Dona Maria Pia (16 October 1847 – 5 July 1911) was by birth an Italian princess of the

House of Savoy The House of Savoy ( it, Casa Savoia) was a royal dynasty that was established in 1003 in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, the family grew in power from ruling a small Alpine county north-west of Italy to absolute rule of ...

and was

Queen of Portugal This is a list of Portuguese monarchs who ruled from the establishment of the Kingdom of Portugal, in 1139, to the deposition of the Portuguese monarchy and creation of the Portuguese Republic with the 5 October 1910 revolution. Through the ne ...

as spouse of King Luís I of Portugal. On the day of her baptism, Pope Pius IX, her godfather, gave her a

Golden Rose The Golden Rose is a gold ornament, which popes of the Catholic Church have traditionally blessed annually. It is occasionally conferred as a token of reverence or affection. Recipients have included churches and sanctuaries, royalty, military f ...

. Maria Pia was married to Luís on the 6 October 1862 in Lisbon. She was the grand mistress of the

Order of Saint Isabel The Order of Queen Saint Isabel ( pt, Ordem da Rainha Santa Isabel) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of which the Grand Mistress is the Duchess of Braganza. History King John VI of Portugal created the order on 4 November 1801 in honour ...

. She was the third queen of the

on the Portuguese throne, after

Mafalda ''Mafalda'' () is an Argentine comic strip written and drawn by cartoonist Quino. The strip features a six-year-old girl named Mafalda, who reflects the Argentinian middle class and progressive youth, is concerned about humanity and world peace, ...

and Marie-Françoise of Savoy-Nemours.

Early life

Maria Pia was the youngest daughter of

Victor Emmanuel II en, Victor Emmanuel Maria Albert Eugene Ferdinand Thomas , house = Savoy , father = Charles Albert of Sardinia , mother = Maria Theresa of Austria , religion = Roman Catholicism , image_size = 252px , succession1 ...

, the first

King of Italy King of Italy ( it, links=no, Re d'Italia; la, links=no, Rex Italiae) was the title given to the ruler of the Kingdom of Italy after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The first to take the title was Odoacer, a barbarian military leader, ...

, by his wife Adelaide of Austria, a great-granddaughter of

Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor , house = Habsburg-Lorraine , father =Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor , mother = Maria Theresa of Hungary and Bohemia , religion =Roman Catholicism , succession1 =Grand Duke of Tuscany , reign1 =18 A ...

. Her sister Maria Clotilde was the "princesse Napoléon" as wife of

Napoléon Joseph Charles Paul Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

, and her brothers were King

Umberto I of Italy Umberto I ( it, Umberto Rainerio Carlo Emanuele Giovanni Maria Ferdinando Eugenio di Savoia; 14 March 1844 – 29 July 1900) was King of Italy from 9 January 1878 until his assassination on 29 July 1900. Umberto's reign saw Italy attempt colo ...

and King

Amadeo of Spain Amadeo ( it, Amedeo , sometimes latinized as Amadeus; full name: ''Amedeo Ferdinando Maria di Savoia''; 30 May 184518 January 1890) was an Italian prince who reigned as King of Spain from 1870 to 1873. The first and only King of Spain to come fr ...

. She had three younger brothers, but all died prematurely. Additionally, she had four paternal half-siblings born out of

wedlock Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

, who were never recognized as royalty despite their rich heritage. Maria Pia married King Luís I of Portugal on 6 October 1862 at the age of 14 in the São Domingos Church in Lisbon, therefore she instantly became Queen consort of

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, In recognized minority languages of Portugal: :* mwl, República Pertuesa is a country located on the Iberian Peninsula, in Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Macaronesian ...

. A

proxy wedding A proxy wedding or proxy marriage is a wedding in which one or both of the individuals being united are not physically present, usually being represented instead by other persons. If both partners are absent a double proxy wedding occurs. Marriage ...

took place about a week before on September 27, 1862 with her cousin

Prince Eugene of Savoy Prince Eugene Francis of Savoy–Carignano, (18 October 1663 – 21 April 1736) better known as Prince Eugene, was a Generalfeldmarschall, field marshal in the army of the Holy Roman Empire and of the Austrian Habsburg dynasty during the 17th a ...

taking the role of the groom. On the 29th, Maria boarded a ship at

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of t ...

