Carlists (Spain)

Carlistas, Comunión Tradicionalista

Last modified: 2005-02-26 by santiago dotor
Keywords: comunión tradicionalista | carlist | cross: saltire (red) | cross: burgundy |
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by Jaume Ollé

• Description
• Carlists and the Carlist Dinasty
• Flags of the Carlist Wars

See also:

• Political Parties and Movements (Spain)
• Political Parties 1931-1939 (Spain)
• Spain

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, 2 February 1999

The Carlists (Carlistas) are the supporters of the Carlist dinasty within the Spanish Bourbon (actually Anjou) dinasty. This dinasty 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 heir