Don Juan Francisco was the son of
Antonio de la Cerda, 7th Duke of Medinaceli and Ana María Luisa Enríquez de Ribera Portocarrero y Cárdenas, 5th Duchess of
Alcalá de los Gazules. By his marriage to Catalina de Aragón, Don Juan Francisco added the titles of
Duke of Segorbe,
Cardona and Lerma to the
House of Medinaceli. In 1677,
John of Austria the Younger, the illegitimate half-brother of King Charles II (who was young and inexperienced) had removed the Queen Mother
Mariana from court, and established himself as prime minister. Great hopes were entertained for his administration, but it proved disappointing and short: Don John died on 17 September 1679. As his predecessors, Don Juan Francisco was a loyal servant of the Spanish Crown, and after the death of John of Austria, he became the
Valido of King Charles II. Also
Sumiller de Corps and
Caballerizo mayor to the King, he drastically reformed the economy through the
Junta de Comercio y Moneda, but his monetary devaluation led to collapse of the prices and speculation on grain, which led to several bankruptcies. In several regions of Spain, food riots broke out, which led together with the humiliating
Truce of Ratisbon with France, to the resignation of Don Juan Francisco. He retired from politics and died in 1691. All his titles went to his son
Luis Francisco de la Cerda. ==References==