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120-576: As established in the Agreements of the Council of Ministers of November 28, 1986 and February 16, 1996, the structure, organization, resources and specific operating procedures of the Information Services and those specifically destined to the fight against terrorism , as well as such as its sources and any information or data that may reveal them, is classified information . During the second half of

240-610: A court of law. However, special legislation was passed by parliament prior to his abdication that states he may only be tried by Spain's Supreme Court and no other. The Person of the King of Spain is inviolable and shall not be held accountable. His acts shall always be countersigned in the manner established in section 64. Without such countersignature they shall not be valid, except as provided under section 65(2). The concept of lèse-majesté ( lesa-majestad ) exists in Spanish jurisprudence , which

360-755: A good police throughout the Kingdom. 2nd. Dissolution of the Army and formation of a new one. 3rd. Nothing that has a relationship with Chambers or any kind of representation. 4th. To clean up all the Secretaries of Dispatch, Justice and other offices of both the Court and the rest of the Kingdom of all those who have been addicted to the Constitutional System, protecting the Realists decisively. 5th. Work ceaselessly to destroy

480-763: A king on the throne, he ruled through a coalition of allied organizations from the Spanish Civil War including, but not limited to, the Falange political party, the supporters of the Bourbon royal family, and the Carlists , until his death in 1975. Despite Franco's alliance with the Carlists, Franco appointed Juan Carlos I de Borbón as his successor, who is credited with presiding over Spain's transition from dictatorship to democracy by fully endorsing political reforms. Impatient with

600-523: A military coup took place and the Bourbon restoration started with Alfonso XII , son of Queen Isabella II, as King of Spain . During this period the Constitution of 1876 was approved, a constitution sufficiently flexible so that all the ideologies coexisted under it and could make the necessary changes in favor of one or another ideology without altering the system. This constitution gave sovereignty to both

720-569: A new administration reform; and normalized relations with the Holy See through the Concordat of 1851 . But, undoubtedly, the task with more resonance was the preparation of a draft constitutional reform, however this suffered the rejection of progressive deputies, most of the moderates and the Queen Mother herself, who still had great influence on her daughter. All this ended up causing the resignation of

840-520: A period of great colonial expansion and trade. The Hispanic Crown retained control over and profited from all operations in overseas colonies (by and large royal assets under a monopoly on trade), including slave trade , developed under the purview of the regalía late-medieval system. The death in 1700 of Charles II , last of the Spanish Habsburgs, triggered the War of the Spanish succession . With

960-453: A personal power supported by the Armed Forces and the distribution of royal favors, as well as the cowardice of politicians to curb the king's desire for power and his authoritarian personality. The crisis of the system was evident, and in the next 21 years until the coup d'état of Primo de Rivera there were 33 governments, at an average of 8 months per government. On 13 September 1923,

1080-532: Is granted to the Most Excellent General of Division Mr. Francisco Franco Bahamonde, who will assume all the powers of the new State. Article Two - He is also named Generalissimo of the national forces of land, sea, and air, and is conferred the position of General Head of Operations Armies. Article Three - This proclamation will be solemnly covered, before adequate representation of all the national elements that make up this liberating movement, and from it

1200-572: Is incumbent upon the monarch to "confer civil and military positions and award honors and distinctions in conformity of the law". According to the Spanish Ministry of Justice , nobility and grandee titles are created by the "sovereign grace of the king", and may be passed on to the recipient's heirs, who may not sell the title. Titles may revert to the Crown when their vacancy is observed. Succession of titles may follow one of several courses listed on

1320-598: Is personally immune from prosecution for acts committed by government ministers in the king's name. Although he is nominally chief executive, his acts are not valid unless countersigned by a minister, who then assumes political and legal responsibility for the act in question. This legal convention mirrors the concept of sovereign immunity which evolved in similar constitutional monarchies. The legal concept of sovereign immunity evolved into other aspects of immunity law in similar liberal democracies , such as parliamentary immunity , judicial immunity , and qualified immunity in

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1440-447: Is the constitutional form of government of Spain . It consists of a hereditary monarch who reigns as the head of state , being the highest office of the country. The current King is Felipe VI since 19 June 2014, after the abdication of his father, King Juan Carlos I . The Spanish monarchy is constitutionally referred to as The Crown ( Spanish : La Corona ), and it comprises the reigning monarch , his or her royal family, and

1560-695: Is the crime or offense violating the dignity of the head-of-state or the State itself. According to Article 56 of the 1978 Constitution the monarch and the dignity of the Spanish State are one and the same: "The King is Head of State, the symbol of its unity and permanence". Breaching Spain's lèse-majesté laws may carry fines and up to two years in prison. The concept is within the same legal sphere as legislation prohibiting flag desecration in other democratic countries. Additionally, lèse-majesté extends to any foreign heads-of-state visiting Spain, and other members of

1680-463: Is the inheritance that it seemed to me to leave to my beloved vassals, reduced to perpetuate in them and in their government and constitution the progressive succession of the lights and maxims that I have acquired. To this end I have resolved that, in addition to the Council of State, which will be convened when I, or my successors have it convenient, there is a Supreme Board, also of the State, similar to

