View source for Maria Luisa Gabriella of Savoy

{{Short description|Queen of Spain from 1701 to 1714}}
{{distinguish|Princess Marie Louise of Savoy}}
{{use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox royalty
| succession   = [[Queen consort of Spain]]
| image        = Queen Maria Luisa of Spain, Princess of Savoy.jpg
| caption      = Portrait by Miguel Jacinto Melendez, {{circa|1712}}
| reign        = 2 November 1701 – 14 February 1714
| spouse       = {{marriage|[[Philip V of Spain]]|1701}}
| issue        = {{plainlist|
*[[Louis I of Spain|Louis I]]
*Infante Philip
*[[Infante Philip Peter]]
*[[Ferdinand VI]]}}
| house        = [[House of Savoy|Savoy]]
| consort      = yes
| issue-link   = #Issue
| father       = [[Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy]]
| mother       = [[Anne Marie d'Orléans]]
| birth_date   = {{Birth date|1688|09|17|df=y}}
| birth_place  = [[Royal Palace of Turin]], Savoy
| death_date   = {{Death date and age|1714|02|14|1688|08|17|df=y}}
| death_place  = [[Royal Alcazar of Madrid]], Spain
| place of burial = [[El Escorial]]
| full name    = María Luisa Gabriela de Saboya y Orleans
}}
'''Maria Luisa Gabriella of Savoy''' (17 September 1688 &ndash; 14 February 1714), nicknamed ''La Savoyana'', was [[List of Spanish royal consorts|Queen of Spain]] by marriage to [[Philip V of Spain|King Philip V]].<ref name="Hume1906">{{cite book|last=Hume|first=Martin Andrew Sharp|title=Queens of Old Spain|url=https://archive.org/details/queensoldspain00humegoog|access-date=15 September 2018|year=1906|publisher=E. Grant Richards|pages=[https://archive.org/details/queensoldspain00humegoog/page/n571 531]–537|chapter=Epilogue}}</ref> She acted as regent during her husband's absence from 1702 until 1703 and had great influence as a political adviser during the [[War of the Spanish Succession]], during which she was often regent while Philip fought to protect his legitimacy and his place on the throne. Despite her young age, Maria Luisa proved herself to be mature, intelligent, hard-working and resolute, and her regencies were effective, winning the respect of her subjects and becoming very popular and well-loved by her people. At the end of the War of Spanish Succession, Philip V was recognized as King of Spain, establishing the Spanish branch of the [[House of Bourbon]], which still rules over Spain to this day. Two of her four sons, [[Louis I of Spain|Louis I]] and [[Ferdinand VI]], took their turns as King of Spain. Maria Luisa died from [[tuberculosis]] at just 25.

==Early life==
===Childhood===
María Luisa Gabriella was born on 17 September 1688, at the [[Royal Palace of Turin]], [[Savoy]]. She was the third daughter and second surviving child of [[Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia|Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy]] and [[Anne Marie of Orléans]], the youngest daughter of [[Philippe I, Duke of Orléans]] and Princess [[Henrietta of England]]. In her youth, Maria Luisa Gabriella was described as "intelligent, playful, and fun-loving" and had received an excellent education. She remained close to her older sister [[Princess Marie Adélaïde of Savoy|Maria Adelaide]], who later married [[Louis, Duke of Burgundy]], the eldest grandson of [[Louis XIV of France|Louis XIV]].<ref name="The Gentleman's magazine, Volumes 302-303'', F. Jefferies, 1789, p 284">''The Gentleman's magazine, Volumes 302-303'', F. Jefferies, 1789, p 284</ref>

===Engagement===
French Prince [[Philip V of Spain|Philippe, Duke of Anjou]] recently ascended to the Spanish crown upon the death of his great-uncle, the childless [[Charles II of Spain]]. In order to enforce his shaky authority over Spain due to his French birth, Philip V decided to maintain ties with the Duke of Savoy by marrying his daughter Maria Luisa Gabriella, his second cousin through King [[Louis XIII of France]]. In mid-1701, Philip V asked for her hand with the permission of his grandfather, King [[Louis XIV]].<ref>''The Gentleman's magazine, Volumes 302-303'', F. Jefferies, 1789, p 286</ref> They were wed by [[Proxy marriage|proxy]] on 12 September 1701, five days before Maria Luisa Gabriella's thirteenth birthday. She arrived to [[Nice]] on 18 September and was greeted by [[Pope Clement XI]], who gave her the [[Golden Rose]] on 20 September as a ritualistic gift. Within a week, she sailed from Nice for [[Antibes]] and was taken to [[Barcelona]].<ref name=" The Gentleman's magazine, Volumes 302-303'', F. Jefferies, 1789, p 284"/>

