María Isabella Of Spain
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Maria Isabella of Spain (; 6 July 1789 – 13 September 1848) was Queen of the Two Sicilies from 4 January 1825 until 8 November 1830 as the wife of
Francis I of the Two Sicilies Francis I of the Two Sicilies (; 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. Early life Francis was born the son of Ferdinand I of the Two Sicili ...
.


Infanta of Spain

She was the youngest daughter of King
Carlos IV of Spain Charles IV (; 11 November 1748 – 20 January 1819) was King of Spain and ruler of the Spanish Empire from 1788 to 1808. The Spain inherited by Charles IV gave few indications of instability, but during his reign, Spain entered a series of disa ...
and his wife Maria Luisa of Parma. María Isabel's birth coincided with the rise to power in Spain of her mother's favorite,
Manuel Godoy Manuel de Godoy y Álvarez de Faria Ríos (12 May 1767 – 4 October 1851), 1st ''Prince of the Peace'', 1st ''Duke of Alcudia'', 1st ''Duke of Sueca'', 1st ''Baron of Mascalbó'', was the First Secretary of State of the Kingdom of Spain from ...
. 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.Harold Acton. ''The Bourbons of Naples''. Faber and Faber 2011, 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 1746 – 16 April 1828) was a Spanish Romanticism, romantic painter and Printmaking, printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Hi ...
in his 1800–1801 portrait '' Charles IV of Spain and His Family''. In December 1800,
Lucien Bonaparte Lucien Bonaparte, 1st Prince of Canino and Musignano (; born Luciano Buonaparte; 21 May 1775 – 29 June 1840), was a French politician and diplomat of the French Revolution and the Consulate. He served as Minister of the Interior from 1799 to ...
arrived in Spain as the new French ambassador. Through him, Queen Maria Luisa offered María Isabel in marriage to
Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
in April 1801.Rubio, ''Reinas de España'', pp. 325-328. Then
First Consul The Consulate () was the top-level government of the First French Republic from the fall of the Directory in the coup of 18 Brumaire on 9 November 1799 until the start of the French Empire on 18 May 1804. During this period, Napoleon Bonap ...
, Napoleon had been married to
Joséphine de Beauharnais Joséphine Bonaparte (, born Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie; 23 June 1763 – 29 May 1814) was the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I and as such Empress of the French from 18 May 1804 until their marriage was annulled on 10 Janua ...
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 dynasty that originated in the Kingdom of France as a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Kingdom of Navarre, Navarre in the 16th century. A br ...
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 to 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 Archduchy of Austria, 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 double ...
, was then still alive, but died of
consumption Consumption may refer to: * Eating *Resource consumption *Tuberculosis, an infectious disease, historically known as consumption * Consumer (food chain), receipt of energy by consuming other organisms * Consumption (economics), the purchasing of n ...
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 (; ; ), officially 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 established by the War of the Sicilian Vespers (1282–1302). Until ...
, an ally of
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and hostile to
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, 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 Born on 4 December 1571 at the Royal Alcázar of Madrid, Ferdinand was the elde ...
, would marry their first cousins: Maria Antonia of Naples and
Francesco Francesco, the Italian language, Italian (and original) version of the personal name "Francis (given name), Francis", is one of the List of most popular given names, most common given name among males in Italy. Notable persons with that name inclu ...
,
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 of Austria (Maria Carolina Louise Josepha Johanna Antonia; 13 August 1752 – 8 September 1814) was Queen of Naples and Sicily as the wife of King Ferdinand IV and III, who later became King of the Two Sicilies. As ''de facto' ...
, 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, she was unusually so 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 the Tagus, a bit upstream of the discharge of the Jarama. , the munici ...
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 northeastern coast of 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 c ...
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 Joaquina Don (honorific), Doña Carlota Joaquina Teresa Cayetana of Spain (25 April 1775 – 7 January 1830) was List of Portuguese royal consorts, Queen of Portugal and List of Brazilian royal consorts, Brazil as the wife of King Dom John VI of Portuga ...