1800-453: Is why I warn you that the use of this right is completely reserved for me». To this the Duke of Veragua replied, that the same Constitution affirmed that those decisions should be countersigned by the ministers, a position that Prime Minister Sagasta did not defend and implying that the monarch's argument prevailed. This reflects the characteristics that Spanish politics took, with a monarch with

1920-680: The Bourbon Reforms , attempted to rationalize administration and produce more revenue from the overseas empire. During the Napoleonic Wars , the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte forced Ferdinand VII to abdicate in 1808, and the Bourbons became a focus of popular resistance against French rule. However, Ferdinand's rejection of the liberal Spanish Constitution of 1812 , as well as his ministerial appointments, particularly

2040-710: The Count of Floridablanca , which was attended by the Secretaries of State and the Dispatch and anyone they considered necessary to address the issues presented to them. This Board was not properly a Council of Ministers because, as we have said, not only ministers but other authorities, such as the Councilors of State, could attend and, in addition, this body was limited by the Reserved Instruction, an articulated text that included

2160-703: The Government Delegated Committees . The Delegated Committees are created by the Council and composed by ministers and secretaries of state which deal with minor issues that may affect more than one ministry. The Secretary of the Council of Ministers is the Minister of the Presidency . It is regulated by Article 98 of the Spanish Constitution and by article 5 of the Government Act of 1997. From

2280-580: The Order of Alfonso X , the Royal and Military Order of Saint Hermenegild , the Order of Saint Raimundo de Penafort , the Order of Military Merit , the Order of Naval Merit , the Order of Aerial Merit , the Order of Civil Merit , the Order of Cultural Merit , the Order of Calatrava , the Order of the Knights of Santiago , the Order of Sant Jordi d'Alfama , and the Order of Alcántara , among others. The Spanish monarch

2400-735: The President of the Republic to legislate on legislative matters, this provisional legislation being that Congress could later reject it. On 18 July 1936 a part of the Republican army took up arms against the constitutional regime. On 24 July, the National Defense Board was created in Burgos , which assumed "all the Powers of the State and legitimately represents the country before foreign powers." This body

2520-477: The Royal Household , which supports and facilitates the sovereign in the exercise of his duties and prerogatives. The Royal Family is currently represented by King Felipe VI , Queen Letizia , their daughters Leonor, Princess of Asturias , and Infanta Sofía , and the king's parents, King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía . The Spanish Constitution of 1978 re-established a constitutional monarchy as

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2640-643: The Title of Concession when the title is created. As a general rule, most titles are now inherited by absolute Cognatic Primogeniture (as of 2006), in which the first born inherits all titles regardless of gender. However, a title holder may designate his successor, Succession by Assignment , or disperse his titles among his children – with the eldest getting the highest-ranking title, Succession by Distribution . During his reign between 1975 and 2014, King Juan Carlos awarded peerages to two of his former prime ministers who had retired from active politics: Adolfo Suárez , who

2760-468: The coup d'état of Primo de Rivera was held, ending with the approval of King Alfonso XIII and his appointment as head of government . With the arrival of Primo de Rivera to power a Military Directorate was established chaired over by him under the title of President of the Military Directorate —with full executive and legislative powers— and the office of President of the Council of Ministers and

2880-473: The regency of the monarchy and guardianship of the person of the monarch in the event of his minority or incapacitation. The office of Regent(s) and the Guardianship of the monarch (whether the monarch is in his minority or incapacitated) may not necessarily be the same person. In the event of the minority of the monarch, the surviving mother or father, or oldest relative of legal age who is nearest in line to

3000-646: The "nations of its historical community". The monarch serves as honorary president of the Organization of Ibero-American States , representing over 700,000,000 people in twenty-four member nations worldwide. The monarchy in Spain has its roots in the Visigothic Kingdom and its Christian successor states of Navarre , Asturias (later Leon and Castille ) and Aragon , which fought the Reconquista or Reconquest of

3120-762: The 15th century, the marriage between Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon , both members of the House of Trastámara , known as the Catholic Monarchs , united two important kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula . Each kingdom retained its basic structure. The last pretender of the crown of the Byzantine Empire , Andreas Palaiologos , who styled himself as "Emperor of Constantinople", bestowed his imperial title to Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile in his last testament, dated 7 April 1502, although

3240-532: The 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, the main problems faced by the Civil Guard were banditry and anarchist terrorism . Due to this, the first investigation and information units were created to put an end to these acts, as happened with the other Spanish police forces (Surveillance Corps and Security Corps). Likewise, in the 1930s the "Railway Brigades" were created, plainclothes groups in charge of monitoring rail transport and whose components, for

3360-577: The Constitution and the Laws are sustained, and to respect the rights of the citizens and of the autonomous communities. The 1978 Constitution, Title II The Crown , Article 62, delineates the powers of the king, while Title IV Government and Administration , Article 99, defines the king's role in the appointment of the prime minister and the formation of the council of ministers/government. Title VI Judicial Power , Article 117, Articles 122 through 124, outlines

3480-456: The Council (although according to the Constitution they could be, if the Government Act included them, a constitutional provision that until today has not been used). The Monarch may also chair the Council when needed on the invitation of the Prime Minister. The ministers are proposed by the Prime Minister and formally appointed by the King. There is no requirement for the Prime Minister nor

