Francisco de Asís de Borbón

Francisco de Asís María Fernando de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias was born on 13 May 1822 in Aranjuez and died on 17 April 1902 in Épinay-sur-Seine. He was the third son and second male child of Infante Francisco de Paula de Borbón, a son of King Charles IV, and Princess Luisa Carlota of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Since the court was staying in Aranjuez at the time, Francisco de Asís was baptized on the day of his birth in the palace oratory. His first two names honored Saint Francis of Assisi. Two days later, his cousin Juan de Borbón y Braganza was born in the same place. Francisco de Asís came from a closely interconnected Bourbon family. In 1846, for political and dynastic reasons, he was married to his double first cousin, the young Spanish queen Isabel II. Their fathers, Infante Francisco de Paula and King Ferdinand VII, were brothers; their mothers, Luisa Carlota and María Cristina, were also sisters. In addition, both women were daughters of María Isabel de Borbón, a sister of their fathers. Other candidates had previously been rejected. The queen’s husband was expected to belong to a highly aristocratic family but could not have a claim to another European throne. The wedding took place on 10 October 1846 in the Throne Room of the Royal Palace in Madrid and was celebrated together with the marriage of Isabel’s sister Luisa Fernanda to Antonio de Orleans, Duke of Montpensier. On the same day, Francisco de Asís was granted the rank of king and the style of “Majesty.” He was also appointed captain general of the armies. He was later portrayed in very different ways in public. The historian Pierre Luz described him as short and slender, with conspicuous gestures and a high-pitched voice, and emphasized his fondness for baths, perfumes, jewelry, and fine fabrics. Francisco de Asís and Isabel II had twelve children, although only five survived childhood. Several children were stillborn or died soon after birth. The surviving children included María Isabel Francisca, popularly known as “la Chata,” who was twice Princess of Asturias; Alfonso XII, who later became king of Spain; and the infantes María de la Paz and María Eulalia. María Isabel married Prince Cayetano of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, María de la Paz married Prince Ludwig Ferdinand of Bavaria, and María Eulalia married Antonio de Orleans y Borbón. Another son, Francisco de Asís Leopoldo, who was baptized with King Leopold II of Belgium as his godfather, died young. The source notes that the close blood relationship between the parents and grandparents may have contributed to the early deaths of several children. The royal marriage was marked by tensions and court intrigues. Disputes repeatedly arose, while political opponents and various groups at court devised plans and conspiracies to separate the couple. Francisco de Asís became the subject of satirical verses and pamphlets, including rumors about his homosexuality. One physical characteristic, however, can be explained by medical information: he suffered from a urethral malformation known as hypospadias, which meant that he could not urinate standing up. The royal couple’s private life was also exploited for political purposes. Isabel II. was attributed numerous lovers, and her opponents used these rumors to ridicule her and deepen her estrangement from parts of the population. Francisco de Asís, by contrast, was said to have had only one long-term relationship, with Antonio Ramos Meneses. Another account described him as the father of several illegitimate children who had several well-known lovers. Their joint rule took place during a period of political unrest. The Revolution of 1854 threatened the throne, but the king and queen initially secured their position by once again appointing General Espartero to form the government. In 1856, Isabel II and Francisco de Asís supported the politician Leopoldo O’Donnell after they had come to feel secure on the throne. Political conflicts, the queen’s private circumstances, and the influence of her spiritual adviser, Sister Patrocinio, nevertheless contributed to the monarchy’s loss of prestige. Less well known is Francisco de Asís’s role as a patron of the arts and of historic preservation. He ordered the restoration and embellishment of several buildings in Madrid, including the churches of Las Calatravas and San Jerónimo el Real. Both were in poor condition at the time and were repaired through his efforts. From 1864 onward, he also served as president of the Council of State. In 1868, the political tensions culminated in a revolution led by Juan Prim and Antonio de Orleans, Duke of Montpensier, which overthrew Isabel II. The royal family went into exile and settled in Paris. Francisco de Asís adopted the incognito title of Count of Moratalla. On 25 June 1870, Isabel II abdicated in favor of her son Alfonso, who returned to the Spanish throne as Alfonso XII in 1874. After separating in exile, Francisco de Asís and Isabel II remained on friendly terms and eventually became good friends. Following the death of his younger brother Enrique in a duel, in which the Duke of Montpensier had been his opponent, Francisco de Asís took in his orphaned nieces and nephews. In 1881, he moved permanently to Épinay-sur-Seine in France, where he continued to live in his château even after the restoration of the monarchy. Francisco de Asís died there in the early morning of 17 April 1902. Isabel II and two of his daughters, Isabel and Eulalia, were present at his deathbed. His body was transferred to the Pantheon of the Kings at the Monastery of El Escorial. A month of national mourning was declared in Spain, temporarily interrupted for celebrations marking the formal assumption of the crown by his grandson Alfonso XIII, and then resumed. Isabel II outlived her husband by two years. His château in Épinay passed to Alfonso XIII and was auctioned in 1906. In Madrid, a street named after him and a statue in the Campo del Moro also commemorate the former king consort.