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Troops of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, 1859, plate by Knotel

From left to right:

General, Carabinier, Lancer, Mounted rifleman, Guide of the HQ

#History #italy #Two Sicilies #army #cavalry #carabinier #lancer #chasseur a cheval #general #1859 #Second Italian war of Independence

MARÍA ISABEL OF SPAIN

Queen Consort of the Two Sicilies

(born 1789 - died 1848)

pictured above is a portrait of the Queen of the Two Sicilies, by Vicente López Portaña from 1829

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SERIES - On this day September Edition: María Isabel died on 13 September 1848.

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MARÍA ISABEL ANTONIA JOSEFA ANA TERESA FILIPINA was born in 1789, at the Royal Palace of Madrid. She was one of the youngest daughters of Carlos IV, King of Spain and Princess Maria Luisa of Parma.

Born a member of the Spanish branch of the HOUSE OF BOURBON, she was an INFANTA OF SPAIN from birth.

She was married to her first cousin FRANCESCO GENNARO GIUSEPPE SAVERIO GIOVANNI BATTISTA in 1802 and they had twelve children (check the list below). He was the Duke of Calabria as the Hereditary Prince Royal of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. She was 13 years old while he was already a widower aged 25 and his late wife was another first cousin of both of them, Archduchess Maria Klementine of Austria, with whom he already had two children.

Her new mother-in-law Archduchess Maria Karolina of Austria opposed to the wedding because Spain was allied to the French Republic, against the Austrian/British/Naples alliance.

After her wedding she became the DUCHESS OF CALABRIA and the HEREDITARY PRINCESS ROYAL CONSORT OF THE TWO SICILIES.

France had been a treat to Naples since the French Revolution. And in 1806 Napoléon I, Emperor of the French invaded Naples, deposed her father in-law Ferdinando IV, King of Naples, forced the Neapolitan Royal Family to exile in Sicily and put his own brother Joseph Bonaparte on the Neapolitan throne as Giuseppe, King of Naples.

Less then two years later Emperor Napoléon I also deposed her brother Fernando VII, King of Spain. Joseph Bonaparte was then removed from the Neapolitan throne and became José I, King of Spain. And in Naples the Emperor placed his brother-in-law Joachim Murat as Gioachinno, King of Naples.

The Neapolitan Royals fought against France but continued to be exiled in Sicily until they were allowed to return to Naples in 1815, after Napoléon's defeat and exile.

In 1816 her father-in-law was fully restored to the throne of Naples by the Congress of Vienna and by the end of the year the Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily were unified, creating the Kingdom of the Two-Sicilies. And her father-in-law became Ferdinand I, King of the Two Sicilies.

By 1825 her father-in-law died and husband succeeded as Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies and she became the QUEEN CONSORT OF THE TWO SICILIES.

Six years later, in 1830, her husband died and was succeeded by their son as King Ferdinando II. And aged only 36, the QUEEN MOTHER OF THE TWO SICILIES soon engaged in love affairs.

Later in life she expressed the desire to remarry and her son, the King, agreed but make a list of possible suitors. She chose a younger Neapolitan general, FRANCESCO and married him privately in 1839. He was one of the sons of Nicola of Balzo, 3rd Duke of Presenzano and Caterina Crivelli and was created Count of Balzo. So she also became the COUNTESS OF BALZO. And do do her age they did not have any children.

Nine years after her second marriage, in 1848, the Queen Mother of the Two Sicilies died aged 59, at the Palace of Portici in Naples.

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Check my post about MARÍA ISABEL's children and their Royal Weddings!

MARÍA ISABEL and her first husband FRANCESCO I had twelve children...

Princess Luisa Carlotta of the Two Sicilies - wife of Infante Francisco de Paula of Spain;

Princess Maria Cristina of the Two Sicilies - wife first of Fernando VII, King of Spain and second of Agustín Fernando Muñoz and Sánchez, 1st Duke of Riánsares;

Ferdinando II, King of the Two Sicilies - husband first of Princess Maria Cristina of Sardinia and second of Archduchess Maria Theresia of Austria;

Carlo Ferdinando, Prince of Capua - husband of Penelope Smyth;

Leopoldo, Count of Syracuse - husband of Princess Maria Vittoria of Savoy;

Princess Maria Antonia of the Two Sicilies - wife of Leopoldo II, Grand Duke of Tuscany;

Antonio, Count of Lecce - unmarried;

Princess Maria Amalia of the Two Sicilies - wife of Infante Sebastián of Spain and Portugal;

Princess Maria Carolina of the Two Sicilies - wife of Carlos Luis, Count of Montemolín;

Princess Teresa Cristina of the Two Sicilies - wife of Pedro II, Emperor of Brazil;

Luigi, Count of Aquila - husband of Princess Januária of Brazil; and

Francesco, Count of Trapani - husband of Princess Maria Isabella of Tuscany.

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Two of her granddaughters named Isabel were supposed to become Monarchs in their own rights:

in 1883 Isabel II, Princess of Asturias succeeded as Isabel II, Queen of Spain; but

in 1889 Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil lost her rights of succession after the Monarchy was abolished in Brazil.