'H. M. King of Spain', c1910. Portrait of Alfonso XIII (1886-1941), King of Spain, wearing a fur-lined cape and holding a plumed helmet. The posthumous son of Alfonso XII, Alfonso XIII was proclaimed king at his birth, although his mother, Queen Maria Christina, ruled as regent until he reached the age of 16. Alfonso himself ruled from 1902 until 1931 when, refusing to abdicate when elections returned an overwhelming vote for a republic, he left the country, dying in exile in Rome in 1941. Postcard. [J. Beagles & Co. Ltd, E.C., London]