Francisco Serrano y Domínguez, Duke de la Torre
Encyclopedia
Don
Francisco Serrano y Domínguez, 1st Duke of la Torre Grandee of Spain, Count of San Antonio (es
: Francisco Serrano y Domínguez, primer duque de la Torre, conde de San Antonio; 17 December 1810 – 25 November 1885) was a Spanish
marshal
and statesman. He was Prime Minister of Spain
and regent in 1868-1869.
, in the province of Cádiz. His father Francisco Serrano y Cuenca, Bueno Soto y Lara, born in Lopera
, parish of Purísima Concepción, was a general officer and a Liberal
. His mother was Isabel Domínguez y Guevara-Vasconcellos, Pérez de Vargas y Alburquerque, born in Marbella
ca. 1780.
Serrano began his studies at Vergara
in the Basque provinces
, became a cadet in 1822, cornet
in 1833 in the lancers of Sagunto
, passed into the carabiniers in 1829, and when the Carlist agitation began in 1833 he exchanged into the cuirassiers. He formed part of the escort which accompanied Don Carlos
, the first pretender and brother of Ferdinand VII, to the frontier of Portugal
.
As aide-de-camp
of Espoz y Mina
, then under the orders of Generals Córdoba
and Espartero
, in the armies of Queen Isabella
, Serrano took such an active part in the Carlist War from 1834 to 1839 that he rose from the rank of captain to that of brigadier-general. His services obtained for him the Cross of San Fernando and many medals. He was also granted the 155th Grand Cross
of the Order of the Tower and Sword
.
In 1839 he was elected a member of Cortes
for the first time for Málaga
, and in 1840 he was made a general of division and commander of the district of Valencia
, which he relinquished to take his seat in congress. From that day Serrano became one of the chief military politicians of Spain. In 1841 he helped Espartero to overthrow the regency of Queen Christina
. In 1843 at Barcelona
he made a pronunciamiento against Espartero; he became minister of war in the López cabinet, which convoked the Cortes that declared Queen Isabella of age at fifteen, served in the same capacity in an Olozaga cabinet, sulked as long as the Moderados were in office- He was made a senator in 1845, captain-general of Granada
in 1848, and from 1846 to 1853 lived apart from politics on his Andalusia
n estates or traveling abroad.
On 29 September 1850 in Madrid
he married his first cousin Antonia Domínguez y Borrell, Guevara y Lemus, 2nd Countess of San Antonio (Havana
, Baptized on 19 March 1831 - ?), daughter of his maternal uncle Miguel Domínguez y Guevara-Vasconcellos, Pérez de Vargas y Alburquerque (Marbella
, ca. 1790 - 9 January 1858), 1st Count of San Antonio, and wife María Isabel Borrell y Lemus, Padron y de la Cruz-Jimenez (Trinidad
- ?), and whose only brother Miguel Domínguez y Borrell, Guevara y Lemus died young. They had five children.
He assisted Marshal O'Donnell
in the military movements of 1854 and 1856, and was his staunch follower for twelve years. O'Donnell made him marshal in 1856 and captain-general of Cuba
from 1859 to 1862; and Serrano not only governed that island with success, and did good service in the war in Santo Domingo, but he was the first viceroy who advocated political and financial reforms in the colony.
On his return to Spain he was made Duke de la Torre, Grandee of Spain of the first class, and the 139th Minister of Foreign Affairs by O'Donnell from 18 January to 2 March 1863. Serrano gallantly exposed his life to help O'Donnell quell the formidable insurrection of 22 June 1866 at Madrid, and was rewarded with the Order of the Golden Fleece
. At the death of O'Donnell, be became the chief of the Union Liberal, and as president of the senate he assisted Ríos Rosas to draw up a petition to Queen Isabella against her Moderado ministers, for which both were exiled.
Undaunted, Serrano began to conspire with Antoine, Duke of Montpensier
, Prim
and Sagasta
; and on 7 July 1868 González Bravo had Serrano and other generals arrested and taken to the Canary Islands
. There Serrano remained until Admiral Topete
sent a steamer to bring him to Cadiz on 18 September that same year. On landing he signed the manifesto of the revolution with Prim, Topete, Sagasta, Martos and others, and accepted the command of the revolutionary army, with which he routed the troops of Queen Isabella under the orders of the Marquess of Novaliches at the bridge of Alcolea
. The queen fled to France
, and Serrano, having entered Madrid, formed a Provisional Government, convoked the Cortes Constituyentes in February 1869, and was appointed successively president of the executive as the 57th Prime Minister of Spain
and Regent from 3 October 1868 to 18 June 1869. He acted very impartially as a ruler, respecting the liberty of action of the Cortes and cabinets, and bowing to their selection of Amadeus I of Savoy
, though he would have preferred Montpensier.