, Maria Amalia, Maria Luisa and María Isabel) were short and plain.Bearne, p.275 María Isabel had regular features and was relatively better-looking compared to Carlota Joaquina and Maria Amalia, but she 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 (the second son of King
Charles X of France Charles X (Charles Philippe; 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 of reigning kings Louis XVI and Louis XVIII, he supported th ...
). Maria Isabella'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 () was a European conflict lasting from 1805 to 1806 and was the first conflict of the Napoleonic Wars. During the war, France and its client states under Napoleon I and its ally Spain opposed an alliance, the Th ...
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 French Republican calendar, FRC), also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of the most important military engagements of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle occurred near t ...
in December 1805 and the Neapolitan 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 Joseph Bonaparte (born Giuseppe di Buonaparte, ; ; ; 7 January 176828 July 1844) was a French statesman, lawyer, diplomat and older brother of Napoleon Bonaparte. During the Napoleonic Wars, the latter made him King of Naples (1806–1808), an ...
, and four years later to his brother-in-law
Joachim Murat Joachim Murat ( , also ; ; ; 25 March 1767 – 13 October 1815) was a French Army officer and statesman who served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Under the French Empire he received the military titles of Marshal of 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 (United Kingdom), Lieutenant General Lord William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck (14 September 177417 June 1839), known as Lord William Bentinck, was a British military commander and politician who served as the governor of the Be ...
, commander of British troops on the island. The king spent the following years hunting, appearing at
Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , 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 province. The ...
only when his presence was required. In 1812, Francesco, Maria Isabella's husband, was appointed
regent In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...
. 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 () was a kingdom in Southern Italy from 1816 to 1861 under the control of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, a cadet branch of the Bourbons. The kingdom was the largest sovereign state by population and land are ...
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 Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
.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 Infante Francisco de Paula of Spain (10 March 1794 – 13 August 1865) was an Infante of Spain and the youngest son of Charles IV of Spain and Maria Luisa of Parma. He was a brother of Ferdinand VII, and the uncle and father-in-law of Isabella I ...
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 (Italian language, Italian: ''Ferdinando I''; 12 January 1751 – 4 January 1825) was Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, King of the Two Sicilies from 1816 until his death. Before that he had been, since 1759, King of Naples as 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 politics, a reactionary is a person who favors a return to a previous state of society which they believe possessed positive characteristics absent from contemporary.''The New Fontana Dictionary of Modern Thought'' Third Edition, (1999) p. 729. ...
. Although jealous of his authority, he left the government in the hands of his prime minister
Luigi de' Medici Luigi de' Medici (21 April 175925 January 1830) was an Italian nobility, Italian nobleman, legal scholar, diplomat and statesman, who served as President of the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, Prime minister of the Kingdo ...
(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 ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
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, 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 Ferdinand VII (; 14 October 1784 – 29 September 1833) was Monarchy of Spain, King of Spain during the early 19th century. He reigned briefly in 1808 and then again from 1813 to his death in 1833. Before 1813 he was known as ''el Deseado'' (t ...
, 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 (; 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 pontificate wa ...
in Rome. In
Grenoble Grenoble ( ; ; or ; or ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Isère Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region ...
, 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. Maria Isabella and her husband went to
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, where they were entertained by King
Charles X Charles X may refer to: * Charles X of France (1757–1836) * Charles X Gustav (1622–1660), King of Sweden * Charles, Cardinal de Bourbon (1523–1590), recognized as Charles X of France but renounced the royal title See also * * King Charle ...
. In June, the King and Queen left for
Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...
reaching Naples on 30 July. After their return, the king's health deteriorated rapidly. He died on 8 November 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 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, 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. Kings and their female consorts, as well as queens regnant, are usually styled ''Majesty''. When used as a direct form of a ...
'' 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 Francesco, 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 spou ...
. 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 (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 () is a large palazzo in Naples, Italy. It was formerly the summer residence and Jagdschloss, hunting lodge of the House of Bourbon, Bourbon kings of the Two Sicilies, one of the two royal palaces in Naples. Today, ...
