Maria Beatrice of Savoy
Encyclopedia
Maria Beatrice of Savoy (Maria Beatrice Vittoria Giuseppina; 6 December 1792 – 15 September 1840) was a Princess of Savoy
and Duchess of Modena by marriage. She was also the Jacobite Pretender
from 1824 until her death.
and his wife Maria Teresa of Austria-Este. Her father became King of Sardinia unexpectedly in 1802 when Charles Emmanuel IV abdicated.
Her maternal grandparents were Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Este
and Maria Beatrice Ricciarda d'Este
. Ferdinand was the third son of Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
and Maria Theresa of Austria
. Maria Beatrice was the eldest daughter of Ercole III d'Este and Maria Theresa, Princess of Carrara
.
In December 1798, Maria Beatrice left Turin with her parents and uncles due to French Revolution
and Napoleonic Wars
. They fled to Parma
, then Florence
. They finally settled at Sardinia
, the last dominion held by Kingdom of Sardinia
, for refuge. Maria Beatrice spent most of her time at Cagliari
in later 13 years.
On 20 June 1812, Maria Beatrice married her maternal uncle Francis, Archduke of Austria-Este
; the couple received a special dispensation for their marriage from Pope Pius VII
. Maria Beatrice's husband became Francis IV, Duke of Modena, Reggio
, and Mirandola
on 14 July 1814, making Maria Beatrice Duchess of Modena. They were parents to four children:
The couple left Sardinia on 15 July 1813 for Zakynthos Island
, and then sailed to Trieste
off the east shore of Adriatic Sea
, finally reached Vienna
by land. On the invasion of Joachim Murat
during The Hundred Days, they fled Modena until 15 May 1815.
as "Mary III, Queen of England
, France
and Ireland
" (those who did not recognize Mary Stuart as "Queen Mary II of England" recognized Maria Beatrice as "Mary II") and as "Mary II, Queen of Scotland
". The regnal numbers in England are a reference to her descent, as well as that of her uncle and father, from Henrietta 'Minette' Stuart
, Duchess of Orleans, youngest daughter of Charles I of England
. After the death of the last of the Jacobite 'Pretenders', Henrietta's line-through her younger daughter (Anne-Marie of Orleans, wife of Victor Amadeus II of Savoy) became the sole legitimate line of descent of Charles I, and therefore superior to the Hanoverian claim which was based on descent from Charles I's sister Elizabeth. Maria Beatrice never actively pursued her British claims.
Due to the outbreak of a revolution Maria Beatrice had to fled Modena again with her family on 5 February 1831, but with Austrian military help her family was able to return in the year.
Maria Beatrice died of a heart condition on 15 September 1840 at Castello del Catajo
. Her son Francis was the next Jacobite pretender. Her remains were kept in the Chiesa di San Vincenzo in Modena.
Maria Beatrice was a Lady of the (Austrian) Order of the Starry Cross
.
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
and Duchess of Modena by marriage. She was also the Jacobite Pretender
Jacobite succession
The Jacobite succession is the line through which the crown in pretence of England and Scotland has descended since the flight of James II & VII from London at the time of the Glorious Revolution...
from 1824 until her death.
Biography
She was the eldest daughter of Victor Emmanuel, Duke of AostaVictor Emmanuel I of Sardinia
Victor Emmanuel I was the Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia from 1802 to 1821, and Jacobite Pretender from 1819 until his death.-Biography:...
and his wife Maria Teresa of Austria-Este. Her father became King of Sardinia unexpectedly in 1802 when Charles Emmanuel IV abdicated.
Her maternal grandparents were Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Este
Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Este
Archduke Ferdinand Karl Anton Joseph Johann Stanislaus of Austria-Este was a son of Holy Roman Emperor Franz I and Maria Theresa of Austria. He was the founder of the House of Austria-Este and Governor of the Duchy of Milan between 1765 and 1796...
and Maria Beatrice Ricciarda d'Este
Maria Beatrice Ricciarda d'Este
Maria Beatrice d’Este was heiress of Modena and Reggio and Duchess of Massa and Carrara from 1790 until 1797 and from 1816 until her death in 1829.-Biography:...
