List of heads of state of Spain

Spain

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This is a list of Spanish Heads of State; that is, kings and Presidents that ruled on the country of Spain in the modern sense of the word. The forerunners of the Spanish throne, as well as of the Portuguese throne, were the following:

• Kings of the Visigoths
• Suebi Kings of Gallaecia
• Kings of Asturias
• Kings of Aragon
• Kings of Castile
• Kings of Leon
• Kings of Navarre

These lineages were eventually united by the marriage of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. Although their kingdoms continued to be separate, with their personal union they ruled them together as one dominion. Ferdinand also conquered the southern part of Navarre and annexed it to what was to become Spain. Isabella left her kingdom to her daughter Joanna of Castile. Ferdinand served as her regent during her insanity; though rebuffed by the Castilian nobility and replaced by Joanna's husband Philip the Handsome, he resumed his regency after Philip's death. In 1516, after Ferdinand II's death, his daughter Joanna inherited the kingdom of Aragon, but was kept prisoner at Tordesillas as insane. As Joanna's son, the future Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, did not want to be merely a regent, he was proclaimed king of Castile and Aragon jointly with his mother in Brussels. Subsequently, Castilian and Aragonese Cortes alleged oath to him as co-king with his mother. Upon her death, he became sole King of Castile and Aragon, and the thrones were thereafter united permanently.

During the First Spanish Republic (1873–74), Spain had heads of state known as the President of the Executive Power.

It is only during the Second Spanish Republic (1931–39), however, that the official title of President of Spain (or President of the Republic) existed.

Today, Spain is a constitutional monarchy, and there is thus no person holding the title of President of Spain. However, the Prime Minister holds the official title of President of the Government.

Kingdom of Spain (1516–1873)

House of Habsburg

Under Charles I, the two thrones of Castile and Aragon were finally united under one monarch.

#	Picture	Coat of arms	Name	Spanish Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Titles Used	Relationship with predecessor(s)
1			Charles I with Joanna (1516–1555)	Carlos I	March 14, 1516	January 16, 1556	Holy Roman Emperor, King of the Romans, Italy and Spain, Archduke of Austria, (Titular) Duke of Burgundy,	son and co-monarch of Joanna; grandson of Isabella I and Ferdinand II
2			Philip II	Felipe II	January 16, 1556	September 13, 1598	King of Spain, Portugal, and Naples King consort of England and Ireland; Ruler of the Spanish Netherlands; Duke of Milan	son of Charles I
3			Philip III	Felipe III	September 13, 1598	March 31, 1621	King of Spain and Portugal	son of Philip II
4			Philip IV	Felipe IV	March 31, 1621	September 17, 1665	King of Spain and Portugal (until 1640)	son of Philip III
5			Charles II	Carlos II	September 17, 1665	November 1, 1700	King of Spain Ruler of the Spanish Netherlands	son of Philip IV

House of Bourbon

In the year 1700 Charles II died. Charles' will named the 16-year old Philip, the grandson of Charles' sister Maria Theresa of Spain, as his successor.^[1] Upon any possible refusal the Crown of Spain would be offered next to Philip's younger brother Charles, duc de Berry, or, next, to Archduke Charles of Austria.^[1]

Both claimants, Philip and Charles, had a legal right to the Spanish throne due to the fact that Philip's grandfather, King Louis XIV of France and Charles's father, Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, were sons of Charles' aunts, Anne of Austria and Maria Anna of Austria. Philip had the better claim because his grandmother and great-grandmother were older than Leopold's. However, the Austrian branch claimed that Philip's grandmother had renounced the Spanish throne for herself and her descendants as part of her marriage contract. This was countered by the French branch's claim that it was on the basis of a dowry that had never been paid.^[2]

After a long council meeting where the Dauphin spoke up in favour of his son's rights, it was agreed that Philip would ascend the throne but would forever renounce his claim to the throne of France for himself and his descendants.^[3] Thus, the war broke out and Archduke Charles was proclaimed king of Spain, as Charles III opposite to Philip V.^[4]

#	Picture	Coat of arms	Name	Spanish Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Titles Used	Relationship with predecessor(s)
6			Philip V	Felipe V	November 16, 1700	January 14, 1724	King of Spain	Great Grandson of Philip IV, via his eldest (surviving) daughter, Maria Theresa of Spain
7			Louis I	Luis I	January 14, 1724	August 31, 1724	King of Spain	Son of Philip V
8			Philip V	Felipe V	September 6, 1724	July 9, 1746	King of Spain	Father of Louis I
9			Ferdinand VI	Fernando VI	July 9, 1746	August 10, 1759	King of Spain	Son of Philip V
10			Charles III	Carlos III	August 10, 1759	December 14, 1788	King of Spain	Son of Philip V
11			Charles IV	Carlos IV	December 14, 1788	March 19, 1808	King of Spain	Son of Charles III
12			Ferdinand VII	Fernando VII	March 19, 1808	May 6, 1808	King of Spain	Son of Charles IV

House of Bonaparte

The only monarch from this dynasty was Joseph I, imposed by his brother Napoleon I of France after the kings Charles IV and Ferdinand VII abdicated. The title used by Joseph was King of the Spains and the Indias, by divine grace and the Constitution of the State . He was also later given all of the titles of the previous kings.

#	Picture	Coat of arms	Name	Spanish Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Titles used	Relationship with predecessor(s)
13			Joseph I	José I	June 6, 1808	December 11, 1813	King of Spain King of Naples and Sicily and the Indies Comte de Survilliers	No Relationship

House of Bourbon (first restoration)

Charles IV's eldest son was restored to the throne. Again the title used was king of Castile, Leon, Aragon,… by divine grace.

