María Isabella of Spain
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Maria Isabella of Spain (María Isabel de Borbón y Borbón-Parma; 6 July 1789 – 13 September 1848) was an
infanta ''Infante'' (, ; f. ''infanta''), also anglicised as Infant or translated as Prince, is the title and rank given in the Iberian kingdoms of Spain (including the predecessor kingdoms of Aragon, Castile, Navarre, and León) and Portugal to th ...
of Spain and queen consort of the Two Sicilies by marriage to
Francis I of the Two Sicilies Francis I of the Two Sicilies ( it, Francesco Gennaro Giuseppe Saverio Giovanni Battista; 19 August 1777 – 8 November 1830) was King of the Two Sicilies from 1825 to 1830 and regent of the Kingdom of Sicily from 1806 to 1814. Biography Fran ...
.


Infanta of Spain

She was the youngest daughter of King
Carlos IV of Spain , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father =Charles III of Spain , mother = Maria Amalia of Saxony , birth_date =11 November 1748 , birth_place =Palace of Portici, Portici, Naples , death_date = , death_place ...
and his wife
Maria Luisa of Parma Maria Luisa of Parma (Luisa Maria Teresa Anna; 9 December 1751 – 2 January 1819) was, by marriage to King Charles IV of Spain, Queen of Spain from 1788 to 1808 leading up to the Peninsular War. Her relationship with Manuel Godoy and influence o ...
. María Isabel's birth coincided with the rise to power in Spain of her mother's favorite,
Manuel Godoy Manuel Godoy y Álvarez de Faria, Prince of the Peace, 1st Duke of Alcudia, 1st Duke of Sueca, 1st Baron of Mascalbó (12 May 17674 October 1851) was First Secretary of State of Spain from 1792 to 1797 and from 1801 to 1808. He received many t ...
. Court rumour attributed María Isabel's paternity not to the king, but to the young Godoy, who became Spain's prime minister in 1792.Rubio, '' Reinas de España'', p. 307Rubio, '' Reinas de España'', p. 311 The Infanta's childhood coincided with the events of the French revolution and political turbulence in Spain.Rubio, '' Reinas de España'', p. 308 The youngest surviving daughter in a large family, María Isabel was spoilt by both of her parents and her education was rudimentary.Acton, ''The Bourbons of Naples'', pp. 3, 35, 132-134, 326, 366, 478-479, 679 She and her family members were painted by
Francisco Goya Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; ; 30 March 174616 April 1828) was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His paintings, drawings, and ...
in his 1800–1801 portrait ''
Charles IV of Spain and His Family ''Charles IV of Spain and His Family'' is an oil-on-canvas group portrait painting by the Spanish artist Francisco Goya. He began work on the painting in 1800, shortly after he became First Chamber Painter to the royal family, and completed it i ...
''. In December 1800,
Lucien Bonaparte Lucien Bonaparte, 1st Prince of Canino and Musignano (born Luciano Buonaparte; 21 May 1775 – 29 June 1840), was French politician and diplomat of the French Revolution and the Consulate. He served as Minister of the Interior from 1799 to 1800 ...
arrived in Spain as the new French ambassador. Through him, Queen Maria Luisa offered María Isabel in marriage to
Napoleon 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 ...
in April 1801.Rubio, ''Reinas de España'', pp. 325-328. Then
First Consul The Consulate (french: Le Consulat) was the top-level Government of France from the fall of the Directory in the coup of 18 Brumaire on 10 November 1799 until the start of the Napoleonic Empire on 18 May 1804. By extension, the term ''The Con ...
, Napoleon had been married to
Joséphine de Beauharnais Josephine may refer to: People * Josephine (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Josephine (singer), a Greek pop singer Places *Josephine, Texas, United States *Mount Josephine (disambiguation) * Josephine Count ...
for two years, but it had been suggested that he should divorce her to marry a princess of royal blood. Napoleon had a low opinion of the
House of Bourbon The House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a European dynasty of French origin, a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Navarre in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Spanis ...
and commented privately, "If I would have to remarry, I wouldn't look in a house in ruins for my descendants"


