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SPAIN.
(Las Espanas.) Reigning Sovereign and Family.
Amedeo I. King of Spain, born May 30, 1845, the second son ot Vittorio Emanuele, heir-apparent of Sardinia, present King of Italy : created Duke of Aosta, 1849; entered the army, 1861 ; nominated rear-admiral in the Italian navy, 1867 ; elected King of Spain by the Cortes Constituyentes, and proclaimed Sovereign by the President, November 16, 1870; declared his acceptance of the crown, Dec. 5, 1870. Married May 30, 1867, to
Maria, Queen of Spain, born August 9, 1847, daughter of the late Prince Carlo Emanuele dal Pozzo della Cisterna, and of Louise Caroline, Countess de Merode. Offspring of the union are two sons, Emanuele, born January 13, 1869, and Carlos, born Nov. 24, 1870.
King Amedeo was elected at a full meeting of the Cortes, at which 311 members, out of a total of 345, were present. The majority required by law for the election of a monarch was 173, and the King obtained 191 votes, the remainder being given to three other candi- dates for the throne, and in favour of a republic.
It is enacted by Art. 77 of the Constitution of Spain that the suc- cession to the throne shall be hereditary, ' in the regular order of primogeniture and representation.' The same section of the Con- stitution provides that ' should the dynasty called to the possession of the crown become extinct, the Cortes will proceed to a new choice, as may best suit the nation— como mas convenga a la Nacion.'
Since the foundation of the Spanish monarchy, by the union of the crowns of Aragon and Castille, there have been the following sove- reigns of Spain : — ■
House of Aragon.
Carlos III. .
1759
Fernando V. ' the Catholic ' .
1512
Carlos IV. .
1788
Fernando VII.
1808
House of Habsburg.
Carlos I. .
1516
House of Bonaparte.
Felipe II
1556
Joseph Bonaparte
1808
Felipe III
Felipe IV
1598 1621
House of Bourbon.
Carlos II
1665
Fernando VII., restored
1814
House of Bourbon.
Isabel II
1833
Felipe V
1700
House of Savoy.
Fernando VI. . .
1746
Amedeo I. .
1870