to visit her new homeland. The ship sailed into Lisbon on 5 October. Obviously Maria was smitten with Luis, as she later wrote ‘I like him more than his picture.’ One year after the wedding at age 15, Maria Pia gave birth to her first son and heir, Carlos, Duke of Braganza. Despite her young age she proved to be a wonderful mother. She wrote ‘my little Charles is good. Oh, it is such a great fortune to be a mother. My little one is white and pink with the large blue eyes of his father. It seems that he has already six months instead of a few weeks. He is always, always with me!’ In 1865 she had another son, Afonso, Duke of Porto. Soon after her second

pregnancy Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops ( gestates) inside a woman's uterus (womb). A multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Pregnancy usually occurs by sexual intercourse, but ...

she experienced

postpartum depression Postpartum depression (PPD), also called postnatal depression, is a type of mood disorder associated with childbirth, which can affect both sexes. Symptoms may include extreme sadness, low energy, anxiety, crying episodes, irritability, and cha ...

. In 1866, she had another son, who was either miscarried or

stillborn Stillbirth is typically defined as fetal death at or after 20 or 28 weeks of pregnancy, depending on the source. It results in a baby born without signs of life. A stillbirth can result in the feeling of guilt or grief in the mother. The ter ...

. Her dead son was christened Miguel. This added to her

mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental hea ...

struggles. She never had any more children and was most likely sterile due to the painful birth. Despite her waning health problems both physical and mental, the queen was known to romp around with her sons and help with their studies, sometimes even studying alongside them. In October 1873, the queen noticed her sons being carried into the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Afr ...

from a lighthouse and dove after them. She was later rewarded a medal for her

heroism A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ''actor''), ''hero ...

Biography

As Queen, Maria Pia was considered by some as extravagant, but far more for her many charitable works in aid of the Portuguese people. She was known by the Portuguese people as an "angel of charity" and "mother of the poor" for her compassion and work on social causes. At a masquerade ball in 1865, she changed her costume three times. When the Portuguese parliament discussed her expenses, she replied saying "if you want a Queen, you have to pay for her. As Queen, she was largely responsible for the interiors of the Ajuda Royal Palace in Lisbon, still used to this day for banquets during state visits by foreign heads of state. Maria Pia did not involve herself in politics, but in a conflict with João Carlos Saldanha de Oliveira Daun, 1st Duke of Saldanha in 1870, she stated: "If I were the king, I would have you shot!" Over the years Luís began to indulge in several extramarital

affairs An affair is a sexual relationship, romantic friendship, or passionate attachment between two people without the attached person's significant other knowing. Affair may also refer to: * Foreign affairs, **as in Foreign policy **or Foreign Affai ...

. Despite her husband’s apparent wandering eye, Maria remained faithful to her husband, therefore causing Maria a great deal of depression. It is speculated that she too had an affair with Thomas de Rosa Sousa but this was never confirmed, and may have just been some mean-spirited

gossip Gossip is idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others; the act is also known as dishing or tattling. Gossip is a topic of research in evolutionary psychology, which has found gossip to be an important mean ...

most likely out of the mouth of Infanta Antónia of Portugal, her sister-in-law. The rumors got around to the queen and she responded indignantly “They can talk until they explode.” Maria and Antónia both generally disliked each other, this hatred grew to the point where Antónia would refer to the

penultimate Penult is a linguistics term for the second to last syllable of a word. It is an abbreviation of ''penultimate'', which describes the next-to-last item in a series. The penult follows the antepenult and precedes the ultima. For example, the mai ...

queen as ‘x’ in her letters to Luis. Antónia strongly believed that Maria was having an affair and urged Luis to pursue a

divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the ...

, which was quite the double—standard considering she was well aware of Luis’ affairs. Maria also maintained a rocky relationship with her

father-in-law A parent-in-law is a person who has a legal affinity with another by being the parent of the other's spouse. Many cultures and legal systems impose duties and responsibilities on persons connected by this relationship. A person is a child-in-la ...

Ferdinand II of Portugal '' Dom'' Ferdinand II ( Portuguese: ''Fernando II'') (29 October 1816 – 15 December 1885) was a German prince of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry, and King of Portugal ''jure uxoris'' as the husband of Queen Maria II, from the birth ...