Marriage

Anxious to find a crown for Maria Isabel, in the spring 1801, her mother looked to marry her with her paternal first cousin the
Duke of Calabria Duke of Calabria was the traditional title of the heir apparent of the Kingdom of Naples after the accession of Robert of Naples. It was also adopted by the heads of certain Houses that had once claimed the Kingdom of Naples in lieu of the royal ...
, Prince Francesco of Naples and Sicily, whose wife,
Archduchess Maria Clementina of Austria Maria Clementina of Austria (24 April 1777 – 15 November 1801) was an Austrian archduchess and the tenth child and third daughter of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor and Maria Luisa of Spain. In 1797 she married her first cousin Prince Fran ...
, was then still alive, but died of
consumption Consumption may refer to: *Resource consumption *Tuberculosis, an infectious disease, historically * Consumption (ecology), receipt of energy by consuming other organisms * Consumption (economics), the purchasing of newly produced goods for curren ...
in November of that year. The idea came from the French diplomat Alquier, who had been ambassador in Madrid and Naples. His plan was to bring the
Kingdom of Naples The Kingdom of Naples ( la, Regnum Neapolitanum; it, Regno di Napoli; nap, Regno 'e Napule), also known as the Kingdom of Sicily, was a state that ruled the part of the Italian Peninsula south of the Papal States between 1282 and 1816. It was ...
, an ally of
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
and hostile to
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, into the recently formed Spanish-French alliance, proposing a closer relationship between the two families through double marriages. Infanta Maria Isabel and her eldest brother,
Ferdinand, Prince of Asturias Ferdinand, Prince of Asturias (4 December 1571 – 18 October 1578) was a member of the House of Habsburg who was heir apparent to the Spanish throne. Biography Ferdinand was born in the Royal Alcázar of Madrid. He was the second son of ...
, would marry their first cousins: Maria Antonia of Naples and
Francesco Francesco, the Italian (and original) version of the personal name " Francis", is the most common given name among males in Italy. Notable persons with that name include: People with the given name Francesco * Francesco I (disambiguation), sev ...
,
Duke of Calabria Duke of Calabria was the traditional title of the heir apparent of the Kingdom of Naples after the accession of Robert of Naples. It was also adopted by the heads of certain Houses that had once claimed the Kingdom of Naples in lieu of the royal ...
. The Queen,
Maria Carolina of Austria Maria Carolina Louise Josepha Johanna Antonia (13 August 1752 – 8 September 1814) was List of consorts of Naples, Queen of Naples and List of Sicilian consorts, Sicily as the wife of King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies. As ''de facto'' ruler ...
, who hated France and mistrusted Spain for its good will toward Napoleon, opposed the match. Infanta Maria Isabel was only twelve years old; even at a time when princesses married very young, her tender age was unusual for a bride. But her early marriage was justified by the need to secure the hasty resumption of close relations between Spain and Naples at a particularly critical time for the European courts, struggling with the expansionist policy of Napoleon. The contracts of the two marriages were signed in
Aranjuez Aranjuez () is a city and municipality of Spain, part of the Community of Madrid. Located in the southern end of the region, the main urban nucleus lies on the left bank of Tagus, a bit upstream the discharge of the Jarama. , the municipality h ...
in April 1802.Rubio, '' Reinas de España'', pp. 365-366 On 6 July 1802, her thirteenth birthday, María Isabel married in Madrid her 25-year-old cousin, Francesco by proxy, as his second wife. Her brother Ferdinand stood in the ceremony in place of the groom. The Spanish royal family traveled to
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
on 13 August. The two couples were married in person on 4 October at the arrival of Francesco and his sister. The festivities lasted until 12 October when María Isabel, in Italian ''Maria Isabella'', left Barcelona towards Naples.


