REINAS Y REGENTES DE ESPAÑA

Counting the Visigoth and Suebi kings, the emirs and caliphs of Al-Andalus, the kings of the various Christian kingdoms and Taifa states, the Habsburgs, the Bourbons, plus a Bonaparte and a Savoy, Spain has had around four hundred crowned heads. Except for twelve queens, all were men. Of these, five reigned in Castile-León and Navarre, and one in Aragon, plus Isabel II, who was the only queen of Spain. This book contains the biographies of these women, plus those of two other queen consorts who, in fact, ruled more than the titular monarchs—Toda of Pamplona and Isabel de Farnesio—and those who served as regents. Most of these monarchs and regents were good rulers. Only two of them, the regent María Cristina de Borbón and Queen Isabel II, were the exception to the excellence that characterized the trajectory of women when they had the opportunity to reign. Manuel García Parody, professor of Geography and History, takes us on an exciting journey through the history of the Spanish monarchy when it fell to women, many of whom were far from the throne at birth. Through these pages, we will learn about their fascinating lives, marked by political vicissitudes, sacrifices, and challenges that pitted heart against reason for the future of their people and their lineages, in order to give them the recognition they deserve for the important role that the vast majority of them played in shaping Spain and its history.