Marie-Adélaïde of Savoy
Encyclopedia
Marie Adélaïde of Savoy was born a Princess of Savoy
and was the wife of Louis, Duke of Burgundy. She was the eldest daughter of Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy and of Anne Marie d'Orléans. Her betrothal to the Duke of Burgundy
in June 1696 was part of the Treaty of Turin, signed on 29 August 1696. She was the mother of the future Louis XV. Styled the Duchess of Burgundy after her marriage, she became the Dauphine of France upon the death of her father-in-law, Le Grand Dauphin, in 1711 . She died of measles
in 1712, followed by her husband a week later.
in December 1685, Marie Adélaïde was the eldest daughter of Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy since 1675, and his French wife Anne Marie d'Orléans, a niece of Louis XIV, and the daughter of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans
and of Henrietta of England. Her birth nearly cost her sixteen-year-old mother her life. As a female, she was not eligible to inherit the duchy of Savoy due to salic law
. Her grandmother Marie Jeanne of Savoy and the Prince of Carignan acted as godparent
s. Marie Adélaïde enjoyed a particularly close relationship with her grandmother as well as her mother who, despite protocol, was raising her children herself, which was quite unusual among royalty during the era. As children, she and her sister Maria Luisa
frequented the Vigno di Madama
outside Turin, and paid weekly visits to their grandmother at the Palazzo Madama
in Turin.
Victor Amadeus had first proposed Marie Adélaïde as a candidate for marriage with the Archduke Joseph
, but Emperor Leopold I had declined because of their young age. The Treaty of Turin was negotiated under the influence of the Maréchal de Tessé
who suggested that Marie Adelaïde be sent to France to perfect her education before marrying the French prince.
She became known in France as Marie Adélaïde de Savoie.
Upon her arrival in France, Louis XIV, who had come to greet her, met her in Montargis
on 4 November 1696., and was quite pleased with "the Princess". Because of her extreme youth, the marriage did not take place immediately and, instead, three days a week, she was a pupil at the Maison royale de Saint-Louis
, the girl school Madame de Maintenon had founded in 1684 in Saint-Cyr
, in the vicinity of Versailles
.
On 6 December 1697, on her twelfth birthday, Princess Marie Adelaïde of Savoy was formally married to the Duke of Burgundy in the Palace of Versailles
. The event took place after the signing of the Treaty of Ryswick
which ended the Nine Years' War. Her husband was the eldest son of Le Grand Dauphin and of his late wife Maria Anna Victoria of Bavaria.
She used her influence over the aging king to prevent her political enemies from furthering their causes. This group, known as the cabale de Meudon, devoted themselves to her father-in-law, hoping to secure themselves in his expected reign upon the death of Louis XIV. Her great enemy was the Duchess of Bourbon, a legitimated daughter of Louis XIV and his mistress, Madame de Montespan. The Duchess of Bourbon wanted her daughter Mademoiselle de Bourbon to wed Charles, Duke of Berry, youngest son of the Grand Dauphin. To maintain her influence over her grandfather-in-law, the Duchess of Burgundy organized Berry's marriage to Marie Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans
, the eldest daughter of Philippe d'Orléans
and of his wife Françoise Marie de Bourbon. The influential Marie Adélaïde also brought about the disgrace of Louis Joseph, Duke of Vendôme, the great military man of the era.
The Duchess of Burgundy gave birth to her first child in 1704. The child, a short-lived boy, was given the title Duke of Brittany
before his death in 1705. Marie Adélaïde bore two more children in 1707 and 1710. Her youngest son, the only child to survive beyond childhood, later became King Louis XV of France
.
and died on 14 April at the Château de Meudon
. Upon the death of Le Grand Dauphin, Marie Adélaïde's husband became Dauphin of France and she Dauphine of France.
The mourning court traveled to Fontainebleau
in February 1712. At Fontainebleau, Marie Adélaïde caught a fever which escalated in measles
. Having been bled and given emetics, she died in Versailles at the age of 26. Louis XIV and Madame de Maintenon were plunged into sadness. Madame later said that Marie Adélaïde was one of the only two persons Louis XIV had ever truly loved in his life, the other being Anne of Austria, the king's mother. After the Dauphine's death, the royal family moved to Marly
to avoid the spread of infection. It was at Marly
that the Dauphin himself died six days later, having caught the measles from his wife.