Crown Princess

Maria Isabella did not evoke a good impression upon her arrival at the court of Naples. All four daughters of Charles IV ( Carlota, Maria Amalia, Maria Luisa and María Isabel) were short and plain. Unlike her sisters, María Isabel had regular features, but looked even younger than her thirteen years. She was described as "little, and round as a ball". Her mother-in-law, Queen Maria Carolina, had been close to her son's first wife, who was also her niece. She had an unfavorable first impression of the young María Isabella, about whom she wrote: She was only fifteen years old when her first daughter, Luisa Carlotta, was born in Portici on 24 October 1804. She also had a step-daughter, Princess Carolina, who would marry the French-born
Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry Charles Ferdinand d'Artois, Duke of Berry (24 January 1778 – 14 February 1820) was the third child and younger son of Charles X, King of France, (whom he predeceased) by his wife Maria Theresa of Savoy. In June 1832, two years after the overt ...
(the second son of King
Charles X of France Charles X (born Charles Philippe, Count of Artois; 9 October 1757 – 6 November 1836) was King of France from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. An uncle of the uncrowned Louis XVII and younger brother to reigning kings Louis XVI and Lou ...
). Maria Isabela's life was deeply marked by Napoleon's actions. Fearing for his crown, King Ferdinand joined the
Third Coalition The War of the Third Coalition) * In French historiography, it is known as the Austrian campaign of 1805 (french: Campagne d'Autriche de 1805) or the German campaign of 1805 (french: Campagne d'Allemagne de 1805) was a European conflict spanni ...
against Bonaparte. Napoleon’s troops defeated the allied armies at the
Battle of Austerlitz The Battle of Austerlitz (2 December 1805/11 Frimaire An XIV FRC), also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of the most important and decisive engagements of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle occurred near the town of Austerlitz in ...
in December 1805 and the
Neapolitan Neapolitan means of or pertaining to Naples, a city in Italy; or to: Geography and history * Province of Naples, a province in the Campania region of southern Italy that includes the city * Duchy of Naples, in existence during the Early and Hig ...
corps at Campo Tenese. Following these victories, Napoleon's forces occupied Naples in 1806. The Emperor gave the crown of Naples to his brother
Joseph Bonaparte it, Giuseppe-Napoleone Buonaparte es, José Napoleón Bonaparte , house = Bonaparte , father = Carlo Buonaparte , mother = Letizia Ramolino , birth_date = 7 January 1768 , birth_place = Corte, Corsica, Republic of ...
, and four years later to his brother-in-law
Joachim Murat Joachim Murat ( , also , ; it, Gioacchino Murati; 25 March 1767 – 13 October 1815) was a French military commander and statesman who served during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars. Under the French Empire he received the ...
. Maria Isabella, with the rest of the royal family, had to flee from Naples to Sicily in February 1806. Despite successive attempts by Murat to invade the island, King Ferdinand and Maria Carolina held their status and power in Sicily under the protection of British troops, but would be unable to challenge French control of the Italian mainland. The real power in Sicily was held by
Lord William Bentinck Lieutenant General Lord William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck (14 September 177417 June 1839), known as Lord William Bentinck, was a British soldier and statesman who served as the Governor of Fort William (Bengal) from 1828 to 1834 and the First G ...
, commander of British troops on the island. The king spent the following years hunting, appearing at
Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...
only when his presence was required. In 1812, Francesco, Maria Isabella’s husband, was appointed
regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
. Maria Isabella did not get involved in the complex Sicilian affairs of the Neapolitan court in exile in Palermo. Francesco clashed with the aristocracy of the island who opposed new taxes to finance the war against France, claiming a high degree of autonomy. Queen Maria Carolina was exiled to her homeland Austria in 1813, where she died in 1814.


Duchess of Calabria

In 1815, under Austrian protection, Ferdinand returned to Naples. He suppressed the Sicilian constitution and joined his two kingdoms into that of the
Two Sicilies The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ( it, Regno delle Due Sicilie) was a kingdom in Southern Italy from 1816 to 1860. The kingdom was the largest sovereign state by population and size in Italy before Italian unification, comprising Sicily and a ...
in 1816, bestowing on Francesco the title of Duke of Calabria as heir of the combined kingdoms. Serving as lieutenant in Sicily (1815–20), Francesco and Maria Isabella remained in Sicily, seldom visiting Naples. Although she left Spain at an early age, Maria Isabella remained attached to her family and native country. In the autumn of 1818, she visited her parents who were living in exile in
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
.Rubio, '' Reinas de España'', pp. 345-346 She was still with her mother when Queen Maria Luisa died in January 1819. Maria Isabella was instrumental in the marital choices of the Neapolitan court for her daughters, of whom four (out of six) married members of the Spanish royal family. The first of these marriages took place in April 1819 between her eldest child Luisa Carlotta and Maria Isabella’s younger brother,
Infante Francisco de Paula of Spain , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Charles IV of Spain , mother = Maria Luisa of Parma , birth_date = , birth_place = Aranjuez, Spain , death_date = , death_place = Madrid, Spain , burial_place = El Escorial Infante F ...
in a union between niece and uncle. During these troubled years Maria Isabella was constantly pregnant. At intervals of less than two years, she gave birth to nine children born in Palermo. She finally returned to Naples with her husband in July 1820. Her father-in-law King Ferdinand was now completely subservient to Austria; an Austrian, Count Nugent, was commander-in-chief of the army. For the next four years her father-in-law reigned as an absolute monarch within his domain, granting no constitutional reforms. In this period, Maria Isabella had two more children born in Naples.


