Spain: Provisional Regency: 1840-1841

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Spain: Provisional Regency: 1840-1841
Regencia Provisional del Reino
12 Oct 1840 - 10 May 1841	Baldomero Espartero
12 Oct 1840 - 10 May 1841	Joaquín María de Ferrer y Cafranga
12 Oct 1840 - 10 May 1841	Álvaro Gómez Becerra
12 Oct 1840 - 10 May 1841	Pedro Chacón Chacón
12 Oct 1840 - 10 May 1841	Manuel Cortina y Arenzana
12 Oct 1840 - 10 May 1841	Joaquín de Frías y Moya
12 Oct 1840 - 6 Mar 1841	Agustín Fernández de Gamboa Fernández de Arroyabe

History:
A political crisis in the last months of the regency of María Cristina was resolved with the queen's resignation of regential authority; María Cristina submitted her letter of abdication to an assembly of political leaders constituted at Valencia in the evening of 12 Oct 1840; as prescribed by Art. 58 of the Constitution of 1837, the regential functions devolved on the Council of Ministers (Consejo de Ministros) chaired by Baldomero Espartero (16 Sep 1840 - 10 May 1841); the first declaration of the new regency declared (13 Oct 1840) that the ministers appointed on 16 Sep 1840 constituted a body under the name of Provisional Regency (Regencia provisional); upon returning to Madrid (28 Oct 1840), the Regency continued to govern in the name of Queen Isabel II; acted as a collective body with no formal chairman, but actual chairmanship belonged to Espartero as Presidente del Consejo de Ministros [1]. Information source: [2]

[1]	In formal practice, the decrees and laws promulgated by the Provisional Regency on behalf of Isabel II were signed by Espartero as Presidente; in the same manner, a decree of the Regency of 5 Nov 1840 instructed to order a seal with inscription El Duque de la Victoria, Presidente.
[2]	Gaceta de Madrid, 1840. Núm. 2186, 2187.

Last update: 29 Nov 2023