>>17989146
>>17989141
The bad reputation of the Bourbons in Spain does not really come from their actual reigns, but from ideological propaganda. Much of it started with the French Revolution and the Masonic circles that spread a negative image of the dynasty, later picked up by Italian unification movements, Spanish leftists, and Catalan nationalism. Instead of looking at their policies or historical achievements, critics often reduce the Bourbons to shallow anecdotes like saying one king was depressive, another too religious, or another fond of hunting. These are not serious arguments, just excuses to undermine the monarchy and, in the end, the unity of Spain itself.
If we look at their reigns honestly, the Bourbons gave Spain some of its best rulers. Felipe V, the first Bourbon king, secured the dynasty through the War of Succession and began central reforms that helped stabilize the kingdom. Fernando VI brought peace and prosperity after decades of war. Carlos III stands out as one of the greatest monarchs in Spanish history, a reformer, a builder, and a modernizer who turned Madrid into a real capital and pushed forward infrastructure, science, and trade. Later, Alfonso XII restored stability after years of civil wars, while Alfonso XIII, unfairly blamed for the disasters of his time, was a capable king who tried to guide Spain through turbulent years. Even in modern times, Juan Carlos I returned Spain to democracy and gave the country decades of peace and development, and today Felipe VI, despite having almost no real powers, is perhaps the most dignified and respected king in the world.
Rather than judging the dynasty through clichés or political myths, it makes more sense to recognize the role the Bourbons have played in holding Spain together across three centuries of immense change. Their legacy is complex, like that of any royal house, but it is also marked by periods of stability, reform, and progress that shaped the country as we know it today.