Queen of the Two Sicilies

King
Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies Ferdinand I (12 January 1751 – 4 January 1825) was the King of the Two Sicilies from 1816, after his restoration following victory in the Napoleonic Wars. Before that he had been, since 1759, Ferdinand IV of the Kingdom of Naples and Ferdinand I ...
died on 4 January 1825 and Maria Isabella’s husband became the new king. Francis I, aged 47, was a large heavy man; well-intentioned; simple in his tastes and more interested in farming than in politics. Agriculture was his special past time. He had been better educated than his father, but was prematurely aged and weak in character and body. From the beginning, Francis I behaved very differently from the liberal prince he had been as heir to the crown and his short reign was essentially
reactionary In political science, a reactionary or a reactionist is a person who holds political views that favor a return to the ''status quo ante'', the previous political state of society, which that person believes possessed positive characteristics abse ...
. Although jealous of his authority, he left the government in the hands of his prime minister
Luigi de' Medici Luigi de' Medici (22 April 1759 - 25 January 1830) was an Italian nobleman, legal scholar, diplomat and statesman, who served as Prime minister of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the legal representative at the Congress of Vienna. Early life ...
(1759 - 1830). The king’s valet, Michelangelo Viglia, and Caterina de Simone, the Queen's lady-in-waiting, ruled the royal household in which corruption was rampant. In her new role as a queen consort, Maria Isabella had neither ambition nor interest in government to be of any assistance to her placid husband. Thirty four years old and the mother of twelve children, she was then still nursing her son the Count of Aquila, born the year before. Plump since her youth, the many years of childbearing left the Queen very overweight.Acton, ''The Last Bourbons of Naples'', pp. 1, 4-6, 16, 18, 20, 22, 554, 69, 698 Maria Isabella was frivolous, childlike and goodhearted. She loved the theater, balls and public festivities. Simple, and generous, she was more popular than her husband. The royal couple lived surrounded by soldiers, always in dread of a revolution. Their security was guaranteed by the Austrian troops stationed in Naples, but their expenses were a heavy burden on the state coffers and the main reason for the high public debt. On Medici’s advise, Francis and Maria Isabella, taking with them their one-year-old son the Count of Aquila, went to
Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
in May 1825 in order to obtain a reduction in the occupation troops. After an agreement between Medici and the Austrian ambassador
Count Karl Ludwig von Ficquelmont Karl Ludwig, Count of Ficquelmont (; french: Charles-Louis comte de Ficquelmont; 23 March 1777 – 7 April 1857) was an Austrian aristocrat, statesman and Field marshal of the Austrian Imperial army of French noble origin. Biography French n ...
, the King and Queen returned to Naples on 18 July. The Austrian troops were reduced to 12,000 beginning at the end of that year and departed in February 1827. The Queen's constant companion was her second daughter Maria Christina, who was as flirtatious as her mother. Maria Christina was already in her early twenties and her parents were eager to find a royal husband for her. The opportunity came when Maria Isabella’s brother,
Ferdinand VII of Spain , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Charles IV of Spain , mother = Maria Luisa of Parma , birth_date = 14 October 1784 , birth_place = El Escorial, Spain , death_date = , death_place = Madrid, Spain , burial_plac ...
, suddenly became a widower in May 1829. Maria Isabella’s eldest daughter, now Infanta Luisa Carlota, quickly arranged the marriage between her sister and their uncle.Acton, ''The Last Bourbons of Naples'', pp. 33-34, 39, 46, 48-51, 64, 66, 90, 132, 134 Ferdinand VII invited his sister and brother-in-law to accompany their daughter to the wedding in Madrid. Francis I’s was afflicted with gout and on declining health, but Maria Isabella was anxious to visit her native country after 27 years of absence. She convinced her husband to make the long trip to Spain. Their eldest son, Ferdinand, Duke of Calabria was left as regent during their absence. Traveling by land, the royal party left for Spain on 28 September 1829. On their way, they visited
Pope Pius VIII Pope Pius VIII ( it, Pio VIII; born Francesco Saverio Maria Felice Castiglioni; 20 November 1761 – 30 November 1830), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 31 March 1829 to his death in November 1830. Pius VIII's ...
in Rome. In
Grenoble lat, Gratianopolis , commune status = Prefecture and commune , image = Panorama grenoble.png , image size = , caption = From upper left: Panorama of the city, Grenoble’s cable cars, place Saint- ...
, they met the Duchess of Berry, happy to see her parents after thirteen years. Once in Spain, the marriage was celebrated on 25 January 1830. On the way back, they were reunited once again with the Duchess of Berry who presented to them to her infant son, the Duke of Bordeaux, at
Chambord Chambord can refer to: * Chambord (liqueur), a brand of raspberry-flavored liqueur * Château de Chambord, a French ''château'' built in the 16th century * Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, the French commune where the ''château'' is located * Chambord, ...
. Maria Isabella and her husband went to
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, where they were entertained by King
Charles X Charles X (born Charles Philippe, Count of Artois; 9 October 1757 – 6 November 1836) was King of France from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. An uncle of the uncrowned Louis XVII and younger brother to reigning kings Louis XVI and Loui ...
. In June, the King and Queen left for
Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the 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 the 2011 Italian ce ...
reaching Naples on July 30. After their return, the king’s health deteriorated rapidly. He died on November 8, 1830.


