Infanta Isabel of Spain ( es, María Isabel Francisca de Asís Cristina Francisca de Paula Dominga; 20 December 1851 – 22 April 1931), was the eldest daughter of
Queen Isabella II
Isabella II ( es, Isabel II; 10 October 1830 – 9 April 1904), was Queen of Spain from 29 September 1833 until 30 September 1868.
Shortly before her birth, the King Ferdinand VII of Spain issued a Pragmatic Sanction to ensure the successi ...
and her husband
Francisco de Asís, Duke of Cádiz
Francisco de Asís, Duke of Cádiz (Francisco de Asís María Fernando de Borbón; 13 May 1822 – 17 April 1902), sometimes anglicised Francis of Assisi, was King consort of Spain as the husband of Queen Isabella II of Spain from their marriag ...
. She was recognized as the
heir presumptive to the
Spanish throne
, coatofarms = File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Spanish_Monarch.svg
, coatofarms_article = Coat of arms of the King of Spain
, image = Felipe_VI_in_2020_(cropped).jpg
, incumbent = Felipe VI
, incumbentsince = 19 Ju ...
twice: from 1851 to 1857 and from 1874 to 1880 and given the title
Princess of Asturias, which was reserved for the heir to the Spanish crown. She was married to
Prince Gaetan, Count of Girgenti (a son of King
Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies
Ferdinand II ( it, Ferdinando Carlo; scn, Ferdinannu Carlu; nap, Ferdinando Carlo; 12 January 1810 – 22 May 1859) was King of the Two Sicilies from 1830 until his death in 1859.
Family
Ferdinand was born in Palermo to King Francis I of the ...
), who committed suicide just three years after their marriage on 13 May 1868.
Infanta Isabel was a prominent figure at the royal court of Spain during the reign of her brother King
Alfonso XII of Spain
Alfonso XII (Alfonso Francisco de Asís Fernando Pío Juan María de la Concepción Gregorio Pelayo; 28 November 185725 November 1885), also known as El Pacificador or the Peacemaker, was King of Spain from 29 December 1874 to his death in 1885 ...
and during the minority of her nephew King
Alfonso XIII
Alfonso XIII (17 May 1886 – 28 February 1941), also known as El Africano or the African, was King of Spain from 17 May 1886 to 14 April 1931, when the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed. He was a monarch from birth as his father, Alfo ...
. She was the most popular member of the Spanish royal family for most of her life. After the fall of the monarchy of Alfonso XIII, she refused the offer of officials of the
Second Spanish Republic to continue to reside in Spain. She died in a matter of days after taking up a new life in exile in France.
Childhood
Born at the
Royal Palace of Madrid on 20 December 1851, she was the eldest surviving daughter of
Queen Isabella II
Isabella II ( es, Isabel II; 10 October 1830 – 9 April 1904), was Queen of Spain from 29 September 1833 until 30 September 1868.
Shortly before her birth, the King Ferdinand VII of Spain issued a Pragmatic Sanction to ensure the successi ...
and
King Francisco de Asís. Her birth was eagerly awaited since her mother had previously given birth to a son who had died within hours. In the tumultuous age of
Carlist
Carlism ( eu, Karlismo; ca, Carlisme; ; ) is a Traditionalist and Legitimist political movement in Spain aimed at establishing an alternative branch of the Bourbon dynasty – one descended from Don Carlos, Count of Molina (1788–1855) – o ...
uprisings and sporadic civil war, Isabel was immediately recognized as the
heir presumptive to her mother's throne and as such was made
Princess of Asturias.
[Rubio, ''La Chata'', p. 43]
The child was baptized the day after her birth with the names María Isabel Francisca de Asís.
The marriage of her parents was unhappy. At age sixteen, Queen Isabella II had been married against her will to Francisco de Asis, Duke of Cádiz, who was twice her first cousin. The queen, who never overcame the antipathy towards her effeminate husband, found an outlet for her passionate nature taking lovers. Historians and biographers attribute Infanta Isabel's paternity to
José Ruiz de Arana y Saavedra (1826–1891), a young Spanish aristocratic and military officer. Ruiz de Arana was known to the queen from palace's inner circles; his father, the Count of Sevilla La Nueva, was usher to ambassadors.
[Rubio, ''La Chata'', p. 29 - 33] The relationship between Queen Isabella and Ruiz de Arana lasted from 1851 to 1856. It was with some reluctance that King Francisco de Asís recognized Isabel as his daughter as he would do subsequently with all the children Queen Isabella II bore during their troubled marriage.
