House of Iturbide
| House of Iturbide | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Country |
 Mexico
|
| Titles | |
| Founded | 19 May 1822 |
| Founder | Don Agustín I |
| Final ruler | Don Maximilian I |
| Current head | Don Maximilian von Götzen-Iturbide |
| Deposition | 19 July 1867 |
| Ethnicity | Spanish, Basque, Austrian |
The House of Iturbide (Spanish: Casa de Iturbide), is the former Imperial House of Mexico. It was founded by Don Agustín de Iturbide in 1822 when the newly independent Mexican congress confirmed his title of Agustín I, Constitutional Emperor of Mexico. He was baptized with the names of Saints Cosmas and Damian at the cathedral there.
After Mexico was declared and recognized as an independent state, Iturbide was backed and influenced by Mexico's conservatives who favored an independent Mexico with a monarch from one of the European royal families as head of state. When no European royals accepted Mexico's offer (as Spain still had hopes of taking Mexico back), Iturbide was persuaded by his advisers to be named Emperor in the manner of Napoleon I.
On 11 May 1823, the ex-emperor boarded the English ship Rawlins, en route to Livorno, Italy (then part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, accompanied by his wife, children and some servants. There he rented a small country house and began to write his memoirs. However, Spain pressured Tuscany to expel Iturbide, which it did, and the Iturbide family moved to the United Kingdom. Here, he published his autobiography "Statement of Some of the Principal Events in the Public Life of Agustín de Iturbide" When he was exiled, Iturbide was given a government pension, but Congress also declared him a traitor and "outside of the law," to be killed if he ever returned to Mexico. Whether he was aware of this second part is in dispute.
After his departure, the situation in Mexico continued to worsen. Reports of a probable Spanish attempt to retake Mexico reached Iturbide in the U.K. He continued to receive reports from Mexico as well as advice from supporters that if he returned he would be hailed as a liberator and a potential leader against the Spanish invasion. Iturbide sent word to congress in Mexico City on 13 February 1824 offering his services in the event of Spanish attack. Congress never replied. More conservative political factions in Mexico finally convinced Iturbide to return."
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Wikipedia