King Juan Carlos I of Spain was born in Rome, Italy on January 5, 1938. He was the son of Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona and Princess María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. His grandfather, King Alfonso XIII had been forced into exile in 1931 due to a military uprising in Spain, leaving the Spanish throne vacant.

He spent his childhood growing up between Italy and Portugal before eventually being sent to study at the Estado Navas Military Academy in 1954. After completing his studies he joined the army as a lieutenant colonel and began traveling around Spain. In 1962 he married Sofia of Greece and from that union two more children were born; Elena (1963) and Cristina (1965).

In 1969, Juan Carlos was chosen by the Spanish government to become the new king of Spain. He became Spain’s first monarch in over 40 years and immediately got to work restoring democracy and civil liberties to the country. His first act as king was an address to the people of Spain outlining his commitment to democracy and human rights.

Throughout his reign, King Juan Carlos I focused on modernizing Spain’s economy and society while maintaining key traditions such as regional autonomy. In 1975 he dissolved Parliament when it refused to accept austerity measures proposed by him, instead opting for a referendum which overwhelmingly supported his reforms. Following this victory he called for free elections in 1977 which resulted in a democratic regime taking control of the country.

King Juan Carlos I is also remembered for his role in the peaceful transition to democracy, playing a key part in negotiations between various political parties. In 1981 he was involved in stopping a military coup attempt and restoring order to the country.

In 2014, King Juan Carlos abdicated the throne due to health issues, giving way to his son Felipe VI becoming king of Spain. He died four years later on April 2nd, 2020 at the age of 82. His legacy will continue to live on through his efforts towards restoring Spanish democracy and his commitment to human rights. He will always be remembered as one of the most important figures in the history of modern Spain.…

Ferdinand VII was born on October 14th, 1784 in Madrid, Spain. He was the son of King Charles IV and Queen Maria Luisa of Parma. Ferdinand ascended to the throne in 1808 at the age of 24 after his father abdicated in favour of Napoleon Bonaparte’s brother Joseph Bonaparte.

During Ferdinand’s reign he had a turbulent relationship with France, as well as other European powers. In 1814 Napoleon was defeated and Ferdinand was restored to the Spanish throne on March 29th 1814. This marked a new era for Ferdinand and by June 1815 he had declared absolute monarchy putting an end to the liberal reforms that had been started during his father’s reign.

Ferdinand was a staunch supporter of the Catholic Church and this saw him introducing legislation such as the Inquisition Act of 1817 and the Concordat of 1851 which increased the power of the Church over Spanish citizens. In addition to increasing the power of the church, Ferdinand also sought to modernise Spain’s economy by introducing reforms such as trade liberalisation, agrarian reform and improvements to public works.

In 1833, Ferdinand abdicated in favour of his daughter Isabella II, who would become Queen at just three years old. During her reign, Ferdinand continued to act as an advisor and mentor until his death in 1834.

During his life, Ferdinand was known for being an autocratic ruler who had a strong attachment to the Catholic Church. His life was marked by significant changes in Spanish law and politics that have had lasting repercussions for the country, making him one of the most influential figures in Spanish history. He died on 29 September 1834 at the age of 49.

Ferdinand VII’s legacy is still felt today, both through his reforms and his stature as a leader. Through his various reforms he was able to modernise Spain’s economy, which allowed for growth and progress in subsequent generations. Additionally, Ferdinand’s reign represented an important phase in Spanish history as it marked the end of Napoleon Bonaparte’s rule over Spain and saw an increase in power for the Catholic Church. Ultimately, Ferdinand VII was a key figure in Spanish history and his legacy is still felt today.…

Philip V of Spain was born on 19 December 1683 at the Royal Palace of Madrid, to King Charles II and his second wife Maria Anna of Neuburg. He was the first Spanish monarch born in Spain in over half a century as all previous rulers had been overseas-born rulers from Austria. Philip had a difficult early life due to his father’s mental health issues and he eventually became king upon Charles’ death in 1700.

At the start of his reign, Philip faced significant opposition from various European powers, particularly Britain, France and Portugal; all three sought to control the Spanish throne by installing their own candidate as king. In order to prevent this happening, Philip married Elisabeth Farnese in 1714 – daughter of an Italian prince – in an attempt to strengthen his own claim.

Philip was largely a successful ruler, being known as the ‘Rey Planeta’ – world king – due to Spain’s position at this time as one of the most powerful nations in Europe. He created numerous reforms including introducing free trade, modernizing taxation and achieving greater efficiency in the collection of taxes and contributions from the Spanish colonies.

His reign however, was also marred by tragedy; during his reign he saw five of his children die young and Elisabeth eventually died after suffering chronic health issues for many years. Philip himself died on 9 July 1746 aged 63, succeeded by his son Louis I.

Overall Philip V made great strides to modernize Spain and is remembered as an effective and successful monarch within the country’s history. His reign saw both great success, but also personal tragedy for Philip himself. Yet his legacy lives on today in the cultural and political influence of Spain to this day.

​The life of Philip V was one filled with highs and lows, from his difficult childhood to his eventual successes as ruler. Ultimately he left behind a strong legacy for the Spanish throne that continues to be felt centuries later.…