3600-633: The Council of Ministers but without specifying their formation and powers. Although the Royal Statute affirmed that the monarch freely appoints and separates the ministers, the parliamentary practice obliged the sovereign to elect the ministers among the members of the Cortes Generales who had the confidence of these ministers, in clear imitation of the European systems in which the Government should have

3720-651: The Council of Ministers in the Republican era continued to maintain the double confidence of the monarchical tradition, and must have the confidence of the Cortes and the President of the Republic. The Council of Ministers had the legislative initiative that it shared with the Cortes, it had regulatory power and it could legislate by delegation of Congress. In addition, the Council of Ministers in exceptional cases could give authority to

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3840-503: The European balance of power . Philip V was the first member of the House of Bourbon (Spanish: Borbón ) to rule Spain. That dynasty still rules today under Felipe (Philip) VI. In the mid-eighteenth century, particularly under Charles III of Spain , the Spanish Crown embarked on an ambitious and far-reaching project to implement major reforms in the administration of Spain and the Spanish empire. These changes, collectively known as

3960-460: The European mainstream and often engaged in cross- Pyrenees alliances and marriages, and became patrons to Cluniac Reforms (c. 950–c. 1130). Urraca's son and heir Alfonso VII of León and Castile , the first of the Spanish branch of the Burgundy Family , was the last to claim the imperial title of Spain , but divided his empire among his sons. The Castilian Civil War (1366 to 1369) ended with

4080-660: The Iberian peninsula following the Umayyad conquest of Hispania in the 8th century. One of the earliest influential dynasties was the House of Jiménez which united much of Christian Iberia under its leadership in the 11th century. From Sancho III of Navarre (r. 1000–1035) until Urraca of León and Castile (r. 1106–1125), members of the Jiménez family claimed the historic Visigothic title Imperator totius Hispaniae or Emperor of All Spain . The Jiménez rulers sought to bring their kingdoms into

4200-502: The King. The Secretary of State (or First Secretary of State) would act as Chief Minister and preside over the meetings when the King was absent. The first meeting of the Council was on 22 November and to it were summoned the Minister of Justice, the Minister of War and the Minister of the Treasury and Navy. This Council was directly and permanently submitted to the monarch, as it appears in

4320-505: The Liberals, the Queen Regent appointed Secretary of State to Martinez de la Rosa , who due to the tradition already created, received the title of President of the Council of Ministers with the approval of the Royal Statute and with this title, he has been considered the first real Prime Minister of Spain. It was precisely this statute, which for the first time constitutionalized the body of

4440-572: The Ministers constitute the Government" and the figure of the President emphasizes that «he directs and represents the general policy of the Government» while the ministers «are responsible for the top direction and management of the public services assigned to the different ministerial departments». With this Constitution it can be affirmed that the Prime Minister ceases to be primus inter pares . As in

4560-511: The Monarch and the Cortes , returning to the principle that the Government should have the confidence of both the Crown and Parliament. Thanks to this flexibility, a two-party system is installed in Spain , which derives from the so-called turnismo between Cánovas and Sagasta agreed at El Pardo Palace , through which the liberal and conservative parties took turns in power. For politicians of

4680-587: The Nationalists. Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany aided Franco in the Spanish Civil War. The Soviet Union backed the Republican Government as did Mexico under the government of Lázaro Cárdenas . After sixteen years without monarchy or kingdom, in 1947, Spain was made a Kingdom again by General Franco, who claimed to rule Spain as Head of state of the Kingdom of Spain through the Law of Succession . However, without

4800-616: The Pragmatic Sanction argued that it was never officially promulgated, claiming Ferdinand VII's younger brother, Prince Carlos , the rightful heir to the crown according to the Salic Law. In September 1873, the First Spanish Republic was founded. A coup d'état restored the Bourbon dynasty to the throne in 1874. In 1931 Spanish local elections produced victories (particularly in urban areas) for candidates favoring an end to

4920-461: The Secretaries of State and of the Dispatch appeared. The institution of the Council of Ministers as a collective body of government does not appear with such a name until its creation by King Ferdinand VII in 1823, however, prior to this, it is worth mentioning the Supreme State Board. The Supreme State Board was a collective body of government created by King Charles III on the advice of

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5040-516: The Spanish State domestically and internationally, all the while aiming to maintain a professionally non-partisan yet independent monarchy. The Crown of Spain ( la Corona de España ), with its roots in the Visigothic kingdom from the 5th century and subsequent successor states, is recognized in Title II The Crown , Articles 56 through 65 of the Spanish Constitution of 1978 . Constitutionally

5160-418: The Spanish explorations and settlement in the Caribbean, the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire and the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire , the crown established high courts ("Audiencias") and viceroyalties in important regions ( Mexico , 1535; Panama , 1538, which was later replaced by Lima , 1542). The viceroy (vice-king) and the Audiencias were the effective administrators of royal policy. In 1505,

5280-439: The Spanish monarchs have never used the title. In 1492 the Catholic Monarchs conquered the Kingdom of Granada in southern Spain, the last Muslim territory in the Iberian peninsula. The unification of Spain is marked from this date, though the Spanish kingdoms continued past that date. The territories of the Spanish empire overseas were dependencies of the Crown of Castile, and Castile had an outsized influence there. Following