==Queen of Spain==
[[File:Coat of Arms of Maria Luisa of Savoy, Queen Consort of Spain.svg|thumb|Queen Maria Luisa's coat of arms.]]
The official wedding took place on 2 November 1701. Philip V was seventeen and Maria Luisa was thirteen.<ref name="The Gentleman's magazine, Volumes 302-303'', F. Jefferies, 1789, p 284">''The Gentleman's magazine, Volumes 302-303'', F. Jefferies, 1789, p 284</ref> He was deeply in love with his wife from the start: as would be the case of his next consort, he was sexually dependent on her because his religious scruples prevented him from exercising any sexual life outside of marriage. Unlike what was normal for a Spanish monarch, he usually slept in her bed the entire night, and insisted upon his conjugal rights. Already shortly after their marriage, the French ambassador, the Duke of Gramont reported to Louis XIV that Philip would be completely governed by his spouse as long as he had one, a report that led Louis XIV to warn his grandson not to allow his Queen to dominate him.<ref name="Clarissa Campbell Orr 2004"/>[[File:María Luisa Gabriela de Saboya, primera esposa de Felipe V de España (Museo del Prado).jpg|thumb|left|200px|Portrait by [[Juan Garcia de Miranda]]]]

In general, the young Queen's influence was beneficial: Maria Luisa Gabriella is described as remarkably mature for her age, politically savvy, articulate and hardworking. She was praised throughout Spain for her regency and had been credited with giving the normally passive Philip V the energy he needed to participate in warfare.<ref name="Clarissa Campbell Orr 2004"/>

===War of Spanish Succession===
In 1702, Phillip V was obliged to leave Spain to fight in [[Naples]] as part of the ongoing [[War of Spanish Succession]]. During her husband's absence, 14-year-old Maria Luisa Gabriella effectively acted as regent from [[Madrid]], insisting upon all complaints being investigated, ordering that the reports were directly sent to her,<ref name="Hume1906" /> and working for hours with ministers. She gave audiences to ambassadors and tried to prevent Savoy from joining the enemy,<ref name="Clarissa Campbell Orr 2004"/> though this goal soon failed. However, her issues successfully encouraged the reorganization of the ''Junta'' and considerable [[monetary donation]]s from several nobles and cities towards the war effort.<ref name="Hume1906" /> In 1715, Philip V was eventually recognised as King of Spain and retained most of its [[colonies|colonial possessions]], but 
ceded territories in [[Italy]] and renounced the French throne for himself and his descendants.

===Court Intrigue===
French Courtier [[Marie Anne de La Trémoille, princesse des Ursins|Marie Anne de La Trémoille, Princesse des Ursins]], was a member of the Spanish Queen's household. She would maintain great influence over Maria Luisa Gabriella as her ''[[Camarera mayor de Palacio]]'', the chief lady-in-waiting of the Queen's household. Trémoille maintained strong dominance in Spain by using all the rights of proximity to the Queen Regent that her position entitled her to: she was almost constantly in Maria Luisa Gabriella's presence, accompanied her wherever she went as soon as she left her private rooms, followed her to the council meetings where she listened sitting by the side sewing, followed her back to her rooms where she was present at the most intimate personal tasks, dressing and undressing her, and controlling whoever wished to come into her presence. As Philip V actually shared a bedroom with Maria Luisa Gabriella, the Princess came to obtain enormous influence over the King.<ref name="Clarissa Campbell Orr 2004">{{cite book|last=Orr|first=Clarissa Campbell|title=Queenship in Europe 1660-1815: The Role of the Consort|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QORvlXsmsYQC|access-date=15 September 2018|date=2004-08-12|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521814225}}</ref>  In 1704, Trémoille was exiled at the order of King Louis XIV, devastating the rulers. However, in 1705, the Princess returned to Madrid, much to the Queen's joy.<ref name="Hume1906" />

==Death==
Towards the end of her life, Maria Luisa Gabriella became ill with [[tuberculosis]]. She eventually died in the Royal Alcazar of Madrid, on 14 February 1714 at the age of 25. The Queen was buried at [[El Escorial|San Lorenzo de El Escorial]]. On 16 September 1714, just months after her death, her widower remarried by proxy, to [[Elisabeth Farnese]], the heiress of the [[Francesco Farnese, Duke of Parma|Duke of Parma]].<ref name="Hume1906" /> Her niece, [[Princess Maria Luisa of Savoy (1729–1767)|Princess Maria Luisa]] was named after her.

