Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma
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Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma (January 17, 1870 – January 31, 1899) was the princess-consort of Bulgaria as the first wife of Ferdinand of Bulgaria, the then prince-regnant and Tsar after her death. She became mother of Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria.
Marie Louise was born in Rome as Maria Luisa Pia Teresa Anna Ferdinanda Francesca Antonietta Margherita Giuseppina Carolina Bianca Lucia Appollonia of Bourbon, Princess of Parma in 1870, the eldest daughter of Robert I, Duke of Parma and his first wife, Princess Maria Pia of the Two Sicilies. She was to be known by the relatively laconic title Marie-Louise. Her father and mother produced eleven more children before Maria Pia died in childbirth in 1882. Later, Duke Roberto re-married and had twelve more children. Out of the first twelve, several were born with severe mental retardation.
Nineteenth century European politics dictated that as a princess, she could best serve her family by marrying well and her father suitably arranged for her marriage to the then Prince of Bulgaria, Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Despite the fact that Marie-Louise and Ferdinand had never met prior to the day they became engaged, they were dutifully married on 20 April 1893 at the Villa Pianore in Lucca, Italy and wasted no time producing an heir, with son Boris born nine months and ten days later. Marie Louise gave birth to three further children:
- Prince Kyril of Bulgaria (1895-1945)
- Princess Eudoxia of Bulgaria (1898-1985)
- Princess Nadejda of Bulgaria (1899-1958), later married Duke Albert of Württemberg
Described by one historian as "a long-nosed creature with quiet manners and a kindly nature", it is unknown how Marie-Louise dealt with Ferdinand's taste for handsome young blond men or his regular visits to Capri, a well known haunt for wealthy late nineteenth century homosexuals.
Marie Louise died in 1899 in Sofia, aged just 29, and was buried in the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St Louis of France in Plovdiv.
[edit] References
- Aronson, T. (1986) Crowns in conflict: the triumph and the tragedy of European monarchy, 1910-1918, John Murray Publishers, London. ISBN 0-7195-4279-0
- Constant, S. (1979) Foxy Ferdinand, 1861-1948, Tsar of Bulgaria, Sidgwick and Jackson, London. ISBN 0-283-98515-1
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