Podcast Summary: "Acontece que no es poco | 10 de octubre de 1846: La desastrosa decisión del matrimonio real de Isabel y Paquito"

Podcast: Todo Concostrina
Host: SER Podcast
Episode Date: October 10, 2024
Host/Guest: Nieves Concostrina, Marta

Overview

In this episode, Nieves Concostrina explores the infamous royal marriage of Queen Isabel II of Spain to her cousin Francisco de Asís, known in the family as Paquito, on October 10, 1846. With her signature witty, irreverent tone, Concostrina deconstructs the political maneuvering, diplomatic drama, and utter lack of romance behind this union. The episode delves into the broader implications for the Spanish monarchy, societal reactions, and the international machinations that led to a decision widely regarded as disastrous.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Setting and Social Context

• Nieves humorously notes the apathy with which Madrid received this royal wedding, despite efforts to manufacture enthusiasm.
  • "El entusiasmo en Madrid por la boda de la reina adolescente Isabel era nulo. A todo el mundo se la refanfinflaba aquel matrimonio." [02:30]
• Measures to adorn and illuminate the city are likened to other recent royal weddings, signaling a recurring theme of public disengagement from monarchical affairs.

Why Two Sisters Married on the Same Night

• Diplomatic Context: The queen’s marriage had been a subject of European negotiation since she was 10, with England and France both opposing each other’s candidates to prevent foreign influence.
  • "El matrimonio de la reina de España... era de interés internacional y se habían firmado una serie de acuerdos previos con Francia e Inglaterra." [03:10]
• The simultaneous marriage of Queen Isabel II to Francisco de Asís and her sister Luisa Fernanda to Antonio d’Orleans was orchestrated to appease both powers after extensive diplomatic wrangling.

The Candidates and the Choice of Paquito

• A parade of unsuitable candidates, each dismissed for being either politically inconvenient, personally objectionable, or outright despised by various factions.
  • "Fueron descartando, fueron descartando...el bajito y feo este había sido descartado...por ser obsceno, inmoral, imbécil...y capaz de asesinar la libertad de la patria." [05:17]
• Isabel’s eventual husband, Francisco de Asís ("Paquito"), was chosen simply because he was "el menos malo" (the least bad).
  • "A pesar de no ser completamente idiota, no tiene muchas luces y su personalidad es francamente vil." (Sobre Francisco de Asís, citando al embajador británico) [06:25]

The Realities Behind the Royal Unions

• Both Isabel II and Francisco de Asís were unhappy with the match—neither liked nor desired each other.
  • "Es que ni a Paquito le gustaba Isabel. Pero bueno, así tuvo que ser." [07:21]
• The “fusion dinástica” (dynastic merger) was meant to keep foreign influence out but instead created internal disaster.

Scandals and French-British Rivalry

• The marriage led to formal protests, especially from Britain, due to the simultaneous marriage of Luisa Fernanda to a French prince, seen as a breach of agreement.
  • "La protesta de los británicos no podía ser por el matrimonio de la reina...tenía que ser por el Orleans." [08:05]
• French authorities and the press were fully aware of Francisco de Asís's homosexuality and probable sterility due to a genital malformation.
  • "Los franceses conocían la homosexualidad de Paquito y su más que probable, casi segura esterilidad..." [08:21]
• The plan: if Isabel produced no heir, the crown would pass to Luisa Fernanda and her French husband, intensifying diplomatic gamesmanship.
• Foreign media covered these details openly, while the Spanish press avoided the topic entirely.
  • "Para enterarnos de los desmanes y escándalos de los Borbones actuales, hay que leerlo en la prensa extranjera, la española entonces y ahora remilgada..." [09:41]

Was Love Ever an Option?

• Concostrina dismisses the possibility that a "marriage for love" would have yielded better outcomes for Spain.
  • "Los matrimonios que llaman por amor en las casas reales salen peor, casi mucho peor...Son acuerdos de empresa con un objetivo de negocio." [10:33]
• Her take: Royal marriages are business contracts, not personal relationships, and public interest must take precedence over personal happiness.
  • "Si usted va a vivir a nuestra costa, perpetuidad, usted se casa con quien diga el Estado..." [11:12]

The Aftermath and Legacy

• The marriage was, by all accounts, a disaster—both for the monarchy and Isabel herself.
  • "Aquí es que iba a salir mal de todas maneras porque el cruce entre Borbones se demostró un error al cuadrado." [12:07]
• Cites a contemporary French diplomat’s misogynist assessment: the only way to maintain monarchy in Spain was to marry Isabel to someone capable, because a woman supposedly could not reign with dignity.
  • "Si el principio monárquico debe mantenerse en este país...es absolutamente necesario un hombre a la cabeza de los asuntos de la península." [12:22]
• Ultimately, the union failed to secure the dynasty and instead contributed to the monarchy’s decline.
  • "Creyeron que casar a la nena Isabel con su primo homosexual aseguraría la descendencia...Pues ya ve, muy al contrario...la institución monárquica se fue al carajo." [13:29]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On public apathy:
  "El entusiasmo en Madrid por la boda de la reina adolescente Isabel era nulo. A todo el mundo se la refanfinflaba aquel matrimonio."
  — Nieves Concostrina [02:30]

• On royal matchmaking:
  "Por descarte. Fueron descartando…era el menos malo, como puede comprobarse."
  — Nieves Concostrina [06:34]

• On political marriages:
  "Son acuerdos de empresa con un objetivo de negocio... no puedes andar con moñerías de amor."
  — Nieves Concostrina [10:35]

• On scandal and the press:
  "Para enterarnos de los desmanes y escándalos de los Borbones actuales, hay que leerlo en la prensa extranjera, la española entonces y ahora remilgada, lo diré, y absolutamente cobarde en estas cosas."
  — Nieves Concostrina [09:41]

• On the legacy:
  "Creyeron que casar a la nena Isabel con su primo homosexual aseguraría la descendencia y el mantenimiento de la institución... muy al contrario... la institución monárquica se fue al carajo."
  — Nieves Concostrina [13:29]

Key Timestamps

• [00:55] – Introduction: the unromantic royal wedding of Isabel II and political motives behind it
• [02:30] – Public apathy and official celebrations in Madrid
• [03:06] – Why the double marriage and international negotiation
• [05:05] – The unsuitable candidates and process of elimination
• [06:25] – Embajador británico’s brutal assessment of Francisco de Asís
• [08:00] – British protest, French intrigue, and the issue with Orleans
• [08:21] – Scandal: Paquito’s sexuality and health
• [09:41] – Foreign media’s coverage vs. Spanish press silence
• [10:33] – Concostrina’s strong opinion on royal marriages “for love”
• [12:07] – Aftermath: why the solution was doomed from the start
• [13:29] – The ultimate failure for monarchy and Isabel II

Conclusion

With her signature sharp humor and reliance on hard historical evidence, Nieves Concostrina dissects the fateful double royal wedding of 1846 as a symptom of the poor decision-making that has plagued the Spanish monarchy. Through analysis of political context, cultural attitudes, and international intrigue, she demonstrates how this union—void of affection and loaded with diplomatic baggage—proved disastrous for both queen and country. The result is a lively, unvarnished tour of royal folly that resonates far beyond Isabel II’s era.