Just read in a bio on Queen D.Carlota Joaquina that Madame Elizabeth, Louis XVI's sister could have become eventual Queen of Portugal.
During D.José's reign and under the firm hand of his Prime-Minister the Marquis of Pombal, Portugal stretched its alliance with Britain.
It was a time when portuguese and spanish interests were completely opposite, with Spain following France against Britain namely at the Seven Years War.
After the king's death, his daughter D.Maria I started an approach to Madrid, possibly influenced by her mother D.Maria Ana Victoria, Carlos III's sister.
Shortly after the king's death, Portugal and Spain signed the Santo Ildefonso treaty, regulating their south american borders.
One year later, in 1778, a new treaty - Treaty of Prado - aimed for a "more intimate and unbreakable friendship between the two countries".
It was the beginning for a true iberian alliance.
To cement this new friendship, as always, a wedding project was dealt:
Infante D.João would marry Infanta Carlota Joaquina and Infante Gabriel of Spain would marry D.João's sister Infanta Maria Ana Victoria.
London and Versailles, who took for grant the ascendance of its two allies, were not happy and did all they could not to loose their influence.
The french ambassador approached the heir to the throne Pr. D.José, Prince of Brazil, who was married to his aunt D. Maria Benedita, reproaching her for the fact that after all those years of marriage the couple remained childless, and induced him to ask for a divorce.
In turn France would gladly agree that the Prince would marry Madame Elizabeth, Louis XVI's sister.
But the plan aborted as the spanish ambassador, count of Fernan Nuñez heard of it and ran to the the Princess of Brazil warning her of what the french ambassador was planning
His letter to Madrid reveals his purposes:
"We had to do all in our power, both in Lisbon and in other courts, to prevent the divorce or if that was not possible, that the Prince of Brazil would marry a spanish Infanta".
The problem was that, at the time, there was no spanish Infanta available. D.Carlota Joaquina had been sent to Lisbon at the age of 10 to marry D.João.
With the sudden death of the Prince of Brazil in 1788, the spanish ambassador could breath with relief.
D.João was the new Prince of Brazil and a spanish Infanta would be the next Portuguese Queen.
Wonder what was Mme Elizabeth reaction to the possibility of becoming Portuguese Queen (if she ever knew that her name was being juggled by the chancelleries).
Well, at least she would have not had to endure the prison and death sentence passed by the french revolutionaires.
Unless, as a recent childless widow, she would have gone back to France...
