Louis: 100,000 French ready to invade Spain

The French king has given the clearest indication yet that his country’s army is preparing to invade Spain to restore to full power its embattled ultra-conservative monarch, Ferdinand VII.

Opening the French parliament on 28 January, King Louis XVIII confirmed that his ambassador had been recalled from Madrid and that 100,000 troops were ready to march across the border, to save Spain from “ruin, and reconciling it with Europe”.

King Ferdinand has been under effective house arrest in recent months and a revolt in his favour by royal guards last July failed. He has been at odds with ministers since Spain’s liberal political order was re-instated in 1820 after the army revolted against his authoritarian rule. Ferdinand had overturned a reformist constitution that introduced universal male suffrage.

Britain remains opposed to intervention. King George, opening Parliament (4 Feb), said war would be a calamity.

The Foreign Secretary, George Canning, is understood to be indignant at Louis XVII’s speech and has made a final appeal to his French counterpart to avoid conflict.