itar ian ▁mon archy ▁proposed ▁earlier ▁by ▁Pr imo ▁de ▁River a , ▁was ▁designed ▁as ▁a ▁special ▁deput y ▁to ▁the ▁executive . ▁It ▁was ▁supposed ▁to ▁assist ▁the ▁Head ▁of ▁State ▁on ▁matters ▁falling ▁into ▁his ▁exclusive ▁compet ence ▁and ▁was ▁pres ided ▁by ▁Bil ba o ▁himself . ▁The ▁latter , ▁composed ▁of ▁ 3 ▁officials , ▁was ▁to ▁act ▁as ▁an ▁inter im ▁reg ency ▁during ▁transition ▁to ▁Franco ' s ▁successor ▁or ▁in ▁his ▁absence . ▁The ▁sole ▁period ▁it ▁actually ▁function ed ▁was ▁ 9 ▁days ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁during ▁the ▁one ▁and ▁only ▁Franco ' s ▁foreign ▁trip ▁after ▁the ▁Civil ▁War . ▁ ▁Rel ations ▁with ▁Fal ang ism ▁ ▁During ▁ 3 0 ▁years ▁of ▁activity ▁within ▁the ▁Franco ist ▁regime ▁Bil ba o ▁maintained ▁a ▁perfectly ▁loyal ▁post ure ; ▁he ▁was ▁later ▁given ▁credit ▁for ▁co ining ▁the ▁roy ally - s ounding ▁phrase ▁" Fran cis co ▁Franco , ▁Ca ud illo ▁de ▁España ▁por ▁la ▁g rac ia ▁de ▁Dios ". ▁He ▁is ▁not ▁known ▁to ▁have ▁participated ▁in ▁any ▁sort ▁of ▁consp i racy , ▁opposition ▁or ▁even ▁protest ▁to ▁Franco ▁personally . ▁His ▁political ▁efforts ▁were ▁princip ally ▁directed ▁at ▁keeping ▁the ▁hard line ▁Fal ang ists ▁at ▁bay , ▁occasionally ▁combined ▁with ▁a ▁rather ▁tim id ▁advoc acy ▁of ▁the ▁monarch ist ▁idea . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁Ram ón ▁Ser rano ▁Su ñ er ▁came