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Mariana Victoria of Spain

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Mariana Victoria of Spain
Portrait by Domenico Maria Sani at thePalace of Caserta
Queen consort of Portugal
Tenure31 July 1750 – 24 February 1777
Born(1718-03-31)31 March 1718
Royal Alcazar of Madrid,Madrid, Spain
Died15 January 1781(1781-01-15)(aged 62)
Barraca Real of Ajuda,Lisbon, Portugal
Burial17 January 1781
Pantheon of the House of Braganza,Monastery of São Vicente de Fora,Lisbon, Portugal
Spouse
​
​
(m.1729; died 1777)​
Issue
Names
Spanish:Maria Ana Victoria de Borbón y Farnesio
Portuguese:Maria Ana Vitória de Farnésio e Bourbon
French:Marie Anne Victoire d’Espagne
HouseBourbon
FatherPhilip V of Spain
MotherElisabeth Farnese
SignatureMariana Victoria of Spain's signature

Mariana Victoria of Spain(Portuguese:Mariana Vitória;31 March 1718 – 15 January 1781) was anInfanta of Spainby birth and was later theQueen of Portugalas wife ofKing Joseph I.She acted as regent of Portugal in 1776–1777, during the last months of her husband's life and as advisor to her daughter,Maria I of Portugal,in her reign.

Early life

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Mariana Victoria was born at theRoyal Alcazar of Madridin Madrid and was given the same forenames as her paternal grandmotherMaria Anna Victoria of Bavaria,wife ofLe Grand Dauphin.She was anInfanta of Spainby birth and the eldest daughter ofPhilip V of Spainand his second wifeElisabeth Farnese.Her father was a grandson ofLouis XIVand had inherited the Spanish throne in 1700. At the time of her birth, Mariana Victoria was fifth in line to the throne of Spain behind her half brothersInfante Louis, Prince of Asturias,Infante Ferdinand,Infante Pedro as well as her full brotherInfante Charles.As anInfanta of Spainshe had the style ofRoyal Highness.

Engagement to Louis XV

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Louis XVand Mariana Victoria double portrait byAlexis Simon Belle

After theWar of the Quadruple Alliance,France and Spain decided to reconcile by engaging the Infanta Mariana Victoria to herfirst cousinthe youngLouis XV of France.Organised byPhilippe d'Orléans,Regent of Francefor the ten-year-old Louis XV,[1]the match was part of a wider set of engagements which included the proposal of Philip V's eldest sonInfante Louis, Prince of AsturiastoÉlisabeth d'Orléans,Mademoiselle de Montpensierfollowed by another proposal betweenPhilippine Élisabeth d'Orléans,Mademoiselle de Beaujolaisto the youngInfante Charles.[2]

Mariana Victoria, c. 1726

Saint-Simon,the French ambassador, requested her hand on 25 November 1721. The exchange of the young Infanta andMademoiselle de Montpensierwas on theÎle des Faisans( "Isle of Pheasants" ) and was the site where their common ancestors,Louis XIVandMaria Theresa of Spainhad met in 1660. Mariana Victoria arrived in Paris on 2 March 1722 amongst much celebration and took up residence at thePalais du Louvre.The young Infanta was nicknamed thel'infante Reine( "Queen-Infanta" )[2]as the couple were not to be married until Mariana Victoria reached a more mature age. Mariana Victoria was in awe of Louis XV and was popular with the court apart from the king himself who avoided her presence.[3]

According to the mother of theRégent,Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate,Mariana Victoria was the "sweetest and prettiest little thing" and had considerable wit for her age. Her education was placed in the care ofMarie Anne de Bourbon,the legitimised daughter ofLouis XIVandLouise de La Vallière,andMadame de Ventadourwas appointed her governess. In February 1723, Louis XV reached his majority and thus governed the country by his own accord.[4]

Her establishment in France was not to be. Under the influence of the Prime MinisterLouis Henri, Duke of Bourbonand his mistressMadame de Prie,the decision was made to send the seven-year-old Mariana Victoria back to Spain on 11 March 1725. Bourbon had wanted to maintain influence over the young Louis XV and offered his sisterHenriette Louise de Bourbonas a potential wife who, unlike Mariana Victoria, was old enough to conceive. The situation was not helped by the Spanish rejection ofLouise Élisabeth d'Orléanswhose husband died having ruled asLouis I of Spainfor only seven months.[2]As their marriage had not been consummated, the Spanish refused to support her and ordered she return to France with her sisterPhilippine Élisabeth.Mariana Victoria leftVersailleson 5 April 1725 and travelled to the frontier where she and the two Orléans daughters were then exchanged. Louis XV subsequently marriedMarie Leszczyńskain September 1725 and Mariana Victoria's sister theInfanta Maria Teresa Rafaelamarried Louis XV's son in 1745 to reassure the insulted Spanish court.

