31 Facts About Alfonso XIII

Alfonso XIII, known as El Africano or the African for his Africanist views, was King of Spain from his birth until 14 April 1931, when the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed.

Alfonso XIII became a monarch at birth as his father, Alfonso XII, had died the previous year.

Alfonso XIII's upbringing and public image were closely linked to the military estate; he often presented himself as a soldier-king.

Alfonso XIII was born at the Royal Palace of Madrid on 17 May 1886.

Alfonso XIII was the posthumous son of Alfonso XII of Spain, who had died in November 1885, and became king upon his birth.

Alfonso XIII's health deteriorated around 10 January 1890, and doctors reported his condition as the flu attacked his nervous system leaving the young king in a state of indolence.

Alfonso XIII received, to a large extent, a military education that imbued him with "a Spanish nationalism strengthened by his military vocation".

Besides the clique of military tutors, Alfonso XIII received political teachings from a liberal, Vicente Santamaria de Paredes, and moral precepts from an integrist, Jose Fernandez de la Montana.

Alfonso XIII found her attractive, and she returned his interest.

Victoria was in fact a haemophilia carrier, and Alfonso XIII inherited the condition.

Alfonso XIII distanced himself from his wife for transmitting the condition to their sons.

Alfonso XIII attempted to save the Russian Tsar Nicholas II and his family from the Bolsheviks who captured them, sending two telegrams offering the Russian imperial family refuge in Spain.

Alfonso XIII had not acted as a strict constitutional monarch, and supported the Africanists who wanted to conquer for Spain a new empire in Africa to compensate for the lost empire in the Americas and elsewhere.

Alfonso XIII liked to play favourites with his generals, and one of his most favoured generals was Manuel Fernandez Silvestre.

Alfonso XIII, who was on holiday in the south of France at the time, was informed of the "Disaster of the Annual" while he was playing golf.

Alfonso XIII remained in France and did not return to Spain to comfort the families of the soldiers lost in the battle, which many people at the time saw as a callous and cold act, a sign that the King was indifferent over the lives of his soldiers.

On 28 January 1930, amid economic problems, general unpopularity and a putschist plot led by General Manuel Goded in motion, of which Alfonso XIII was most probably aware, Miguel Primo de Rivera was forced to resign, exiling to Paris, only to die a few weeks later of the complications from diabetes in combination with the effects of a flu.

Alfonso XIII appointed General Damaso Berenguer as the new prime minister.

Back in 1926, Alfonso XIII had appointed Berenguer as Chief of Staff of the Military House of the King, a post conventionally fit for burned-out generals in order to move them away from the spotlight for a time in a show of affection.

Alfonso XIII fled the country and the Second Spanish Republic was peacefully proclaimed on 14 April 1931.

On 15 January 1941, Alfonso XIII renounced his rights to the defunct Spanish throne in favour of Juan.

Alfonso XIII was buried in the Church of Santa Maria in Monserrato degli Spagnoli, the Spanish national church in Rome, immediately below the tombs of Popes Callixtus III and Alexander VI.

Alfonso XIII supported the creation of a network of state-run lodges, Paradores, in historic buildings of Spain.

An avenue in the northern Madrid neighbourhood of Chamartin, Avenida de Alfonso XIII, is named after him.

Ratoncito Perez first appeared as the Spanish equivalent to the Tooth Fairy in a 1894 tale written by Luis Coloma for King Alfonso XIII, who had just lost a milk tooth at the age of eight, with the King appearing in the tale as "King Buby".

Alfonso XIII is mentioned on the plaque that the City Council of Madrid dedicated in 2003 to Ratoncito Perez on the second floor of number eight of Calle del Arenal, where the mouse was said to have lived.

Alfonso XIII had a number of reported illegitimate children that are known, including:.

Alfonso XIII was known for his friendly attitude towards Jews and publicly praised them.

In 1917, Alfonso XIII instructed the Spanish consul in Jerusalem, Antonio de la Cierva y Lewita, Count of Ballobar, to help protect Palestinian Jews.

Yahuda, Alfonso XIII told Yahuda in private conversations that he would issue no policies of discrimination towards Jews, believing all of his Spanish subjects to be entitled to equal rights and protection.

Alfonso XIII is occasionally referred to as "the playboy king", due in part to his promotion and collection of Spanish pornographic films, as well as his extramarital affairs.