Biography of Isabella II Queen Spain 1830-1904

Adeline Horsey Recollections. It is said that few people achieve greatness, but that some have it thrust upon them. I can class myself with the latter, for I could have married a Prince of the Royal Family of Spain, the Count de Montemolin (age 26)¹, who was at one time regarded as the rightful King of Spain.

Note 1. Carlos Luis Fernando de Bourbon, Count de Montemolin, born 1818, was the eldest son of the first [her uncle] Don Carlos (age 29), the legitimist claimant to the Spanish throne on the death of his brother, [her father] Fernando VII (age 33), in 1833. After the ending of the first Carlist war in the defeat of the legitimists and the establishment of Isabella on the throne, the old Don Carlos retired into private life and abdicated his claims in 1845 to his eldest son Montemolin, who thus became the second Don Carlos. He was a young man of some ability but weak and unstable. There was a strong party in Spain desirous to bring about a reconciliation of the two branches of the Royal Family by a marriage between the young Queen Isabella and her first cousin, Montemolin, but political passion and personal animosity stood in the way, and all Europe took part in the intrigue known as the Spanish Marriages. This ended of course in the disastrous marriage of Isabella with her cousin Francisco, and that of her sister [her half-sister] Fernanda with the Due de Montpensier, the son of Louis Philippe (age 44), a defeat for English diplomacy which nearly caused a war with France. The Carlists had never been favourable to the idea of a marriage of Montemolin and Isabella, whom they regarded as a usurper, and they looked out a legitimist Royal Princess for him. His younger brother, Don Juan, married Princess Beatrix of Modena, and their son was the late Don Carlos. Queen Isabella married in 1846, and dissensions very soon broke out between her and her wretched husband, who really, like most of the Royal Family, was a Carlist at heart. Montemolin had issued a manifesto at Bourges in France in 1845, when he saw that he could not marry Isabella on his own terms, and his father had abdicated in the same year, and he soon after came to London, mustered his party, and began to organise a fresh Carlist rising in Spain. English diplomacy had suffered a great defeat and he found plenty of people here to help him; he was made much of in Society and became a lion for a time, being treated with full royal honours.

Adeline Horsey Recollections. The following announcement which appeared in the Morning Post caused, needless to say, something of a stir in Society. Some people thought I was a very fortunate girl to secure so great a parti, and others - who were jealous - prophesied disaster "through vaulting ambition which o'erleaps itself".

We are enabled to state that a marriage of more than common interest even from a political point of view has been agreed upon between a fair countrywoman of our own and one of the Royal personages who have had occasion to seek refuge in Great Britain. The Count de Montemolin (age 29) has offered his hand to Miss de Horsey (age 23), the accomplished daughter of Spencer de Horsey (age 58), Esq, and the marriage will shortly be solemnised in this country. It is understood that a negotiation has been opened by the Prince with the government of the Queen of Spain (age 17), which has consented to make an adequate provision for his Royal Highness and his bride, in consideration of the renunciation of the claims to the throne, of the male line of which the Count de Montemolin is the representative.

I was introduced to all my future husband's relations who were in England, and I was very charmed with the Archduchess Beatrix, and the Princess Beatrix of Modena, who had married the Count's younger brother, Don Juan (age 25). They lived in Bayswater at the time, and I remember going with my father to see her, and greatly admiring her lovely black-eyed baby boy, who in after-life was to be known as Don Carlos.

The Count's letter inviting me to visit his sister-in-law is interesting, as it shows how completely our engagement was sanctioned by his family.

Beloved of my soul, - I told Beatrice yesterday that you will go to-morrow at half-past two to see her. She told me that she would have much pleasure, but that probably the Duchess of Parma would be there, but that there would be no obstacle if you have no objection. In any case, answer me, because if by chance you do not wish to go to-morrow I should like to know it, so that in that case to have the pleasure of going to see you at your house, for I cannot endure to be so lone a time deprived of the pleasant sight of you, for this is my only consolation. Good-bye, beloved of my life and of my soul. Do not doubt for a single instant my constant love.

Carlos Luis Maria de Borbon.

Adeline Horsey Recollections. The Count had no choice but to accept my decision, and one day Lord Stradbroke, Lord Combermere, and Don Francisco Merry came to interview me about my broken engagement. They brought with them a document, in which I definitely resigned all idea of marrying the Count de Montemolin (age 29), which they asked me to sign in their presence. I did so, and at the same time I gave them all my Royal admirer's love-letters, except those now published for the first time to prove the truth of what might otherwise be deemed a romantic fabrication.

So ended what I may term a very interesting episode. After I had signed the important document which is now deposited in the Royal Archives of Spain, the Count Montemolin passed completely out of my life; he married a Royal Princess in the early 'fifties, and in 1854 the miserable King Consort of Isabella, Francisco, entered into negotiations with Montemolin for a reconciliation, in order that the united family might overthrow the Liberal Ministry that then ruled Spain. This extraordinary intrigue of Isabella (age 17) and her husband to overthrow their own government was based upon their abdication, the recognition of Montemolin as King, and the marriage of the son of the latter (if he had one) to the only child of the Queen, the Infanta Isabella, who still lives. The intrigue was delayed by the clever management of the old Queen Christina, Isabella's mother, and the rise of the Conservative party to power in 1856 made Isabella and her husband less anxious for it; but still a close understanding was kept up, and Montemolin was for a time as powerful in Spain as the Queen herself. The strange conduct and bad morals of Isabella greatly strengthened Montemolin's party, and he soon began to think that he could get the throne on his own account without any understanding with the Queen and her husband. After long plotting with his adherents, and gaining the support of several generals in command of troops, Montemolin determined to strike his blow in 1859. (Isabella had a son now which quite altered the position.) In April 1859, Montemolin and his brother Fernando, with some adherents, landed near Valencia, supported by an army of 3600 men under the Governor of Majorca, General Ortega. The affair missed fire, the troops had no love for Carlism and refused to follow. Ortega fled, was captured and shot, whilst Montemolin and his brother, after hiding for some days, were driven by hunger to surrender. Their lives were spared, but they were to swear to renounce for ever their claims to the throne. As soon as this was known, the other brother, Don Juan (age 25), who lived in London, issued a manifesto asserting his rights, and to some extent accepting Liberalism. Montemolin, as soon as he arrived at Trieste, where he lived, withdrew his renunciation and repudiated his brother's claims. This caused a split in the party that only ended with the death of Montemolin and his brother in the following year.

I remember Lord Cardigan telling me that their deaths were attributed to poison, but as fever was given out as being the cause, the real solution of the mystery will never be known.