A conservative who supported the claims of Don Carlos (1788–1855) and his descendants to the throne of Spain. Don Carlos’s religious orthodoxy and belief in the divine right of kings made him the natural leader of these traditionalists. After unsuccessful claims to the throne for nearly a century, the Carlists emerged as a strong force with popular support after the establishment of a republic in 1931. In the Spanish Civil War the Carlists sided with the nationalists and for many years obstructed Franco’s aim to restore the Bourbon dynasty. In 1969 Franco overcame Carlist objections and named the grandson of Alfonso XIII, Juan Carlos, as his successor.