Marcelo de Azcarraga y Palmero
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Marcelo de Azcárraga y Palmero was the thirteenth Prime Minister of Spain following the restoration of the Spanish monarchy. Azcarraga was also the first and only Spanish Prime Minister of Filipino descent[citation needed].
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[edit] Early life
Azcarraga was born in 1832, in Manila, Philippines, to General Jose Azcárraga, a native of Vizcaya, Spain, a bookshop owner in Escolta, and to María Palmero, a Filipino Mestiza from Albay[citation needed].
Azcarraga was the second of the family's children. He studied law in the University of Santo Tomas in Manila then entered the Nautical School, where he was awarded the first prize in Mathematics[citation needed]. He was sent to Spain by his father to enter the military academy and soon earned the rank of Captain. Due to his services against the O'Donnell revolution in Spain, he was promoted to Major.
[edit] Marriage
At the age of 23, he was awarded the Cross of San Fernando, which is a pension grant. He was sent to various colonies of Spain, including Mexico, Cuba, and Santo Domingo, following which he returned to Cuba and married the daughter of the Cuban banker Fesser, who allegedly gave him £20,000 on the day of his marriage.[citation needed]
[edit] Years as Prime Minister
In 1868, on the deposal of Isabella II as queen of Spain, he returned to Spain, hastened the restoration of the Bourbons, and became Lieutenant-General on the coronation of Alfonso XII as king. He was then elected to the Senate of Spain as a senator for life. He was the Minister of War under Antonio Canovas del Castillo, whose assassination on August 8, 1897 effectively made him the interim Prime Minister of Spain until October 4 of that same year.
[edit] Retirement
On his retirement at the age of 72, he was given the Toison de Oro, or Golden Fleece, the highest possible distinction given to a person in Spain.[citation needed]
[edit] Ancestry
On his mother's side, Azcárraga descends from the Filipino Mestizo Lizarraga family.
[edit] Tribute
The major road stretching from the districts of Tondo to San Miguel, both in the city of Manila was named after Azcárraga. However, it was changed after Filipino independence in 1945 to Claro M. Recto Avenue. Nevertheless, the street is still known as Azcarraga in the transportation sector and among commuters.[citation needed]
