This lecture focuses on royal resilience in the face of major political crisis. It does so by comparing the response of two monarchs to revolutionary upheaval: that of Louis XVI in France between 1789 and 1792, and of his cousin Fernando VII in Spain between 1820 and 1823. Much more has been written about the French Revolution than the Spanish, but a comparison reveals intriguing parallels between both their respective courses and the attitude of each monarch to them. These are not always straightforward; most obviously the Spanish monarchy survived the challenge to its authority, whereas the French monarchy, at least in the medium term, did not. Aspects of royal policy to each revolution, particularly the question of whether or to what extent either monarch was prepared to give up his traditional powers, also remain controversial.

While making allowance for this, the lecture will try to elucidate each ruler’s goals, and assess their similarities and differences. In conclusion, it will ask to what extent these may have provided a template for the royal response to subsequent revolutions, up to 1848 and even beyond.