As soon as Amadeus reached Madrid, after the death of Prim, Serrano consented to form a coalition cabinet, which lasted only a few months. Serrano resigned and took the command of the Italian
king's army against the Carlists in North Spain
. He tried to form one more cabinet under King Amadeus as the 65th Prime Minister of Spain
on 6 June 1872, but again resigned on 12 June when that monarch declined to give his ministers dictatorial powers and sent for Ruíz Zorilla
, whose mistakes led to the abdication of Amadeus on 11 February 1873. Serrano would have nothing to do with the federal republic, and even conspired with other generals and politicians to overthrow it on 23 April 1873. Having failed, he had to go to France until General Pavia, on the eve of his coup d'etat
of 3 January 1874, sent for him to take the head of affairs.
Serrano assumed once more the title of president of the executive; tried first a coalition cabinet, in which Cristino Martos and Sagasta soon quarrelled, then formed a cabinet presided over by Sagasta. This, however, failed to cope with the military and political agitation that brought about the restoration of the Bourbons
by another pronunciamienio at the end of December 1874. During the eleven months he remained in office Serrano devoted his attention chiefly to the reorganization of finance, the renewal of relations with American
and European powers, and the suppression of revolt.
After Alfonso XII
ascended the throne in 1875, Serrano spent some time in France. He returned to Madrid in 1876, attended palace receptions, took his seat as a marshal in the senate, flirted politically with Sagasta and his party in 1881, and finally gave his open support to the formation of a dynastic Left with a democratic program defended by his own nephew, General López Domínguez. He died in Madrid on 25 November/26 November 1885, twenty-four hours after Alfonso XII, who some say to be his own son. Alfonso was the son of Isabella II of Spain
, and allegedly, Francis of Assisi de Borbon
, her King Consort. His true biological paternity is uncertain, though his legal paternity is not: his mother was married to her (presumed homosexual) cousin Francis of Assisi de Borbon, the King Consort of Spain, at the time of Alfonso's conception and birth. Some theories suggest that Alfonso's biological father might have been either Enrique Puigmoltó y Mayans, Captain of the Royal Guard
, or General Francisco Serrano.
Don (honorific)
Don, from Latin dominus, is an honorific in Spanish , Portuguese , and Italian . The female equivalent is Doña , Dona , and Donna , abbreviated "Dª" or simply "D."-Usage:...
Francisco Serrano y Domínguez, 1st Duke of la Torre Grandee of Spain, Count of San Antonio (es
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: Francisco Serrano y Domínguez, primer duque de la Torre, conde de San Antonio; 17 December 1810 – 25 November 1885) was a Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
marshal
Marshal
Marshal , is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word is an ancient loan word from Old French, cf...
and statesman. He was Prime Minister of Spain
Prime Minister of Spain
The President of the Government of Spain , sometimes known in English as the Prime Minister of Spain, is the head of Government of Spain. The current office is established under the Constitution of 1978...
and regent in 1868-1869.
Biography
Serrano was born on Isla de LeónIsla de León
Isla de León is a historical name for the piece of land between the city of Cádiz and the Spanish peninsula.In 1813 it was renamed San Fernando in honour of King Fernando VII of Spain for his courage in the defense of the city during the Siege of Cádiz by the French....
, in the province of Cádiz. His father Francisco Serrano y Cuenca, Bueno Soto y Lara, born in Lopera
Lopera
Lopera is a city located in the province of Jaén, Spain. According to the 2005 census , the city has a population of 3,976 inhabitants....
, parish of Purísima Concepción, was a general officer and a Liberal
Liberal Union (Spain)
The Liberal Union was a political party in Spain in the third quarter of the 19th century. It was founded by Leopoldo O'Donnell in 1858 with the intent of forging a compromise and taking a centrist position between the two forces that had hitherto dominated Spanish politics during the reign of...
