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« on: April 06, 2006, 05:54:49 AM »
Isabel reigned for a total of 35 years (the first few during two regencies); on the whole I think that period was a disaster. Politically she was very unstable and was almost dethroned in 1854; Spain was hardly modernised at all while other countries like Great Britain or Italy where knowing advantageous changes.
Plus, the fact that she was a woman had prompted civil war ever since she became queen, and she remained quite unpopular; alas, she did little to solve the problem, and was often the subject to caricature. To this you have to add the comic figure of her feeble husband, Francisco de Asís, and the fact that she kept so many lovers that many of her children are thought to be the ultimate product of these extramarital relationships.
In fact, such is the inbred percentage of her children that it has been suggested that those that survived childhood were actually NOT the children of her husband (and not all of the same father by any means).
Her first child, a son, lived only a few hours, but was totally healthy. Unfortunately it was in breech position and may have suffocated during birth. For the occasion many courtiers had assembled to proclaim the child Prince or Princess of Asturias, regardless of its sex. A year later the Queen produced a daughter, Isabel (later Countess of Girgenti). In 1854 a girl, María Cristina, was born, but died shortly after her christening when she was just three days old. Here is a detailed list of Isabel II's children.
1. A son, sometimes refered to as Francisco de Asís or Francico de Asís Leopoldo; born on July 12 1850 in Madrid; he died the same evening. The Queen had gone into labour shortly before making her daily afternoon walk.
2. María Isabel Francisca (plus many other names), born on December 12th 1851 in Madrid; she married her distant cousin, Gaetano of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and became through marriage Countess of Girgenti. She was also twice Princess of Asturias (from her birth till that of her brother Alfonso, and from his accession to the throne in 1874 till the birth of his first daughter Mercedes). After her husband's violent death she continued to attend her public duties and died in Paris shortly after the proclamation of the II republic in Spain in 1931.
3. María Cristina was born on January 5th 1854 and died shortly after her christening three days later.
4. Miscarried child on September 23 1855.
5. Francisco de Asís leopoldo, born and died on 21 June 1856.
6. Alfonso XII, future King of Spain, born in 1857 and died of tuberculosis in 1885.
7. María de la Concepción, born in 1859 and died in 1861. She died of internal brain stroke.
8. María del Pilar, born in 1861 and died in 1879 in Guipúzcoa.
9. María de la Paz (1862-1946) was married to her cousin Ludwig Ferdinand of Bavaria. Had three children. She died after falling down the stairs in Nymphenburg Palace, Munich.
10. María Eulalia (1864-1958) married her cousin Antonio, Duke of galliera. They had two sons before separating. Her behaviour was often the subject of criticism within the palace.
11. Francisco de Asís (24 January 1866 - 14 February 1866) was the Queen's last child. She was 36 at the time.
The Queen herself died of flue and chronic bronchitis in 1904, twoyears after her husband.
Hope it helps, though the facts may have already been submitted.
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