The House of Iturbide () is a former Imperial House of Mexico. It was founded by the Sovereign Mexican Constituent Congress on 22 June 1822 when the newly independent Mexican congress confirmed AgustÃÂn I's title of Constitutional Emperor of Mexico. He was baptized with the names of Saints Augustine, Cosmas, and Damian at the cathedral there. The last name Iturbide was originally from the Basque Country, Spain, this currently imperial house has an origin in the nobility called "hidalguÃÂa", which is the untitled nobility very similar to the baronet in the British nobility system. AgustÃÂn abdicated on May 19, 1823 and lived in exile with the prohibition on returning to Mexico. Despite that ban, he returned, was captured and executed by a congressional death decree, without trial and without the opportunity for a defense. In September 19, 1865, two grandchildren of Emperor AgustÃÂn were adopted by Maximilian I of Mexico (1864âÂÂ1867), Agustin and Salvador de Iturbide, who had no biological children, and granted some status in the ephemeral Second Mexican Empire.
The Sovereign Mexican Constituent Congress decreed on 22 June 1822 the following:
On September 27, 1821, AgustÃÂn de Iturbide achieved Mexican Independence through the Plan of Iguala, which established a Constitutional Monarchy with a division of powers. A Governing Junta was created as the Legislative Power, the Cortes as the Judicial Power, and a Regency as the Executive Power, in which the Liberator was appointed President of the Regency. In due course, the Sovereign Provisional Governing Junta called for elections to form a Constituent Congress, which was installed on February 24, 1822, swearing to uphold the principles of the Plan of Iguala and the Treaty of Córdoba. These documents were to serve as the fundamental basis for the Constitution of the Mexican Nation, which, in summary, provided that the Executive Power would be vested in the Constitutional Emperor, the Legislative Power in the Congress, and the Judicial Power in the Supreme Court.
The Sovereign Provisional Governing Junta, in accordance with the Plan of Iguala and the Treaty of Córdoba, voted that the Regency should be composed of five individuals. Consequently, the first and second Regents were elected: AgustÃÂn de Iturbide and Juan O'Donojú. For the third, fourth, and fifth Regent positions, the following candidates were submitted to a vote: Pedro José Fonte (Archbishop of Mexico); Antonio JoaquÃÂn Pérez MartÃÂnez (Bishop of Puebla); Vicente Guerrero; José Isidro Yáñez; Miguel Guridi; Guadalupe Victoria; Manuel MartÃÂnez; Manuel de Sotarriba; Manuel de Bárcena; Miguel Jerónimo de Cervantes (Marquis of Salvatierra); Manuel de Heras Soto; Pedro José de Terreros; and Manuel Velázquez de León.
The Sovereign Mexican Constituent Congress decreed on May 19, 1822 the following:
On 11 May 1823, the ex-emperor boarded the British 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. There, he published his autobiography, "Statement of Some of the Principal Events in the Public Life of AgustÃÂn 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 UK. 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 a Spanish attack. Congress never replied. More conservative political factions in Mexico finally convinced Iturbide to return."
Iturbide returned to Mexico on 14 July 1824, accompanied by his wife, two children, and a chaplain (Joseph A. Lopez). He landed at the port of Soto la Marina on the coast of Nuevo Santander (the modern-day state of Tamaulipas). They were initially greeted enthusiastically, but soon they were arrested and escorted by General Felipe de la Garza, the local military commander, to the nearby village of Padilla. The local legislature held a trial and sentenced Iturbide to death. When a local priest administered last rites, Iturbide supposedly said, "Mexicans! I die with honor, not as a traitor; do not leave this stain on my children and my legacy. I am not a traitor, no." He was executed by firing squad on 19 July 1824.
In 1863, the Mexican Conservative Party, with the support of Napoleon III of France, attempted to establish a new monarchy under Austrian Hapsburg Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian as Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico. Maximilian, who had no natural offspring, adopted two grandsons of the first Mexican emperor, AgustÃÂn de Iturbide y Green and Salvador de Iturbide y Marzán. AgustÃÂn and Salvador were each granted the vitalicio (meaning non-hereditary) title of Prince de Iturbide and style of Highness by imperial decree and followed in rank after the reigning family. The forces of the Mexican Republic captured and executed Emperor Maximilian in 1867, ending monarchy in Mexico.
The Emperor Maximilian of Habsburg decreed on 16 September 1865 the following:
In 1867, Maximilian was captured, tried, and executed by the Mexican Republic ruled by President Benito Juárez. After two short-lived attempts at monarchy in Mexico that ended with the execution of the monarchs, Mexico has remained a republic.
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