. 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, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
when
Teresa Teresa (also Theresa, Therese; ) is a feminine given name. It originates in the Iberian Peninsula in late antiquity. Its derivation is uncertain, it may be derived from Classical Greek, Greek θερίζω (''therízō'') "to harvest or rea ...
, Maria Isabella's youngest daughter, married Emperor
Pedro II of Brazil ''Don (honorific), Dom'' PedroII (Pedro de Alcântara João Carlos Leopoldo Salvador Bibiano Francisco Xavier de Paula Leocádio Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga; 2 December 1825 – 5 December 1891), nicknamed the Magnanimous (), was the List o ...
. In 1845, to keep the Spanish throne in the
House of Bourbon The House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a dynasty that originated in the Kingdom of France as a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Kingdom of Navarre, Navarre in the 16th century. A br ...
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 (, María Isabel Luisa de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias; 10 October 1830 – 9 April 1904) was Queen of Spain from 1833 until her deposition in 1868. She is the only queen regnant in the history of unified Spain. Isabella wa ...
, 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 Leopoldo Giovanni Giuseppe Michele of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Prince of Salerno (2 July 1790 – 10 March 1851) was a member of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and a Prince of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. He married Archduchess Clementina of Austr ...
, 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 Infante Francisco de Paula of Spain (10 March 1794 – 13 August 1865) was an Infante of Spain and the youngest son of Charles IV of Spain and Maria Luisa of Parma. He was a brother of Ferdinand VII, and the uncle and father-in-law of Isabella I ...
. * Princess María Cristina (1806–1878), married firstly her mother's older brother
Ferdinand VII of Spain Ferdinand VII (; 14 October 1784 – 29 September 1833) was Monarchy of Spain, King of Spain during the early 19th century. He reigned briefly in 1808 and then again from 1813 to his death in 1833. Before 1813 he was known as ''el Deseado'' (t ...
and became Queen
regent In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...
of Spain; and secondly, Agustín Fernando Muñoz, subsequently created Duke de Rianzares. *
Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies Ferdinand II (; ; ; 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 Two Sicilies and his second wife Maria Isabella of Spain. ...
(1810–1859), became Francis I's successor and married twice. * Carlo, Prince of Capua (1811–1862), married non-dynastically to Penelope Smyth; and had issue. * Leopoldo, Count of Syracuse (1813–1860), married Princess Maria of Savoy-Carignan; had issue. * Princess Maria Antonia (1814–1898), married Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany. * Antonio, Count of Lecce (1816–1843). * Princess Maria Amalia (1818–1857), married Infante Sebastian of Portugal and Spain. * Princess Maria Carolina (1820–1861), married Infante Carlos, Count of Montemolin, the
Carlist Carlism (; ; ; ) is a Traditionalism (Spain), Traditionalist and Legitimist political movement in Spain aimed at establishing an alternative branch of the Bourbon dynasty, one descended from Infante Carlos María Isidro of Spain, Don Carlos, ...
pretender to the throne of Spain; had no issue. * Princess ''Teresa Cristina'' (1822–1889), married Emperor
Pedro II of Brazil ''Don (honorific), Dom'' PedroII (Pedro de Alcântara João Carlos Leopoldo Salvador Bibiano Francisco Xavier de Paula Leocádio Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga; 2 December 1825 – 5 December 1891), nicknamed the Magnanimous (), was the List o ...
; had issue. * Prince Louis, Count of Aquila (1824–1897), married Princess Januária of Brazil (sister of Pedro II of Brazil and of
Maria II of Portugal Dona Maria II (Maria da Glória Joana Carlota Leopoldina da Cruz Francisca Xavier de Paula Isidora Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga de Habsburgo-Lorena e Bragança; 4 April 1819 – 15 November 1853) also known as "the Educator" () or as ...
); 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 18th-century Spanish people 18th-century Spanish women 19th-century Spanish people 19th-century Spanish women House of Bourbon (Spain) Spanish infantas Princesses of Bourbon-Two Sicilies Royal consorts of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Remarried queens consort Burials at the Basilica of Santa Chiara Spanish Roman Catholics Duchesses of Calabria Daughters of kings Sicilian queen mothers Children of Charles IV of Spain