Princess Marie Thérèse of France (1746–1748)

Marie Thérèse of France, fille de France (19 July 1746 – 27 April 1748^[1]) was a French princess by birth. She was the second of her paternal grandparents' grandchildren after the birth of Princess Isabella of Parma (1741–1763).^[2]

Biography

As the eldest daughter of Louis, Dauphin de France (1729–1765), Marie Thérèse de France was given the honorific title Madame Royale at birth. Her mother was the Infanta Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain.^[3]

Her parents were first cousins once removed, both being descendants of Louis, Dauphin de France (1661–1711). Marie Thérèse was greeted with much joy despite being a girl. Her mother died on 22 July 1746, four days after bringing her into the world. The infant was put in the care of Madame de Tallard immediately after her birth. Louis was only sixteen years old when Maria Teresa died; he grieved intensely at the loss of his wife, but his responsibility to provide an heir for the succession to the throne of France necessitated that he remarry quickly, which he did on 9 February 1747, at Versailles.

Marie Thérèse's stepmother, Duchess Maria Josepha of Saxony (1731–1767) paid the child much attention, and would later be occupied with her own children, three of which became kings of France (Louis XVI, Louis XVIII and Charles X).

As a child of the Dauphin of France, she was given the surname de France, not de Bourbon. The latter was used by Princes of the Blood. As a Granddaughter of France she was allowed the style of Royal Highness.

Prior to her death when she was almost two years old, Madame Royale had been suffering from a brutal sprouting of teeth; as a result, emetic was administer to try to stop the pain. Naturally this failed, and Madame Royale then suffered from convulsions which led to her sudden death on 27 April 1748. On that day, she was baptised as Marie Thérèse in honour of her mother. She was buried in the Basilica of St Denis, the necropolis of the French royal family since King Dagobert I who died in 639.

Her father was deeply affected by the death of Marie Thérèse, as she was his only link with her deceased mother. Her stepmother later commissioned a painting (now lost)^[4] of the infant to be left over her cradle.

References and notes

Ancestors

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

• 19 July 1746 – 27 April 1748 Her Royal Highness Madame Royale

Titles