ENCYCLOPAEDIA of Rebellions

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Royal Guard sublevation 1822

Synopsis
The uprising of the Royal Guard occurred on July 7, 1822, during the Spanish Liberal Triennium (1820-1823), in the surroundings of the Royal Palace of Madrid. It was due to a riot caused by the reluctance of part of the society about having a liberal regime, and also because of the internal divisions within the liberal bloc and the political instability of the government. Nowadays, the authors of the uprising are known to be the king, Fernando VII, the Court, part of the nobility, the army and the Church. The Royal Guard, quartered in Madrid’s outskirts, moved to the capital the morning of July 7 and their objective was a coup against the current constitutional system in order to re-establish totalitarianism. After one day of fight, the National Militia defeated the Royal Guard in the streets, saving the liberal regime until 1823 when the French army invaded Spain and restored absolutism.
Additional info

Starting date: . Ending: . Duration: 1 day. Name in sources: Sublevación de la Guardia Real. Location: Madrid Country (current): Spain. Monarchy: Spanish. Main participants: Others, Soldiers. Number of participants: unknown. Main reasons & motivations: Military issues, Others, Political. Leadership: The colonel of the Royal Guard. Relevance: low.

Further reading
BUSTOS, Sophie (2017). La Nación no es patrimonio de nadie. El liberalismo exaltado en el Madrid del Trienio Liberal (1820-1823): Cortes, gobierno y opinión pública. Madrid: U. Autónoma de Madrid (Tesis doctoral); VARELA SUANZES-CARPEGNA, Joaquín (2013). La monarquía doceañista (1810-1837): avatares, encomios y denuestos de una extraña forma de gobierno. Madri: Marcial Pons.
Cite this entry

Abián Cubillo, David A. (2020). "Royal Guard sublevation 1822", in J. V. Serrão and M. S. Cunha (coord), Rebellions in the Early Modern Iberian World. http://atlas.cidehusdigital.uevora.pt/revolt/royal-guard-sublevation-1822/ (accessed on 02 August 2025).