Queen mother

At the death of her husband, Maria Isabella’s eldest son became King Ferdinand II. Unbeknownst to her, she was at the center of a liberal conspiracy hatched by Prince Vincenzo
Ruffo Ruffo is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: Noble house of Ruffo di Calabria *Fabrizio Ruffo (1744–1827), Italian cardinal *Fulco Ruffo di Calabria (1884–1946), Italian World War I flying ace * Giordano Ruffo (1200-1256), ...
della Scaletta and Peter Ugo, Marquis delle Favare. Their intention was to name Maria Isabella regent, displacing her conservative son from the throne for at least a couple of years. The plot was discovered and immediately crushed by the young king. Ferdinand II was only 20 years old. Shy and quiet, he was, however, more energetic than his father and grandfather had been and took his duties as king more seriously. The relationship between Maria Isabella and Ferdinand II was cold. The Queen mother had a marked preference for her second son, Charles, Prince of Capua, who was more outgoing and shared her frivolity. In the early years of widowhood, Maria Isabella was still young, with a will to live and a certain beauty, despite her increasing obesity. Surrounded by admirers, she had a weakness for handsome officials younger than her. According to court rumors, she took lovers. Her behavior made her an easy target for libels and exasperated Ferdinand II. Maria Isabella was kind to her daughter-in-law
Maria Cristina of Savoy Maria Cristina of Savoy (Maria Cristina Carlotta Giuseppa Gaetana Efisia; 14 November 1812 – 21 January 1836) was the first Queen consort of Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies. She died as a result of childbirth. She is venerated in the Catholic ...
, who married Ferdinand II on 21 November 1832. The new queen achieved a reconciliation between mother and son. In 1835, Maria Isabella began an affair with, Baron Peter von Schmuckher, a married Austrian officer. Their on and off relationship was turbulent. Nevertheless, at the death of Schmuckher's wife in 1837, she intended to marry him. When the ambitious baron claimed the style and privileges of ''
Royal Highness Royal Highness is a style used to address or refer to some members of royal families, usually princes or princesses. Monarchs and their consorts are usually styled ''Majesty''. When used as a direct form of address, spoken or written, it takes ...
'' as a condition for marrying her, Maria Isabella rejected him, appealing to her son to rid her of her former lover. The King had Schmuckher expelled from Naples in January 1838.


