Maria Anna of Austria (Maria Anna Josepha Antonia Regina; 7 September 1683 – 14 August 1754) 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 nea ...

as the wife of King

John V of Portugal Dom John V ( pt, João Francisco António José Bento Bernardo; 22 October 1689 – 31 July 1750), known as the Magnanimous (''o Magnânimo'') and the Portuguese Sun King (''o Rei-Sol Português''), was King of Portugal from 9 December 17 ...

. She served as the

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 Portugal from 1742 until 1750 during the illness of her husband. She was born an

Archduchess of Austria The Archduchy of Austria (german: Erzherzogtum Österreich) was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire and the nucleus of the Habsburg monarchy. With its capital at Vienna, the archduchy was centered at the Empire's southeastern periph ...

as the daughter of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor and

Eleonore Magdalene of Neuburg Eleonore Magdalene of Neuburg (Eleonore Magdalene Therese; 6 January 1655 – 19 January 1720) was a princess of the House of Wittelsbach who became Holy Roman Empress, German Queen, Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia as the ...

Life

Early life

Born Maria Anna Josepha Antonia Regina, she was the eleventh child and seventh daughter of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor (1640–1705) by his third wife,

Eleonor Magdalene of Neuburg Eleonore Magdalene of Neuburg (Eleonore Magdalene Therese; 6 January 1655 – 19 January 1720) was a princess of the House of Wittelsbach who became Holy Roman Empress, German Queen, Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia as the ...

(1655–1720). Two of her brothers,

Joseph Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...

and Charles later became emperors. Through Charles, she was an aunt of Maria Theresa, the only woman to ever rule the Habsburg dominions in her own right.

Life as queen consort

On 27 October 1708, Maria Anna married John V, King of Portugal (1689–1750) to seal the alliance between the two countries against

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

and

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

during the

War of Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phili ...

. Maria Anna reformed the court and its customs to follow the traditions and customs of the traditional Queens of Portugal. Her greatest influence on the court and

Portuguese nobility Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

as a whole was the increase of segregation between men and women, as well as between servants and masters. Like John, Maria Anna had an exuberant taste, best shown in her famous parties: she would invite the nobility from all over the country and hold a magnificent festival, often lasting several days.

Regency

In 1742 Maria Anna became

after her husband had suffered a stroke and became partially

paralyzed Paralysis (also known as plegia) is a loss of motor function in one or more muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory damage. In the United States, roughly 1 in 5 ...

. When John V died on 31 July 1750, their eldest son

Joseph I of Portugal Dom Joseph I ( pt, José Francisco António Inácio Norberto Agostinho, ; 6 June 1714 – 24 February 1777), known as the Reformer (Portuguese: ''o Reformador''), was King of Portugal from 31 July 1750 until his death in 1777. Among other act ...

inherited the throne. She died in the

Palace of Belém A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...

on 14 August 1754. After her death, she was buried in Lisbon, but her heart was brought to

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

and buried there in the imperial crypt.

Issue

Maria Anna had six children with her husband, John V, King of Portugal, four of whom survived infancy. * Infanta Barbara of Portugal (4 December 1711 – 27 August 1758), became Queen of Spain as the wife of

Ferdinand VI of Spain , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Philip V of Spain , mother = Maria Luisa of Savoy , birth_date = 23 September 1713 , birth_place = Royal Alcazar of Madrid, Madrid, Spain , death_date = , death_place = Villavi ...

(1713–1759). * Infante Pedro of Portugal (19 October 1712 – 29 October 1714),

Prince of Brazil Prince of Brazil ( pt, Príncipe do Brasil) was the title held by the heir-apparent to the Kingdom of Portugal, from 1645 to 1815. Tied with the title of Prince of Brazil was the title Duke of Braganza and the various subsidiary titles of the ...

, died in infancy. *

(6 June 1714 – 24 February 1777), married

Mariana Victoria of Spain Mariana Victoria of Spain ( pt, Mariana Vitória; 31 March 1718 – 15 January 1781) was an '' Infanta of Spain'' by birth and was later the Queen of Portugal as wife of King Joseph I. She acted as regent of Portugal in 1776–1777, during the l ...

(1718–1781). *

Infante Carlos of Portugal Infante Carlos of Portugal (''Carlos João Manuel Alexandre''; ; en, Charles John Emmanuel Alexander; 2 May 1716 – 30 March 1736) was a Portuguese ''infante'', the fourth child of King John V of Portugal and his wife Maria Anna of Austria ...

(2 May 1716 – 30 March 1736), died before his parents. *

Peter III of Portugal Dom Peter III ( pt, Pedro III, ; 5 July 1717 – 25 May 1786), nicknamed the Builder, was King of Portugal from 24 February 1777 to his death in 1786 as the co-ruler of his wife and niece, Queen Dona Maria I.David Birmingham ''A Concise Histor ...

(5 July 1717 – 25 May 1786), married his niece Maria I, Queen (regnant) of Portugal (1734–1816). * Infante Alexandre of Portugal (24 September 1723 – 2 August 1728), died in infancy.

Ancestry

References

Bibliography

* *

External links

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Maria Anna Of Austria 1683 births 1754 deaths 18th-century viceregal rulers Portuguese queens consort Austrian princesses 18th-century House of Habsburg Regents of Portugal Queen mothers Burials at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora Burials at the Imperial Crypt House of Braganza People from Linz 17th-century Austrian women 18th-century Austrian women 18th-century Portuguese people 18th-century Portuguese women 18th-century women rulers Daughters of emperors Royal reburials Children of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor Daughters of kings