Minister of War ", and under his leadership cleaned up the S Military to avoid the debacle of failed invasion of England in the future. The Kingdom took longer than expected to recover from the failed War, causing a general economic decline. Also The Political power due to Sophia's unwillingness to exert her rule began to shift towards the legislatures.
As stated, Sophia was not an intellectual like her mother. She was more suited for domesticity rather than royal reign. It explains her unwillingness to impose her own policies on the Kingdom, and her ineffectual foreign policy. Despite this; she was generally well liked by her subjects who saw her as a paradigm of Catholic motherhood. She did however promote several of her own interests; including care for Orphans and widows, Gardening, and unusually enough Bird watching, which became a hugely popular trend in the Kingdom.
Sophia was a devout Catholic who promoted Catholic values throughout the Kingdom. Under her patronage, the Society of Jesus, otherwise known as the Jesuits , became the dominant Religious order in Castile, and Aragon. The Universities that her mother founded was taken over by the Jesuits, who began to impose a very strict Catholic way of education often to the chagrin of many Liberal Humanists. In 1727, Queen Sophia would die of what is now today, Colon Cancer. Her Husband, John Erwin would die a year later. Sophia would then be succeeded by her eldest heir.
[8]
Ferdinand VII at his coronation.
Ferdinand was the eldest son of Sophia and John. He took his mother's name as it was seen as more prestigious than his father's. He pioneered the idea of royal public appearances, and was allowed an active role in running the government when he reached adulthood. He read the originals of important government documents before his mother, who was not fond of realpolitik (which fascinated him).
In his youth, he was amorously linked to a number of women. His father advised him to sow his wild oats before settling down, and so he had a string of lovers but never proposed marriage to anybody. Although he ultimately married a foreign princess, they soon divorced. He did not become lazy from pleasure, though. He undertook many official duties on behalf of his mother; he officiated at investitures and attended the funerals of foreign dignitaries. He learned to speak six different languages as a result of his extensive travel and close working relationship with the ambassadors of his country. Regarded worldwide as an arbiter of men's fashion, he popularized wearing black cloaks with white fur trimmings in winter. Related to nearly every other monarch in Europe, he began to be known as "Uncle Ferdinand", a title he grew to embrace as he aged, especially as he refused to marry.
He has advocated for the conservation of historic buildings and the importance of architecture in society, and authored or co-authored over two dozen books on this topic. A critic of minimalist architecture, he championed a more maximalist and elaborate style, eschewing ascetic aesthetics. He has even been viewed personally working as a construction worker, and his colleagues praised him for his down-to-earth attitude.
A well-loved king, his death was deeply mourned by his subjects. As he was a childless bachelor, his heir would be his nephew, Leopold of Urach.
[9] The son of the Count of Urach and Princess Matilda of Spain, Leopold was never meant to suceed the Spanish thrones. His eldest aunt, Maria Theresa had married the King of France, Louis XIV, and had produced children, but Louis Charles, whom had been meant to unite Spain and France, and unfortunetly died childless in Lyon in 1758. Thus, the attention of Europe was suddenly turned on Leopold, whom promptly was sent by his father to live with his uncle and be made heir. His arrival in Spain was not the grand arrival a young man of his age might have dreamed about. Leopold did not know the language, the customs and traditions of the Spanish, and to many Spaniards he, despite his mother's blood, was just a foreigner who wanted to take a throne that was not destined for him.
Given Spanish tutors, Leopold threw himself into his studies and into adapting to these new cultures which he was to rule with gusto. Perhaps out of loneliness or out of a feeling to prove himself, Leopold went beyond what was necessary to prove himself to the various peoples of his realm that he, perhaps, deserved to be there. Leopold was made an admiral and he threw himself into the Navy, rapidly gaining experience with his diligent demeanour. He, while never seeing active combat, would use the opportunity to visit much of Spain's overseas domains, such as Brazil, Peru, Mexico and others. The experience in the Spanish military served to turn Leopold into a true, Spanish patriot, and he would spend much of his reign seeking revenge for the many ills done to his lands.