5400-441: The Spanish monarchy passed to the House of Habsburg in the person of King Charles I (also Holy Roman Emperor as Charles V), son of Queen Joanna and King Philip I of Castile (usually Philip the Handsome in English). With the death of Ferdinand II of Aragon in 1516 the Aragonese lands were added to Charles and Joanna's territories. With his mother and co-monarch Joanna confined in Tordesillas , claimed to be mad, Charles I

5520-414: The Supreme State Board and to return to the previous system with the Council of State like central organ of the Administration. Briefly, with the return of King Ferdinand VII to the throne of Spain and the abolition of the Constitution of Cadiz , the king recovered the old Supreme Board by Royal Decree of 2 November 1815. After the experience during the Trienio Liberal , the Council of Ministers

5640-514: The United States. As the reigning monarch the king of Spain has absolute sovereign immunity, he cannot be charged in any court of law in the Spanish state. This immunity applies to both civil and criminal cases. Sovereign immunity is reserved exclusively for the current holder of the Office of King. It does not apply to any other member of the royal family. When Juan Carlos I abdicated the throne to his successor Felipe VI he automatically forfeited his constitutional sovereign immunity and can be charged in

5760-420: The [headquarters of the] First Secretary of State (the Prime Minister), even if this or another of the ministers does not attend, without any label or formalities of precedence between the concurrent, which only serve to prevent or delay my service and the good of the crown. (...) With the fall of Floridablanca in 1792 and the arrival to the power of Aranda , this one influenced in the King Carlos IV to suppress

5880-436: The ascension to the throne of the young Alfonso XIII , there was a radical change in Spanish politics . The personality of the monarch to have a central role in decision-making was reflected in the first Council of Ministers, in which, the king read article 54.8 of the Constitution and as a comment he said to his ministers: «As you have just heard, the Constitution gives me the concession of honors, titles and greatness ; that

6000-486: The beginnings of the modern state and the centralization of power in the monarchs, the government was exercised by them through people of trust. The monarchs trusted them certain subjects and with which they made daily dispatches to deal with these matters. Over time, these trusted people who, on numerous occasions, received the title of ministers, were in conflict with the powers of other ministers and, to resolve these, they made collective meetings between various ministers and

6120-447: The center as the true guiding center of the country's administrative action. It is at this time when a true civil government is established, with small lapses of prime ministers of a military nature. It is also not a period free of controversy, since a turnismo system like this was only possible with the help of the Ministry of the Interior which is traditionally in charge of supervising the electoral processes and which, at that time,

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6240-416: The confidence of the Crown and Parliament. In the same way, the prerogatives that were granted to the monarch were actually exercised by his ministers. In the first Council's meetings of Martinez de la Rosa and Mendizábal the Queen Regent did not usually attend —although she was always informed of everything— and they met once or twice a week and with the ordinary assistance of the ministers —although during

6360-447: The constitution is obeyed. Lastly, the king swears to respect the rights of Spanish citizens and of the self-governing communities. The Prince of Asturias, upon reaching the age of majority, in addition to any regent(s) upon assuming the office, swears the same oath as that of the king along with a further oath of loyalty to the monarch. The oath reads as follows: I swear faithfully to discharge my functions, to sustain and see to it that

6480-406: The constitutional course to the country, but the local elections of 1931 eventually end up with the monarchy and the Second Republic was established. With the arrival of the second republic and the approval of the Constitution of 1931 , a parallel is established between the Government and the Council of Ministers, when it says in its article 86 that "the President of the Council of Ministers and

6600-403: The constitutional guarantees suspended. In the winter of 1851, Juan Bravo Murillo became President of the Council of Ministers, forming a council with a remarkable technical training devoted in depth to the art of government and administration, moving away from the military rather than political government of General Narváez . This Council carried out an important economic sanitation; prepared

6720-420: The country's on-going late-2000s economic crisis . According to the Spanish Constitution voted in referendum , the sovereign power emanates from the people, so it is the very same people who give the king the power to reign: National sovereignty belongs to the Spanish people, from whom all State powers emanate. The monarch " arbitrates and moderates the regular functioning of the institutions " and assumes

6840-404: The death of King Peter (r. 1334–1369) at the hands of his illegitimate half-brother Henry, 1st Count of Trastámara who ruled as Henry II (r. 1369–1379). Henry II became the first of the House of Trastámara to rule over a Spanish kingdom. King Peter's heiress, his granddaughter Catherine of Lancaster , married Henry III , reuniting the dynasties in the person of their son, King John II . In

6960-431: The death of the childless Charles II, the succession to the throne was disputed. Charles II had designated his sister Maria Theresa 's grandson, Philip of France , Duke of Anjou , as his heir. The possible unification of Spain with France, the two big European powers at the time, sparked the Spanish War of Succession in the 18th century, culminating in the treaties of Utrecht (1713) and Rastatt (1714) , which preserved

7080-405: The director-general of the Civil Guard issued a circular, completed by the reserved order of April 1, 1941, which contained the precise instructions for putting the service into operation, creating thus, officially, the Civil Guard Information Service (SIGC). During the period of activity of the terrorist group ETA , the SIGC, together with the General Commissariat of Information (CGI), have been