[Rubio, ''La Chata'', p. 46]
On 2 February 1852 Isabella II was making a traditional visit to the Royal Basilica of Our Lady of Atocha, introducing her daughter to the public, when she was stabbed by a mad priest.
[Rubio, ''La Chata'', p. 48 - 52] The Queen was saved by the thickness of her corset; the injury was not life-threatening.
As she grew up, Isabel began to appear in public in the company of her parents. She became popularly known by the affectionate nickname ''La Chata'' – a reference to her snub or "button" nose. She spent her early years as an only child. There was a six-year gap between Isabel and her next surviving sibling, the future
King Alfonso XII
Alfonso XII (Alfonso Francisco de Asís Fernando Pío Juan María de la Concepción Gregorio Pelayo; 28 November 185725 November 1885), also known as El Pacificador or the Peacemaker, was King of Spain from 29 December 1874 to his death in 1885 ...
. Three more sisters who survived past early childhood later completed the family. Isabel lost her title as Princess of Asturias upon her brother's birth on 28 November 1857 and took the title and rank of
infanta instead.
Infanta Isabel was raised separately from the rest of her siblings. The relationship between King Francisco de Asís and his children was cold and formal. Queen Isabella II was preoccupied with her turbulent reign and her private life alternated between periods of great affection towards her children and the distant approach to childhood that was the custom of the time.
She received a much better education than her mother and was the only one among her siblings raised during her mother's reign. Emphasis was put on languages, and the young Infanta was very interested in music and horsemanship, hobbies she enjoyed throughout her life.
Marriage
With only a brother of delicate health ahead of her in the line of succession to the throne, there was great interest in arranging an early marriage for Infanta Isabella that would provide descendants.
Leopoldo O'Donnell, Duke of Tetuan
Leopoldo O'Donnell y Jorris, 1st Duke of Tetuán, GE (12 January 1809 – 5 November 1867), was a Spanish general and Grandee who was Prime Minister of Spain on several occasions.
Early life
He was born at Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canar ...
, Isabella II's prime minister, conceived the idea to marry her to
Prince Amadeo of Savoy whose sister
Maria Pia had recently married
Luis I of Portugal
Luis is a given name. It is the Spanish form of the originally Germanic name or . Other Iberian Romance languages have comparable forms: (with an accent mark on the i) in Portuguese and Galician, in Aragonese and Catalan, while is archaic ...
.
[Rubio, ''La Chata'', p. 134] Queen Isabella disliked the proposal, but agreed to an interview between her fourteen-year-old daughter and the twenty-year-old Savoy prince. In September 1865, Amadeo met Infanta Isabel in
Zarauz
Zarautz (, es, Zarauz) is a coastal town located in central Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, in Spain. It is bordered by Aia to the east and the south and Getaria to the west, located about west of San Sebastián. It has four enclaves limiting the afo ...
, where the Spanish family was on vacation.
[Rubio, ''La Chata'', p. 136] The project failed.
For political reasons, Isabella II had to recognize the
unification of Italy
The unification of Italy ( it, Unità d'Italia ), also known as the ''Risorgimento'' (, ; ), was the 19th-century political and social movement that resulted in the consolidation of different states of the Italian Peninsula into a single ...
under the Savoy crown, and in order to compensate her cousins from the Bourbon dynasty of the
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ( it, Regno delle Due Sicilie) was a kingdom in Southern Italy from 1816 to 1860. The kingdom was the largest sovereign state by population and size in Italy before Italian unification, comprising Sicily and all ...
, who were upset at this recognition, the ultra-conservative party at the Spanish court, headed by King Francisco de Asís, convinced the queen to arrange the marriage of their eldest daughter with one of the half-siblings of the recently deposed King
Francis II of the Two Sicilies,
Prince Gaetan, Count of Girgenti (1846–1871), son of
King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies and
Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria.
[Rubio, ''La Chata'', p. 147] Prince Gaetan had recently lost his mother and one of his younger brothers, and his family was in financial straits. Gaetan was a first cousin of both Isabel's mother and father.
In April 1868, Prince Gaetan arrived in Spain, and the wedding was quickly arranged to take place a few weeks later.
[Rubio, ''La Chata'', p. 148] Neither Infanta Isabel nor Gaetan were enthusiastic about the project.
Gaetan was tall and good-hearted, but penniless and plagued by ill health. He was known for his lack of intellect. Infanta Isabel was short, blond, with clear blue eyes and a small up-turned nose. She was dutiful, conservative and headstrong.