Ascending the throne, Leopold quickly egged on a new age - where his uncle and grandmother had mostly supported the old order, allowing themselves to be dominated by the various regious cortes and their nobles, and promoting the dominance of the Jesuists, Leopold followed the way of his homeland. A follower of humanist philosophy and a great fan of the enlightenment, Leopold sponsored deep and scathing reforms at the fiscal, administrative and colonial level. At the colonial level, a deep set of border and administration changes would change much of the landscape of old Ultramar into something more manageable, more autonomous but also represented, as the various "Spaniards from overseas" were given in representation in the new grand Cortes in Toledo, something unprecendented in the world.
With his reforms slowly marching towards completion and thankfully providing dividends, Leopoldine Spain would sponsor rebels against English rule in Portugal and would ally itself with France to fight the "Atlantic War". Spain and France would come out victorious, with Portugal being re-integrated in the Spanish realm. Leopold would unify the three realms into a single Empire, ruled by him, as has been claimed by the Kings of the Reconquista of old. Not all was left well in Spain as the war caused an economic crisis, but Leopold would spend much of the rest of his reign reforming the economy to tackle various old ills that had plagued the Spanish economy since the birth of it's Empire. He would further expand into Morocco, invading it and conquering the Rif for Spain. Spain and it's colonies would see a great population boom as the Columbian exchange came to a close and the agricultural revolution started, with the Spanish expanding and moving to populate areas such as Patagonia in La Plata and Texas and California in new Spain.
Leopold would die of lung cancer caused by smoking in 1788, leaving the newly forged Empire to his heir, his daughter Margarita.
[10]
Empress Margarita as portrayed by Marina Salas in the biopic "Emperatriz Margarita".
Margarita was the only child of Leopold, her mother had died in childbirth and Leopold refused to remarry. As such, she had been raised as heir to the throne for her whole life. As her father's legacy became more and more impressive, Margarita grew more determined to eclipse him one day. Ambitious, driven and goal-oriented, she had always been nicknamed by her father as "my little visionary". Sadly, he would never get to see her plans take shape, as he died shortly after her wedding. As a result of this, Margarita's first son was named after him. She would eventually have fifteen children, with thirteen surviving to adulthood.
As empress, she helped initiate financial and educational reforms, promoted commerce and the development of agriculture, and reorganized the army, all of which strengthened Austria’s resources. Continued conflict with England led to another war, but this time Spain won, with Margarita arranging two Anglo-Spanish marriages as additional recompense to the large sums of money that England paid. This also conveniently resolved the economic crisis in Spain, which boosted her popularity. The excellent performance of her military reinforced that imperial power was not yet decaying.
Aware that she would always have her accomplishments linked to whatever man was nearest to her (and ever since she became a widow, her sons began trying to take credit for her accomplishments, much to her ire), she boldly decided to rule with an all-female council, continuing her father's policy of representing "Spaniards from overseas". She continued to strive towards a modernized, effective state bureaucracy and implemented policies that helped to ease tensions between nobility and peasantry. She also showed support towards the arts and sciences, investing vast sums of money into higher education institutions. She also curtailed the monopoly of feudal overlords on local administration, igniting another struggle for power.
By the end of her reign, state revenue had almost tripled and she had successfully crushed the Anglo-Prussian alliance which had formed to oppose her reign by marrying her children into both countries, thus tying them to her empire. She died in her sleep, and would be succeeded by her son John.
A Portrait of King John IV.
John was the second oldest Child of Empress Margarita and Emperor Consort Oscar, who was the second son of King Christian VI and Queen Sophie Magdalene of Denmark. He was second in line to the Throne and therefore was not expected to be King. Unfortunately, his older brother Leopold Ferdinand died in an accidental shooting at the age of 27. Therefore John became heir apparent. He had somewhat of a disdain for women, whom he saw as mentally, physically, and morally inferior. Much to his mother's chagrin, he began to take credit for many of his mother's accomplishments.
He was married at the age of 20 to the daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor, Maria Theresa who was 3 years younger. It was not an happy marriage. His reactionary views of Women led John to physically abuse Maria, and rape her. Of course, marital rape was not fully understood at the time. Despite this very unhappy marriage, Maria managed to give John 3 Sons over the years; whom he sought to indoctrinate his views. All 3 would grow to adult hood.
