Francisco Serrano , 1st Duke of la Torre Don Francisco Serrano Domínguez Cuenca y Pérez de Vargas , 1st Duke of la Torre Grandee of Spain , Count of San Antonio ( es : " Francisco Serrano y Domínguez , primer duque de la Torre , conde de San Antonio " ; 17 December 1810 – 25 November 1885 ) was a Spanish marshal and statesman . He was Prime Minister of Spain and regent in 1868 - 1869 . Early life and education . Serrano was born on Isla de León , in the province of Cádiz . His father Francisco Serrano y Cuenca , Bueno Soto y Lara , born in Lopera , parish of Purísima Concepción , was a general officer and a Liberal . His mother was Isabel Domínguez y Guevara - Vasconcellos , Pérez de Vargas y Alburquerque , born in Marbella ca . 1780 . Serrano began his studies at Vergara in the Basque provinces . Military career . Following his father into the military , he became a cadet in 1822 , cornet in 1833 in the lancers of Sagunto , and passed into the carabiniers in 1829 . When the Carlist agitation began in 1833 , he transferred into the cuirassiers . He formed part of the escort that accompanied Don Carlos , the first pretender and brother of Ferdinand VII , to the frontier of Portugal . As " aide - de - camp " of Espoz y Mina , then under the orders of generals Córdoba and Espartero , in the armies of Queen Isabella , Serrano took such an active part in the Carlist War from 1834 to 1839 , that he rose from the rank of captain to that of brigadier - general . He was awarded the Cross of San Fernando and many medals . He was also granted the 155th Grand Cross of the Order of the Tower and Sword . In 1839 , he was elected as a member of Cortes for the first time for Málaga . In 1840 he was promoted to the rank of general of division and commander of the district of Valencia , which he relinquished to take his seat in congress . Political career . From that day Serrano became one of the chief military politicians of Spain . In 1841 , he helped Espartero to overthrow the regency of Queen Christina . In 1843 , at Barcelona he made a " pronunciamiento " against Espartero . He was appointed as the minister of war in the López cabinet , which convoked the Cortes that declared Queen Isabella of age at fifteen . He served in the same capacity in an Olozaga cabinet , sulked as long as the Moderados were in office . In 1845 , he was appointed as a senator , and in 1848 as captain - general of Granada . From 1846 to 1853 , he was away from politics , living on his Andalusian estates or traveling abroad . Marriage and family . On 29 September 1850 in Madrid , Serrano married his first cousin Antonia Domínguez y Borrell , Guevara y Lemus , 2nd Countess of San Antonio ( Havana , baptized on 19 March 1831 - ? ) , daughter of his maternal uncle Miguel Domínguez y Guevara - Vasconcellos , Pérez de Vargas y Alburquerque ( Marbella , ca . 1790 - 9 January 1858 ) , 1st Count of San Antonio , and wife María Isabel Borrell y Lemus , Padron y de la Cruz - Jimenez ( Trinidad - ? ) . They had five children together . Captain - general of Cuba . Serrano assisted Marshal Leopoldo O ' Donnell in the military movements of 1854 and 1856 , and was his staunch follower for twelve years . O ' Donnell appointed him as marshal in 1856 and captain - general of Cuba from 1859 to 1862 . Serrano governed that island with success , and helped carry out the war in Santo Domingo . He was the first viceroy to advocate political and financial reforms in the colony . On his return to Spain , O ' Donnell made him Duke de la Torre , Grandee of Spain of the first class , and the 139th Minister of Foreign Affairs , serving from 18 January to 2 March 1863 . Serrano risked his life in helping O ' Donnell quell the insurrection of 22 June 1866 at Madrid . He was awarded with the Order of the Golden Fleece . After the death of O ' Donnell , Serrano became the leader of the Union Liberal Party . As president of the senate , he assisted Ríos Rosas to draw up a petition to Queen Isabella against her Moderado ministers , for which both were exiled . Serrano began to conspire with Antoine , Duke of Montpensier , Prim and Sagasta . On 7 July 1868 , González Bravo had Serrano and other generals arrested and taken to the Canary Islands . There Serrano remained until Admiral Topete sent a steamer to bring him to Cadiz on 18 September that same year . On landing he signed the manifesto of the revolution with Prim , Topete , Sagasta , Martos and others , and accepted the command of the revolutionary army . He routed the troops of Queen Isabella under the orders of the Marquess of Novaliches at the bridge of Alcolea . The queen fled to France , and Serrano , having entered Madrid , formed a Provisional Government . In February 1869 , he convoked the Cortes Constituyentes ; he was appointed successively as president of the executive , the 57th Prime Minister of Spain , and Regent from 3 October 1868 to 18 June 1869 . Serrano ruled impartially , respecting the independence of the Cortes and cabinets . He acceded to their selection of Amadeus I of Savoy as king , although he would have preferred Montpensier . As soon as Amadeus reached Madrid , after the death of Prim , Serrano consented to form a coalition cabinet , which lasted only a few months . Serrano resigned and took the command of the Italian king ' s army against the Carlist s in North Spain . He tried to form one more cabinet under King Amadeus as the 65th Prime Minister of Spain on 6 June 1872 , but resigned on 12 June when that monarch declined to give his ministers dictatorial powers and sent for Ruíz Zorilla . His mistakes led to Amadeus abdicating the throne on 11 February 1873 . Serrano opposed the federal republic , and conspired with other generals and politicians to overthrow it on 23 April 1873 . Having failed , he went into exile in France . On the eve of his " coup d ' etat " of 3 January 1874 , General Pavia sent for him to take the leadership . Serrano again took the title of president of the executive ; he tried to form a coalition cabinet , but Cristino Martos and Sagasta soon quarrelled . His next cabinet was presided over by Sagasta . The military and political unrest continued , and at the end of December 1874 , the Bourbons were restored by another " pronunciamienio . " During the eleven months he remained in office , Serrano devoted his attention chiefly to the reorganization of finance , the renewal of relations with American and European powers , and the suppression of revolt . After Alfonso XII ascended the throne in 1875 , Serrano spent some time in France . He returned to Madrid in 1876 , attended palace receptions , took his seat as a marshal in the senate , and flirted politically with Sagasta and his party in 1881 . He finally gave his support to the formation of a dynastic Left with a democratic program defended by his nephew , General López Domínguez . He died in Madrid on 25 November / 26 November 1885 , twenty - four hours after Alfonso XII . There were rumors that Alfonso was his own son . He was the son of Isabella II , and purportedly , her husband Francis . Alfonso ' s true biological paternity is uncertain , though his legal paternity is not : his mother was married to her cousin Francis at the time of Alfonso ' s conception and birth . ( Francis was said to be homosexual . ) Some historians have suggested that Alfonso ' s biological father may have been either Enrique Puigmoltó y Mayans , Captain of the Royal Guard , or General Francisco Serrano .