Princess Maria Antonia of the Two Sicilies
Maria Antonia | |||||
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Grand Duchess of Tuscany | |||||
Grand Duchess of Tuscany | |||||
Reign | 7 June 1833 – 21 July 1859 | ||||
Born |
Royal Palace of Palermo, Kingdom of Sicily, Italy | 19 December 1814||||
Died |
7 November 1898 83) Gmunden, Austria | (aged||||
Spouse |
Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany (m. 1833 - 1870; his death) | ||||
Issue |
Archduchess Maria Isabella, Countess of Trapani Ferdinand IV, Grand Duke of Tuscany Archduke Karl Salvator Maria Luisa, Princess of Isenburg-Büdingen Archduke John Salvator | ||||
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House | Bourbon-Two Sicilies | ||||
Father | Francis I of the Two Sicilies | ||||
Mother | Maria Isabella of Spain | ||||
Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Princess Maria Antonia of the Two Sicilies (Maria Antonia Anna; 19 December 1814 – 7 November 1898) was the Grand Duchess of Tuscany from 1833 to 1859 as the consort of Leopold II. In signature, she used Maria Antonietta.
Biography
Maria Antonia was born at the Royal Palace of Palermo on 19 December 1814, daughter of Francis I of the Two Sicilies and his wife Maria Isabella of Spain, she was baptised Maria Antonia in honor of Maria Antonia-Anna's great-aunt Marie Antoinette, deceased sister of her grandmother Maria Carolina of Austria.
When she was born, the Neapolitan court had already moved to Sicily because Napoleonic troops had invaded the continental part of the realm. After a few months the royal family returned to Naples thanks to the Congress of Vienna.
She was particularly close to her brother the future Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies, who affectionately dubbed her Totò.
Marriage and issue
In 1833, when she was eighteen, Maria Antonia married her first cousin Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany, who was seventeen years older. Marie Antoinette and Leopold had ten children:
- Archduchess Maria Isabella, who wed her maternal uncle Prince Francis, Count of Trapani, youngest son of Francis I of the Two Sicilies].
- Ferdinand IV, Grand Duke of Tuscany (10 June 1835 – 17 January 1908).
- Archduchess Maria Theresa (29 June 1836 – 5 August 1838).
- Archduchess Maria Christina (5 February 1838 – 1 September 1849).
- Archduchess Maria Anna (9 June 1840 – 13 August 1841).
- Archduke Rainer (1 May 1842 – 14 August 1844).
- Archduchess Maria Luisa (31 October 1845 – 27 August 1917), who wed Karl, Prince of Isenburg-Büdingen.
- Archduke Ludwig Salvator (4 August 1847 – 12 October 1915).
- Archduke Johann Salvator (25 November 1852 – reported lost at sea in 1890, amidst speculation that he survived, subsequently using the alias "Johann Orth").
Tributes
The Piazza Maria Antonia – today Piazza dell'Indipendeza, the railway line Maria Antonia and the Maria Antonia train station, now called Firenze Santa Maria Novella, were named in her honour.
Revolution
In April 1859, before the Franco-Piedmont war against Austria, Leopold II proclaimed neutrality, but the Grand Ducal government was collapsing. People used vulgar insults towards the Grand Duchess and the troops gave signs of insubordination. On the afternoon of 27 April, Leopold II left the Palazzo Pitti through the Boboli door, stepping before an enraged mob on the streets and troops in open rebellion, heading toward Bologna. Shortly beforehand he had refused to abdicate in favour of his son, Ferdinand.
Ancestry
Ancestors of Princess Maria Antonia of the Two Sicilies | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Titles, styles, honours and arms
Titles and styles
- 19 December 1814 – 12 December 1816 Her Royal Highness Princess Maria Antonia of Naples and Sicily
- 12 December 1816 – 7 June 1833 Her Royal Highness Princess Maria Antonia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
- 7 June 1833 – 21 July 1859 Her Imperial and Royal Highness the Most Serene Grand Duchess of Tuscany, Archduchess of Austria, etc.
- 21 July 1859 – 7 November 1898 Her Imperial and Royal Highness the Most Serene Dowager Grand Duchess of Tuscany
Honours
- Austria-Hungary : Dame of the Order of the Starry Cross[1]
- Two Sicilies : Dame of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George
- Spain : Dame of the Order of Queen Maria Luisa
References
- ↑ Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Kaiserthumes Österreich (1868), p 110, Sternkreuz-Orden
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Princess Maria Antonia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. |
Princess Maria Antonia of the Two Sicilies Cadet branch of the House of Bourbon Born: 19 December 1814 Died: 3 January 1865 | ||
Italian royalty | ||
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Vacant Title last held by Maria Anna of Saxony |
Grand Duchess consort of Tuscany 7 June 1833 – 21 July 1859 |
Monarchy abolished |
Titles in pretence | ||
Loss of title Republic declared |
— TITULAR — Grand Duchess consort of Tuscany 21 July 1859 – 3 January 1865 |
Vacant Title next held by Alice of Parma |