. His mother was Isabel Domínguez y Guevara-Vasconcellos, Pérez de Vargas y Alburquerque, born in Marbella
Marbella
Marbella is a town in Andalusia, Spain. It is situated on the Mediterranean Sea, in the province of Málaga, beneath the La Concha mountain. In 2000 the city had 98,823 inhabitants, in 2004, 116,234, in 2010 approximately 135,000....
ca. 1780.
Serrano began his studies at Vergara
Vergara
-Places:As a place name, it is an older spelling of Bergara, a town in Gipuzkoa, Spain.* Vergara, Uruguay* Vergara, Cundinamarca, Colombia-People:It is also a Basque surname :* Federico Bergara, Uruguayan footballer...
in the Basque provinces
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
, became a cadet in 1822, cornet
Cornet (military rank)
Cornet was originally the third and lowest grade of commissioned officer in a British cavalry troop, after captain and lieutenant. A cornet is a new and junior officer.- Traditional duties :The cornet carried the troop standard, also known as a "cornet"....
in 1833 in the lancers of Sagunto
Sagunto
Sagunto or Sagunt is an ancient city in Eastern Spain, in the modern fertile comarca of Camp de Morvedre in the province of Valencia. It is located in a hilly site, c. 30 km north of Valencia, close to the Costa del Azahar on the Mediterranean Sea...
, passed into the carabiniers in 1829, and when the Carlist agitation began in 1833 he exchanged into the cuirassiers. He formed part of the escort which accompanied Don Carlos
Infante Carlos, Count of Molina
The Infante Carlos of Spain was the second surviving son of King Charles IV of Spain and of his wife, Maria Luisa of Parma. As Carlos V he was the first of the Carlist claimants to the throne of Spain...
, the first pretender and brother of Ferdinand VII, to the frontier of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
.
As aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
of Espoz y Mina
Francisco Espoz y Mina
Francisco Espoz y Mina was a Spanish guerrilla leader and general.He was born at Idocin in Navarre. His father, Juan Esteban Espoz y Mina, and his mother, Maria Teresa Hundain y Ardaiz, belonged to the class of yeomen. Mina remained working on the small family inheritance until 1808...
, then under the orders of Generals Córdoba
Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba
Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba known as The Great Captain, Duke of Terranova and Santangelo, Andria, Montalto and Sessa, also known as Gonzalo de Córdoba, Italian: Gonsalvo or Consalvo Ernandes di Cordova was a Spanish general fighting in the times of the Conquest of Granada and the Italian Wars...
and Espartero
Baldomero Espartero, Prince of Vergara
Don Joaquín Baldomero Fernández-Espartero y Alvarez de Toro, 1st Prince of Vergara, 1st Duke of la Victoria, 1st Duke of Morella, 1st Count of Luchana, 1st Viscount of Banderas was a Spanish general and political figure...
, in the armies of Queen Isabella
Isabella II of Spain
Isabella II was the only female monarch of Spain in modern times. She came to the throne as an infant, but her succession was disputed by the Carlists, who refused to recognise a female sovereign, leading to the Carlist Wars. After a troubled reign, she was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of...
, Serrano took such an active part in the Carlist War from 1834 to 1839 that he rose from the rank of captain to that of brigadier-general. His services obtained for him the Cross of San Fernando and many medals. He was also granted the 155th Grand Cross
Grand Cross
The phrase Grand Cross is used to denote the highest grade in many orders of knighthood. Sometimes the holders of the highest grade are referred to "knights grand cross" or just "grand crosses"; in other cases the actual insignia itself is called "the grand cross".Alternatively, in some other...
of the Order of the Tower and Sword
Order of the Tower and Sword
The Military Order of the Tower and of the Sword, of Valour, Loyalty and Merit is a Portuguese order of knighthood and the pinnacle of the Portuguese honours system. It was created by King Afonso V in 1459....
.
In 1839 he was elected a member of Cortes
Cortes Generales
The Cortes Generales is the legislature of Spain. It is a bicameral parliament, composed of the Congress of Deputies and the Senate . The Cortes has power to enact any law and to amend the constitution...
for the first time for Málaga
Málaga
Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
, and in 1840 he was made a general of division and commander of the district of Valencia
Valencia (city in Spain)
Valencia or València is the capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third largest city in Spain, with a population of 809,267 in 2010. It is the 15th-most populous municipality in the European Union...
