Felipe V of Spain and his family

[umigon]

Infante Luis Antonio of Spain was born on 25th July 1727 in the Buen Retiro Palace (Madrid), and he was the sixth child and fourth son of Felipe V and Isabel Farnesio. Their other children were: Carlos Sebastían, nicknamed Carlet, who became Carlos VII of Naples and III of Spain; Francisco, who died aged a month; María Ana Victoria, Marianinna, wife of José I of Portugal; Felipe, Pippo, duke of Parma´and María Teresa, Teté, first wife of Dauphin Louis Ferdinand. After Luis, nicknamed Lulú, María Antonia, future wife of Vittorio Amedeo III of Savoy, was born. They called her Totó. Felipe also had another surviving son from his first marriage: Fernando, Prince of the Asturias. Lulú was called Luis to honour his oldest half-brother, King Luis I.

As Lulú had three older brothers, his mother searched for a good position for her youngest son. In 1735, when he was 8, he became a Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was also the Archbishop of Toledo, the most important religious charge in Spain. The he was also appointed as Archbishop of Seville, becoming one of the richest persons in Spain at the tender age of 9! Maybe his ambitious mother, Isabel, was trying to get him even higher... to Rome, perhaps...

His education was very poor and this is what his confessor said once about him: "I never found His Highness reading a book or talking about things that make our senses richer. His Higness spent his mornings talking to the inferior servants, whom have become excesivelly familiar to him. His continuous leisure can be the origin of serious damage in his person. He has everything he wants to amuse himself, his will is never contradicted by anyone." When he reached 16, someone wrote that his House was becoming poor because of the infante's excessive expenses.

[umigon]

In 1754 Luis had realised his total lack of religious vocation and he wrote to the Pope so that he could renounce to his ecclesiastical condition.He wrote that he liked women very much and that "sex burns inside me". After that, he started having affairs with every woman that came into his hands. In 1773 he left one of his maids, Antonia María Rodríguez, pregnant and Carlos III sends her away from his brother's house. Luis, concerned of Antoñita's fate, chases his brother until she is conveniently married to a man from Palencia.
There was also a María (Mariquita) Pérez, whom he also left pregnant and who had a similar destiny.

In 1775 Carlos III, fed up of his brother's dissolute behaviour, started thinking about marrying Lulú. Carlos thought there was a great solution to this problem: he would marry his brother to his daughter María Josefa, Pepa within the family, so ugly that hadn't been married. Lulú gave his consent to this marriage with his niece, but it was Pepa who, scared that Lulú could infect her with a venereal disease, said no. Lulú wanted to get married to put a bit of order in his life and, failing to marry Pepa and to princesses from the House of Savoy, he started thinking about marrying a Spanish noblewoman. So, Carlos III approved the "Pragmática de Matrimonios" after which Lulú could marry whoever he wanted, but if his wife didn't belong to a Royal House, the marriage would be considered morganatic, his wife or his future children wouldn't have rights to the Crown nor to the Bourbon surname.

[umigon]

He chose María Teresa Ana de Vallábriga y Rozas, an orphan, niece to the Earl of San Leonardo. She had been born in Zaragoza the 6th November 1759. They were married in Olías del Rey, Toledo, on June 27, 1776. Lulú was not 49 yet, María Teresa was 16. He seemed to be very much in love with his wife who gave him four children: Luis María (1777-1823), who became a Cardinal; Antonio María (1778-1779), María Teresa (1780-1828), future wife of the famous Manuel de Godoy; and María Luisa Fernanda (1782-1846), who would marry a member of the low nobility.

But María Teresa, under her tender appearance, was not a good woman. She dominated her husband and mistreated him, some witnesses even said they have seen her hit Lulú, who was getting older prematurely. He finally died in in Arenas de San Pedro, Ávila, on the 7th August 1785. His brother kept the custody of his children who were surnamed Vallábriga until 1797. In this year María Teresa, aged 17, married Manuel de Godoy, Carlos IV's favourite and she and her siblings were granted the Borbón surname. They would then be granted with several titles and with the Grandeza de España, but they never had any rights to the throne.

[bell_the_cat]

Well, I'm glad I included him on my list. Thanks for the information. I like the fact that he was honest enough to write to the pope about his problem. Some people would have just carried on and had mistresses anyway.

Do we know what the pope's reply was?

I wonder if he subconsciously needed a wife not just for conjugal relations, but also to boss him around a bit. His father had always enjoyed being bossed around by his wives after all!

[Prince_Lieven]

Thanks for that, umigon. I would have posted before this but have been in school all day.  

But now I'm free for the weekend!  

Anyway, Lulu certainly sound like an interesting character - cardinal archbishop at 9! Oh the shame!  

[Daniela]

Louise Elisabeth d'Orleans, Queen of Spain, was one of the unruly daughters of Philippe, Duke of Orléans and Regent of France, her grandmother described her as 'the most disagreeable person that I have ever seen'.

