Friday, March 18, 2011

Queen of the French

Maria Amalia of Naples, niece of Marie-Antoinette and cousin of Madame Royale. To quote:
Queen Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily, consort of King Louis Philippe of the French, is an interesting historical figure and, in many ways, not the sort of person one might expect her to be. She was born Princess Maria Amalia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies at Caserta Palace on April 26, 1782 in the Kingdom of Naples/Two Sicilies. Her parents were King Ferdinand IV and Queen Maria Carolina. From her earliest education she was noted for her religious piety and sincere Catholic faith. With a mother like Queen Maria Carolina and a grandmother like the Empress Maria Theresa, she was fully expected to follow in their footsteps as a strong, involved Catholic consort. While still very young her mother and her aunt, Queen Marie Antoinette of France, planned for her to one day marry her cousin the Dauphin. Obviously, the French Revolution and the tragic death of the poor Dauphin ended that childhood dream. However, it was important inasmuch as Maria Amalia had it in her mind from a very early age that it was her destiny to be the Queen of France.
More on Maria Amalia, HERE and HERE. Share

1 comment:

May said...

Maria Amalia always looks like a wise bird. I think it's the long Bourbon nose and the serious eyes.