Maria Josepha of Saxony (1803–1829)
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Princess Maria Josepha Amalia of Saxony , (Spanish: María Josefa Amalia de Sajonia ) (Given Name: Marie Josepha Amalia Beatrix Xaveria Vincentia Aloysia Franziska de Paula Frances de Chantal Anna Apollonia Johanna Nepomucena Walburga Theresia Ambrosia) (* 6. December 1803 in Dresden ; † May 18, 1829 in Aranjuez ) was Queen of Spain by marriage .
Life
Maria Josepha Amalia was the fourth and youngest daughter of Prince Maximilian of Saxony (1759-1838) and his first wife, Caroline von Bourbon-Parma (1770-1804), a daughter of Duke Ferdinand of Parma , born in Dresden. Only three months after her birth, her mother died on March 1, 1804. Maria Josepha Amalia was brought up in a strict Catholic monastery on the Elbe from early childhood . Like her siblings, she received careful instruction. She was very well read, loved poetry and even wrote poems in her youth, including for guardian angels and on the occasion of several family celebrations.
After Maria Isabella of Portugal , the second wife of the Spanish King Ferdinand VII , died at the age of only 21 on December 26, 1818, the widowed monarch's marriage to Maria Josepha Amalia was arranged. Ferdinand VII was her mother's cousin through his mother Maria Luise von Bourbon-Parma . On June 10, 1819, the Marquis de Cerralbo, the Spanish ambassador in Dresden, presented a precious portrait of Ferdinand VII in Dresden on the occasion of his application for the hand of the princess. The engagement was solemnly declared on August 10th. This was followed by the ceremonial drive of the ambassador on August 21 and the declaration of marriage the following day. On August 26th, a festival was held in honor of the departing princess and a pomegranate tree was planted. Two days later, the marriage took place by procuration , with the King of Saxony acting as the bridegroom's deputy. After completing the festivities arranged for her, Maria Josepha Amalia left Dresden on August 31, traveled through Chemnitz , Würzburg , Heidelberg , Strasbourg and Toulouse and arrived in Yron on October 3, where the handover took place. On October 20, 1819, she made her solemn entry into Madrid , and on the same day she celebrated her personal wedding to Ferdinand VII.
Queen Maria Josepha Amalia, described as beautiful and gentle, soon won the affection of the Spanish king. Shortly before her departure, she had acquired the language idiom of her new home in Dresden through the daily lessons of the local language teacher Fromm. In Spain she devoted herself mainly to charitable works, supported hospitals, poor houses and education centers in Madrid, Valencia , Barcelona and other cities and led a very religious life, where she often prayed. A prayer book written by her in Spanish was printed. She did not get involved in politics.
Maria Josepha Amalia, who lived in a very secluded life, spent most of her time in the Royal Palace of Aranjuez . She suffered from severe fever and was unable to bear children. Due to her strict upbringing and early admission to a Catholic monastery, she also had great problems when it came to intimate contact with her husband. Only a letter from the Pope convinced them that the sexual relationship between spouses did not contradict Catholic ethics. Many doctors were tried to help the queen become fertile. Because of this, she also had to visit the health resorts of Sacedón in the province of Guadalajara and Solán de Cabras in the province of Cuenca , the sources of which have been attributed to increasing human fertility. But despite all efforts, Ferdinand VII's third marriage also remained without an heir.
When the conflict between Ferdinand VII and the liberal government intensified at the beginning of 1823 and the royal family was even imprisoned in Cádiz after the French invasion of Spain , Maria Josepha Amalia showed great calm and steadfastness, which encouraged her husband. Ferdinand VII was not released until the end of September 1823. The Spanish queen was very pleased a year later that her father and sister visited her in Madrid on December 3, 1824.
After Maria Josepha Amalia was attacked by biliary fever on May 1st, 1829, she died on May 18th at the age of 25 in the palace of Aranjuez. She was buried in Chapel 7 of the Pantheon of the Infants in the Escorial .
ancestors
| Pedigree of Maria Josepha of Saxony | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great-great-grandparents |
King |
Emperor |
Elector |
Emperor |
King |
King |
Duke |
Emperor |
| Great grandparents |
King August III. (1696–1763) |
Emperor Charles VII (1697–1745) |
Duke Philip of Parma (1720–1765) |
Emperor Franz I Stephan (1708–1765) |
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| Grandparents |
Elector Friedrich Christian of Saxony (1722–1763) |
Duke Ferdinand von Bourbon (1751–1802) |
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| parents |
Maximilian von Sachsen (1759–1838) |
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|
Maria Josepha of Saxony |
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literature
- María del Pilar Queralt del Hierro: María Josefa Amalia de Sajonia , in: Diccionario biográfico español , Madrid 2009–2013, online version
Remarks
- ↑ a b c d Maria Josepha Amalia, Queen of Spain , in: New obituary of the German , Volume 7, Ilmenau 1831, pp 435-438.
- ↑ María del Pilar Queralt del Hierro: María Josefa Amalia de Sajonia , in: Diccionario biográfico español , Madrid 2009–2013, online version
| predecessor | Office | Successor |
|---|---|---|
| Maria Isabella of Portugal |
Queen of Spain 1819–1829 |
Maria Christina of Naples and Sicily |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Maria Josepha of Saxony |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Maria Josepha Amalia Princess of Saxony (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Queen of Spain |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 6, 1803 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Dresden |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 18, 1829 |
| Place of death | Aranjuez |