7200-417: The ephemeral governments ended until 1851. His Council of Ministers carried out important reforms in the Administration and the Treasury, but the most important was to confront and dominate the events of 1848 . The revolutions of this year affected Spain in a limited way thanks to the iron hand of the Council, coming to call it a "necessary dictatorship" since the government ruled with the Cortes dissolved and

7320-399: The exclusion of liberals, gradually eroded popular support for the Spanish monarchy. With the Pragmatic Sanction of 1830 , Ferdinand set aside the Salic law , introduced by Philip V, that prohibited women from becoming sovereigns of Spain. Thereby, as had been customary before the arrival of the Bourbons, Ferdinand VII's eldest daughter Isabella became his heiress presumptive . Opponents of

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7440-420: The figure of the favourite ( Spanish : Valido ) appeared, a kind of prime minister . It is at this time when the position of secretary of the Dispatch appears. With Philip V and, by French influence, the Council of Dispatch was created with a few members. This members had the task of advise the monarch in his task of government and that displaced the Council of State in this task. During his reign many of

7560-415: The first of the Spanish Bourbons, women were barred from succession until Ferdinand VII reintroduced the right and designated his elder daughter Isabella as his heir presumptive by 1833. The debate on amending the Crown's succession law came to the forefront on 31 October 2005, when Infanta Leonor was born to the current King and Queen of Spain. Amending the law to absolute primogeniture would allow

7680-412: The first-born to inherit the throne, whether the heir be male or female. The Zapatero administration of the day proclaimed its intention to amend the succession law; however, with the birth of the king's second daughter the issue was postponed. Paving the way, in 2006 King Juan Carlos issued a decree reforming the succession to noble titles from male preference primogeniture to absolute primogeniture. Since

7800-418: The form of government for Spain after the end of the dictatorship of Francisco Franco and the restoration of democracy in 1977 . The 1978 constitution affirmed the role of the King of Spain as the living personification and embodiment of the Spanish nation and a symbol of Spain's enduring unity and permanence and is also invested as the "arbitrator and the moderator" of Spanish institutions. Constitutionally,

7920-441: The functions of secretary of the Council the Minister of Grace and Justice . They used to meet once a week; later, it was extended to twice —Tuesdays and Saturdays— although depending on the circumstances, the hours could vary, as happened at the time of the uprising of Jorge Bessières that met daily or when the monarch pleased. Extraordinary meetings and the continual excuses of the ministers not to attend were also common, although

8040-429: The general norm was habitual attendance, as was not the case in other institutions of the monarchy. Likewise, various authorities that were called to issue reports or defend the files that were being processed could go to the Council, generally in the area of the Treasury and international relations. They were described in the minutes as "assistants". The place designed for its meetings and the most usual in its beginnings

8160-427: The government in December 1852. With the fall of the Bravo Murillo government, political instability and ephemeral governments returned, lasting until the fall of the First Republic in 1874. After the dethronement of Isabella II , the debates on the form of State, the regency of Serrano (1869-1871), the brief reign of Amadeo I (1871-1873), the republican experience (1873-1873) and the Serrano dictatorship (1874),

8280-581: The hands of Your Highness confident that their resignation will be admitted, which is based on the essential conditions of the representative government (...)». Espartero quickly appointed Álvaro Gómez Becerra as Prime Minister, something that did not please the Congress that ratified his support for the previous government. After this situation began the uprisings against General Espartero and, in Barcelona, General Serrano proclaimed himself universal minister, ceased Espartero and appointed Joaquín María López as prime minister, who took this opportunity to lift

8400-418: The highest representation of the Spanish State in international relations. The monarch exercises the functions expressly conferred on him by the constitution and the laws. The King is Head of State, the symbol of its unity and permanence. He arbitrates and moderates the regular functioning of the institutions, assumes the highest representation of the Spanish State in international relations, especially with

8520-448: The historic dynasty" be included in the text to underscore that the monarchy was a historic institution predating the constitution or the prior regime. The Crown of Spain shall be inherited by the successors of HM Juan Carlos I de Borbón, the legitimate heir of the historic dynasty. Succession to the throne shall follow the regular order of primogeniture and representation, the first line having preference over subsequent lines; and within

8640-418: The historical texts that show that between 28 December 1825 and 19 September 1826 it was suspended by direct orders of Ferdinand VII, while it was strengthened the Council of State . From the beginning of the Council of Ministers there were constant conflicts between the Secretaries of Dispatch of the Council and the secretaries of the Council of State because in many occasions the first one had to respond before

8760-466: The king and queen in Madrid, and in 2009 two Galician separatists were fined for burning effigies of the king. According to Article 57 the Crown of Spain is inherited by the successors of King Juan Carlos I de Borbón through male preference primogeniture . While drafting the new constitution, lawyer and liberal congressman Joaquín Satrústegui (1909–1992) insisted that the phrase "the legitimate heir of

8880-553: The king in his minority shall fall under the guardianship of the person designated in the will of the deceased monarch, provided that he or she be of age and of Spanish nationality. If no guardian has been appointed in the will, then the father or mother will then assume the guardianship, as long as they remain widowed. Otherwise, the Cortes Generales shall appoint both the Regent(s) and the guardian, who in this case may not be held by

9000-504: The king of Spain can bestow. The second in order the king may award is the Order of Charles III to "citizens who, with their effort, initiative and work, have brought a distinguished and extraordinary service to the Nation". The Laureate Cross of Saint Ferdinand is Spain's highest military award for gallantry. Other orders, decorations, and medals include the Order of Isabella the Catholic ,