Crown Princess of Portugal

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Her arrival in Spain was taken as a great insult and caused a diplomatic rift between Spain and France.[5]The offended Spanish soon after concluded a treaty withAustriain the form of the 1725Treaty of Vienna,whilst England sought support from France. Having remained unmarried, she was still eligible to inherit the throne but was displaced by her younger brotherInfante Philipwho was born in 1720. Discussions with theKingdom of Portugalbegan in 1727 and a marriage was negotiated by the Portuguese ambassador theMarquis of Abrantes.She was a rumored bride forEmperor Peter II of Russia,grandson ofPeter the Great.[6]Another double marriage was planned. Mariana Victoria would marry theInfante José, "Prince of Brazil",son and heir ofJoão V of Portugal.Her older half brotherFerdinand, "Prince of Asturias"would marry José's sister theInfanta Bárbara.[7]Mariana Victoria married thePrince of Brazil(traditional title for the Portugueseheir to the throne) on 19 January 1729 atElvasin Portugal. ThePrince of Asturias(traditional title for the Spanishheir to the throne) married the Infanta Bárbara the next day atBadajoz.From her marriage until the time of her husband's accession to the throne in 1750, she was styledHer Royal HighnessthePrincess of Brazil.

Mariana and Joseph would soon have a close relationship. The couple enjoyed hunting as well as music – Mariana Victoria was an accomplished singer – they patronized Italian opera singers and the theatre but were both passionately religious. Despite this, her husband maintained various mistresses much to the dislike of his strong-willed wife. During her marriage, Mariana Victoria gave birth to eight children, four of whom survived infancy.[8]Her first childInfanta Mariawas given the stylePrincess of Beiraas the heir apparent to her father. Two of Mariana Victoria's daughters remained unmarried. Her daughterInfanta Mariana Franciscawas a proposed bride for theDauphin of France,son of Louis XV, but Mariana Victoria herself rejected the plan. When her other daughterInfanta Doroteiawas proposed as a wife for the futurePhilippe ÉgalitéMariana Victoria again refused to the match. Her youngest daughterInfanta BeneditamarriedJosé, Prince of Brazil,Mariana Victoria's grandson. The latter marriage was organised by Mariana Victoria herself after the death of her husband.[9]

Queen and regent

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At the death of her father-in-law,King John Vin 1750, her husband became the ruler of thePortuguese Empirewhich had significant territories in South America. Her husband's reign was dominated by the influence of theMarquis of Pombalwho was a favourite of theQueen mother.Joseph I soon left the governing of the state to Pombal who used his power to remove the influence of the church at the court as well as that of his enemies. Mariana Victoria and her daughter disliked the influence Pombal had over Joseph I. Her husband's reign was marred by the devastating1755 Lisbon earthquakeof 1 November 1755 which killed 100,000 people. The earthquake caused Joseph I to develop a severe case ofclaustrophobiaand he was never again comfortable living within a walled building. Consequently, he moved the royal court to an extensive complex of tents in the hills ofAjuda.It was Pombal who organised the reconstruction ofLisbonin the aftermath of the earthquake.

In 1759, theTávora affairemerged after an assassination attempt on her husband failed and the powerful Távora family were, in the eyes of Pombal, completely responsible for the attack. Pombal later ordered the execution of all members of the noble family and it was only at the intervention of Mariana Victoria and her daughter, thePrincess of Brazil,that some women and children were spared. As Pombal wasde factoruler of the state, Mariana Victoria and her husband took a less prominent role in politics.

Her husband, having suffered from a series of strokes, decided to allow his wife to take his place as head of government.[10]As such, Mariana Victoria was created Regent of Portugal in her husband's name. Created Regent on 29 November 1776, she remained so until her husband's death on 24 February 1777.[10]Upon her husband's death, their eldest daughter became the firstqueen regnantasMaria I.Throughout Maria I's reign Mariana Victoria exerted significant influence on her daughter, who would often ask her mother's advice on matters of state. In the early days of Maria I's reign, Pombal was exiled to the country.[10]

Queen dowager

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Portrait of Mariana Victoria (byMiguel António do Amaral,ca. 1773)

