Ferdinand VII of Spain

**Ferdinand VII** (Spanish: *Fernando VII*; 14 October 1784 – 29 September 1823) was King of Spain during the early 19th century. He reigned from 1808 to his death in 1823. Before 1820 he was known as *el Deseado* (the Desired), and after, as *el Rey Felón* (the Felon/Criminal King).

## Personal info

### Name

Fernando Francisco de Paula Domingo Vincente Ferrer Antonio José Joaquín Pascual Diego Juan Nepomuceno Januario Francisco Javier Rafael Miguel Gabriel Calisto Cayetano Fausto Luis Raimundo Gregorio Lorenzo Jerónimo de Borbón y Borbón-Parma

### Spouse

Maria Antonia of Naples and SicilyMaria Amalia of Bourbon-Sicily

### Issue

* Ferdinand VIII of Spain
* Louise of Spain (1812-1850)
* Marie of Spain (1813-1839)
* Infante Felipe of Spain (1814-1896
* Infante Francisco Fernando of Spain
* Infante Enrique Francisco of Spain
* Infante Antonio of Spain (1824-1890)

### Religion

Catholicism

Born in Madrid at El Escorial, Ferdinand VII was heir apparent to the Spanish throne in his youth. Following the 1808 Tumult of Aranjuez, he ascended the throne. Afterwards his father went into exile to Mexico and started the process of Independence of the Americas. A revolt in 1820 led by Rafael del Riego forced him to restore the constitution, starting a Liberal period. In 1823 he eventually died after trying to conspire to restore absolutist rule

Under his rule, Spain lost nearly all of its American possessions, and the country entered into a period of complicated political times upon his death. His political legacy has remained contested since his death; some historians regard him as incompetent, despotic, and short-sighted.

## Early life

Ferdinand was the eldest surviving son of Charles IV of Spain and Maria Luisa of Parma. Ferdinand was born in the palace of El Escorialnear Madrid. In his youth Ferdinand occupied the position of an heir apparent who was excluded from any participation in government by his parents and their favourite advisor and Prime Minister, Manuel Godoy. National discontent with the government produced a rebellion in 1805. In October 1807, Ferdinand was arrested for his complicity in the El Escorial Conspiracyin which the rebels aimed at securing foreign support from the French Emperor Napoleon. When the conspiracy was discovered, Ferdinand submitted to his parents.

## Reign

-main article: Reign of Ferdinand VII of Spain-

The Reign of **Ferdinand VII of Spain** occured from 1808 to his early death in 1823. Brought upon by a popular uprising in 1808, he became head of state in Spain after making his father Charles IV abdicate. This in turn would lead to a series of events that caused the independence of Spanish-America down the line. Ferdinand’s reign would be marked by an initial gleam of hope for Spanish liberalism, for it was believed the new monarch would prove to be more level-headed and manageable than his father Charles and the latter’s valido Manuel Godoy, and thus more open for reforms. However, these attempts would soon prove futile, as despite the efforts from many politicians, he proved to be as stubbornly clinging onto his absolute power as his father. He would be succeeded by his son and heir Ferdinand VIII.

## Personal life

Ferdinand VII married four times as his first three wives died. In 1802, he married his first cousin Princess Maria Antonia of Naples and Sicily (1784–1806), daughter of Ferdinand III of Sicily and Marie Caroline of Austria. Her two pregnancies in 1804 and 1805 ended in miscarriages.

Afterwards, he succeded to the Spanish throne and, eager to secure the loyalty once again of the Sicilian branch of the royal family (and secure Sicily as a Spanish ally as well as deter prince Leopoldo from accepting the Kingdom of the Río de la Plata, he married princess Maria Amalia of Bourbon-Sicily on 29th November 1809. They had seven children:

* Fernando (1810-1842), later king Ferdinand VIII of Spain
* Infanta Louise of Spain (1812-1850), who married king Carlos II of Portugal.
* Infanta María of Spain (1813-1839), who married
* Infante Felipe of Spain (1814-1896)
* Infante Francisco Fernando of Spain (1818-1900)
* Infante Enrique Francisco of Spain (1822-1897)
* Infante Antonio of Spain (1824-1890)