Spanish Royal Family Assasinations, 1936

[morhange]

I was looking at the Spanish Royal Family's page on the Online Gotha, I noticed that several junior members of the Royal Family were assasinated throughout Spain during 1936. I couldn't find any more info on these murders. Here is a list of all of the members I found that were killed:

• José de Borbón, b. 1910, assasinated 29 August in Gerona
• Elena de Borbón, b. 1878, assasinated 24 September in Madrid
• Enrique de Borbón, b. 1891, and his son, Jaime, b. 1921, and brother, Alfonso, b. 1893, assasinated 29 October in Aravaca
• Clotilda Gallo Ruiz, wife of Alberto de Borbón, Duque de Santa Elena, b. 1869, assasinated 18 December in Madrid

Just curious about this situation. I understand this was during the civil war, but I was wondering about the circumstances of their deaths, and why it was such minor members of the royal family? They were distantly related to the main branch, and aside from Clotilda, the others were descendants of Infante Enrique, Duke of Sevilla, who was a brother-in-law to Queen Isabel II. Was their descent from Enrique a role in their deaths? Why were they killed, and not the members of the main branch?

 

[fanprincipesasturi]

I hope that somebody can translate it:
ALFONSO XIII Y LA II REPÚBLICA

 

[magnik]

Not too much but little notes there
thePeerage.com - Person Page 9313

Some of the members of the family weren't forced into exile after Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed on 1931.