9120-655: The king used a specially designed command communications center in the Zarzuela Palace to denounce the coup and command the military's eleven captains general to stand down. Following the events of 1981, Juan Carlos led a less eventful life, according to author John Hooper. Juan Carlos did not preside over ceremonies such as the opening of hospitals and bridges as often as monarchs in other nations. Instead, he worked towards establishing reliable political customs when transitioning one government administration to another, emphasizing constitutional law and protocol, and representing

9240-452: The king's role in the country's independent judiciary . However, by constitutional convention established by Juan Carlos I, the king exercises his prerogatives having solicited government advice while maintaining a politically non-partisan and independent monarchy. Receiving government advice does not necessarily bind the monarch into executing the advice, except where prescribed by the constitution. His acts shall always be countersigned in

9360-440: The latter, a situation that shortly after ceased to re-establish the king, on the proposal of the Council of Ministers, the merely consultative structure originally held by the Council of State. To understand the motives that the monarch had to create the Council, it is necessary to resort to the royal decree of December 1823 that establishes the "bases on which the new Council of Ministers must walk," and these are: 1st. Raise

9480-515: The manner established in section 64. Without such countersignature they shall not be valid, except as provided under section 65(2). It is incumbent upon the King: The 1978 constitution confirms the title of the monarch is the King of Spain , but that he may also use other titles historically associated with the Crown. According to Royal Decree 1368/1987, regulating the titles, treatments and honours of

9600-510: The matters that could be discussed by the Board. The Board, created in 1787, did not have a long journey or developed the work for which Floridablanca promoted its creation and, only a few months later, the first criticisms appeared accusing the Count of Floridablanca of wanting to assume all the ministries powers through this body, to appoint the high officials of the Kingdom and thus gather in his person all

9720-505: The mechanism of parliamentary confidence, since it was the President of the Republic who appointed the Prime Minister freely, although they did respond jointly to their actions before the Congress and, if the parliament expressly denied them confidence, the head of the State was forced to cease them. Likewise, Congress could censure the government or individually the ministers forcing them to resign if approved by an absolute majority. Therefore,

9840-485: The ministers to be MPs . The ministers are the heads of a ministerial department and receive the title of "Minister". In addition to the ministers that are the head of a department, there may be ministers without portfolio , who are entrusted responsibility for certain government functions. The Council is the main collective decision-making body of the government and the only one constitutionally recognized but ministers can also meet through other government bodies such as

9960-577: The minority of Queen Isabella II . This measure was later ratified by the Cortes Generales . With Narváez as Prime Minister and a council formed by six ministers, they prepared a reform project that would later be transferred to the Cortes for debate and that led to the Constitution of 1845 . The typical political instability of the time soon appeared, with governments of less than 20 days to maximum of 9 months mainly for palace intrigues. With Narváez back in government —his third government— in October 1847,

10080-465: The minority or incapacitation of a monarch. No further constitutional language prescribes titles or forms of address to the fourth generation, or great grandchildren, of a reigning monarch. Following his abdication in 2014, Juan Carlos I and his wife Sofía retain courtesy titles of King and Queen of Spain. The monarch's position as the fount of honour within Spain is codified in Article 62 (f); It

10200-462: The monarch embodies and personifies the "indissoluble" unity and permanence of the Spanish State , and represents the legal personality of the State and by extension fulfills the role of " Father of the Nation ". As a unifying figure for the nation, in 2010 King Juan Carlos worked towards "bridging the gap" between Spain's rival polarized political parties to develop a unified strategy in response to

10320-487: The monarch exercises in the formation of Spanish governments is in the nomination and appointment process of the President of the Government ( Presidente del Gobierno de España ). Following the General Election of the Cortes Generales ( Cortes ), and other circumstances provided for in the constitution, the king meets with and interviews the political party leaders represented in the Cortes, and then consults with

10440-418: The monarch, and the children of the heir apparent, shall have the title and rank of Infante or Infanta (prince or princess), and styled His or Her Royal Highness ( Su Alteza Real ). Children of an Infante or Infanta of Spain "shall have the consideration of Spanish Grandees ", and the address of "Your Excellency". The royal decree further limits the ability of any regent to use or create titles during

10560-411: The monarchical era, it was the head of the State who freely appointed the president of the Council, but now it was the President of the Council of Ministers who appointed his ministers, with the exception of Article 88 that empowered the President of the Republic to appoint ministers without portfolio , something that also included the draft Constitution of 1929. The Constitution at no time established

10680-516: The monarchs. The Spanish monarchy has ruled most of its history —depending on the greater or lesser desire of the monarch to delegate its power— through Councils — Council of Castile , Council of the Indies , Council of Aragon , etc.— whose main tasks were those of to administer justice in the name of the monarchs and to advise the Sovereign in his work of government and with these the polysynodial regime

10800-415: The monarchy and the establishment of a republic. Faced with unrest in the cities, Alfonso XIII went into exile, but did not abdicate. The ensuing provisional government evolved into the relatively short-lived Second Spanish Republic . The Spanish Civil War began in 1936 and ended on 1 April 1939 with the victory of General Francisco Franco and his coalition of allied organizations commonly referred to as

