FERDINAND VII. (1784-1833). King of Spain 1808 and 1814 to 1833. He was the son of King t narles IV., and was born at San Ilde fonso, October 14, 1784. lu 1789 he was pro claimed Prince of Asturias, aml his educa tion was intrusted to the Duke of San Carlos and the Canon Escoiquiz. Encouraged by them, he placed himself in opposition to the powerful Moister, -Manuel de I (Tv.), who, alter the death of Ferdinand's first wife, Marie Antoinette Therese of Naples, in 1806, sought to marry the young Prince to Marie 'Therese do 1Murlam. Upon this Ferdinand took the advice of the French Ambasador, Bea Uharnais, and wrote to Napoleon asking for the haml of one of the Emperor's nieces. Spanish spies, acting on behalf of Godoy and the Queen, unearthed this Co r yrs] mdence, and the Prince was ar rest Cd by order of Charles IV. and confined in the Escorial in 1807. These events were followed by the French invasion of Spain, which so inflamed the people against Godoy and the King and Queen that they were forced to flee from Madrid. In 31arch, 1808, following on the rising at Aran juez, Charles IV. abdicated in favor of Ferdinand, who was immediately proclaimed as Ferdinand VII., amid great rejoicing. The French, under Murat, however, entered Madrid a few days later, and Charles IV., instigated by French, withdrew his abdication, in a letter to Napoleon, On the ground that it had been extorted from him. The Emperor thereupon invited Ferdinand VII. to a conference at Bayonne, and in spite of warnings the new King repaired thither, only to find himself a prisoner. The disorder in Madrid consequent on IN-Inrat's occupation was laid at Ferdinand's door, and after repeated negotiations and threats the Prince signed one paper renouncing the throne in favor of his father, and another by which he ceded to Na poleon all his rights of succession to the Spanish monarchy. In return, he was to receive a pen sion of 800,000 francs and the chAteau of Va lencay. There he remained for the next. six years, with his uncle, Don Antonio, and his brother, Don Carlos.
In 1813, after Wellington's victorious cam paign in the Peninsula, Napoleon offered to rein state Ferdinand on the Spanish throne. In March, 1814, the long-wished-for sovereign returned. and was received with every demonstration of loyalty. All acts promulgated during his absence,
including the Constitution of 1812, were abro gated. and the old order of things restored. For six years Ferdinand sought to make himself absolute. Banishment, imprisonment, and death were all resorted to; but insurrection succeeded insurrection, until in 1820 such a serious mutiny took place among the Spanish troops, supported by the Cortes and the people, that Ferdinand was forced to confirm the Constitution of 1812. But the struggle between the Constitutionalists and Royalists continued, and finally ended in the triumph of the former (1822) thereupon the Holy Alliance sent a French army in 1S23 to re store peace and absolutism, which, after an obstinate resistance on the part of the liberal ele ment, it succeeded in doing. The Cortes. after the occupation of Madrid, retired to Cadiz, but were unable to hold the place against the in Ferdinand returned in triumph to Ma drid, and his first act was to annul all liberal measures passed since l 820 as having been forced upon him. The Absolutist and Clerical party became practically supreme. In 1829 Ferdinand married his fourth wife, Maria Christina of _Na ples, and in 1830 abolished by a Pragmatic Sanc tion the Salle law as regarded female succession to the Spanish throne. This deprived his brother, Don Carlos, of the succession, by making the In fanta Isabella (born 1830) eligible to the throne, and led to the formation of the Cellist party in Spain. Through the influence of Ca lumarde t q.v.), Ferdinand was induced to revoke the Prag matic Sanction of 1830, but soon after recalled his action and reaffirmed the succession of Isa bella. In 1833 Isabella was proclaimed Prineess of Asturias and heiress to the throne. Three months later (September 29. 1833) Ferdinand died at :Madrid, leaving his Queen, Maria Chris tina, regent. His reign was a most disastrous one for Spain, which lost almost all its possessions in North and South America, and passed through vicissitudes and misfortunes that drained it of its best citizens and from which it has never re covered. Consult: Seignobos, History of Europe Since 1811, translated by Macvane (New York, 1900) ; also Espana del siglo by various authors (Madrid. 1886-87) ; Baum garten, Gesehichte Spaniens von 1789 (Leipzig, 1865-71). See Spam