Maria Isabella of Spain
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| Maria Isabella of Spain | |
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| Queen consort of the Two Sicilies (more...) | |
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| Consort to | Francis I of the Two Sicilies Francis, Count of Balzo |
| Issue | |
| Princess Luisa Carlotta Maria Christina, Queen of Spain Ferdinand II Charles Ferdinand, Prince of Capua Leopold, Count of Syracuse Maria Antonia, Grand Duchess of Tuscany Antonio, Count of Lecce Princess Maria Amalia Maria Carolina, Countess of Montemolin Theresa Christina, Empress of Brazil Louis, Count of Aquila Francis, Count of Trapani |
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| Royal house | House of Bourbon House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies |
| Father | Charles IV of Spain |
| Mother | Maria Luisa of Parma |
| Born | July 6, 1789 Madrid, Spain |
| Died | September 13, 1848 (aged 59) Portici, Two Sicilies |
Maria Isabella of Spain (Spanish: Maria Isabel de Borbón y Borbón-Parma; (6 July 1789, Madrid - 13 September 1848, Portici) was a daughter of Charles IV of Spain. She married her first cousin Francis I of the Two Sicilies.
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[edit] Family
Maria Isabella was the youngest surviving daughter of King Carlos IV of Spain (1748-1819) and his wife Maria Luisa of Parma (1751-1819), a granddaughter of Louis XV of France. Her paternal grandparents were Charles III of Spain and Maria Amalia of Saxony. Her maternal grandparents were Philip, Duke of Parma and Princess Louise-Élisabeth of France. Charles III and Philip were brothers, both sons of Philip V of Spain and his second wife Elisabeth of Parma.
[edit] Marriage
On 6 July 1802, Maria Isabella married her first cousin Prince Francis of Naples and Sicily by proxy in Barcelona. Francis was the eldest son of Ferdinand III of Sicily/Ferdinand IV of Naples and his first wife Marie Caroline of Austria. Ferdinand was her paternal uncle, a younger brother of her father.
She was sent to meet her new husband and a second marriage ceremony took place in Naples on 19 August 1802. This time married in person. The bride was thirteen years old and the groom twenty-five. Her mother-in-law, Queen Marie Caroline, wrote about her first impressions of the young Maria Isabella:
A fine, fresh, healthy face, not Bourbon in the least, but white and red, with black eyes. She is very stout and sturdy, yet her legs are very short. So much for her exterior. The rest cannot be described because I myself cannot understand it. She is null in every respect, knowledge, ideas, curiosity. Nothing, absolutely nothing. She speaks a little Spanish but neither Italian nor French, and only monosyllables, Yes or No, indiscriminately. She smiles all the time, whether she is pleased or not...
[edit] Children
Francis and Maria Isabella had twelve children:
- Luisa Carlotta (1804-1844), who married her maternal uncle Francisco de Paula, Infante of Spain. Their eldest son, Francisco de Asis de Bourbon, married Isabella II of Spain.
- María Cristina (1806-1878), who married 1st her uncle Ferdinand VII of Spain (her mother's older brother) and 2nd Ferdinand Muñoz, Duke of Rianzares.
- Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies (1810-1859) who became Francis I's successor and married twice.
- Carlo Ferdinando, Prince of Capua (1811-1862). Married morganatically to Penelope Smyth and had issue.
- Leopoldo, Count di Siracusa (1813-1860). Married Maria Princess of Savoy-Carignano. No issue.
- Maria Antonietta (1814-1898). Married Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany.
- Antonio, Count of Lecce (1816-1843).
- Maria Amalia (1818-1857), who married Infante Sebastian of Portugal and Spain.
- Maria Carolina (1820-1861). Married Carlos, Conde de Montemolin and carlist pretender to the throne of Spain.
- Teresa (1822-1889). Married Pedro II of Brazil.
- Luigi, Count di Aquila (1824-1897). Married Januária Maria, Princess Imperial of Brazil (sister of Pedro II of Brazil and Maria II of Portugal). Had issue.
- Francesco, Count of Trapani (1827-1892). Married Archduchess Maria Isabella of Austria, Princess of Tuscany and had issue.
On 4 January 1825, her father-in-law Ferdinand I died and Francis succeeded to the throne. Maria Isabella served as his Queen consort. Her husband reportedly took little part in the government, which he left in the hands of favourites and police officials, and lived with his mistresses, surrounded by soldiers, ever in dread of assassination. He died on 8 November 1830.
[edit] Late years
Maria Isabella remained a widow for nine years. On 15 January 1839, Maria Isabella married her second husband Francis, Count of Balzo (1805 - 1882). The bride was fifty years old and the groom thirty-four.
[edit] External links
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Maria Isabella of Spain
Born: 6 July 1789 Died: 13 September 1848 |
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| Preceded by Lucia Migliaccio of Floridia (Royal consort) |
Queen Consort of the Two Sicilies 4 January 1825-8 November 1830 |
Succeeded by Maria Christina of Savoy |