Upon Empress Margarita's death, John Assumed the Throne, the first of the Spanish Oldenburg Dynasty. He began to impose a harsh reactionary rule on the Empire; he reversed his mother's and his ancestors's political reforms. He pushed forward new laws that made women property of their husbands, and the most controversial law of all, mandated forced killings of any first child who was a girl of a family. That broke the camel's back. Massive protests broke out in the Empire over the reactionary rule of John. But he was persistent using the Military to exact harsh control on the protesting citizenry. The other European Great powers; England, France, The Holy Roman Empire grew concerned over the state of affairs in Spain. His views on women even led to a condemnation by the Pope himself. In response, John would excommunicate himself from the Catholic Church causing Catholic Clergy to boycott the traditional monarchy religous ceremonies.
The Harsh rule also trickled down to the nobility; when John announced that the rights of Nobility would be stripped. They had it. In 1825, coordinating with England, France, and the Holy Roman Empire, the Spanish Nobles conducted a Coup against John IV. They forced John to resign. He and his 3 sons were to be exiled to Ireland. The Throne passed to one of John's siblings.
[12]
Afonso VII's coronation.
Afonso was John's younger brother, the two boys didn't get along in childhood and this relationship only worsened in adulthood as Afonso had undying loyalty towards his mother Margarita whereas John saw her only as a stepping stone to power. As he had three nephews, he didn't expect to become emperor and so he lived a quiet life in the mountains with his wife and three children. But when John and his sons were exiled to Ireland, suddenly he became emperor of Spain.
He was a soft-spoken and inoffensive man who was not cut out for power - he hated conflict and preferred playing with his pets over reading government documents. But he was a dutiful son who had adored his mother, and wanted to live up to her legacy. Thus, he reversed all of John's policies and basically continued with what Margarita had done. He was not as big a personality as his brother had been, but he was quietly well-liked, and he settled into a mostly ceremonial and representative role - he preferred it when his government gave him advice. As such, he spent most of his free time traveling across his empire and often donated large sums of his money.
Although nowhere near as illustrious or exalted as some of his predecessors, in his gentle way, he was a great king. And so, when he died, he had a lavish funeral that was organized by his heir, Isabel.
[13] As she had an older brother, Isabel was not expected to rule. But alas, Leopold was assassinated in 1833, presumably by those who had supported Emperor John. It was a devastating day for her entire family. Isabel would forever lament that the conspirators had robbed the empire of a golden ruler. Emperor Afonso wasted no time arranging domestic matches for his two daughters, marrying Isabel to the Duke of Abrantes and the young Margurite was wed to the Duke of Beja, both distant cousins with royal blood flowing through their veins.
Isabel and her husband, Fernando, got along swimmingly, although it was clear they saw each other more as siblings than they did spouses. Four years after their marriage, Emperor Afonso died, much to the devastation of his family and his people. The new Empress Isabel made sure to bury her father next to her brother and requested that when she died she would be buried on her father's other side.
Alas, Isabel's reign was cut tragically short when she went into premature labor, and died a few weeks later after complications with the birth. It is said her last words were calling out to her beloved father and brother, saying she would be with them shortly.
[14] Like her older sister, Margurite was not expected to rule. To be honest, despite her vivacious intelligent persona, she was quite happy at home with her parents. She adored her father whom she regarded as the greatest man in the world. The assasination of her older brother, the death of her father and then the early tragic death of her Sister who took over as Queen however meant that Marguite would unfortunatey have to assume the powers of the Monarchy.
In a emergency coronation ceremony, Margurite assumed the throne. The Spanish Empire was in a slow walking Crisis, and perhaps near collaspe. An economy that began to decline, a threat from the reactionary supporters of John IV and his Sons known as the " Juanites ", and the near extinction of Margurite's own family line ( as she is the only surviving member), threatened the future of the Empire. Having a far more ruthless personality, than her older sister, and father ( although she always said she was not like her feared Uncle), Margurite realized that the only way to resolve the crisis once and for all was to eliminate the Juanites.
Unfortunately, she and her Husband, the Duke of Beja, were not able to have children. Medical experts today say that the Duke of Beja was impotent, not because of any problem that Margurite might have had with her own fertility. The Birth of Children therefore was not in the equation in the plan to eliminate the Juanites. In a ironic turn of events, Margurite turned to the very same tactics that her Uncle used. She imposed a newspaper censorship of any ideas from the Juanite faction. She ordered a loyalty oath of any government worker.
