Alfonso XIII’s 1931 Departure: A King’s Perspective on Spain’s Transition

Alfonso XIII’s Departure: A King’s Perspective

This is a text of political content, since it is the waiver of King Alfonso XIII. The document is public and the recipient is the Spanish people. It was written on 14 April 1931, after the victory of the Republican coalition in local elections and the unexpected proclamation of the republic in Eibar, Madrid, and soon in other Spanish cities. The government and the King himself were surprised by the events in the course of the day, and took quick and forceful action. Alfonso XIII of Spain decided to leave until things calmed down, mainly to avoid a fratricidal conflict.

The text contains a large concentration of very interesting ideas. The King starts by acknowledging the triumph of the Republicans in the vote, stating “today I have the love of my people,” but adds, “my conscience says that this diversion is not conclusive.” He probably refers to his historical consciousness, for surely history said that Spain could not subsist without a king. We only have to remember the “desired” Ferdinand VII, or what happened in the Revolutionary Sexenio, still very recent in the consciousness of the time.

After admitting the fundamental fact of the disaffection of his subjects, the King initiates a series of explanations and statements to make clear his position. He admits the possibility of being wrong, perhaps thinking of the support given by the Monarchy to the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera, or concerns that he may not have been able to take a more active role and be “forced” by his governments to take out a real program of reform. Or maybe he did not promote political change following the fall of the dictatorship, which could involve the entry of Spain “real and vital” into the political game.

However, the King relies on the generosity of the Fatherland, which has forgiven others who, like him, have been making mistakes for what they thought best for Spain: “… our country at all times was generous to the faults without malice.”

“The third paragraph is perhaps the most significant in the document: “I’m the king of all the Spanish.” With this statement, he aims to leave no doubt about what the monarchy should be. A modern, parliamentary monarchy, where the King is above the political game and is the representative of each and every one of the Spanish, as we understand it now. No doubt the decline of the monarchy was because the King had had to “intervene” in politics too much, had taken sides, and so now the monarchy was identified with a certain trend or system. The Monarchy was identified with an antiquated political system, where everything was “rigged” in advance by the rich. But Alfonso XIII reasons to wonder whether he could have done something more than what he did.

Continues this third paragraph explaining, quite harshly, that the decision to depart from Spain is not cowardice, nor the waiver of any right, but the firm resolve to avoid a civil war. The King makes clear that he could exert force to stay in power, despite the triumph of the Republicans, and also still has defenders. But he is aware that this would be a fratricidal confrontation and decides that his duty is to avoid it. However, he does not waive his rights, “that are more than my deposit accumulated by history, from whose custody has to ask me one day how much rigorous.”