, which he relinquished to take his seat in congress. From that day Serrano became one of the chief military politicians of Spain. In 1841 he helped Espartero to overthrow the regency of Queen Christina
Maria Christina of Austria
Maria Christina of Austria was Queen consort of Spain as the second wife of King Alfonso XII of Spain...
. In 1843 at Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
he made a pronunciamiento against Espartero; he became minister of war in the López cabinet, which convoked the Cortes that declared Queen Isabella of age at fifteen, served in the same capacity in an Olozaga cabinet, sulked as long as the Moderados were in office- He was made a senator in 1845, captain-general of Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
in 1848, and from 1846 to 1853 lived apart from politics on his Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
n estates or traveling abroad.
On 29 September 1850 in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
he married his first cousin Antonia Domínguez y Borrell, Guevara y Lemus, 2nd Countess of San Antonio (Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Baptized on 19 March 1831 - ?), daughter of his maternal uncle Miguel Domínguez y Guevara-Vasconcellos, Pérez de Vargas y Alburquerque (Marbella
Marbella
Marbella is a town in Andalusia, Spain. It is situated on the Mediterranean Sea, in the province of Málaga, beneath the La Concha mountain. In 2000 the city had 98,823 inhabitants, in 2004, 116,234, in 2010 approximately 135,000....
, ca. 1790 - 9 January 1858), 1st Count of San Antonio, and wife María Isabel Borrell y Lemus, Padron y de la Cruz-Jimenez (Trinidad
Trinidad, Cuba
-External links:* , Online travel guide to Trinidad* , Selected photos of Trinidad* , Photos of Trinidad...
- ?), and whose only brother Miguel Domínguez y Borrell, Guevara y Lemus died young. They had five children.
He assisted Marshal O'Donnell
Leopoldo O'Donnell, 1st Duke of Tetuan
Don Leopoldo O'Donnell y Jorris, 1st Duke of Tetuan, 1st Count of Lucena, 1st Viscount of Aliaga, Grandee of Spain, , was a Spanish general and statesman...
in the military movements of 1854 and 1856, and was his staunch follower for twelve years. O'Donnell made him marshal in 1856 and captain-general of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
from 1859 to 1862; and Serrano not only governed that island with success, and did good service in the war in Santo Domingo, but he was the first viceroy who advocated political and financial reforms in the colony.
On his return to Spain he was made Duke de la Torre, Grandee of Spain of the first class, and the 139th Minister of Foreign Affairs by O'Donnell from 18 January to 2 March 1863. Serrano gallantly exposed his life to help O'Donnell quell the formidable insurrection of 22 June 1866 at Madrid, and was rewarded with the Order of the Golden Fleece
Order of the Golden Fleece
The Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430, to celebrate his marriage to the Portuguese princess Infanta Isabella of Portugal, daughter of King John I of Portugal. It evolved as one of the most prestigious orders in Europe...
. At the death of O'Donnell, be became the chief of the Union Liberal, and as president of the senate he assisted Ríos Rosas to draw up a petition to Queen Isabella against her Moderado ministers, for which both were exiled.
Antoine, Duke of Montpensier
- Titles and styles:/*13 July 182421 September 1824: His Serene Highness Prince Antoine d'Orléans*21 September 18249 August 1830: His Royal Highness Prince Antoine d'Orléans...
, Prim
Juan Prim
Don Juan or Joan Prim, Marquis of los Castillejos, Grandee of Spain, Count of Reus, Viscount of the Bruch was a Spanish general and statesman.-Life:...
and Sagasta
Práxedes Mateo Sagasta
Práxedes Mariano Mateo Sagasta y Escolar was a Spanish politician who served as Prime Minister on eight occasions between 1870 and 1902—always in charge of the Liberal Party—as part of the turno pacifico, alternating with the Liberal-Conservative leader Antonio Cánovas...
; and on 7 July 1868 González Bravo had Serrano and other generals arrested and taken to the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
. There Serrano remained until Admiral Topete
Juan Bautista Topete
Juan Bautista Topete y Carballo , Spanish naval commander and politician, was born in San Andrés Tuxtla, Mexico.His father and grandfather were also Spanish admirals...
sent a steamer to bring him to Cadiz on 18 September that same year. On landing he signed the manifesto of the revolution with Prim, Topete, Sagasta, Martos and others, and accepted the command of the revolutionary army, with which he routed the troops of Queen Isabella under the orders of the Marquess of Novaliches at the bridge of Alcolea
Alcolea
-External links: - Diputación Provincial de Almería...