Late years

In January 1836, Maria Isabella served as a godmother to her grandson Francisco, Duke of Calabria. In March that same year, the Prince of Capua contracted a
morganatic marriage Morganatic marriage, sometimes called a left-handed marriage, is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which in the context of royalty or other inherited title prevents the principal's position or privileges being passed to the spous ...
. Maria Isabella pleaded for her favorite son, but her efforts to obtain a pardon for him proved fruitless. Ferdinand II did not forgive his runaway brother: Capua went into permanent exile in England, and Maria Isabella never saw him again. As Maria Isabella was determined to remarry, her son, King Ferdinand II, gave her a list with names of young noblemen of the kingdom, from whom to choose. Her first two choices hesitated and she withdrew her proposals. Ultimately she selected Francesco, Count dal Balzo dei Duchi di
Presenzano Presenzano (Campanian: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region Campania, located about north of Naples and about northwest of Caserta Caserta () is the capital of the province of Caserta in the Camp ...
(1805–1882), a handsome young lieutenant from an ancient but impoverished noble family. Their marriage took place privately on 15 January 1839. She was 50 years old and the groom, 34. The couple had no children. They retired from the Neapolitan court, moving to the
Palace of Capodimonte The Royal Palace of Capodimonte ( it, Reggia di Capodimonte) is a large palazzo in Naples, Italy. It was formerly the summer residence and hunting lodge of the Bourbon kings of the Two Sicilies, one of the two royal palaces in Naples. Today, it c ...
. Tragedy struck the Queen Dowager when in January 1843, Antonio, Count of Lecce, her fourth son was killed. Her fifth son, Luigi, Count of Aquila, followed a career in the navy. In July 1843 he went to
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
when
Teresa Teresa (also Theresa, Therese; french: Thérèse) is a feminine given name. It originates in the Iberian Peninsula in late antiquity. Its derivation is uncertain, it may be derived from Greek θερίζω (''therízō'') "to harvest or re ...
, Maria Isabella's youngest daughter, married Emperor
Pedro II of Brazil Don (honorific), Dom PedroII (2 December 1825 – 5 December 1891), nicknamed "the Magnanimity, Magnanimous" ( pt, O Magnânimo), was the List of monarchs of Brazil, second and last monarch of the Empire of Brazil, reigning for over 58 years. ...
. In 1845, to keep the Spanish throne in the
House of Bourbon The House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a European dynasty of French origin, a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Navarre in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Spanis ...
Louis Philippe d'Orléans, King of the French, launched the idea of marrying Maria Isabella's youngest son Francesco, Count of Trapani, who had been originally destined for the church, to Queen
Isabella II of Spain Isabella II ( es, Isabel II; 10 October 1830 – 9 April 1904), was Queen of Spain from 29 September 1833 until 30 September 1868. Shortly before her birth, the King Ferdinand VII of Spain issued a Pragmatic Sanction to ensure the successio ...
, her granddaughter, in another union between uncle and niece. The project did not, however, come to fruition. In the political crisis of late 1847, Maria Isabella, her son Leopold, Count of Syracuse and her brother-in-law,
Leopold, Prince of Salerno , title = Prince of Salerno , image = Leopold, Prinz von Neapel-Sizilien.jpg , caption = Portrait by Louis Rene Letronne, 1816 , spouse = , issue = Maria Carolina, Duchess of Aumale , house = Bourbon ...
, advocated in vain in favor of liberal reforms. Due to her affable character and generosity towards the poor, Maria Isabella remained a popular figure till the end. She died on 13 September 1848 at age 59.