Compounding the situation further, the Duke of Beja was assassinated 5 years into Margurite's reign. Upon investigation; the perpetuaters were supporters of the Juanite Movement. Margurite grew manic over her own security. Could she trust her own guards? That fear sadly enough became true. The following year in her own palace, she was killed by a sleeper agent, a Juanite supporter posing as a guard in her own home.
The extinction of the Alfonso Branch of the Spanish Oldenburgs, along with the threat from the Juanite Branch, set off a constitutional Crisis. Margurite did name a succcesor before her assassination, so at first the line of succession was thought to be secured. The Juanites however saw a chance to retake control and impose their rule. They challenged this successor claiming that as the most Senior Branch of the Oldenburg Dynasty, their claim to the Throne was more secure through Hereditary right and that Margurite had no authority to name a successor since she was a daughter of a Monarch who did not ascend the throne under what they call, the Traditional succession.
[15] Margarita II had selected her favorite niece, Joanna, as her successor. Upon the death of the empress, however, Joanna found herself challenged by the senior heir of the Juanite branch, the grandson of John IV. And so they married each other to consolidate their claims. Luckily, Joanna did not share the same fertility problems as her aunt, and she would end up having nine children with her husband who all provided her with grandchildren.
John V, as he was now styled, was content to allow his wife to rule and he mostly worked as her secretary, greatly amusing some of her council. In truth he was simply terrified of ending up like his grandfather who died raving about the injustice done to him. And besides, he was not particularly fond of all the paperwork. Joanna, on the other hand, was well-educated and cultured and incredibly domineering. She wanted everything done her way, and even if she didn't display any temper, those who displeased her soon found their lives much more unpleasant, as one unfortunate nobleman found out. John only really interfered when it came to the marriages of their children, and otherwise lived a quiet existence as a family man.
Luckily her competence made her easy to work with. She was a profound expert of the problems of the peninsular kingdoms; her sensible actions were decisive in the defense of the coasts of the peninsula. This allowed the flow of precious metals and turned Spain into one of the chief sources of the imperial treasury. ridding itself from previous expensive military policies. She even managed to claw back some power from her council due to her constant interference in political matters.
The couple went on many joint tours around their empire to consolidate their own authority. Although extravagantly expensive, both displayed ample charisma and all of the funding for their tours were always donated back. They notably went on official overseas tours to Britain and Australia, the first Spanish monarchs to do so.
Crowned together, the couple would end their reign together as they both died in a fire in one of their overseas lodgings. They would be succeeded by their son, Fernando.
[16] Fernando was the oldest of his parents' children, born nine months after their wedding. He had a sheltered childhood that he would sometimes chafe under. At seventeen, he begged to join the army, wanting a taste of the world outside his palace. At first, his parents refused, but Fernando persisted and eventually was allowed. He would take part in the Austrian-Prussian war of 1873 where he would make lifetime friends with the future Austrian Emperor Rudolf. He would request permission from his parents to marry Rudolf's sister, Archduchess Gisela.
Fernando would return to Spain in 1875 where he would request permission to set up his own little court in Portugal. Unlike his last request, this one was granted as his parents thought it was a good idea for him to get a taste of ruleship. He and Gisela would settle in Lisbon where they would have four children. He often acted as his parents regent when they were overseas.
In 1900, Joanna and John died in a fire much to Fernando's sorrow. He would give them an elaborate funeral. In terms of ruling, Fernando took after his father, rather than his mother, not wishing to make the same mistakes as his great-grandfather. Taking a cue from England, Fernando created a position of Prime Minster for his domains in the Americas, wanting to ensure they were not forgotten about when it came to the politics of the empire.
As Fernando was someone who excelled in physical activities and did not overindulge, he was in great health for a man of his age so it came as a shock to the empire when in 1919, he suffered a fatal stroke. To this day, there are conspiracy theories that he was poisoned, but there is no evidence of foul play. He was simply unlucky. His daughters would succeed him.
[17]
Sophia II & Maria II, the twin sisters who fought to the death.
