King Ferdinand VII of the Caterpillar Eyebrows
The reign of Ferdinand VII (1784-1833) was one of the most complex and important in the history of Spain. In fact, he was known for not being the King of Spain once, but twice in his life. His rule was characterized by a popular dispute against French occupation and by the struggle of liberal groups to establish a constitutional monarchy. This royal fella was no friend of the media. Additionally, under his rule, Spain lost nearly all of its American possessions, and between 1808 and 1813, during the Napoleon’s era, Ferdinand was imprisoned in France by Napoleon. This guy had an extremely eventful life. So we’re just listing a few key moments in his history. In addition to everything else, he suppressed the liberal press from 1814 to 1833, jailing many of its editors and writers.
One of his most contested moves was the Pragmatic Sanction of King Ferdinand VII, (March 29, 1830). The Pragmatic Sanction was intended to permit his unborn child to succeed to the throne, even if it were female. This promulgated his predecessor Charles IV’s unpublished decision of 1789 revoking the Salic law of succession, which had denied royal succession to females. Ferdinand, still childless at the passing of his third wife, María Josefa Amalia, in 1829, married María Cristina I of the Two Sicilies. This threatened the mounting hopes of his brother Don Carlos regarding the succession. The birth of a daughter, Isabella, in October 1830 greatly complicated the issue. By the ancient law of Castile and Leon women could rule in their own right. This right had, however, been abrogated by an act of 1713 designed to prevent any union of the crowns of Spain and France. The country entered into large-scale civil unrest upon his passing. His political legacy has remained contested since his passing, with some historians regarding him as incompetent, despotic, and short-sighted.