Pedro de Alcántara Álvarez de Toledo y Palafox, 17th Duke of Medina Sidonia, known prior to his succession in the dukedom as The Marquis of Molina, was 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...

 Minister of Naval affairs

Spanish Government

Spain is a constitutional monarchy whose government is defined by the Constitution of Spain. This was approved by a general referendum of the people of Spain in 1978...

, mid-19th century, reign 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...

 counting amongst other political achievements the construction and launch in the Royal Dockyards of Ferrol, of Spain's first steam propelled ship

Steamboat

A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...

 in 1858. The ship

Paddle steamer

A paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...

 was named after the Spanish monarch (i.e.: Isabel II

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...

). Medina Sidonia was succeeded by his son José Joaquín Álvarez de Toledo, 18th Duke of Medina Sidonia

José Joaquín Álvarez de Toledo, 18th Duke of Medina Sidonia

Don José Joaquín Álvarez de Toledo y Silva, 18th Duke of Medina Sidonia, 14th Marquis of Villafranca del Bierzo, 14th Marquis of los Vélez, 12th Duke of Fernandina, 13th Marquis of Molina and 22nd Count of Niebla, Grandee of Spain, Knight of the Reales Maestranzas de Caballería de Valencia and...