6. Switching Crowns from Naples to Spain
The new king’s government was seen by most subjects as a vast improvement over the previous Bourbon regime, and Joseph Bonaparte settled down to reign as a popular and well liked monarch. He was thus not too thrilled when Napoleon made him switch crowns in 1808, and give up the Neapolitan throne in order to get crowned as king of Spain instead. As things turned out, Joseph’s unhappiness was justified: he left a kingdom where he had been extremely popular, for a kingdom where he was greatly hated. Napoleon had invaded Spain, dethroned its Bourbons royals, and eventually replaced them on the throne with his brother Joseph. The new king tried his best to win over the Spanish people. He learned their language, disciplined French troops when they mistreated his Spanish subjects, attended bullfights, and expressed his devotion to the Catholic Church. As seen below, it did him no good.
