Maria Isabella of Spain

Infobox Two Sicilies Royalty|majesty|consort
name =Maria Isabella of Spain
full name =
title = Queen consort of the Two Sicilies


imgw = 180px
caption =
coronation =
spouse = Francis I of the Two Sicilies
Francis, Count of Balzo
issue = Princess Luisa Carlotta
Maria Christina, Queen of Spain
Ferdinand II
Charles Ferdinand, Prince of Capua
Prince Leopold, Count of Siracusa
Marie Antoinette, Grand Duchess of Tuscany
Prince Antonio, Count of Lecce
Princess Maria Amelia
Princess Maria Carolina, Countess of Montemolin
Teresa, Empress of Brazil
Prince Louis, Count of Aquila
Prince Francis, Count of Trapani
royal house =House of Bourbon
House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
royal anthem =
father =Charles IV of Spain
mother =Maria Luisa of Parma
date of birth = birth date|1789|7|6|mf=y
place of birth = Madrid, Spain
date of death = death date and age|1848|09|13|1789|7|6|mf=y
place of death = Portici, Two Sicilies
place of burial =|

Maria Isabella of Spain ( _es. Maria Isabel de Borbón y Borbón-Parma; (6 July, 1789, Madrid - 13 September, 1848, Portici) was a daughter of Charles IV of Spain. She married her first cousin Francis I of the Two Sicilies.

Family

Maria Isabella was the youngest surviving daughter of King Carlos IV of Spain (1748-1819) and his wife Maria Luisa of Parma (1751-1819), a granddaughter of Louis XV of France. Her paternal grandparents were Charles III of Spain and Maria Amalia of Saxony. Her maternal grandparents were Philip, Duke of Parma and Princess Louise-Élisabeth of France. Charles III and Philip were brothers, both sons of Philip V of Spain and his second wife Elisabeth of Parma.

Marriage

On 6 July, 1802, Maria Isabella married her first cousin Prince Francis of Naples and Sicily by proxy in Barcelona. Francis was the eldest son of Ferdinand III of Sicily/Ferdinand IV of Naples and his first wife Marie Caroline of Austria. Ferdinand was her paternal uncle, a younger brother of her father.

She was sent to meet her new husband and a second marriage ceremony took place in Naples on 19 August, 1802. This time married in person. The bride was thirteen years old and the groom twenty-five. Her mother-in-law, Queen Marie Caroline, wrote about her first impressions of the young Maria Isabella:

Children

Francis and Maria Isabella had twelve children:

* Luisa Carlotta (1804-1844), who married her maternal uncle Francisco de Paula, Infante of Spain. Their eldest son, Francisco de Asis de Bourbon, married Isabella II of Spain.
* María Cristina (1806-1878), who married 1st her uncle Ferdinand VII of Spain (her mother's older brother) and 2nd Ferdinand Muñoz, Duke of Rianzares.
* Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies (1810-1859) who became Francis I's successor and married twice.
* Carlo Ferdinando, Prince of Capua (1811-1862). Married morganatically to Penelope Smyth and had issue.
* Leopoldo, Count di Siracusa (1813-1860). Married Maria Princess of Savoy-Carignano. No issue.
* Maria Antonietta (1814-1898). Married Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany.
* Antonio, Count of Lecce (1816-1843).
* Marie Amalie (1818-1857), who married Sebastian de Bourbon, Infante of Spain.
* Maria Carolina (1820-1861). Married Carlos, Conde de Montemolin and carlist pretender to the throne of Spain.
* Teresa (1822-1889). Married Pedro II of Brazil.
* Luigi, Count di Aquila (1824-1897). Married Januária Maria, Princess Imperial of Brazil (sister of Pedro II of Brazil and Maria II of Portugal). Had issue.
* Francesco, Count of Trapani (1827-1892). Married Archduchess Maria Isabella of Austria, Princess of Tuscany and had issue.

On 4 January, 1825, her father-in-law Ferdinand I died and Francis succeeded to the throne. Maria Isabella served as his Queen consort. Her husband reportedly took little part in the government, which he left in the hands of favourites and police officials, and lived with his mistresses, surrounded by soldiers, ever in dread of assassination. He died on 8 November, 1830.

Late years

Maria Isabella remained a widow for nine years. On 15 January, 1839, Maria Isabella married her second husband Francis, Count of Balzo (1805 - 1882). The bride was fifty years old and the groom thirty-four.

External links

* [http://www.geocities.com/henrivanoene/genspain.html#mariaisabel A Genealogy of the Royal Family of Spain]