Rogue Facts About Manuel Godoy, The Most Hated Man In Spain
Manuel Godoy Was The Most Hated Man In Spain
It’s fun to hate a guy like Manuel Godoy. The King lavished him with piles of cash and more titles than a bookstore, all while Godoy was recklessly—and secretly—sleeping with the Queen.
Then, once Godoy got into a position of power, he basically ruined his country. You might call his life a master class in douchebag-ology. And here it is, one despicable fact at a time.
1. His Family Lacked One Thing
Manuel Godoy was born on May 12, 1767 in Spain. While Manuel Godoy’s family was of noble blood, there was one thing they didn’t have: money. Blood doesn't mean as much when you're dirt poor.
When Godoy’s brother went to Madrid in 1784 in search of a better life, Godoy followed him. Their idea was to join the royal bodyguard.
Luckily, something much more exciting than that happened.
2. He Had Skills
It’s not clear how good of a bodyguard Godoy was, but we do know that he was handy with a guitar and had a decent singing voice. With these skills—and a little bit of swagger—someone noticed him.
It was Maria Luisa of Parma whose eye he’d caught, and this was a big deal. Her husband was the man who would be the next King of Spain.
3. He Got A Promotion
As it turned out, Maria Luisa rather fancied Godoy and—despite being 16 years older than him—she took Godoy as her lover. A year later, Maria Luisa’s husband got the call to become King.
This was Charles IV and he took a liking to Godoy as well. Well, you could say that the controlling Maria Luisa convinced her husband to like him.
Soon Godoy received an offer from the King: he was going to be “cadete supernumerario”: which, even with my basic Spanish, sounds pretty important.
4. He Raised Suspicion
It turned out that this promotion was just one of many for Goday, who was still in his early twenties. The King and Queen made him a duke, a knight, a marquis, and even a lord.
Likely, the King had no idea that he was giving Godoy these titles only because his wife was having an affair with him. Someone else—I guess smarter than the King—got suspicious. This was the Prime Minister of Spain.
He went for Godoy's throat: He flat-out said that Godoy and the Queen were having an affair.
Surely this was the end of Godoy and his relationship with the Queen. Right?