Nevertheless, when only thirteen years old, she married the fourteen-year-old Prince of Asturias and heir to the King of Spain. After the wedding ceremony festivities were over and the Duke of Saint-Simon was ready to return to France, he said his goodbye to the new Princess of Asturias. When he asked her if she wanted him to take a message back to her family in France, she merely looked at him and belched loudly into his face.

Later she scandalised the Spanish court by hoisting her petticoats up to her knees and walking about in the rain. She was also seen running about the gardens of La Granja clad only in a thin dressing-gown which, blowing up in the wind, revealed her to be quite naked. She was peevish and sulky with her husband, refusing to speak to him, and it was commonly believed that she had refused to consummate their marriage. Become immensely stout, she indulged her gluttonous appetite at all hours, forcing her ladies-in-waiting to do the same, and pinching and slapping them if they refused.

Things eventually became so scandalous that her father-in-law confined her in the Alcazar of Madrid for six days until she promised to mend her ways. In 1724 her father-in-law abdicated and her husband became King Luis I of Spain. However, he died of smallpox a little over seven months later and at fourteen she was Dowager-Queen of Spain.

Sent back to France, she held a little court at Vincennes where there were odd goings-on. 'She was fat, gluttonous, ate with both hands; she never reads or works, seldom plays cards, and cuts her hair like an English schoolboy.' She died in Paris in 1742 aged thirty-three.

From this site: http://www.genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00002203&tree=LEO

[CountessKate]

Philippine-Elizabeth, Mlle de Beaujolais, was actually very nice.  Madame, who did not pull her punches with any of her sisters, said "She is a charming child, beautiful, lively and amusing; I lover her dearly; she will not be deficient in esprit."  She had smallpox as a child and afterwards Madame said "The little Beaujolais is prettier and nicer than ever."  

She was sent to Spain in 1722, aged 8, betrothed to the Infant Don Carlos, the second son of Philip V, and was a hit with both her fiance and her in-laws.  Her elder sister Louise-Elizabeth was jealous of her, according to their half-brother the Chevalier d'Orleans who said "she has already shown that the arrival of the little princess here is disagreeable to her."  Sadly for Mlle de Beaujolais, when the Duc de Bourbon broke off the intended marriage of the Infanta Maria Ana Victoria to Louis XV and sent her back to Spain, Louise-Elizabeth who was by then a widow, and Philippine-Elizabeth, were bundled back to France in retaliation.  Both Philippine-Elizabeth and Don Carlos retained fond memories of one another, and the Duchesse d'Orleans and Don Carlos later tried to renew the betrothal later when Spanish-French relations grew warmer, but Elizabeth Farnese remained cold and the two courts then fell out with one another again.  Mlle de Beaujolais then caught measles and died, aged 20, in 1734.

[Emperor_Nikolai_I]

Fernando VI (1746-1759) is a between his more or less crazy father Felipe V (1700-1746) and his succesful brother Carlos III (1759-1788) a nearly forgotten king. What do you know about him?

[umigon]

Fernando was a kind and shy person. His marriage to Barbara of Braganza was very happhy, despite their lack of children. Fernando became mad after Barbara's death in 1758.

[Daniela]

Here is a link about Ferdinand VI and his wife Barbara:

http://madmonarchs.guusbeltman.nl/madmonarchs/ferdinand6/ferdinand6_bio.htm

[Prince_Lieven]

Hello everyone.   I hope this has not been discussed before! If so, please direct me to where it has!

I'm curious about Felipe V, the first king of the house of Borbon, and his two wives and their children.

Please correct me if I'm wrong about any of this:
Felipe (formerly Philippe de Bourbon, Duc d'Anjou) becomes King of Spain in 1700 (aged only 17!) He married Princess Maria-Ludovica-Gabriella of Savoy (1688-1714) on November 3 1701. She was the daughter of Vittorio Amedeo II of Savoy (1666-1732) and his wife Anne-Marie de Bourbon (1669-1728). Their children were:
1. Luis I of Spain (1707-1724). He was King of Spain for less than a year (?).
2. Prince Felipe of Spain (1709).
3. Prince Felipe Pedro Gabriel of Spain (1712-1719).
4. Fernando VI of Spain (1713-1759). He was King of Spain from 1746-1759.

Felipe V married Isabel Farnese, Princess of Parma (1692-1766) on December 24 1714. She was the daughter of Odoardo II of Parma (1666-1693) and Dorothea Sophia of Pfalz-Neuburg. Felipe and Isabel's children:
1. Carlos III of Spain (1716-1788). He was King of Spain from 1759-1788.
2. Prince Francisco of Spain (1717).
3. Princess Maria Ana of Spain (1718-1781). She was Queen of Portugal.
4. Prince Felipe of Spain (1720-1765). He was Duke of Parma from 1748-1765.
5. Princess Maria Teresa Antonia (1726-1746). She was Dauphine of France.
6. Prince Luis Antonio of Spain (1727-1785). He was a Cardinal.
7. Princess Maria Antoinetta Fernanda of Spain (1729-1785). She was Queen of Sardinia.