. The queen fled to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and Serrano, having entered Madrid, formed a Provisional Government, convoked the Cortes Constituyentes in February 1869, and was appointed successively president of the executive as the 57th Prime Minister of Spain
Prime Minister of Spain
The President of the Government of Spain , sometimes known in English as the Prime Minister of Spain, is the head of Government of Spain. The current office is established under the Constitution of 1978...
and Regent from 3 October 1868 to 18 June 1869. He acted very impartially as a ruler, respecting the liberty of action of the Cortes and cabinets, and bowing to their selection of Amadeus I of Savoy
Amadeo I of Spain
Amadeo I was the only King of Spain from the House of Savoy...
, though he would have preferred Montpensier.
As soon as Amadeus reached Madrid, after the death of Prim, Serrano consented to form a coalition cabinet, which lasted only a few months. Serrano resigned and took the command of the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
king's army against the Carlists in North Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. He tried to form one more cabinet under King Amadeus as the 65th Prime Minister of Spain
Prime Minister of Spain
The President of the Government of Spain , sometimes known in English as the Prime Minister of Spain, is the head of Government of Spain. The current office is established under the Constitution of 1978...
on 6 June 1872, but again resigned on 12 June when that monarch declined to give his ministers dictatorial powers and sent for Ruíz Zorilla
Manuel Ruiz Zorrilla
Manuel Ruiz Zorrilla was a Spanish politician. He served as prime minister of Spain for a little over ten weeks in the summer of 1871, and again for eight months between June 1872 and February 1873....
, whose mistakes led to the abdication of Amadeus on 11 February 1873. Serrano would have nothing to do with the federal republic, and even conspired with other generals and politicians to overthrow it on 23 April 1873. Having failed, he had to go to France until General Pavia, on the eve of his coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
of 3 January 1874, sent for him to take the head of affairs.
Serrano assumed once more the title of president of the executive; tried first a coalition cabinet, in which Cristino Martos and Sagasta soon quarrelled, then formed a cabinet presided over by Sagasta. This, however, failed to cope with the military and political agitation that brought about the restoration of the Bourbons
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
by another pronunciamienio at the end of December 1874. During the eleven months he remained in office Serrano devoted his attention chiefly to the reorganization of finance, the renewal of relations with American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and European powers, and the suppression of revolt.
After Alfonso XII
Alfonso XII of Spain
Alfonso XII was king of Spain, reigning from 1874 to 1885, after a coup d'état restored the monarchy and ended the ephemeral First Spanish Republic.-Early life and paternity:Alfonso was the son of Queen Isabella II of Spain, and...
ascended the throne in 1875, Serrano spent some time in France. He returned to Madrid in 1876, attended palace receptions, took his seat as a marshal in the senate, flirted politically with Sagasta and his party in 1881, and finally gave his open support to the formation of a dynastic Left with a democratic program defended by his own nephew, General López Domínguez. He died in Madrid on 25 November/26 November 1885, twenty-four hours after Alfonso XII, who some say to be his own son. Alfonso was the son of Isabella II of Spain
Isabella II of Spain
Isabella II was the only female monarch of Spain in modern times. She came to the throne as an infant, but her succession was disputed by the Carlists, who refused to recognise a female sovereign, leading to the Carlist Wars. After a troubled reign, she was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of...
, and allegedly, Francis of Assisi de Borbon
Francis of Spain
Francis of Spain was King consort of Spain as spouse of Isabella II of Spain. He is commonly styled the Duke of Cádiz, the title he held before his marriage.-Family:...
, her King Consort. His true biological paternity is uncertain, though his legal paternity is not: his mother was married to her (presumed homosexual) cousin Francis of Assisi de Borbon, the King Consort of Spain, at the time of Alfonso's conception and birth. Some theories suggest that Alfonso's biological father might have been either Enrique Puigmoltó y Mayans, Captain of the Royal Guard
Royal Guard
A Royal Guard describes any group of military bodyguards, soldiers or armed retainers responsible for the protection of a royal person, such as Emperor/Empress, King/Queen, or Prince/Princess...
, or General Francisco Serrano.