#	Picture	Coat of arms	Name	Spanish Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Titles Used	Relationship with predecessor(s)
14			Ferdinand VII	Fernando VII	December 11, 1813	September 29, 1833	King of Spain	Son of Charles IV
15			Isabella II	Isabel II	September 29, 1833	September 30, 1868	Queen of Spain	Daughter of Ferdinand VII

House of Savoy

After the Spanish Revolution of 1868 deposed Isabella II, there was established a provisional government and a regency headed by Francisco Serrano y Domínguez, who acted as Head of State, from October 8, 1868 until December 4, 1870 while it was requested a new monarch. Amadeo I was elected as king and the new title used was King of Spain, by divine grace and will of nation.

#	Picture	Coat of arms	Name	Spanish Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Titles used	Relationship with predecessor(s)
15			Amadeo I	Amadeo I	December 4, 1870	February 11, 1873	King of Spain	Descendant of Philip II, through his grandson Thomas Francis

First Spanish Republic (1873–1874)

The First Spanish Republic started with the abdication as King of Spain on February 10, 1873 of Amadeo I, following the Hidalgo Affair, when he had been required by the radical government to sign a decree against the artillery officers. The next day, February 11, the republic was declared by a parliamentary majority made up of radicals, republicans and democrats. It lasted twenty-three months

Presidents of the Executive Power

#	Picture	Coat of arms	Name	President From	President Until	Political Party
1			Estanislao Figueras	February 12, 1873	June 11, 1873	Federal republican
2			Francisco Pi y Margall	June 11, 1873	July 18, 1873	Federal republican
3			Nicolás Salmerón y Alonso	July 18, 1873	September 7, 1873	Moderate republican
4			Emilio Castelar y Ripoll	September 7, 1873	January 3, 1874	Unitary republican
5			Francisco Serrano y Domínguez Duke of la Torre	January 3, 1874	December 30, 1874	Conservative republican dictatorship

Kingdom of Spain (1874–1931)

House of Bourbon (second restoration)

Isabella II's eldest son was restored to the throne. Constitutional king of Spain. Between the death of Alfonso XII and the birth of Alfonso XIII, there was an interregnum of seven months where Queen Maria Christina served as Head of State with the title of Regent.

#	Picture	Coat of arms	Name	Spanish Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Titles Used	Relationship with predecessor(s)
16			Alfonso XII	Alfonso XII	December 30, 1874	November 25, 1885	Constitutional King of Spain	Son of Isabella II
17			Alfonso XIII	Alfonso XIII	May 17, 1886	April 14, 1931	Constitutional King of Spain	Son of Alfonso XII

Second Spanish Republic (1931–1939)

The Second Spanish Republic was the system of government in Spain between April 14, 1931 when King Alfonso XIII left the country following a period of social unrest after the collapse of General Primo de Rivera's dictatorship a year earlier, and April 1, 1939 when the last of the Republican (republicanos) forces surrendered to Nationalist (nacionales) forces led by Francisco Franco, at the end of the Spanish Civil War.

Presidents of the Republic

#	Picture	Coat of arms	Name	President From	President Until	Political Party
1			Niceto Alcalá-Zamora	December 11, 1931	April 7, 1936	Conservative Republican
2			Manuel Azaña	May 11, 1936	March 3, 1939	Republican Left Popular Front coalition

Francoist Spain (1936–1975)

On October 1, 1936 General Francisco Franco was proclaimed Head of State (Caudillo) in parts of Spain controlled by Nationalist (nacionales) forces after Spanish Civil War broke out. After the end of war on April 1, 1939 General Franco took control of entire Spain. In 1947, Franco proclaimed the restoration of the monarchy, but did not allow the pretender, Juan de Borbón, Count of Barcelona, to take the throne. In 1969, Franco declared that Juan Carlos, the Count of Barcelona's son, would be his successor. After Franco's death in 1975, Juan Carlos succeeded him as the King of Spain.

Head of State (Caudillo)

#	Picture	Coat of arms	Name	Head of State From	Head of State Until	Political Party
1			Francisco Franco	October 1, 1936	November 20, 1975	Traditionalist Spanish Falange and of the Unions of the National-Syndicalist Offensive (FET-JONS) Military

Kingdom of Spain Restored (since 1975)

House of Bourbon (third restoration)

Alfonso XIII's claim descended (due to his two eldest sons' renunciations) to his third son, Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona, who was passed over in favour of his eldest son, whose title is King of Spain. The Count of Barcelona renounced his claims in favour of his son in 1977, two years after Franco's death and Juan Carlos's accession.

#	Picture	Coat of arms	Name	Spanish Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Titles Used	Relationship with predecessor(s)
18			John Charles I	Juan Carlos I	November 22, 1975	Incumbent	King of Spain	Grandson of Alfonso XIII, through his third son, Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Kamen, Henry. "Philip V of Spain:: The King who Reigned Twice", p.6. Published by Yale University Press, 2001. ISBN 0-300-08718-7
2. ^ Durant, Will. "The Age of Louis XIV", p.699. Simon and Schuster, New York 1963.
3. ^ Kamen, Henry. "Philip V of Spain:: The King who Reigned Twice", p.158. Published by Yale University Press, 2001. ISBN 0-300-08718-7
4. ^ He was proclaimed in Viena, LoveToKnow Free Online Encyclopedia, and also in Madrid in the years 1706 y 1710.

See also

• Spanish monarchy
• Kings of Spain family tree
• Line of Succession to the Spanish Throne
• Royal Consorts of Spain
• War of the Spanish Succession
• President of Spain
• Prime Minister of Spain
• List of Spanish monarchs
• Carlist pretenders have tried to substitute the Isabelline monarchs.