Issue

Francis and María Isabella were well matched and he treated her with kindness. They had twelve children, six daughters and six sons: * Princess Luisa Carlota (1804–1844), married her mother's younger brother
Infante Francisco de Paula of Spain , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Charles IV of Spain , mother = Maria Luisa of Parma , birth_date = , birth_place = Aranjuez, Spain , death_date = , death_place = Madrid, Spain , burial_place = El Escorial Infante F ...
. * Princess María Cristina (1806–1878), married firstly her mother's older brother
Ferdinand VII of Spain , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Charles IV of Spain , mother = Maria Luisa of Parma , birth_date = 14 October 1784 , birth_place = El Escorial, Spain , death_date = , death_place = Madrid, Spain , burial_plac ...
and became Queen
regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
of Spain; and secondly, Agustín Fernando Muñoz, subsequently created Duke de Rianzares. *
Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies Ferdinand II ( it, Ferdinando Carlo; scn, Ferdinannu Carlu; nap, Ferdinando Carlo; 12 January 1810 – 22 May 1859) was King of the Two Sicilies from 1830 until his death in 1859. Family Ferdinand was born in Palermo to King Francis I of the T ...
(1810–1859), became Francis I's successor and married twice. * Carlo, Prince of Capua (1811–1862),
non-dynastic A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A d ...
ally to Penelope Smyth; and had issue. * Leopoldo, Count of Syracuse (1813–1860), married
Princess Maria of Savoy-Carignan Maria Vittoria of Savoy (Maria Vittoria Filiberta; 29 September 1814 – 2 January 1874) was a house of Savoy, Princess of Savoy by birth and later a kingdom of the Two Sicilies, princess of the Two Sicilies by virtue of her marriage to Prince Le ...
; had issue. * Princess Maria Antonia (1814–1898), married
Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany Leopold II( it, Leopoldo Giovanni Giuseppe Francesco Ferdinando Carlo, german: Leopold Johann Joseph Franz Ferdinand Karl, English: ''Leopold John Joseph Francis Ferdinand Charles''. (3 October 1797 – 29 January 1870) was Grand Duke of Tusc ...
. * Antonio, Count of Lecce (1816–1843). * Princess Maria Amalia (1818–1857), married
Infante Sebastian of Portugal and Spain ''Infante'' (, ; f. ''infanta''), also anglicised as Infant or translated as Prince, is the title and rank given in the Iberian kingdoms of Spain (including the predecessor kingdoms of Aragon, Castile, Navarre, and León) and Portugal to th ...
. * Princess Maria Carolina (1820–1861), married
Infante Carlos, Count of Montemolin ''Infante'' (, ; f. ''infanta''), also anglicised as Infant or translated as Prince, is the title and rank given in the Iberian kingdoms of Spain (including the predecessor kingdoms of Aragon, Castile, Navarre, and León) and Portugal to th ...
, the
Carlist Carlism ( eu, Karlismo; ca, Carlisme; ; ) is a Traditionalism (Spain), Traditionalist and Legitimists (disambiguation), Legitimist political movement in Spain aimed at establishing an alternative branch of the House of Bourbon, Bourbon dynasty ...
pretender to the throne of Spain; had no issue. * Princess ''Teresa Cristina'' (1822–1889), married Emperor
Pedro II of Brazil Don (honorific), Dom PedroII (2 December 1825 – 5 December 1891), nicknamed "the Magnanimity, Magnanimous" ( pt, O Magnânimo), was the List of monarchs of Brazil, second and last monarch of the Empire of Brazil, reigning for over 58 years. ...
; had issue. *
Prince Louis, Count of Aquila , title = Count of Aquila , image = Prince Luigi of of the Two Sicilies, Count of d'Aquila.jpg , caption = , spouse = , issue = Prince Luigi, Count of RoccaguglielmaPrincess Maria IsabellaPrince FilippoPrince ...
(1824–1897), married
Princess Januária of Brazil , title = Princess Imperial of BrazilCountess of Aquila , image = Januaria of Brazil 1865.(2).jpg , image_size = , caption = Princess Januária photographed in 1865 , spouse = , issue = ...
(sister of Pedro II of Brazil and of
Maria II of Portugal , image = Queen Maria II by John Simpson.jpg , caption = Portrait by John Simpson, 1835 , succession = Queen of Portugal , reign = , predecessor = Pedro IV , successor = Miguel I , reg-type = Regents , regent ...
); had issue. * Francesco, Count of Trapani (1827–1892), married Archduchess Maria Isabella of Austria; and had issue.


Ancestors


Notes


References

*Acton, Harold. ''The Bourbons of Naples (1734-1825)''. Prion books limited, London, 1989 (first published in 1957). *Acton, Harold. ''The Last Bourbons of Naples (1825-1861)''. St Martin's Press. London, 1961. ASIN: B0007DKBAO *Bearne Charlton, Catherine. ''A Royal Quartette''. London: T. F. Unwin, 1908. * Majo, Silvio de.''Maria Isabella di Borbone, regina del Regno delle Due Sicilie''. Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, Volume 62, 2004. *Rubio, Maria José. ''Reinas de España''. La Esfera de los Libros, Madrid, 2009.


External links

* , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Maria Isabella Of Spain 1789 births 1848 deaths House of Bourbon (Spain) Spanish infantas Princesses of Bourbon-Two Sicilies Royal consorts of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Remarried royal consorts Burials at the Basilica of Santa Chiara Spanish Roman Catholics Duchesses of Calabria Daughters of kings Queen mothers