This is a list of Spanish monarchs—that is, rulers of 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:
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 with Joanna's husband Philip the Handsome, he resumed his regency after Philip's death. In 1516 Joanna's son, the Holy Roman EmperorCharles V, succeeded his grandfather Ferdinand as King of Aragon and also as regent (with the title of a King of Castille) for his mother, thereby uniting the thrones permanently.
Officially, the monarchy of "Spain" came into the Bourbon monarch's titulary as late as in 1837, when the regency of Isabella II of Spain adopted it to the place of the old, lengthy titulary (that had started "...of Castile, Leon, Aragon," and so on). Even then, it was in plural : Reina de las Espanas - Queen of the Spains. Only in 1874 was the name Spain changed into singular in the Bourbon monarchical titulary. However, colloquial use of the name Spain (Hispania) as the name of the kingdom had already taken place around three centuries earlier. Where brevity was necessary, the state used it: beginning with Philip II Spanish coinage had regularly used the short rex Hispaniarum to exclusion of other, longer titles. Thus, the "birth of Spain" cannot be definitively dated. There are four alternative moments (and three different persons) where the Kingship of Spain is variously considered to have begun:
in 1479, when Ferdinand, already King Consort of Castile as husband of Isabel I of Castile, inherited the Kingdom of Aragon at his father John II of Aragon's death. However, after this, the kingdoms shortly became separate, as Joanna of Castile and her husband Philip the Handsome inherited Castile in 1504, but Aragon remained Ferdinand's; he even married again and had he produced a son, that son would have taken precedence in Aragon and kept that country separate in the future.
in 1516, when the future Emperor Charles V became the King of Aragon (after his grandfather Ferdinand) and guardian as well as co-king of Castile, in conjunction with his mother Joanna who was incapable to rule. However, the old Hispania was not united, as Portugal remained independent. And in Castile, Charles was not the sole monarch, only in Aragon. It has been reported that in a coinage of two silver reals, minted in Mexico, the son and mother were "Carolus et Johana, reges Hispaniarum et Indiarum".
in 1555 at the death of Joana, when Charles (already the sole King of Aragon) became also sole king of Castile, being elevated to full kingship in Castile after some four decades of "co-kingship". However, the old Hispania was not united, as Portugal was independent.
in 1580, when, after the Portuguese dynastic crisis, at the moment of personal union between Portugal and all other Iberian monarchies, it is said the old Hispania, became a united realm. Charles's son Philip II of Spain who already was King of Castile and Aragon (directly from his father) also became King of Portugal, and no longer there was any other monarchy in the Iberian Peninsula. Later, in 1640, Portugal rebelled and separated from this union under the House of Braganza (recognized by Spain only in 1668), and thenceforth the name of Spain does not refer to the whole of the Iberian peninsula (ancient Hispania), but only to this one of its two constituent countries.
House of Habsburg / House of Austria
The House of Habsburg (or "of Austria", as it was known to contemporaries) descended from Charles I of Spain (who was also the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V). He left behind a Spanish monarchy that also, for some time, retained control of the Netherlands; however, the title of Holy Roman Emperor did not pass to these Spanish monarchs.
Charles II: 17 September1665 – 1 November1700There was a brief interregnum following Charles II's death, during which the decision of the Duc d'Anjou as to whether he would accept the Spanish throne was awaited.
House of Bourbon
The Spanish kings of the House of Bourbon were descended in male line from the French royal family.
Ferdinand VII: 19 March – 6 May1808Throughout much of Spain, Ferdinand's abdication was not recognized to be valid, having been given under duress. The Supreme Governing Junta established on 25 September1808, which was recognized as the legitimate government of Spain by Britain, Portugal, and other governments, continued to recognize Ferdinand as King.
Charles IV (restored): 6 May1808Following Charles IV's second abdication, there was a month long interregnum, during which Marshal Joachim Murat ruled Spain as Lieutenant-General and Governor of the Realm.
Joseph I Napoleon (king of the Spains and the Indias, by divine grace): 6 June1808 – 11 December1813This was Napoleon's brother Joseph. He was not universally recognized as King, and following the Bourbon restoration, his acts were largely considered to have been invalid.
Isabella II: 29 September1833 – 30 September1868Following Isabel's abdication, there was a more than two year interregnum, during which time the government sought a new monarch from abroad.
Alfonso XII (constitutional king of Spain): 29 December1874 – 25 November1885Following Alfonso XII's death, there was a regency. as the crown was in abeyance awaiting the finalization of who would be the heir, until the birth of his posthumous son Alfonso XIII. Were the child a daughter, the next monarch would have been Alfonso XII's eldest daughter, who at that time was known as Infanta Dona Maria Mercedes, Princess of Asturias. The mother of the children, Maria Cristina, was Regent.
Generalissimo Francisco Franco (by the grace of God, the Leader of Spain and of the Crusade): In parts of the country from 1 October 1936 and in its entirely from 1 April 1939 until his death on 20 November 1975In 1947, Franco proclaimed the restoration of the monarchy, but did not allow the pretender, the Count of Barcelona, to take the throne.
