The Founder of the Dynasty

Carlos V (1833-1845)

 

 

Don Carlos Maria Isidro de Borbón y Borbón was born on the 28^th of March 1788 in the royal palace in Madrid. He was the second son of the Prince of the Asturias, later Carlos IV, and Princess Doña Maria Luisa de Borbón de Parma. He was given the name Carlos by his grandfather King Carlos III who had been his godfather. Assigned to him as tutors were Don José Bazán de Silva, Marquess of Santa Cruz, Director of the Royal Academy and Don Vicente de la Vera y Landrón Guevara, lieutenant general of the army and Director of the Royal Historical Academy as well as other academics. The Infante, a model student, was absorbed by the sciences and military subjects. He was very religious and, as a child, had been criticized and made the butt of jokes for his inclination to pray and for his devotion to the Marian cult. Taken along with his family to France by Napoleon, he was the only onewho did not shirk his responsibilities as Carlos IV and Ferdinand VII had done. He refused to give up his rights to the Crown of Spain. Following the War of Independence and his return to Spain he was appointed colonel of the Royal Carabineer Brigade on the 14^th of June 1814. Two months later he was appointed captain general of the royal forces. When he was 28 years of age he married the Portuguese infanta Doña Maria Francisca de Asis de Braganza who gave him a son. In 1820, loyal to Ferdinand VII he swore to uphold the Constitution of 1812 imposed by General Rafael Riego in his uprising even though its liberal principles were abhorent to him.

After his liberation by the Duke of Angoulême, Don Carlos started to make a name for himself for his firm anti-masonic convictions and as the royalists’ candidate to the throne in accordance with the law. His father, however, was greatly influenced by his entourage which was made up of unremarkable people and by his fourth wife. She was bent on distancing Don Carlos from his supporters and from his regalian rights, and they ordered him to leave Spain and accompany the Princess of Beira to Portugal.

Following the death of Ferdinand VII, on 1 October 1833, Don Carlos now Carlos V issued a manifesto to the Spanish nation from the town of Abrantes in Portugal:

"I do not seek the throne; I do not covet extinct privileges; but religion, the observance of the fundamental law of succession and the singular obligation to defend the imprescriptible rights of my children and of all my beloved relatives force me to uphold and defend the Crown of Spain from its violent desecration resulting from the illegal and destructive sanction taken against the Law which should be both without interruption and perpetual."

Shortly thereafter, from Santarem Portugal, he dictated decrees concerning the governance of the realm and wrote to his sister in law and to the other members of the royal family, inviting them to recognize him as their Lord and King.

Don Miguel I of Portugal was the first monarch who recognized Carlos as King of Spain. It was in Portugal that he performed his first positive acts of sovereignty and from where, not long before his departure, he conceded the title of Marqués de Cardenhosa to the twice decorated colonel of his army Don Antonio Albuquerque do Amaral Cardoso whose guest he had been at the latter’s house in Arcos de Viseu, as is related in Pinheiro Chagas’ History of Portugal.

Following the rout of the Miguelist forces (Note 1) Don Carlos left Portugal for England and thence to France. On 12 July 1834 he crossed the border at Dancharinea and entered Spain to join the popular rising against the usurping government.

General Tomás Zumalacarregui led Carlist forces in the north and General Cabrera those in the east. At first the situation favored the Carlist cause, mainly because of the enthusiasm of the volunteers who were well organized, disciplined and led by royalist officers. They faced forced draftees whose morale was low and who deserted at the first opportunity. Both generals agreed to take Bilbao before pushing on to Madrid but the death of Zumalacarregui before the gates of the city resulted in the end of Carlist efforts in the north. Cabrera continued to expand his gains in a large zone which included Valencia, Zaragoza and the south of Catalonia with his capital in Morella.

On 28 August 1834 Queen Doña Maria Francisca died while Don Carlos was in the field. In October 1838 he married his sister in law, the Princess of Beira. In 1837 a royalist thrust reached the outskirts of Madrid which were unguarded, but contrary to what had been hoped for the order to retreat was given thus losing the opportunity to place King Don Carlos on the throne of his ancestors.

After a number of vicissitudes the Carlist General Maroto turned against Don Carlos and with his army sued for peace, which forced the King to cross the frontier in the other direction and resulted in the Convention of Vergara(Note 2)and the triumph of the liberal army.

From his exile in Bourges, the King issued several manifestos to his countrymen in which he mentions divine will and the resignation of Catholics to the designs of the Most High. In these, Jaime Balmes the philosopher priest who claimed he had reached an agreement between the Carlists and liberals influenced the King to abdicate on the understanding that his son Don Carlos Luis marry his cousin the Infanta Isabel, which would resolve the dynastic dispute which had divided Spaniards. The King agreed and abdicated on 18 May 1845 in favor of his son and issued his last manifesto in which he said:

"Called to the Crown of Spain by imprescriptible right, my only wish has always been the happiness of my dear fatherland."

After his abdication, he established his residence in Trieste where he died on 10 March 1855 and was buried in the Cathedral of that Italian city dressed in the uniform of Captain General of the Royal Forces.

Carlos V was neither the half-witted, stupid and bloodthirsty King often portrayed by certain liberal historians nor was he the indolent, or devout one that other well-intentioned but misguided people pictured him to be. A hundred years after his demise he appears to have been a man faithful to his convictions, chivalrous and a patriot who wanted to fulfill his obligations even if they were to cost him defeat and exile. If Carlism needs a historical revision, I am of the opinion that the reign of Don Carlos needs an even more urgent one, because it is replete with magnificent examples of greatness and in it is found the kernel of what would be the future evolution of the movement as well as the clues necessary to make a balanced and scientific analysis.

(Note 1.) In the Portuguese civil war which pitted Dom Miguel against Dom Pedro

(Note 2.) The Convention of Vergara was the agreement that ended the civil war. It was the work of General Baldomero Espartero, commander in chief of the government forces who was given the popular name of "the peacemaker". He was also made Count of Luchana, then Duke of la Victoria and later Prince of Vergara.

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