List of Spanish monarchs

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This is a list of Spanish monarchs—that is, rulers of the country of Spain in the modern sense of the word. The forerunners of the Spanish throne, as well as of the Portuguese throne, were the following:

These lineages were eventually united by the marriage of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. Although their kingdoms continued to be separate, with their personal union they ruled them together as one dominion. Ferdinand also conquered the southern part of Navarre and annexed it to what was to become Spain. Isabella left her kingdom to her daughter Joanna of Castile. Ferdinand served as her regent during her insanity; though rebuffed by the Castilian nobility and replaced with Joanna's husband Philip the Handsome, he resumed his regency after Philip's death. In 1516 Joanna's son, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, succeeded his grandfather Ferdinand as King of Aragon and also as regent (with the title of a King of Castille) for his mother, thereby uniting the thrones permanently.

1 Kings, Queens of Spain
2 See also

[edit] Kings, Queens of Spain

Officially, the monarchy of "Spain" came into the Bourbon monarch's titulary as late as in 1837, when the regency of Isabella II of Spain adopted it to the place of the old, lengthy titulary (that had started "...of Castile, Leon, Aragon," and so on). Even then, it was in plural : Reina de las Españas - Queen of the Spains. Only in 1874 was the name Spain changed into singular in the Bourbon monarchical titulary. However, colloquial use of the name Spain (Hispania) as the name of the kingdom had already taken place around three centuries earlier. Where brevity was necessary, the state used it: beginning with Philip II Spanish coinage had regularly used the short rex Hispaniarum to exclusion of other, longer titles. Thus, the "birth of Spain" cannot be definitively dated. There are four alternative moments (and three different persons) where the Kingship of Spain is variously considered to have begun:

in 1479, when Ferdinand, already King Consort of Castile as husband of Isabel I of Castile, inherited the Kingdom of Aragon at his father John II of Aragon's death. However, after this, the kingdoms shortly became separate, as Joanna of Castile and her husband Philip the Handsome inherited Castile in 1504, but Aragon remained Ferdinand's; he even married again and had he produced a son, that son would have taken precedence in Aragon and kept that country separate in the future.

in 1516, when the future Emperor Charles V became the King of Aragon (after his grandfather Ferdinand) and guardian as well as co-king of Castile, in conjunction with his mother Joanna who was incapable to rule. However, the old Hispania was not united, as Portugal remained independent. And in Castile, Charles was not the sole monarch, only in Aragon. It has been reported that in a coinage of two silver reals, minted in Mexico, the son and mother were "Carolus et Johana, reges Hispaniarum et Indiarum".

in 1555 at the death of Joana, when Charles (already the sole King of Aragon) became also sole king of Castile, being elevated to full kingship in Castile after some four decades of "co-kingship". However, the old Hispania was not united, as Portugal was independent.

in 1580, when, after the Portuguese dynastic crisis, at the moment of personal union between Portugal and all other Iberian monarchies, it is said the old Hispania, became a united realm. Charles's son Philip II of Spain who already was King of Castile and Aragon (directly from his father) also became King of Portugal, and no longer there was any other monarchy in the Iberian Peninsula. Later, in 1640, Portugal rebelled and separated from this union under the House of Braganza (recognized by Spain only in 1668), and thenceforth the name of Spain does not refer to the whole of the Iberian peninsula (ancient Hispania), but only to this one of its two constituent countries.

[edit] House of Habsburg / House of Austria

The House of Habsburg (or "of Austria", as it was known to contemporaries) descended from Charles I of Spain (who was also the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V). He left behind a Spanish monarchy that also, for some time, retained control of the Netherlands; however, the title of Holy Roman Emperor did not pass to these Spanish monarchs.

Charles I of Spain: 23 January 1516 – 16 January 1556
Philip II: 16 January 1556 – 13 September 1598, 1580 Portugal was joined to the union

(Philip II was also King of Chile from 1554 to 1556)

Philip III: 13 September 1598 – 31 March 1621
Philip IV: 31 March 1621 – 17 September 1665, in 1640 Portugal became independent once more
Charles II: 17 September 1665 – 1 November 1700<ref>There was a brief interregnum following Charles II's death, during which the decision of the Duc d'Anjou as to whether he would accept the Spanish throne was awaited.
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[edit] House of Bourbon

The Spanish kings of the House of Bourbon were descended in male line from the French royal family.

Philip V: 16 November 1700 – 14 January 1724
Louis I: 14 January – 31 August 1724<ref>There was a short interregnum following the death of King Louis before his father resumed the throne.
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Philip V (restored): 6 September 1724 – 9 July 1746
Ferdinand VI: 9 July 1746 – 10 August 1759
Charles III: 10 August 1759 – 14 December 1788
Charles IV: 14 December 1788 – 19 March 1808
Ferdinand VII: 19 March – 6 May 1808<ref>Throughout much of Spain, Ferdinand's abdication was not recognized to be valid, having been given under duress. The Supreme Governing Junta established in Cadiz on 25 September 1808, which was recognized as the legitimate government of Spain by Britain, Portugal, and other governments, as well as by Spain's overseas colonies, continued to recognize Ferdinand as King.
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Charles IV (restored): 6 May 1808<ref>Following Charles IV's second abdication, there was a month long interregnum, during which Marshal Joachim Murat ruled Spain as Lieutenant-General and Governor of the Realm.
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[edit] House of Bonaparte

See also Bonaparte.

Joseph I Napoleon (king of the Spains and the Indias, by divine grace): 6 June 1808 – 11 December 1813<ref>This was Napoleon's brother Joseph. He was not universally recognized as King, and following the Bourbon restoration, his acts were largely considered to have been invalid.
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[edit] House of Bourbon (first restoration)

See also House of Bourbon.

Ferdinand VII (again: king of Castile, Leon, Aragon,... by divine grace): 11 December 1813 – 29 September 1833
Isabella II: 29 September 1833 – 30 September 1868<ref>Following Isabel's abdication, there was a more than two year interregnum, during which time the government sought a new monarch from abroad.
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[edit] House of Savoy

See also House of Savoy.

Amadeo I (king of Spain, by divine grace and will of nation): 2 January 1871 – 11 February 1873

[edit] Interregnum: First Republic

First Spanish Republic: 1873 – 1874

[edit] House of Bourbon (second restoration)

See also House of Bourbon.

Alfonso XII (constitutional king of Spain): 29 December 1874 – 25 November 1885<ref>Following Alfonso XII's death, there was a regency. as the crown was in abeyance awaiting the finalization of who would be the heir, until the birth of his posthumous son Alfonso XIII. Were the child a daughter, the next monarch would have been Alfonso XII's eldest daughter, who at that time was known as Infanta Dona Maria Mercedes, Princess of Asturias. The mother of the children, Maria Cristina, was Regent.
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Alfonso XIII: 17 May 1886 – 14 April 1931

[edit] Interregnum: Second Republic and Franco era

Second Spanish Republic: 1931 – 1939
Generalissimo Francisco Franco: In parts of the country from 1 October 1936 and in its entirely from 1 April 1939 until his death on 20 November 1975<ref>In 1947, Franco proclaimed the restoration of the monarchy, but did not allow the pretender, the Count of Barcelona, to take the throne. In 1969, Franco declared that Juan Carlos, the Count of Barcelona's son, would be his successor. The Count would renounce his claims in favor of his son in 1977, two years after Franco's death and Juan Carlos's accession. </ref>