, disapproving his morganatic marriage to an opera singer. Her son Carlos and his wife, Amelie, had a son named Luis Filipe, who was very close to his grandmother. Tragically they also conceived a

premature Premature may refer to: * ''Premature'' (2014 film), an American comedy film * ''Premature'' (2019 film), an American romantic drama film * '' PREMature'', a 2015 British television drama miniseries See also * Premature aging, of an organism * ...

daughter named Maria Ana who lived for only two hours. The Queen had always longed for a little girl, and was no stranger to this type of loss. She expressed her sympathy, describing her lost grandchild as “Very small, but perfect and beautiful, with well-defined features.” Pollock, Sabrina p.82 King Luís died on 19 October 1889 and Maria Pia became

queen dowager A queen dowager or dowager queen (compare: princess dowager or dowager princess) is a title or status generally held by the widow of a king. In the case of the widow of an emperor, the title of empress dowager is used. Its full meaning is clear ...

. She remained very active and continued with her social projects while holding a dominating position at court. She served as regent during the absence of the king and queen abroad. The queen dowager was devastated after the assassination of her son King

Carlos I of Portugal ''Dom'' Carlos I (; English: King Charles of Portugal; 28 September 1863 – 1 February 1908), known as the Diplomat ( pt, o Diplomata), the Martyr ( pt, o Martirizado), and the Oceanographer ( pt, o Oceanógrafo), among many other names, was ...

and grandson Crown Prince Luís Filipe, Duke of Braganza, on 1 February 1908 on the

Praça do Comércio The Praça do Comércio (; ) is a large, harbour-facing plaza in Portugal's capital, Lisbon, and is one of the largest in Portugal, with an area of 175 by 175 m (574 by 574 ft), that is, 30,600 m2 (329,000 ft2). Facing the Tagus () to the South, ...

in Lisbon. During her last years in Portugal, she withdrew from the public eye. She was deeply saddened after the military coup that deposed her remaining grandson, King

Manuel II of Portugal '' Dom'' Manuel II (15 November 1889 – 2 July 1932), "the Patriot" ( pt, "o Patriota") or "the Unfortunate" (), was the last King of Portugal, ascending the throne after the assassination of his father, King Carlos I, and his elder brother, ...

, by the 5 October 1910 Revolution. Due to the 1910 coup that deposed Maria Pia’s grandson, Manuel II, and established the republic in

, the whole Portuguese royal family was exiled.

King Manuel Manuel of Portugal may refer to: Kings * Manuel I of Portugal (1469–1521), King of Portugal from 1495 to 1521 * Manuel II of Portugal (1889–1932), last King of Portugal from 1908 to 1910 Pretenders * Manuel, Hereditary Prince of Portugal ...

and Queen Amelie went to England, while Maria Pia and Infante Afonso went to her native

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, where she died on 5 July of the very next year in Stupinigi, and was interred in the Basilica of Superga.

Gallery

File:Portrait of Maria Pia of Savoy.jpg, Portrait of Maria Pia, by Luigi Gandolfi (1863) File:Marie Pie, Queen of Portugal, Princess of Italy (1863) - William Bambridge.png, Photograph of Maria Pia as a young woman (1863) File:Retrato da rainha D. Maria Pia (1865-68) - Michele Gordigiani (Palácio Nacional da Ajuda, Inv. 2390).png, Portrait of Maria Pia, by Michele Gordigiani (1865),

Palace of Ajuda The Palace of Ajuda ( pt, Palácio da Ajuda, ) is a neoclassical monument in the civil parish of Ajuda in the city of Lisbon, central Portugal. Built on the site of a temporary wooden building constructed to house the Royal family after the 175 ...

File:Carolus-Duran Retrato de D. Maria Pia.jpg, Portrait of Maria Pia, by

Carolus Duran Charles Auguste Émile Durand, known as Carolus-Duran (Lille 4 July 1837 – 17 February 1917 Paris), was a French painter and art instructor. He is noted for his stylish depictions of members of high society in Third Republic France. Biograp ...

(1880),

File:A Família Real Portuguesa em Queluz.jpg, The royal family of Portugal, by

Joseph Layraud Joseph Fortuné Séraphin Layraud (15 October 1834 – 12 October 1912) was a French painter. There is no complete clearance as to the birth' and the death' dates. Some sources refer to 1833–1913. His range included historical scenes and figures ...

(1876) File:33- Rainha D. Maria Pia - O Anjo da Caridade.jpg, Portrait of Maria Pia, by

Issue

Ancestry

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maria Pia of Savoy 1847 births 1911 deaths Princesses of Savoy Burials at the Basilica of Superga Queen mothers Nobility from Turin House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Portuguese queens consort Italian people of Polish descent Portuguese people of Polish descent Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa Dames of the Order of Saint Isabel 19th-century Italian women 19th-century Portuguese people 19th-century Portuguese women Victor Emmanuel II of Italy Daughters of kings