Topic: Ferdinand VI

Ferdinand VI b. 1712 or 1713, d. 1759, king of Spain (1746-59), son of Philip V by his first queen, Marie Louise of Savoy. When Ferdinand succeeded his father, his stepmother, Elizabeth Farnese , lost her power at court and went into retirement. Ferdinand's chief ministers were José de Carvajal y Lancaster, who was pro-British, and Ensenada , who had for many years directed the affairs of Spain and strongly favored France. In the years preceding the Seven Years War (1756-63), both France and England sought a Spanish alliance. Carvajal died in 1754, and Ferdinand, desiring Spain to... Read more