page_title: Isabella II of Spain
section_title: Beginnings
hierarchical_section_title: Isabella II of Spain / Reign as an adult / Beginnings
caption_attribution_description: Español: La obra representa a la reina Isabel II de España (1830-1904), jurando la Constitución de 1837.
context_page_description: Isabella II, also known as La de los Tristes Destinos, was Queen of Spain from 1833 until 1868.
  Shortly before her birth, the King issued a Pragmatic Sanction to ensure the succession of his firstborn. She came to the throne a month before her third birthday, but her succession was disputed by her uncle the Infante Carlos, whose refusal to recognize a female sovereign led to the Carlist Wars. Under the regency of her mother, Spain transitioned from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy adopting the Royal Statute of 1834 and Constitution of 1837.
  Her effective reign was a period marked by palace intrigues, back-stairs and antechamber influences, barracks conspiracies, and military pronunciamientos.
  She was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of 1868, and formally abdicated in 1870. Her son, Alfonso XII, became king in 1874.
context_section_description: Isabella was declared of age and swore the 1837 Constitution on 10 November 1843, age thirteen. Despite the alleged parliamentary supremacy, in practice, the "double trust" led to Isabella having a role in the making and toppling of governments, undermining the progressives. The uneasy alliance between moderates and progressives that had toppled Espartero in July 1843 was already cracking up by the time of the coming of age of the queen. Following a brief government led by progressive Salustiano de Olózaga, the moderates voted their candidate Pedro José Pidal to the presidency of the Cortes. After the subsequent decision to dissolve the hostile Cortes by Olózaga on 28 November, rumours about an alleged forcing of the queen to sign the royal decree spread, and Olózaga was prosecuted, liquidated as political figure and forced to exile, with the Progressive Party already being beheaded, in what it was the starting point of their growing disaffection from the Isabelline monarchy.
caption: Isabella swears the Constitution, by José Castelaro [es].
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