Last modified: 2015-07-29 by ivan sache
Keywords: comunión tradicionalista | carlist | cross: saltire (red) | cross: burgundy |
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The flag shows the Burgundy Cross, heraldically a "saltire raguly couped gules," which from the 16th century (and up to the adoption in 1873 of the War Ensign as National Flag) was a common emblem in Spanish flags and particularly in Spanish military Colours.
Santiago Dotor, 02 Feb 1999
The Carlists (Carlistas) are the supporters of the Carlist dynasty within the Spanish Bourbon (actually Anjou) dynasty. This dynasty originated just before the death of Ferdinand VII (king of Spain before, shortly during, and after the Napoleonic Wars), as the supporters of his younger brother Charles argued that Ferdinand's daughter Elizabeth was no candidate for the throne since the Salic Law was still valid in Spain. At Ferdinand's death these supporters crowned his brother king as Charles V (reigned 1833-1855) while her niece became the official queen, Elizabeth II. This started the First Carlist War (1833-1840), which was followed by two more (1846-1849 and 1872-1876) as Charles and his heirs (Charles VI 1855-1861, John III 1861-1868, Charles VII 1868-1909, James III 1909-1931, Alphonse-Charles I 1931-1936) claimed once and again the Spanish throne.
During the 1936-1939 war, Carlists supported the uprising with almost fifty banderas (flags or companies) of Requetés (Carlist infantrymen). After the war, Carlists gradually became broken up into three groups:
You might also be interested in knowing that, before and shortly after Franco's death, many people in Spain supported Juan Carlos' cousin, Alfonso de Borbón, Duke of Cádiz, as the legitimate heir to the throne, arguing that he was a more direct offspring of King Alfonso XIII and that his separation from the dynastic line had only been achieved by Don Juan de Borbón (King Juan Carlos' father) through deceit. Actually part of the French monarchists (the so-called legitimists) supported Alfonso and now support his son (the Duke of Anjou) as the candidate to the French throne.
Santiago Dotor, 02-03 Feb 1999