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Why was the French Foreign Legion transferred to Spanish service in 1835?

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French Foreign Legion soldiers in uniform with white hats and rifles stand in formation during a Bastille Day parade on the Champs Elysees in Paris. — French Foreign Legion Soldiers of the French Foreign Legion in a parade celebrating Bastille Day in Paris.

In 1835, the French Foreign Legion was transferred to Spanish service to assist Queen Regent María Cristina de Borbón in suppressing a Carlist insurrection.1

This transfer occurred during the First Carlist War, a conflict sparked by the succession crisis following the death of King Ferdinand VII in 1833, which pitted supporters of his daughter, Queen Isabella II, against the partisans of his brother, Don Carlos. While the legion served in Spain, King Louis-Philippe recognized the ongoing necessity of such forces for the conquest of Algeria and subsequently established a new legion (nouvelle légion) in December 1835. The "Spanish Legion" was eventually disbanded in 1838, and its survivors were given the opportunity to join the newly formed unit.21