When her daughter had assumed government, Mariana Victoria took it upon herself to improve relations with her native Spain, which was ruled by her older brotherCarlos III.The two countries had been in conflict regarding territorial possessions in the Americas. Leaving Portugal on 28 October 1777, Mariana Victoria travelled to Spain where she stayed for just over a year, residing both in Madrid and atAranjuez.[11]Mariana Victoria helped bring about a treaty between the two nations which was to be cemented by a double marriage between her grandchildren. These unions were between Charles III's sonInfante Gabrieland Mariana Victoria's granddaughter theInfanta Mariana Vitória.The second marriage was between theInfanta Carlota,eldest granddaughter of Carlos III andInfante João.While in Spain, Mariana Victoria had had an attack ofRheumatismand was confined to a wheelchair for some time in August 1778. She returned to Portugal in November 1778. Her illness was furthered when it became clear that she was suffering fromheart diseaseas well.[12]The elderly Mariana Victoria died at theReal Barraca de Ajuda,a building which is where the presentAjuda National Palaceis. She was buried at the Church of Saint Francis of Paola in Lisbon.

Legacy

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Mariana Victoria's arms: a composite of theCoat of arms of Portugaland of theHouse of Bourbon

She was the godmother ofMarie Antoinettewho was born a day after the1755 Lisbon earthquakedevastated Lisbon. Mariana Victoria has descendants ranging from the presentKing of Spain,King of Belgium,Grand Duke of LuxembourgpretendingDuke of Parmaand the FrenchCount of Paris.In 1822, her great-grandsonPedrobecame the first emperor of Brazil.

Issue

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  1. Maria Francisca Isabel Rita Gertrudes Joana(17 December 1734 – 20 March 1816), married her uncleInfante Peter of Portugaland had issue. Later Queen regnant of Portugal.
  2. Maria Ana Francisca Dorotea Josefa Antonia Gertrudes Rita Joana Efigenia(7 October 1736 – 6 May 1813), potential bride forLouis, Dauphin of France,but her mother refused to consent to the marriage, died unmarried.
  3. Stillborn daughter (February 1739).
  4. Maria Francisca Doroteia Josefa Antónia Gertrudes Rita Joana Efigénia de Braganca(21 September 1739 – 14 January 1771), potential bride forPhilippe Égalitébut she refused to marry him, died unmarried.
  5. Stillborn son (7 March 1741).
  6. Stillborn son (15 October 1742).
  7. Stillborn son (May 1744).
  8. Maria Francisca Benedita Ana Isabel Joana Antonia Lourença Inácia Teresa Gertrudes Rita Rosa(25 July 1746 – 18 August 1829) married her nephewInfante Joseph, Prince of Beira,no surviving issue.

Ancestors

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References

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  1. ^Armstrong 1892,p. 243
  2. ^abcFrançois Velde (4 July 2005)."The Abdication of the throne of Spain by Felipe V (1724)".heraldica.org.Retrieved25 September2010.
  3. ^Pevitt 1997,p. 288
  4. ^Pevitt 1997,p. 284
  5. ^Jackson-Laufer 1999,p. 259.
  6. ^Armstrong 1892,p. 264
  7. ^Armstrong 1892,p. 265
  8. ^Maria Ana Vittoria Infanta de Españain: Genealogy Database by Herbert StoyanArchived8 February 2015 at theWayback Machine[Retrieved 7 January 2015].
  9. ^Roberts 2009,p. 53
  10. ^abcRoberts 2009,p. 51
  11. ^Roberts 2009,p. 65
  12. ^Roberts 2009,p. 62
  13. ^Genealogie ascendante jusqu'au quatrieme degre inclusivement de tous les Rois et Princes de maisons souveraines de l'Europe actuellement vivans[Genealogy up to the fourth degree inclusive of all the Kings and Princes of sovereign houses of Europe currently living] (in French). Bourdeaux: Frederic Guillaume Birnstiel. 1768. p. 8.

Bibliography

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  • Armstrong, Edward (1892).Elisabeth Farnese: The Termagant of Spain.
  • Jackson-Laufer, Guida Myrl (1999).Women rulers throughout the ages: an illustrated guide.ABC-CLIO.ISBN978-1-57607-091-8.
  • Pevitt, Christine (1997).The Man Who Would Be King: The Life of Philippe d'Orléans, Regent of France.Phoenix, London.ISBN978-0-7538-0459-9.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Roberts, Jennifer (2009).The Madness of Queen Maria: The Remarkable Life of Maria I of Portugal.London: Templeton Press.ISBN978-0-9545589-1-8.
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Media related toMariana Victoria of Spainat Wikimedia Commons

Mariana Victoria of Spain
Cadet branch of theCapetian dynasty
Born:31 March 1718Died:15 January 1781
Portuguese royalty
Preceded by Queen consort of Portugal
31 July 1750 – 24 February 1777 		Vacant
Title next held by
Carlota Joaquina of Spain
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