Countess of Girgenti
Isabel's marriage took place amidst great pomp on 13 May 1868. Upon his marriage, Isabella II bestowed on Gaetan the title of
infante. After the wedding, the young couple embarked a long honeymoon that took them first to visit her new family-in-law residing at the
Palazzo Farnese in
Rome. Two months later, the young couple went to the Austrian court, where Gaetano's maternal relatives lived.
[Rubio, ''La Chata'', p. 158] On their way back to Spain, while visiting
Emperor Napoleon III and
Empress Eugénie
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother (empr ...
at
Fontainebleau, they received the news of the
Glorious Revolution that cost Isabella II her throne.
[Rubio, ''La Chata'', p. 162] Gaetan rushed to enter Spain and fought in defense of the monarchy in the
Battle of Alcolea, a defeat that marked the end of the reign of Isabella II, who crossed the border into
France with the royal family.
[Rubio, ''La Chata'', p. 163-164] In exile, the deposed queen settled in
Paris, where Infanta Isabel was waiting for her mother. Initially, Infanta Isabel and Gaetan also lived in Paris in a house that belonged to Gaetan's uncle
Prince Louis, Count of Aquila
, title = Count of Aquila
, image = Prince Luigi of of the Two Sicilies, Count of d'Aquila.jpg
, caption =
, spouse =
, issue = Prince Luigi, Count of RoccaguglielmaPrincess Maria IsabellaPrince FilippoPrince ...
.
[Rubio, ''La Chata'', p. 167]
Gaetan was plagued by ill health and depression. For two years, the couple embarked on a series of trips through Europe, visiting
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous c ...
,
Germany and
England, searching in vain for a solution to Gaetan's health. In the summer of 1870, the Counts of Girgenti settled in
Lucerne,
Switzerland, in hopes of living in peace and anonymity.
[Rubio, ''La Chata'', p. 170] With the help of his two
aides-de-camps, Gaetan managed to conceal from his wife for as long as he could the true nature of his illness: he was an epileptic.
One day he had a seizure in front of his wife, who had no prior warnings about the true nature of his illness.
In the early summer of 1871, Isabel and her husband stayed in
Geneva to join the rest of the Spanish royal family, which had escaped disturbances in Paris.
[Rubio, ''La Chata'', p. 171] In August 1871, the Counts of Gigenti returned to Lucerne. Early in a pregnancy, Infanta Isabel suffered a miscarriage in September 1871.
[Rubio, ''La Chata'', p. 172] The loss of his child, the loss of the Spanish crown, and his declining health contributed to Gaetan sinking into a deep depression and he attempted suicide by jumping from a window.
[Rubio, ''La Chata'', p. 173] After that, he was never allowed to be alone, and between Isabel and Gaetan's adjutants, Gaetan was constantly supervised. However, on 26 November 1871, while they were staying in a hotel in Lucerne, Gaetan managed to lock himself in a room and shoot himself in the head. He was found still alive, but died shortly thereafter.
[Rubio, ''La Chata'', p. 175]
A young widow barely twenty years old, Infanta Isabel, who had become greatly attached to her husband, mourned his tragic death.
[Rubio, ''La Chata'', p. 176] She moved to the
Palacio Castilla
The Peninsula Paris is an historic luxury hotel, originally known as the Hotel Majestic, located on Avenue Kléber in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, France. It opened in 1908 as the Hotel Majestic and was converted to government offices in 193 ...
in Paris with her mother, the ex-Queen Isabella.
[Rubio, ''La Chata'', p. 178] Over the next three years, the infanta led a quiet family life over-seeing the education of her three younger sisters; visiting her father, the ex-King consort Don Francisco de Asís, who lived estranged from his wife in
Épinay; and, above all, concerned about the future of her brother Alfonso, who was finishing his education in Vienna.
[Rubio, ''La Chata'', p. 180-181] In 1872 and 1873, Infanta Isabel traveled frequently to Munich to be with her aunt, the
Infanta Amalia of Spain
Infanta Amalia of Spain ( es, Amalia de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias; 12 October 1834 – 27 August 1905) was the youngest daughter of Infante Francisco de Paula of Spain. Her eldest brother, Francisco de Asís married Queen Isabella II of Spa ...
, and to Vienna to stay close to her brother as a guest of
Archduchess Marie Karoline, to whom she had become very close during her marriage to Gaetan (the archduchess's nephew).
