Maria Isabel von Spanien

Maria Isabella de Borbón was born on 6 July 1789 in the Royal Palace of Madrid. She was the eleventh child of King Charles IV of Spain and his wife, Maria Luisa of Bourbon-Parma, as well as the youngest surviving daughter of the royal couple. Through her parents, she was descended from the Spanish, Parmese, and French Bourbon dynasties. Her birth came during a politically turbulent period shaped by the French Revolution, Napoleon’s rise, and instability in Spain. Maria Isabella grew up at the Spanish court under her mother’s strong influence. Charles IV was regarded as a good ruler, but he frequently left political decisions to his wife or to his confidant Manuel Godoy, who became first minister in 1792. Maria Luisa was unpopular with the people, and rumors about a relationship with Godoy even led to speculation about Maria Isabella’s paternity. Her education was considered inadequate for a future queen. She was portrayed with her family in Francisco de Goya’s painting “Charles IV of Spain and His Family.” In 1801, a marriage between Maria Isabella and Napoleon Bonaparte was initially considered. Her mother ultimately chose a union with Francis, Duke of Calabria and heir to the throne of Naples and Sicily. Francis was the son of King Ferdinand I and Maria Carolina of Austria, making him Maria Isabella’s cousin. The marriage was intended to strengthen relations between Spain and Naples and to provide a political counterweight to Napoleon’s growing influence. Francis had previously been married to Maria Clementina of Austria, who died of tuberculosis in 1801. The marriage contracts were signed in April 1802. On 6 July, her thirteenth birthday, Maria Isabella married Francis in Madrid. As the groom was not present, her brother Ferdinand, Prince of Asturias, represented him by proxy. After the Spanish and Neapolitan families celebrated together in Barcelona, Maria Isabella left Spain and traveled with her husband to Naples. At court, the very young princess initially attracted little admiration. She was described as short and round and appeared even younger than her age. As crown princess, she took little part in political life. Her inexperience and an education not particularly suited to public responsibilities prevented her from gaining significant influence. Her first daughter, Louise Charlotte, was born in 1804. Maria Isabella also took care of her stepdaughter Maria Carolina, Francis’s daughter from his first marriage. The Napoleonic Wars fundamentally altered her life. After King Ferdinand I joined the Third Coalition against France, French forces defeated their opponents and occupied the Kingdom of Naples. The crown was first given to Joseph Bonaparte and later to Joachim Murat. In February 1806, Maria Isabella was forced to flee to Sicily with the royal family. There, the family lived largely in Palermo until 1820 under the protection of British troops. Actual power on the island lay largely with the British, while Ferdinand and his family had only limited political freedom. Francis was appointed regent in 1812, but Maria Isabella still played no political role. In 1815, Ferdinand returned to Naples under Austrian protection. In 1816, he united Sicily and Naples into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and adopted the corresponding royal title. As heirs to the throne, Francis and Maria Isabella received the titles Duke and Duchess of Calabria. They remained in Sicily until 1820, where Francis served as governor. Despite her long absence, Maria Isabella maintained close ties with her Spanish family. In 1818, she visited her parents, who were living in exile in Rome, and remained there until her mother’s death in January 1819. Her marriage to Francis was harmonious and marked by mutual affection. Over the course of 29 years, Maria Isabella gave birth to twelve children—six daughters and six sons—all of whom survived to adulthood. She also became involved early in arranging her children’s marriages, linking several of them to members of European ruling families. In 1820, she and her husband returned to Naples. Two more of their children were born there, including Teresa Christina, who later became Empress of Brazil. After Ferdinand I died on 4 January 1825, Francis succeeded him as Francis I, and Maria Isabella became Queen of the Two Sicilies. Francis was more interested in agriculture than politics and left the government largely in the hands of his ministers and advisers. Maria Isabella likewise exercised no political influence. She was lively, enjoyed the theater, balls, and outings, and was far more popular than her husband because of her approachable manner, kindness, and generosity. The royal family lived under the protection of Austrian troops, whose upkeep placed a heavy burden on the kingdom’s deeply indebted finances. In 1829, the royal couple traveled to Spain to accompany their daughter Maria Christina, who was to marry King Ferdinand VII of Spain. During the journey, Maria Isabella also visited her stepdaughter Maria Carolina, whom she had not seen for thirteen years. After their return to Naples, Francis’s health deteriorated. He died on 8 November 1830 in the presence of his wife. After his death, their eldest son became King Ferdinand II, and Maria Isabella became queen mother. A liberal faction initially sought to make her regent, but the plan was exposed. Her relationship with her son remained cool; she was especially close to her younger son, Charles Ferdinand, Prince of Capua. In 1836, he entered into a morganatic marriage with Penelope Smith and was subsequently forced to leave the country. Despite Maria Isabella’s pleas, Ferdinand refused to pardon him, and she never saw her son again. During her widowhood, Maria Isabella became the subject of rumors because of her relationships with younger aristocrats. A relationship with the Austrian officer Peter von Schmuckher ended when he demanded a royal rank as a condition for a possible marriage. In 1839, Maria Isabella finally married the 34-year-old Francesco, Count of Balzo and Duke of Presenzano. The marriage of the fifty-year-old queen mother remained childless, and the couple lived at the Palace of Capodimonte. Maria Isabella continued to support her family and arrange politically advantageous marriages. The death of her son Antonio in 1843 was a severe blow. In 1847, she supported liberal reforms together with her son Leopold and her brother-in-law, but the reforms were never implemented. Until the end of her life, she remained popular with ordinary people because of her warmth and assistance to the poor. Maria Isabella died in Portici on 13 September 1848, aged 59, and was buried in the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples.