Upon the outbreak of the Glorious Revolution and deposition of Isabella II, the Carlists geared up their preparations to military action.
Antoni de Suelves as advisor to Carlos VII arranged for his nephew to be called to the legitimist camp.
In 1868 Josep de Suelves left Spain to join the personal entourage of the claimant and contributed to buildup of the insurgency.
Four years later, as the Third Carlist War actually commenced, they crossed the border in Gipuzkoa, after few days withdrawing back to France.
In 1873 Carlos VII entered the insurgent Vascongadas again.
Despite that his uncle was appointed royal commissioner for the native – though barely captured – provinces of Tarragona and Lerída, Josep de Suelves remained on the Northern Front; he accompanied the pretender when setting a capital of the Carlist state in Estella.

The actual role and function of Josep de Suelves is unclear.
In later Carlist propaganda he was presented as member of the claimant's General Staff, though his young age and total lack of either military training or military experience suggest he was not in charge of any major duties.
If indeed forming part of Estado Mayor, he was rather serving as liaison officer or adjutant to Carlos VII.
Though awarded a number of orders and promoted to teniente coronel, it is not clear whether he served one time or another in combat units.
Upon the Carlist defeat in 1876 Josep Suelves kept escorting the claimant and left for France.
As a reward for service Carlos VII conferred upon him the title of Vizconde de Montserrat, officially recognized by the Spanish state during the Franco era in 1954.

Pressed by the French authorities, the pretender boarded a ship in Boulogne and left for Britain; Suelves travelled with him, accompanying Carlos VII also in course of further voyages across the Atlantic to the United States and Mexico.
In 1877 the claimant and his entourage returned to Europe and headed for the Balkans; in the Romanian Ploiești they met the Russian Tsar Alexander II and agreed taking part in the commencing Russo-Turkish War.
The four Spaniards were assigned to the Russian IX.
Corps, probably first to 34th and later to 9th Cossack regiments; they witnessed the siege of Nicopolis, crossed the Danube, joined the headquarters of prince Carol I of Romania and took part in two battles of Plevnia.
It is not clear whether Suelves accompanied the claimant during the rest of his bon vivant period and in successive journeys to Britain, again the United States, India, Africa and South America in the late 1870s and early 1880s, though some sources indicate that his wedding of 1886 took place in Peru.
Upon the outbreak of the Glorious Revolution and deposition of Isabella II, the Carlists geared up their preparations to military action. Antoni de Suelves as advisor to Carlos VII arranged for his nephew to be called to the legitimist camp. In 1868 Josep de Suelves left Spain to join the personal entourage of the claimant and contributed to buildup of the insurgency. Four years later, as the Third Carlist War actually commenced, they crossed the border in Gipuzkoa, after few days withdrawing back to France. In 1873 Carlos VII entered the insurgent Vascongadas again. Despite that his uncle was appointed royal commissioner for the native – though barely captured – provinces of Tarragona and Lerída, Josep de Suelves remained on the Northern Front; he accompanied the pretender when setting a capital of the Carlist state in Estella.
The actual role and function of Josep de Suelves is unclear. In later Carlist propaganda he was presented as member of the claimant's General Staff, though his young age and total lack of either military training or military experience suggest he was not in charge of any major duties. If indeed forming part of Estado Mayor, he was rather serving as liaison officer or adjutant to Carlos VII. Though awarded a number of orders and promoted to teniente coronel, it is not clear whether he served one time or another in combat units. Upon the Carlist defeat in 1876 Josep Suelves kept escorting the claimant and left for France. As a reward for service Carlos VII conferred upon him the title of Vizconde de Montserrat, officially recognized by the Spanish state during the Franco era in 1954.
Pressed by the French authorities, the pretender boarded a ship in Boulogne and left for Britain; Suelves travelled with him, accompanying Carlos VII also in course of further voyages across the Atlantic to the United States and Mexico. In 1877 the claimant and his entourage returned to Europe and headed for the Balkans; in the Romanian Ploiești they met the Russian Tsar Alexander II and agreed taking part in the commencing Russo-Turkish War. The four Spaniards were assigned to the Russian IX. Corps, probably first to 34th and later to 9th Cossack regiments; they witnessed the siege of Nicopolis, crossed the Danube, joined the headquarters of prince Carol I of Romania and took part in two battles of Plevnia. It is not clear whether Suelves accompanied the claimant during the rest of his bon vivant period and in successive journeys to Britain, again the United States, India, Africa and South America in the late 1870s and early 1880s, though some sources indicate that his wedding of 1886 took place in Peru.
Josep de Suelves i de Montagut