[Rubio, ''La Chata'', p. 185] Behind the scenes, Infanta Isabel worked to promote the restoration of the Spanish monarchy in the person of her brother in an agreement with the Spanish politician
Antonio Cánovas del Castillo
Antonio Cánovas del Castillo (8 February 18288 August 1897) was a Spanish politician and historian known principally for serving six terms as Prime Minister and his overarching role as "architect" of the regime that ensued with the 1874 restor ...
, who worked from Madrid on behalf of Alfonso.
[Rubio, ''La Chata'', p. 184]
Later life
On 29 December 1874 Infanta Isabel's brother
Alfonso XII
Alfonso XII (Alfonso Francisco de Asís Fernando Pío Juan María de la Concepción Gregorio Pelayo; 28 November 185725 November 1885), also known as El Pacificador or the Peacemaker, was King of Spain from 29 December 1874 to his death in 1885 ...
was called to the Spanish throne after a ''
pronunciamiento'' by Martinez Campos established him as king, ending the
First Spanish Republic
The Spanish Republic ( es, República Española), historiographically referred to as the First Spanish Republic, was the political regime that existed in Spain from 11 February 1873 to 29 December 1874.
The Republic's founding ensued after th ...
. The Spanish royal family was then reunited in Paris to celebrate New Year's Eve.
[Rubio, ''La Chata'', p. 187] On 14 January 1875 Alphonso XII arrived in Spain. The following month, Infanta Isabel was called by the government to come back to Spain as the first lady at court and heiress presumptive to the throne.
[Rubio, ''La Chata'', p. 191] On 5 March Infanta Isabel embarked in
Marseille to make her entrance in Madrid two days later.
[Rubio, ''La Chata'', p. 194]
On March 24, 1875, Isabel was once again proclaimed Princess of Asturias as heiress to the Spanish crown.
[Rubio, ''La Chata'', p. 199] The young princess and her brother enjoyed considerable popularity during this period, and several projects were presented to her to remarry.
Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria
Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria ( it, Luigi Salvatore Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Battista Dominico Raineri Ferdinando Carlo Zenobio Antonino, german: Ludwig Salvator Maria Joseph Johann Baptist Dominicus Rainerius Ferdinand Carl Zenobius Antonin) ...
, who was already living in Spain, was the government's first choice, but once his eccentric behavior became known this idea was abandoned. Another candidate was
Prince Arnulf of Bavaria
Prince Arnulf of Bavaria (german: Franz Joseph Arnulf Adalbert Maria Prinz von Bayern; 6 July 1852 – 12 November 1907) was a member of the Bavarian Royal House of Wittelsbach and a General of Infantry.
Early life
Arnulf was born in Munich, B ...
, but Isabel did not wish to remarry, and her brother—to whom she was very attached—ultimately respected her wishes.
During the first years of her brother's reign, Isabel worked constantly to promote the cause of the monarchy and was a great asset to her brother. After their mother Queen Isabel returned to live permanently in France, Isabel's three youngest sisters were placed under her care, and she provided a good education for them. The two eldest sisters, Infantas
Pilar and
Paz, were pliable and did not give her trouble, but Isabel clashed with the youngest sister, the spirited
Infanta Eulalia.
Isabel also served as a guide to her young cousin Princess
Mercedes of Orléans
María de las Mercedes of Orléans (24 June 1860 – 26 June 1878) was Queen of Spain as the first wife of King Alfonso XII. She was born in Madrid, the daughter of Antoine of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier, and Infanta Luisa Fernanda of Spai ...
, who married her brother in 1878 and replaced her as the first lady of the kingdom as the new queen. The marriage of her brother allowed her more time for her hobbies and travelling. Following Queen Mercedes' early death in the same year as her marriage, Isabel chose Archduchess
Maria Christina of Austria as her new sister-in-law and promoted her as a wife to her brother. She was a niece of Isabel's good friend
Archduchess Maria Karoline of Austria, who had been a second mother to Gaetan and his siblings.
The early death of her brother in 1885 was a terrible blow to Isabel, who had treasured their relationship. She was an influential figure throughout the regency of Queen Maria Christina and gave her widowed sister-in-law support; she became a second mother to the children of her late brother.
Last years
Isabel was reportedly very popular and respected in Spain. In 1885, a cruiser of the Spanish Navy,
''the Infanta Isabel'', was named after her. One of her most significant public activities was her 1910 trip to
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South Am ...
