Marie Jeanne Baptiste de Savoie-Nemours
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Marie Jeanne Baptiste de Savoie-Nemours (Paris, April 11, 1644 - Turin March 15, 1724), was regent of Savoy.
She was daughter of Charles Amédée de Savoie, 6th Duc de Nemours (1624–1652), and Elisabeth of Vendôme, granddaughter of King Henry IV of France. Her younger sister Maria Francisca of Nemours first married King Afonso VI of Portugal and then to his brother the future Peter II of Portugal.
In 1662 she was engaged to Charles V, Duke of Lorraine , but on May 10, 1665, she married Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy (1634-1675).
They had one son :
- Victor Amadeus (1666 - 1732), future Duke of Savoy and king of Sicily and Sardinia.
After the early death of her husband, Marie Jeanne became regent of Savoy in name of her under age son. She was an energetic and ambitious woman and called herself «Madama Reale», after her mother-in-law Christine Marie of France. She tried to gain the throne of Portugal for her son, by engaging him to his cousin Isabel Luísa, Princess of Beira, only daughter and heir. This would have left her in full control of the Duchy of Savoy.
But a second marriage of King Peter II of Portugal and a revolt in Piedmont supported by Victor Amadeus, forced Marie Jeanne to abandon her plans and give power to her son on March 14, 1684.
She was the last countess of Geneva, which was united with Savoy after her death.
When she died in 1724, her great- grand son Louis XV of France was ruling France
