* ISABEL II. (Mania ISABEL Luisa), Queen of Spain, was born on the 10th of October 1830, iu the city of Madrid. She is the elder of the two daughters of Ferdinand VII., king of Spain, by his fourth wife, Maria-Christina, now the wife of Don Fernando Munoz, duke of Rianzares. Isabel IL is the eighth in lineal descent from Henry IV., king of France, through her father, and is likewise the eighth in des cent from him through her mother. She succeeded to the crown of Spain on the death of her father, September 29, 1833, according to the order of succession established by a decree, March 29, 1830, confirmed by the cortee, which set aside the Salle law, by which females were excluded from the throne of Spain. She was proclaimed Queen of Spain, October 2, 1833,st Madrid, and was placed under the guardian ship of her mother, who, by the will of Ferdinand VII., became queen regent (reins gobernsdora) during the minority of her daughter.
On the 20th of June 1833, while Ferdinand VII. was lying ill, the cortee, in accordance with a requisition from the prime-minister, 'Lea Bermudez, met at Madrid, and took the oath of allegiance to the Infanta Dena Maria Isabel, as rightful successor to the crown of Spain, iu default of a male heir. Don Carlos however, the king's brother, who had the right of succession according to the Salle law, having been also required to take the oath of allegiance, refused, and wrote a letter to the king, in which he said, " God gave me that right when it was his will that I should come into the world, and God alone can deprive me of it by giving thee a male heir." Don Carlos persisted in the assertion of his claim to the crown of Spain, and the consequence was a civil war, which lasted till September 1840, when the adherents of Don Carlos were finally defeated, and he was obliged to quit the king doru. The queeteregeut, in consequence of a successful conspiracy, August 13, 1836, was for a time deprived of her power, but having taken an oath, June 18, 1837, to observe the liberal constitution, she regained her authority, and continued in power till another insurrec tion occurred, in consequence of her interference with the popular rights of election of the town-councils (ayuntamientos), when she was compelled to abdicate, October 12, 1840, and retired to France.
Espartero was then placed at the head of affairs, and by a decree of the cortex, May 8, 1841, was appointed regent of the kingdom during the remainder of the queen's minority. He continued in power till July 1843, when a combination of parties compelled him to resign and quit the kingdom. The termination of the queen's minority had been fixed for the 10th of October 1844, but, by a decree of the cortee, she was declared to have reached her majority on the 8th of November 1843, and she took the oath to observe the constitution on the 10th of the same month. On the 10th of October 1846, Queen Isabel II. was married to her cousin, Don Francisco de Assis (born May 13, 1822), the elder eon of her maternal uncle. The queen's younger sister, Maris Luisa Fernand!), (born January 30, 1832), wee married on the same day to the Due de Montpensier (born July 21, 1824), the youngest eon of the late Louis-Philippe, king of France. The queen's husband received the honorary title of king (rep). On the 20th of December 1851 the queen gave birth to a daughter, the present Princess of Asturias, and Infanta of Spain. Another insurrection compelled the queen-mother again to quit the kingdom, July 17, 1854. Espartero was recalled to power, and continued to be the prime-minister till July 14, 1856, when, in consequence of a ministerial crisis, he tendered his resignation, and was succeeded by General O'Donnell. An insurrection ensued, which was speedily suppressed, and O'Donnell remained in power till he was superseded by Nsrvaez, October 11, 1856.