The secret history of the court of Spain during the last century

A chronological survey assembled from Spanish sources traces the intrigues, personal scandals, political maneuvers, regencies, contested successions, and international interactions that shaped the royal court over the century. It examines the private lives and policies of successive monarchs and regents, matrimonial alliances and scandals, ministerial struggles and revolutions, and the court's influence on national politics. The narrative integrates documentary material, contemporary memoirs, and portraits, and situates palace events alongside broader political crises. Illustrations and archival references accompany episodic chapters that recount uprisings, reforms, dynastic negotiations, and the gradual transition toward a modern constitutional monarchy.