Ferdinand VII
King of Spain, 1808 and 1813–1833 / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Ferdinand VII (Spanish: Fernando VII; 14 October 1784 – 29 September 1833) was King of Spain during the early 19th century. He reigned briefly in 1808 and then again from 1813 to his death in 1833. Before 1813 he was known as el Deseado (the Desired), and after, as el Rey Felón (the Felon/Criminal King).
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (March 2023) |
| Ferdinand VII | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Portrait by Vicente López Portaña, c. 1814–15 | |||||
| King of Spain (more...) | |||||
| 1st reign | 19 March 1808 – 6 May 1808 | ||||
| Predecessor | Charles IV | ||||
| Successor | Joseph I or Napoleon I | ||||
| Prime ministers | See list
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| 2nd reign | 11 December 1813 – 29 September 1833 | ||||
| Predecessor | Joseph I | ||||
| Successor | Isabella II | ||||
| Born | 14 October 1784 El Escorial, Spain | ||||
| Died | 29 September 1833(1833-09-29) (aged 48) Madrid, Spain | ||||
| Burial | |||||
| Spouses | |||||
| Issue more... | Isabella II Infanta Luisa Fernanda, Duchess of Montpensier | ||||
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| House | Bourbon | ||||
| Father | Charles IV of Spain | ||||
| Mother | Maria Luisa of Parma | ||||
| Religion | Roman Catholicism | ||||
| Signature |  | ||||
Born in Madrid at El Escorial, Ferdinand was heir apparent to the Spanish throne in his youth. Following the 1808 Tumult of Aranjuez, he ascended the throne. That year Napoleon overthrew him; he linked his monarchy to counter-revolution and reactionary policies that produced a deep rift in Spain between his forces on the right and liberals on the left. Back in power in December 1813, he re-established the absolutist monarchy and rejected the liberal constitution of 1812. A revolt in 1820 led by Rafael del Riego forced him to restore the constitution, starting the Liberal Triennium, a three-year period of liberal rule. In 1823 the Congress of Verona authorized a successful French intervention, restoring him to absolute power for the second time. He suppressed the liberal press from 1814 to 1833, jailing many of its editors and writers.
Under his rule, Spain lost nearly all of its American possessions, and the country entered into a large-scale civil war upon his death. His political legacy has remained contested since his death; some historians regard him as incompetent, despotic, and short-sighted.[1][2]