. Ferdinand was the third son of Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis I was Holy Roman Emperor and Grand Duke of Tuscany, though his wife effectively executed the real power of those positions. With his wife, Maria Theresa, he was the founder of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty...
and Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma...
. Maria Beatrice was the eldest daughter of Ercole III d'Este and Maria Theresa, Princess of Carrara
Maria Teresa Cybo-Malaspina
Maria Teresa Cybo-Malaspina was the Duchess of Massa and the Princess of Carrara from 1731 until her death in 1790. She was the eldest child of her parents, Alderano I Cybo-Malaspina and his wife Ricciarda Gonzaga...
.
In December 1798, Maria Beatrice left Turin with her parents and uncles due to French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
and Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. They fled to Parma
Parma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
, then Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
. They finally settled at Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, the last dominion held by Kingdom of Sardinia
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
, for refuge. Maria Beatrice spent most of her time at Cagliari
Cagliari
Cagliari is the capital of the island of Sardinia, a region of Italy. Cagliari's Sardinian name Casteddu literally means castle. It has about 156,000 inhabitants, or about 480,000 including the outlying townships : Elmas, Assemini, Capoterra, Selargius, Sestu, Monserrato, Quartucciu, Quartu...
in later 13 years.
On 20 June 1812, Maria Beatrice married her maternal uncle Francis, Archduke of Austria-Este
Francis IV, Duke of Modena
Francis IV Joseph Charles Ambrose Stanislaus was Duke of Modena, Reggio, and Mirandola , Duke of Massa and Prince of Carrara , Archduke of Austria-Este, Royal Prince of Hungary and Bohemia, Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece...
; the couple received a special dispensation for their marriage from Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII , born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti, was a monk, theologian and bishop, who reigned as Pope from 14 March 1800 to 20 August 1823.-Early life:...
. Maria Beatrice's husband became Francis IV, Duke of Modena, Reggio
Reggio Emilia
Reggio Emilia is an affluent city in northern Italy, in the Emilia-Romagna region. It has about 170,000 inhabitants and is the main comune of the Province of Reggio Emilia....
, and Mirandola
Mirandola
Mirandola is a city and comune of Emilia-Romagna, Italy, in the Province of Modena, 31 km northeast of the provincial capital by railway.- History :Mirandola originated as a Renaissance city-fortress...
on 14 July 1814, making Maria Beatrice Duchess of Modena. They were parents to four children:
- Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria-Este (14 July 1817 - 25 March 1886), married Henri, Count of Chambord.
- Francis V, Duke of ModenaFrancis V, Duke of ModenaFrancesco Ferdinando Geminiano von Habsburg-Lothringen, known as Francis V of Modena , Archduke of Austria-Este, Royal Prince of Hungary and Bohemia, was Duke of Modena, Reggio, and Mirandola, Duke of Guastalla , Duke of Massa and Prince of Carrara from 1846 to 1859...
(1 June 1819 - 20 November 1875), married Princess Adelgunde of BavariaPrincess Adelgunde of BavariaPrincess Adelgunde of Bavaria was a daughter of Ludwig I of Bavaria and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. She was Duchess consort of Modena by her marriage to Francis V, Duke of Modena.-Family:...
. - Ferdinand Karl Viktor, Archduke of Austria-EsteArchduke Ferdinand Karl Viktor of Austria-EsteFerdinand Karl Viktor was Archduke of Austria-Este and Duke of Modena.-Biography:Born in Modena, he was the second son of Francis IV of Modena and his wife Maria Beatrice of Savoy...
(20 July 1821 - 15 December 1849), married Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of AustriaArchduchess Elisabeth Franziska of AustriaElisabeth Franziska Maria, Archduchess of Austria, Princess of Hungary and Bohemia ....
(daughter of Archduke Josef Anton of Austria and his third wife Duchess Maria Dorothea of WürttembergDuchess Maria Dorothea of WürttembergMaria Dorothea Luise Wilhelmine Caroline of Württemberg was the daughter of Duke Louis of Württemberg and Princess Henriette of Nassau-Weilburg ....