10920-772: The most part, ended up joining the SIGC. However, the origin of an information service as such dates back to 1940. That year, the Civil Guard was completely reorganized by means of the Law of March 15, 1940 and the Order of April 8, 1940 that developed it, creating the Civil Guard' General Staff and mentioning for the first time an information service integrated in the Second Section of the General Staff. To comply with this mandate, on February 24, 1941,

11040-486: The most responsible for its combat and dismantling. Council of Ministers (Spain) The Council of Ministers ( Spanish : Consejo de Ministros ) is the main collective decision-making body of the Government of Spain , and it is exclusively composed of the Prime Minister , the deputy prime ministers and the ministers (22 as of 2024). Junior or deputy ministers such as the Secretaries of State are not members of

11160-426: The nations of its historical community, and exercises the functions expressly conferred on him by the Constitution and the laws. Upon accession to the crown and being proclaimed before the Cortes Generales, the king swears an oath to faithfully carry out his constitutional duties and to abide by the constitution and laws of the state. Additionally, the constitution gives the king the added responsibility to ensure that

11280-575: The one currently held by my verbal orders, composed of all the Secretaries of State and of the Universal Office: to which, in cases of gravity that occur, the other Ministers of the same Council of State appointed by me, or those of other Councils, or also the Generals, will concur; and educated and jealous people who believe they are useful or necessary. This Board must be ordinary and perpetual, and must be convened once at least every week, being held in

11400-424: The opportune communication will be made to foreign governments. Article Four - In the short time that elapses until the transfer of powers, the National Defense Board will continue to assume what it currently exercises. Article Five - Any provisions opposing this Decree are repealed and without effect. Spanish Monarchy The monarchy of Spain or Spanish monarchy ( Spanish : Monarquía Española )

11520-427: The order of succession to the Crown is codified in the Constitution, its reform mandates a complicated process that involves a dissolution of parliament, a constitutional election, and a referendum. If all lines designated by law become extinct, the constitution reserves the right for the Cortes Generales to provide for the succession "in the manner most suitable for Spain". The 1978 constitution disinherits members of

11640-574: The own Council of Ministers were suppressed. In December 1925, the Military Directory disappeared and a Civil Directory was constituted, recovering the positions of President of the Council of Ministers and Ministers of the Crown , as well as recovering the figure of the Vice President of the Council of Ministers , which had only been exercised by Joaquín María Ferrer between 1840 and 1841. The most relevant of this period of civil government

11760-426: The pace of democratic reforms, the new king, known for his formidable personality, dismissed Carlos Arias Navarro and appointed the reformer Adolfo Suárez as President of the Government in 1977. The next year the king signed into law the new liberal democratic Constitution of Spain , which was approved by 88% of voters. Juan Carlos' "quick wit and steady nerve" cut short the attempted military coup in 1981 when

11880-471: The personality of Espartero —who wanted to exercise power himself— did not help much, in fact, all the ministers of prime minister Joaquín María López resigned at the same time because they had demanded that Espartero respected the principle of that the Monarch reign but does not rule and they said «that such healthy principles can not be realized, [ministers] believe in the obligation to resign their positions in

12000-514: The power. The Royal Decree of 8 July 1787, which created the Board, it said: Since the Divine Providence led me to the Throne of this great Monarchy I have wished to promote, with all my strength, its prosperity. The Almighty wanted to favor my good intentions by arranging that, with the various events and vicissitudes of my reign, my experiences be increased, and my knowledge rectified: and this

12120-586: The premiership of Mendizábal many times the Councils were reduced to two members by the notable absences— in addition to the Secretary of the Council of Ministers, with Martinez de la Rosa to the Council also attended the members of the Government, senior administrative positions and military chiefs, mainly because of the War . With the regency of General Espartero the political situation did not improve. The difficulties to form stable governments were insurmountable and

12240-445: The royal family (as well as their descendants) from succession if they marry against the expressed prohibition of the monarch and the Cortes Generales. Lastly, Article 57 further provides that "Abdications and renunciations and any doubt in fact or in law that may arise in connection with the succession to the Crown shall be settled by an organic act". Constitutionally, the current heirs of Felipe VI are: The constitution outlines

12360-517: The royal family and the regents, the king and his wife, the queen consort , will formally be addressed as "His Majesty and Her Majesty" ( Their Majesties , Spanish: Su Majestad , Su represents His or Her ) rather than the traditional " Catholic Majesty " ( Su Católica Majestad ). A prince consort , the husband of a queen regnant , will have the style "His Royal Highness" ( Su Alteza Real ). The widows and widowers of monarchs are to retain these styles until they remarry. The heir from birth shall hold

12480-508: The royal family, and to the Spanish President of the Government as the king's appointed officer. The Spanish satirical magazine El Jueves was fined for violation of Spain's lèse-majesté laws after publishing an issue with a caricature of the Prince and Princess of Asturias engaging in sexual intercourse on their cover in 2007. In 2008, 400 Catalonia separatists burned images of

12600-484: The same line the closer grade over the more remote; and within the same grade the male over female, and in the same sex, the elder over the younger. Male-preference cognatic primogeniture has been practiced in Spain since the 11th century in the various Visigothic successor states and codified in the Siete Partidas , with women able to inherit in certain circumstances. However, with the succession of Philip V in 1700,