Does anyone have any pictures of information on these people? What did the children who died young die of?

Thanks!

[CountessKate]

Felipe V was prone to anxiety and depression, and throughout his reign was ruled by his grandfather, Louis XIV, and his successive wives.  

He was highly sexed, not surprising in a young man, but too virtuous to sleep with anyone except his wives, and it was a real problem to him when Marie Louise Gabrielle turned out to be too young to consummate their marriage at once.  However, no one could see their way to giving him a religious dispensation to take a mistress!  Eventually the waiting came to an end and afterwards, both Marie Louise and Elizabeth Farnese basically used his uxorious nature to keep him by their sides.  The whole point of a court was to get access to the king, the dispenser of power and priviledge, and by keeping close to home, the queens ensured that they were heavily involved in government.  Felipe and Marie Louise were heavily dependent on the Princesse des Ursins, an older lady of Louis XIV's court who had been sent to Spain to be the chief lady-in-waiting and keep Marie Louise - and hence Felipe - under French influence.  Marie Louise in particular was very close to her and found in her a mother substitute.  Throughout the fighting with the Austrians, who disputed the French claim to Spain, Felipe and Marie Louise bravely held it together, supported by the Princesse, even when the French started wavering and talking of getting out.  There was also a lot of infighting amongst the French and Spanish at the court, as the Spanish courtiers resented the French dominating Felipe.  

Sadly, Marie Louise died young, like her sister the Duchesse de Bourgogne, and the Princesse des Ursins had to look around for another wife for Felipe V.  She chose Elizabeth Farnese, thinking an Italian with Austrian connections would be amenable to her influence, but the first thing Elizabeth Farnese did when she set foot in Spain was to have the Princesse des Ursins arrested on the pretext of insolence, and then packed off to France.  Felipe V behaved in a very weak manner and let this happen - all her previous support went for nothing, as long as his new wife was satisfied.  Elizabeth Farnese then established her dominance by never letting Felipe out of her sight except for 20 minutes each day while dressing, with a trusted confidant, who could tell her, or be told, things she didn't want the king to hear.  As her own sons weren't in the immediate line of succession, as 2 sons of Marie Louise had survived, she pushed for minor but independent states for them to rule, and managed to get Don Carlos ruler of Naples/Sicily, and Don Felipe to be ruler of Parma.  She was generally unpopular, unlike Marie Louise who was much loved.

Felipe abdicated his throne in 1724 in favour of his eldest son Luis, it was thought this was a ploy to enable him to claim the throne of France in case Louis XV died - he was closer to the throne of France than the Orleans family and while Louis XV had no heirs, thought this might pave the way for him to return.  However, it was Luis who died, of smallpox, and Felipe re-ascended the throne.  He ruled Spain until his death in 1746, although in the end he went into some form of senility or breakdown and wasn't quite all there, becoming dirty and careless of his appearance.  He died of apoplexy and was succeeded by his son Fernando, who had no children; Elizabeth's son Carlos eventually came to the throne and is the ancestor of the current royal family as there were no descendents in the 3rd generation of Felipe and Marie Louise.

[Eugenie_of_Montijo]

Isabel de Farnesio was a not lovely and not loved queen. When she comes to Spain and made her first entry in Madrid, a writter of her time wrotte that she was a "good girl twenty-two years old, quite ugly, insignifiant, who eat so much butter and parmesan cheese". But soon spanish people alleged she was a very bad step-mother to the children of first queen of Felipe, the sweet Maria Ludovica. The way Isabel intrigued to raise her own children was not fair play. At the last, she choose the wife of her grand-son, prince Carlos, later Carlos IV: her niece Maria Luisa of Parma...another impopular queen!!

[Eugenie_of_Montijo]

Luis I and Fernando VI, the two sons born in the first marriage of Felipe, with sweet Maria Luisa Gabriella, had sad lives. Luis was seven years old, and Fernando one year old, when they lost their mother. The second wife of the father was a bad step-mother.

When Felipe V left the crown to Luis, the prince was just sixteen or seventeen years old... He was such a good and kind man that spanish people loved him so much, althought no one liked his wife, the french princess Luisa Isabel de Orleans. When Luis was dead seven months after his coronation, the hated widow returned to her country.

Fernando loved his brother and felt much sorrow after the death of Luis. The sept-mother Isabel was "banished" to La Granja Palace...in a fairly way, but in fact she was banished. The wife of Fernando, Maria Magdalena Barbara de Braganza, portuguese princess, was really ugly, but she had a good mind and a good heart. Fernando fell in love with Barbara despite the ugly face and fat figure of his wife, and people became very fond of the couple. When Barbara was died, the king Fernando felt into madness. He dies one year later than his beloved Barbara.

[Prince_Lieven]

Thank you both for the wonderful information and pictures, CountessKate and Eugenie!   Isabel Farnese sounds like a strong woman - she was the heiress of Parma, wasn't she? How come neither Luis I nor Fernando VI had no children? Were they sterile?