Early the next morning, under the watchful eyes of the Spanish officials, Carlo held the Spanish Constitution and announced his coronation as King of Spain, taking the title King Carlo I of Spain.
Subsequently, Prim led the government officials in pledging allegiance to Carlo, and the framework of the Kingdom of Spain was formally established.
According to the current Spanish Constitution, the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Government of the Kingdom operate as three parallel branches, representing legislative, judicial, and executive powers, respectively.
As the King of Spain, Carlo nominally holds the right to appoint and dismiss the prime minister and high-ranking officials, convene or dissolve parliament, mobilize the army, enact or repeal laws, oversee state affairs, and convene cabinet meetings.
However, in practice, Carlo's powers are largely limited to overseeing state affairs and convening cabinet meetings.
These two things can be viewed as one: Carlo can use cabinet meetings to understand the current state of Spain and the development of various policies, and that's it.
Although Carlo can also offer his own opinions, whether the cabinet government led by Prim will listen is uncertain.
However, this situation is not absolute; the nominal King of Spain still holds significant power. Once Carlo cultivates sufficient prestige and earns the trust of the public and some officials, he can still influence the government through the power in his hands, thereby achieving the policies or laws he wishes to enact.
Before gaining enough prestige and status, Carlo can also comfortably serve as a king without much power, at least the responsibility won't fall on his shoulders.
Carlo's coronation ceremony was scheduled for November, roughly two and a half months later.
This arrangement has many benefits: the Spanish government has enough time to prepare for the coronation ceremony, and foreign guests have enough time to travel to Spain.
Of course, Spain is only a second-tier European country, and the king's coronation ceremony may not attract the attention of the great powers, except for neighboring countries like Italy and France.
However, considering the ongoing war between Prussia and France, it is highly likely that neither of these countries will send representatives to attend.
A little later, in the meeting room of the Royal Palace in Madrid.
"Prime Minister Prim, is the list of the cabinet government ready?" Carlo sat in the main seat, smiling as he asked Prim, who had just arrived, looking travel-worn.
"It is ready, Your Majesty," Prim nodded, respectfully presenting a list.
"Since His Majesty has been crowned under the constitution, it is no longer appropriate for Mr. Serrano to continue as regent. Your Majesty, do you have any arrangements for Mr. Serrano?" Prim asked.
Serrano became regent solely because the Spanish throne was undecided at the time, which created the need for such a position.
Now that Carlo has arrived in Spain and been crowned, continuing to have a regent would be disrespectful to Carlo.
Historically, Serrano became the Prime Minister of Spain following Amadeus's coronation due to Prim's assassination. However, since Prim is currently alive and well, it is clear that the position of Prime Minister is not suitable for Serrano. Given that there are no other cabinet positions available for him, other than the Minister of Defense, the answer to this question was evident from the beginning.
"Let Duke Serrano serve as the Minister of Defense," Carlo stated. "He will also concurrently serve as the Commander-in-Chief of the Army. I am very confident entrusting the army to a general like Duke Serrano."
Serrano himself has a very impressive resume. He joined the army at the age of 12, participated in more than a dozen wars of varying scales, was awarded the rank of marshal at the age of 46, and was granted the title of Duke of La Torre for his achievements in occupying the Dominican Republic.
So many achievements, big and small, could not be obtained by a mediocre person, which in some ways proves that Serrano possesses excellent military command capabilities.
Hearing Carlo say this, Prim also nodded, expressing his agreement.
Although this is currently the only suitable position for Serrano in the government, Prim did not directly write Serrano's name in the Minister of Defense slot, but instead symbolically asked for Carlo's opinion.
After all, Carlo has become the King of Spain, and at least on the surface, he should be given sufficient respect.
Carlo also understood this and was quite pleased with Prim's outward show of respect. This also indicates that Prim himself is not opposed to the monarchy; like Serrano, he opposes monarchs who are incompetent yet hold absolute power.
After signing the list of the Spanish government's cabinet, Carlo looked back at Prim and asked the question he was most concerned about: "Prime Minister Prim, when can the next cabinet meeting be held?"
"Following the schedule of one cabinet meeting per week, the next meeting should be in three days, Your Majesty," Prim replied.
Prim was not concerned about Carlo wanting to attend the cabinet meeting; after all, it was Carlo's right. However, if Carlo, having just arrived in Spain, wanted to express some of his own opinions in the cabinet meeting, Prim would pretend not to hear.
After all, no matter how talented a person is, they must first understand the situation in Spain, right? What use would an opinion be to Spain if it were given without understanding the situation?
"I want to attend the cabinet meeting in three days, Prime Minister Prim," Carlo said directly upon hearing that the meeting was in three days. "I hope to see detailed information about Spain during this time to understand the level our country is at.
Please rest assured, that I will not interfere with Spain's policies until I have sufficient understanding. Prime Minister Prim, you can begin your preparations for reform; I will support you unconditionally, and I will state this at the meeting."
Prim nodded. With Carlo's statement of unconditional support for reform, he was indifferent to any potential suggestions Carlo might make at the cabinet meeting.
After all, suggestions are just suggestions; whether or not to listen is up to Prim himself.
Carlo's firm stance in supporting reform, however, could practically help Prim, which is very beneficial for improving the current situation in Spain.
It is ironic that Prim and Serrano, who overthrew Queen Isabella II of Spain, can actually both be classified as monarchists.
Although Prim's loyalty to Spain is higher than to the king, as long as the king does not harm Spain's interests, Prim remains loyal to the king.
Even if only for the unity of Spain, Prim would not sideline the king. Only when Carlo's prestige and status grow higher will the various regions of Spain obey the king's rule and listen to the government's administration.
If the different regions refused to follow the king's rule, Spain would descend into chaos, with regions pushing for autonomy or independence, which could prove disastrous for the country.
Prim's support for the monarchy also stems from this reason. The current loose republican system cannot save Spain; on the contrary, it will push Spain into the abyss of division and regional autonomy.
Only a unified and highly centralized kingdom government can help Spain emerge from the abyss of division and autonomy and reshape a unified and powerful Kingdom of Spain.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Support my work and gain access to 15 advanced chapters at [email protected]/Dannycifer.