Alfonso
9 min read
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1,765
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7
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21
Awards
King Alfonso XIII became king at birth on May 17, 1886, because his father Alfonso XII died before he was born. He married Victoria Eugenia in 1906, but their marriage suffered after their first son inherited hemophilia. Alfonso reigned until 1931, when Francisco Franco’s takeover forced the royal family into exile. His grandson Juan Carlos later restored the monarchy in 1975.
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King Alfonso XIII — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
King Alfonso XIII was born on May 17, 1886, in Madrid, Spain, as the posthumous son of King Alfonso XII. His mother, Maria Christina of Austria, served as regent until he reached adulthood. Raised in the Spanish court alongside his sister Infanta Maria Teresa Isabel, Alfonso was groomed for kingship from infancy. His upbringing emphasized royal duty, but he also grew up surrounded by political instability and the loss of Spain’s colonies.
Alfonso XIII’s reign began immediately upon his birth in 1886, with his mother acting as regent. He assumed full powers in 1902 at age 16. In 1906, he married Victoria Eugenia, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, in a grand ceremony in Madrid. The marriage was strained after their first son inherited hemophilia, a genetic condition from Victoria’s family. Political turmoil marked his rule, including the 1923 coup by Miguel Primo de Rivera, whom he supported. In 1931, after republican victories in municipal elections, Alfonso went into exile, never to return to Spain. Francisco Franco’s victory in the Spanish Civil War sealed the end of his reign.
Alfonso married Victoria Eugenia in 1906 after courting her in French at the court of King Edward VII. They had six children: Alfonso, Jaime, Beatriz, Maria Cristina, Juan, and Gonzalo. The hemophilia afflicting his sons Jaime and Gonzalo, along with the blindness of Jaime, created a deep rift between Alfonso and Victoria. Alfonso attempted to have the marriage annulled, but the Pope refused due to their many children. He also had at least four extramarital affairs, fathering at least four illegitimate children, including Leandro de Borbón and Roger de Vilmorin. After fleeing Spain in 1931, he and Victoria never reunited, living separately in Rome and Switzerland.
Alfonso XIII’s grandson Juan Carlos I restored the Spanish monarchy in 1975 after Franco’s death. His great-grandson Felipe VI now reigns. Despite his exile, Alfonso’s bloodline continued to rule Spain. He received many honors, including the Order of the Golden Fleece and the Royal Victorian Chain. He is remembered as the king who reigned from birth, living through a turbulent period in Spanish history.
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He was King of Spain from 1886 to 1931.
He was the grandfather of Juan Carlos de Borbón, Gonzalo de Borbón, Pilar de Borbón, and Alfonso de Borbón Dampierre.
Through his descendants, he was the great-great grandfather of Felipe Juan Froilán de Marichalar y Borbón, Victoria Federica de Marichalar y Borbón, Juan Urdangarín Borbón, Pablo Urdangarín Borbón, and Miguel Urdangarín Borbón.
He was the great-grandfather of Simoneta Gómez Acebo, Cristina de Borbón, Elena de Borbón, King Felipe VI of Spain, and María Zurita.
He was the son-in-law of Princess Henry of Battenberg.
His children included Alfonso de Borbón; Jaime Luitpold Isabelino de Borbón 23 June 1908 – 20 March 1975, Beatriz de Borbón y Battenberg; Maria Cristina Teresa de Borbón 12 December 1911 – 23 December 1996; Juan de Borbón; and Gonzalo Manuel Maria de Borbón 24 October 1914 – 13 August 1934.
In addition to Leandro Alfonso de Borbón and his sister Ana María Teresa Ruiz y Moragas October 9, 1925 – September 6, 1965 by Carmen Ruiz Moragas, Alfonso fathered four other known children by his mistresses: Roger Marie Vincent Philippe Lévêque de Vilmorin September 12, 1905 – July 20, 1980; Charles Maxime Victor Saint-Glen July 3, 1914 – May 20, 1934; Juana Alfonsa Milán y Quiñones de León April 19, 1916 – May 16, 2005; and Alfonso de Borbón Sousa December 28, 1930 – April 30, 1934. Roger was born while his mother was married to famed French botanist Philippe de Vilmorin.
He was the son of Maria Christina of Austria.
He was the grandfather of Blanca de Borbón, daughter of his illegitimate son, Leandro Alfonso.
He was 2nd cousin of Princess Marie De Bourbon; María’s father was the brother of Alfonso’s grandfather.
His father, King Alfonso XII, died before he was born, and because his gender could not be determined until birth, there was an interregnum until he was born. Had he been female, his older sister, María de las Mercedes, would have become queen regnant. But because he was male and ranked higher than his older sister in the line of succession, he became king immediately upon birth.
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