This is a very unusual case in any monarchy: a king with twin daughters as his heirs. This wasn't initially the case, of course. Fernando VIII had had two sons before his daughters. Unfortunately one son died as a toddler and another died single and childless just after reaching his twentieth birthday- (thus predeceasing his father), leaving his two daughters as heiresses. As they were both married to foreign kings (Sophia was queen of Denmark while Maria was queen of Britain), both had a vested interest in securing the empire for themselves and their descendants. And thus, the sisters individually gathered up their foreign armies and styled themselves as Empress of Spain.
This fighting was nothing new: as children they had fought over the prettier dresses and shoes, as teenagers they fought over their dowries, and as adults they had fought over their married lives (Sophia was very fertile, producing a dozen children, while Maria only had one son - albeit that one son produced a dozen grandchildren of his own). And their husbands infamously despised each other. So war broke out over the empire, completely ruining any process that had previously been made by their predecessors. And a powerful third faction rose up, one which wanted neither woman as empress due to their foreign ties.
Ultimately both "Sophia II" and "Maria II" ended up dying on the battlefield after personally riding into battle. But this only meant that the next heir was much harder to find
King Felipe II
Miguel Prime De Rivera, the prime Minister knew he had a consitutional Crisis on his hands. What was the solution however ? At this rate; there would be thousands of potential claimants to the Spanish Throne. Spain itself has had it's political prestige; and economy destroyed by the War of the Two Sisters. Not to sound egotistic; but he remained insitutionally neutral during the war; since he was the only figure that both Queens could trust. And he kept the Government running during the War; including the many departments that dealt with education, pensions, that were created over the past 40 years.
At the root of the problems however; Rivera would come to realize, that it was the Spanish Oldenburgs. Their troubled rule over Spain, starting with John the Tyrant has produced instability for the country. He knew he had to act.
He along with the majority of the Cortes Generales looked deep in the family Tree of the Aviz Trastamaras/Urachs/Oldenburgs, trying to look for any living descedent. Anyone. Who would be willing to serve as a healing figure for the Country. Eventually; they found one. A Descedent of Sophia I.; A 50 year old Spanish/French Noble by the name of Felipe John Charles, Duke of Leutchenberg. Felipe's Branch of the Aviz Trastamaras, a small obscure branch moved to France in 1811, as a protest against John IV's hyper reactionary ways, eventually becoming Dukes of Leutchenberg, an honorary title given by the King of France as a sympathy gesture. The Heads of the Branch became Military Advisors to the French Monarchs.
Felipe married to a daughter of the King of France, was happily living in Paris. When the news first came to him however, he realized the gravity of the situation in his ancestral home country. and agreed to accept the throne. So on May 13, 1924, Felipe II became Emperor of Spain, and for the first time ever since 1760, was a Member of the House of Aviz Trastamara. A New Sense of Optimism arose. The Citzenry hoped that with this New Emperor; Spain could regain it's glory especially since the Emperor was a member of the greatest dynasty that was.
Felipe being influenced by Liberal thought; began to reform the Government to ensure the instability of the past century would never happen again. He shifted more powers towards the Prime Minister, ensuring a path to a Consitutional Monarchy. He loosened laws against freedom of the Press, and for the first time ever, allowed Freedom of Religion. The right to vote for all Men AND women was approved in 1929. He also was sympathetic to the growing Labor movement as well; advocating for pro labor laws such as a mininium wage, and legal Unions. Investments in Science and education as a whole was implemented. He also started the process of giving independence towards Spain's colonies.
Peace treaties were made with England, and Denmark.
To secure the throne; some of his children were married off into the Oldenburgs; thus consolidating the two now major branches of Spanish Royal blood. Felipe and his wife, Charlotte had 11 children in all. Felipe became known as the Uncle of Europe.
Felipe was known as an Austere Monarch. Hating the Pomp, and concerned about Cost, he ordered that the Spanish Court to be massively stripped down. He himself wearing a simple suit. His strict Catholic nature, meant that a new sense of morality was in the air. ( Some didn't like it though ).
By the time of his death in 1942, Felipe " The Healer " II was known as a Great Monarch. His funeral was to his wishes. Austere but filled with emotion. He fixed the Spanish Political System, revived the foreign reputation of Spain and restored the Spanish economy.
He would be succeeded by his heir :
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