,
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
, as a representative of the
Spanish Crown on the occasion of the centennial celebration of the
May Revolution that was considered the starting point of the
Argentine War of Independence
The Argentine War of Independence ( es, Guerra de Independencia de Argentina, links=no) was a secessionist civil war fought from 1810 to 1818 by Argentine patriotic forces under Manuel Belgrano, Juan José Castelli and José de San Martín a ...
. A street in Buenos Aires, the Paseo de la Infanta Isabel, was named after her. There is also a similarly named street in
Madrid.
Isabel died on 22 April 1931, at the age of 79, in exile in France. Her death occurred five days after her nephew,
King Alfonso XIII
Alfonso XIII (17 May 1886 – 28 February 1941), also known as El Africano or the African, was King of Spain from 17 May 1886 to 14 April 1931, when the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed. He was a monarch from birth as his father, Alfo ...
, had lost the Spanish throne and the entire Spanish royal family had gone into exile. Following the
republican victory in Spain, Isabel was informed by the republican authorities that there was no need for her to go into exile—a testament to her popularity—but she voluntarily chose to exile herself with the rest of her family. She left most of her jewels to her nephew, and her famous Mellerio Shell
Tiara
A tiara (from la, tiara, from grc, τιάρα) is a jeweled head ornament. Its origins date back to ancient Greece and Rome. In the late 18th century, the tiara came into fashion in Europe as a prestigious piece of jewelry to be worn by women ...
subsequently descended to the current Spanish royal family and is frequently worn by
Queen Sofía. In 1991,
King Juan Carlos
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the t ...
ordered the transfer of her remains to Spain from France; her remains were then entombed in the chapel of the
Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso near
Segovia, and a salon in the palace was subsequently renamed in her honor.
There is a monumental sculpture of Isabel at
Parque del Oeste, a public park in
Madrid. Moreover, in the palace park grounds of the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso, there is another full-size marble sculpture of Isabel with a bouquet of roses.
Honours
;National
*
Spanish Royal Family: 886th Honorary Knight of the
Order of the Golden Fleece
The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece ( es, Insigne Orden del Toisón de Oro, german: Orden vom Goldenen Vlies) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in 1430, to celebrate his marriage ...
*
Spanish Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross of the
Order of Charles III
*
Spanish Royal Family: 473rd Dame of the
Order of Queen Maria Luisa
The Royal Order of Noble Ladies of Queen Maria Luisa is an Order created by King Charles IV of Spain by royal decree on April 21, 1792, at the request of his wife, Queen Maria Luisa, to reward noble women who distinguished themselves for their ...
;Foreign
*
Austrian-Hungarian Imperial and Royal family: Dame of the
Order of the Starry Cross
The Order of the Starry Cross (or Order of the Star Cross/Star Cross Order; German: ''Sternkreuz-Orden'') is an imperial Austrian dynastic order for Catholic noble ladies, founded in 1668. The order still exists under the House of Habsburg-Lorrain ...
*
Portuguese Royal Family
The Most Serene House of Braganza ( pt, Sereníssima Casa de Bragança), also known as the Brigantine Dynasty (''Dinastia Brigantina''), is a dynasty of emperors, kings, princes, and dukes of Portuguese origin which reigned in Europe and the ...
: Dame of the
Order of Saint Isabel
Arms
File:Coat of Arms of Infanta Isabella of Spain, Countess of Girgenti.svg, Coat of arms as Infanta and Countess of Girgenti
File:Coat of arms of Isabella of Spain (1851–1931) as Princess of Asturias.svg, Isabella 's arms as Princess of Asturias
File:Coat of arms of Isabella of Spain (1851–1931) as Infanta and widow.svg, Coat of arms as an Infanta of Spain
File:Posthumous Coat of arms of Isabella, Infanta of Spain (1851–1931).svg, Isabella's lesser coat of arms (Posthumous)[Coat of arms shown at her grave in the Royal Vault, adopted during King Juan Carlos's reign.]
Ancestry
Notes
References
*Mateos Sainz de Medrano, Ricardo. ''Los Desconocidos Infantes de España''. Thassalia, 1996.
*Rubio, María José. ''La Chata: La Infanta Isabel de Borbón y la Corona de España''. Madrid, La Esfera de los Libros, 2003.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Isabella Of Asturias, Princess
House of Bourbon (Spain)
Spanish infantas
Princesses of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
1851 births
1931 deaths
Princesses of Asturias
Knights of the Golden Fleece of Spain
Collars of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
Dames of the Order of Saint Isabel
Royal reburials
Daughters of monarchs