). - Maria Beatrix, Archduchess of Austria-Este (13 February 1824 - 18 March 1906), married Juan, Count of MontizónJuan, Count of MontizónDon Juan Carlos María Isidro de Borbón, Count of Montizón was the Carlist claimant to the throne of Spain from 1860 to 1868, and the Legitimist claimant to the throne of France from 1883 to 1887.- Youth and marriage :...
.
The couple left Sardinia on 15 July 1813 for Zakynthos Island
Zakynthos
Zakynthos , also Zante, the other form often used in English and in Italian , is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the third largest of the Ionian Islands. It is also a separate regional unit of the Ionian Islands region, and the only municipality of the regional unit. It covers an area of ...
, and then sailed to Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
off the east shore of Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
, finally reached Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
by land. On the invasion of Joachim Murat
Joachim Murat
Joachim-Napoléon Murat , Marshal of France and Grand Admiral or Admiral of France, 1st Prince Murat, was Grand Duke of Berg from 1806 to 1808 and then King of Naples from 1808 to 1815...
during The Hundred Days, they fled Modena until 15 May 1815.
Jacobite recognition
Upon the death of the abdicated King Charles Emmanuel IV on 6 October 1819, King Victor Emmanuel, father of Maria Beatrice, became the Jacobite heir, and Jacobites recognized her as "Princess Mary of England, Scotland, France and Ireland"; with the death of her father on 10 January 1824, Maria Beatrice became recognized by JacobitesJacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
as "Mary III, Queen of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, France
English claims to the French throne
The English claims to the French throne have a long and complex history between the 1340s and the 19th century.From 1340 to 1801, with only brief intervals in 1360-1369 and 1420–1422, the kings and queens of England, and after the Acts of Union in 1707 the kings and queens of Great Britain, also...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
" (those who did not recognize Mary Stuart as "Queen Mary II of England" recognized Maria Beatrice as "Mary II") and as "Mary II, Queen of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
". The regnal numbers in England are a reference to her descent, as well as that of her uncle and father, from Henrietta 'Minette' Stuart
Princess Henrietta of England
Henrietta Anne of England & Scots was born a Princess of England and Scotland as the youngest daughter of King Charles I of England and his consort Henrietta Maria of France. Fleeing England with her governess at the age of three, she moved to the court of her first cousin Louis XIV of France,...
, Duchess of Orleans, youngest daughter of Charles I of England
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
. After the death of the last of the Jacobite 'Pretenders', Henrietta's line-through her younger daughter (Anne-Marie of Orleans, wife of Victor Amadeus II of Savoy) became the sole legitimate line of descent of Charles I, and therefore superior to the Hanoverian claim which was based on descent from Charles I's sister Elizabeth. Maria Beatrice never actively pursued her British claims.
Due to the outbreak of a revolution Maria Beatrice had to fled Modena again with her family on 5 February 1831, but with Austrian military help her family was able to return in the year.
Maria Beatrice died of a heart condition on 15 September 1840 at Castello del Catajo
Castello del Catajo
Castello del Catajo is a patrician house near the town of Battaglia Terme, province of Padua, Italy.It had its origins in a simple villa that was rebuilt and extravagantly enlarged in the manner of a feudal castle from 1570 onwards by Marchese Pio Enea I degli Obizzi, a member of an important...
. Her son Francis was the next Jacobite pretender. Her remains were kept in the Chiesa di San Vincenzo in Modena.
Maria Beatrice was a Lady of the (Austrian) Order of the Starry Cross
Order of the Starry Cross
The Order of the Starry Cross was founded by Eleanora Gonzaga of Mantua, dowager empress of the Holy Roman Empire, in 1668. This all female order was confirmed by Pope Clement IX, June 28, 1668, and was placed under the spiritual management of the Prince Bishop of Vienna...
.
Ancestry
Titles and styles
- 6 December 1792 – 20 June 1812 Her Royal Highness Princess Maria Beatrice of Savoy
- 20 June 1812 – 14 July 1814 Her Imperial and Royal Highnes Archduchess Maria Beatrice of Austria-Este
- 14 July 1814 – 15 September 1840 Her Imperial and Royal Highness the Duchess of Modena
- Jacobite: Her Majesty The Queen of England, Scotland, Ireland, and France