Talk about who was marie antoinette it is to immerse ourselves in the depths of a life as convulsed as it is tragic. Demonized by the French Revolution and by many historians, her figure is synonymous with the frivolities and excesses of a time when monarchies inhabited worlds very different from those of their subjects. Married at just fourteen, and with a marriage that took longer than expected to be consummated, Marie Antoinette’s children were four and all of them unhappy. Today we want to talk to you about the only one that survived the time of the Revolution, although that did not represent happiness for her. We are talking about Maria Teresa of France, also known as Madame Royale. Join us to learn about her life.
Who was Maria Theresa of France?
Maria Theresa of France was born on December 19, 1778, being the eldest daughter of Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI.. The birth of her was complicated, and despite the fact that a boy would have been born, to resolve the matter of the royal succession, the girl was loved by her mother and her father. In fact, the first years of her childhood were very happy, within the walls of the Palace of Versailles.
1. What was life like for María Teresa when she was released from prison?
When María Teresa de France was released from prison, after her life was spared, she was sent to Vienna, into forced exile with her mother’s family, with whom the relationship was never the best. She was offered a negotiated marriage to which she refused. Then, the Tsar of Russia, Paul I, would bring him a solution. It was a possible marriage with Luis Antonio, Duke of Angoulême. Both the duke and his uncle, the self-proclaimed Louis XVIII of France, brother of the deceased king, lived under the protection of the Russians, in the territories of present-day Latvia.
It was since then that Maria Teresa of France focused on defending the royal legitimacy of her uncle. Faced with the indifferent position of his wife, Madame Royale played the role of French queen in exile. At that time, the hope of returning to France seemed like an utter fantasy, advancing as Napoleon Bonaparte was in his conquests.
2. The return to France
It was not until 1814 when, thanks to the abdication of Napoleon, the Bourbon restoration occurred in France. Louis XVIII is officially proclaimed as King, and then Maria Theresa of France can return to her country in triumph. Then his figure already represented an icon of the Restoration and the reconciliation of the French.
Madame Royale took several measures on her return to France. But among all of them, she called attention to the order to exhume the remains of her parents. Both had been buried in the Magdalena Cemetery, without honors of any kind. It was then decided to transfer them to the Basilica of Saint-Denis. All the French people who did not agree with the revolutionary principles, dedicated themselves to acclaim the figure of Madame Royalebut that jubilation would not last long either.
3. The return of Napoleon and in confrontation with Madame Royale
It was in March 1815 when things would turn gray again for Maria Teresa of France. Napoleon returns to France and begins to reap followers. He had the objective of recovering Paris. Louis XVIII, fearful of Bonaparte’s power of convocation and battle, decides to leave the city. But Madame Royale stays and faces him, rising as the great figure in the defense of the Monarchy.
Napoleon would order his arrest, but he would also recognize his courage and gallant attitude. With the General’s defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, Louis XVIII will be able to return to France, where he will reign until his death on September 16, 1824. Without issue, he inherited the crown from his brother, Charles X, with an incompetence and absolutism that they would quickly make him reap the collective rejection. At that time Maria Teresa of France was officially named as Dauphine of France. Carlos X, pressured by the people, was forced to abdicate in favor of his son, who also failed to develop a good government, in a troubled time with many rivalries.
4. The death of Maria Theresa of France
Given this scenario in which the monarchy was once again weakened and rejected, Maria Teresa of France goes into exile again, in the company of her husband, her uncle, her nephew and a few members of the Bourbon dynasty. Her first stop was Edinburgh. She then moved to Prague and to Gorizia. After the death of her husband, in 1844, she would settle permanently in Vienna, where she would lead a quiet life without further political ambitions. She died on October 19, 1851, as a result of pneumonia. Her body, along with that of her husband, was transferred to a crypt in the Franciscan monastery of Kostanjevica, in the current Slovenian city of Nova Gorica.
And you, Did you know the cruel story of Maria Teresa of France? Do you think Madame Royale was lucky to survive the massacre of her family? Or do you think that her fate would have been kinder by accompanying them in death? Feel free to leave us your opinions in a comment. We will be happy to read you! Also don’t stop reading about the other daughter of Marie Antoinette, Sofia of France.