The Governing Queen is riding in a calèche with her daughter, the future Queen Isabel II (1830 - 1904), when they are surprised by their opponents while carrying out a military review led by the Infante don Sebastian (1811-1875). The composition is divided into two planes, with a military parade in the foreground and the actual skirmish in the background. Thanks to a successful use of color and attentive lighting, Fortuny manages to depict both the heat of battle and the solemnity of the parade with great expressiveness.