Agustín IV of Mejico
Agustín IV of Mejico (24 December 1861 - 27 February 1931) was King of Mejico from 1911 until his death in 1931. He is widely known as "The Absent" (Spanish: El Ausente) and "The Lost King" (Spanish: El Rey Perdido) because of his exile from Mejico, which lasted throughout most of his reign, from 1912 to 1928. Agustín IV was supported by the National Monarchist Party while post-war Mejico operated de facto as a Republic.
His reign is one of the most tumultuous and atypical periods in Mejican history. The son of Agustín III, his ascension to the throne came at a time of great national crisis following the beginning of the Maderist Rebellion, the first stage of the Mejican Civil War. His rule saw intense revolutionary fervor and an increasingly fractured nation, tired of the Porfirist system prominent during his father's reign. A rapidly changing global landscape ushered in new ideologies, with the rise of communism and socialist thought directly influencing conflicts in the nation.
Within a mere year of his coronation, escalating political tensions forced Agustín IV into exile in 1912, leaving for Spain, the homeland of his mother, where he was received by Alfonso XIII, with whom he forged a lasting friendship. The Mejican polity, deeply scarred by the destructive civil war, was left to reconcile the monarchy's role in a society striving for democratic governance. In exile, the King continued to represent Mejican interests abroad and maintained relationships with various monarchist factions who recognized his continued authority. Venustiano Carranza had planned to welcome him back to the country after the Constitutionalist victory in 1917, but the promise was never fulfilled due to internal pressures and Carranza's eventual assassination.
The post-war landscape of Mejico was complex. While some monarchists clamored for his return, many citizens and political leaders were wary of re-establishing a strong monarchy. Agustín, known as "The Absent" and "The Lost King", governed in exile with limited influence and recognition, supported by the National Monarchist Party. During his time in Spain, he became a symbol of a bygone era and the focus of monarchist nostalgia within Mejico. His prolonged exile continued under the tenures of Álvaro Obregón and Plutarco Elías Calles, and calls for his return would be rekindled with special intensity during the Christiad, a movement led by Catholics, the King's main supporters.
After the victory of the Cristeros, a snap election would be called in 1928, and the moderate Octaviano Larrazolo would be elected as president of the government of Mejico, which had acted de facto as a Republic for more than 16 years. Agustín IV and his family were welcomed back into the country in 1929 with great pomp and ceremony, signaling a reinvigorated but cautious role for the monarchy within a landscape that had drastically changed. The return of Agustín IV in 1929 was a momentous occasion, with crowds lining the streets of Mejico City to witness the procession of the once-exiled King. Despite the return of monarchical semblance, Agustín IV's role was largely ceremonial, as the true power had shifted to the elected officials and the constitution that governed them. José Vasconcelos would be elected President after Larrazolo's passing in 1930, and Agustín would live to see the very beginning of his authoritarian turn, before passing away himself early in the following year.