==Issue==
#[[Louis I of Spain|Louis]] (25 August 1707 &ndash; 31 August 1724): Future King Louis I of Spain. Married [[Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans]]
#Philip (2 July 1709 &ndash; 18 July 1709): Died in infancy.
#[[Infante Philip of Spain (1712–1719)|Philip]] (7 June 1712 &ndash; 29 December 1719): Died in childhood.
#[[Ferdinand VI of Spain|Ferdinand]] (23 September 1713 &ndash; 10 August 1759): Future King Ferdinand VI of Spain. Married [[Barbara of Portugal|Infanta Maria Barbara of Portugal]]
As all of her sons were to die without issue, there are no descendants of Maria Luisa Gabriella of Savoy.

==Ancestry==
{{ahnentafel
|collapsed=yes |align=center |ref=<ref>{{cite book|title=Genealogie ascendante jusqu'au quatrieme degre inclusivement de tous les Rois et Princes de maisons souveraines de l'Europe actuellement vivans| trans-title=Genealogy up to the fourth degree inclusive of all the Kings and Princes of sovereign houses of Europe currently living |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AINPAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA24|year=1768|publisher=Frederic Guillaume Birnstiel|location=Bourdeaux|language=fr|page=24}}</ref>
|boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
|boxstyle_5=background-color: #9fe;
|1= 1. '''Maria Luisa Gabriella of Savoy'''
|2= 2. [[Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia]]
|3= 3. [[Anne Marie d'Orléans]]
|4= 4. [[Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy]]
|5= 5. [[Marie Jeanne Baptiste of Savoy-Nemours|Marie Jeanne Baptiste of Savoy]]
|6= 6. [[Philippe I, Duke of Orléans]]
|7= 7. [[Henrietta of England]]
|8= 8. [[Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy]]
|9= 9. [[Christine of France]]
|10= 10. [[Charles Amadeus, Duke of Nemours]]
|11= 11. [[Élisabeth de Bourbon]]
|12= 12. [[Louis XIII of France]]
|13= 13. [[Anne of Austria]]
|14= 14. [[Charles I of England]]
|15= 15. [[Henrietta Maria of France]]
}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline|Maria Luisa of Savoy}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-hou|[[House of Savoy]]|17 November|1688|14 February|1714}}
{{s-roy|es}}
|-
{{s-vac|rows=3|last=[[Mariana of Neuburg]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Royal Consorts of Spain|Queen consort of Spain]]|years=2 November 1701 – 14 February 1714}}
{{s-vac|next=[[Elisabeth Farnese]]}}
|-
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of consorts of Naples|Queen consort of Naples]] and [[List of Sardinian consorts|Sardinia]]|years=1700&ndash;1713}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel|Elisabeth Christine of<br>Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Sicilian consorts|Queen consort of Sicily]]|years=1700&ndash;1713}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Anne Marie d'Orléans]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Princesses of Savoy}}
{{Spanish consorts}}
{{Royal consorts of Sicily}}
{{Consorts of Luxembourg}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Savoy, Maria Luisa of}}
[[Category:1688 births]]
[[Category:1714 deaths]]
[[Category:People from the Savoyard state]]
[[Category:17th-century Italian nobility]]
[[Category:18th-century Italian nobility]]
[[Category:17th-century Italian women]]
[[Category:18th-century Italian women]]
[[Category:18th-century deaths from tuberculosis]]
[[Category:18th-century regents]]
[[Category:18th-century women regents]]
[[Category:Royal consorts of Naples]]
[[Category:Royal consorts of Sicily]]
[[Category:Spanish royal consorts]]
[[Category:Regents of Spain]]
[[Category:Nobility from Turin]]
[[Category:Princesses of Savoy]]
[[Category:Burials in the Pantheon of Kings at El Escorial]]
[[Category:House of Bourbon (Spain)]]
[[Category:Tuberculosis deaths in Spain]]
[[Category:Daughters of kings]]
[[Category:Philip V of Spain]]
[[Category:Mothers of Spanish monarchs]]
[[Category:Daughters of dukes]]