12720-495: The same person, except by the father or mother of direct relation of the king. The constitution defines the government's responsibilities. The government consists of the President of the Government and ministers of state . The government conducts domestic and foreign policy , civil and military administration, and the defense of the nation all in the name of the king. Additionally, the government exercises executive authority and statutory regulations. The most direct prerogative

12840-517: The secret societies and all kinds of sects. 6th. Not recognize the constitutional loans. The purpose, then, was to dismantle any trace of the constitutional period of the Liberal Triennium . At the time of its creation, the Council of Ministers was composed of the five ministers —six when the Interior Minister was added— in addition to a secretary who, in the absence of this, it assumed

12960-491: The sovereign is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the Spanish Armed Forces . The constitution codifies the use of royal styles and titulary, royal prerogatives , hereditary succession to the crown , compensation , and a regency -guardianship contingency in cases of the monarch's minority or incapacitation . According to the Constitution, the monarch is also instrumental in promoting relations with

13080-506: The throne, would immediately assume the office of Regent, who in any case must be Spanish. If a monarch becomes incapacitated, and that incapacitation is recognized by the Cortes Generales, then the Prince of Asturias (the heir apparent), shall immediately become Regent, if he is of age. If the Prince of Asturias is himself a minor, then the Cortes Generales shall appoint a Regency which may be composed of one, three, or five persons. The person of

13200-445: The time, the need for stability allowed not necessarily attend the will of the electoral body, but ensure the proper functioning of constitutional bodies. The new Constitution grants the Monarch the executive power delegating into his ministers and, although it is not mentioned explicitly in the constitution, the figure of the President of the Council of Ministers ( Prime Minister ) acquires greater relevance and power, placing himself in

13320-498: The title of Prince of Asturias and the other titles historically associated with the heir apparent. These additional titles include Prince of Viana , historically associated with the heir apparent to the Kingdom of Navarre ; with the titles Prince of Girona and Duke of Montblanc historically associated with the heir apparent for the Crown of Aragon , among others. Other children of

13440-401: Was a third secretary in charge «of Spain, the Indies and adjacent islands, the coast of Barbary and everything indifferent». Philip II ruled until 1567 with a single secretary and with two since that date, although he balanced the power between his two Secretaries of State and the other advisors and private secretaries. With the subsequent monarchs — Philip III , Philip IV and Charles II —

13560-469: Was created 1st Duke of Suárez ; and Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo who was created 1st Marquess of la Ría de Ribadeo . All successive politicians remain active within politics. The king grants not only military and civil orders, but also grants awards of distinction, customarily on the advice of government. The Order of the Golden Fleece , one of the oldest surviving orders of chivalry, is the highest honor

13680-464: Was established. With Charles I this regime reached its peak, especially with the creation of the Council of State in 1526, a council that dealt with the great problems of the monarchy and were their secretaries who had more power, i.e. the called Secretaries of State . The secretariat of the Council of State was unique between 1526 and 1567, double between 1567 and 1706 and unique again since this last year. Exceptionally, between 1630 and 1661 there

13800-431: Was officially created by King Fernando VII , who ordered by Royal Decree of 19 November 1823 that his Secretaries of State ( Secretarios de Estado y del Despacho ) should gather to form a body, which was to be called the Council of Ministers. In the meetings of this Council all matters of common interest would be discussed, and every Secretary would report about affairs under his responsibility and receive instructions from

13920-464: Was organized in a collective way and took decisions jointly by decree. It was not until August of that year that Francisco Franco becames part of the Board. In September 1936, Franco assumed all the power of the State, by means of a Decree of the Board of 29 September 1936. Article One - In compliance with the agreement adopted by the National Defense Board, the Chief of the Government of the Spanish State

14040-585: Was the draft Constitution of 1929, which granted the monarch the ability to assist the Council of Ministers whenever he wished and chair over it should he attend; it had to approve the appointments and substitutions of the dismissals of the ministers of the Crown, although it was granted to the king the capacity to appoint ministers without portfolio . This project did not prosper and Primo de Rivera ended up resigning and being replaced by another military, Lieutenant General Berenguer Fusté as Prime Minister, appointed as temporary until new elections were held to return

14160-621: Was the headquarters of the First Secretary of State, although with time it was the headquarters of the Secretariat of the Navy that assumed that role. It was also common that the Council met where the monarch was, as in the Royal Palaces of Aranjuez , San Lorenzo or La Granja . After the death of King Ferdinand VII and during the regency of María Christina , in an attempt to win the support of

14280-484: Was the one in charge to put in agreement to the political forces to agree the result of the elections. Nevertheless, this system gave the necessary stability to the country between 1875 and 1903. However, this system soon entered into a crisis with the internal fights between parties, the incipient dissolution of these and the appearance of new ones, such as the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party in 1879. With

14400-491: Was the sole ruler, but the legal situation remained slightly ambiguous until her death in 1555 left Charles the undoubted sole monarch, though as Holy Roman Emperor it was not his principal title. Only in the reign of his son Philip II of Spain from 1556 did "King of Spain" become the usual way to refer to the monarch, in Spain and the rest of Europe. Philip's reign marked the peak of the Spanish Golden Age (1492–1659),

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