The couple was buried together at the Basilica of Saint Denis on 23 February 1712. Their son, the Duke of Brittany succeeded as Dauphin, but he died the following March from the measles. The only child to survive the epidemic was the future Louis XV who was locked inside his apartments with his governess Madame de Ventadour
to avoid being bled to death by doctors like his elder brother had been. Madame de Ventadour was renowned for having saved the infant Louis XV's life. Louis XV subsequently named his fourth daughter Marie Adélaïde in his mother's honour.
The Dauphine died in her twenty-sixth year like her aunt Marie Louise, Queen of Spain, her grandmother Henriette, Duchess of Orléans and her sister Maria Luisa, Queen of Spain
. She was the subject of a statue held at the Louvre
in which she posed as the Roman goddess Diana
which was crafted by Antoine Coysevox
in 1710.
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
and was the wife of Louis, Duke of Burgundy. She was the eldest daughter of Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy and of Anne Marie d'Orléans. Her betrothal to the Duke of Burgundy
Duke of Burgundy
Duke of Burgundy was a title borne by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, a small portion of traditional lands of Burgundians west of river Saône which in 843 was allotted to Charles the Bald's kingdom of West Franks...
in June 1696 was part of the Treaty of Turin, signed on 29 August 1696. She was the mother of the future Louis XV. Styled the Duchess of Burgundy after her marriage, she became the Dauphine of France upon the death of her father-in-law, Le Grand Dauphin, in 1711 . She died of measles
Measles
Measles, also known as rubeola or morbilli, is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus, specifically a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus. Morbilliviruses, like other paramyxoviruses, are enveloped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses...
in 1712, followed by her husband a week later.
Early life and background
Born at the Royal Palace of TurinRoyal Palace of Turin
Royal Palace of Turin or Palazzo Reale, is a palace in Turin, northern Italy. It was the royal palace of the House of Savoy. It was modernised greatly by the French born Madama Reale Christine Marie of France in the seventeenth century. The palace was worked on by Filippo Juvarra...
in December 1685, Marie Adélaïde was the eldest daughter of Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy since 1675, and his French wife Anne Marie d'Orléans, a niece of Louis XIV, and the daughter of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans
Philippe I, Duke of Orléans
Philippe of France was the youngest son of Louis XIII of France and his queen consort Anne of Austria. His older brother was the famous Louis XIV, le roi soleil. Styled Duke of Anjou from birth, Philippe became Duke of Orléans upon the death of his uncle Gaston, Duke of Orléans...
and of Henrietta of England. Her birth nearly cost her sixteen-year-old mother her life. As a female, she was not eligible to inherit the duchy of Savoy due to salic law
Salic law
Salic law was a body of traditional law codified for governing the Salian Franks in the early Middle Ages during the reign of King Clovis I in the 6th century...
. Her grandmother Marie Jeanne of Savoy and the Prince of Carignan acted as godparent
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
s. Marie Adélaïde enjoyed a particularly close relationship with her grandmother as well as her mother who, despite protocol, was raising her children herself, which was quite unusual among royalty during the era. As children, she and her sister Maria Luisa
Maria Luisa of Savoy
Maria Luisa of Savoy was a Savoyard princess and the first wife of Philip V of Spain. She acted as Regent of Spain and had great influence over her husband...
frequented the Vigno di Madama
Villa della Regina
The Villa della Regina is a palace outside the city of Turin, Italy. It was originally built by the House of Savoy in the 17th century.-History:...
outside Turin, and paid weekly visits to their grandmother at the Palazzo Madama
Palazzo Madama
Palazzo Madama is a palace in Rome that is currently the home of the Senate of the Italian Republic.It was built atop the ruins of the ancient baths of Nero, next to Piazza Navona...
in Turin.
Betrothal and marriage
The marriage of the princess came as a result of the Treaty of Turin signed on 29 August 1696. This treaty between her father and Louis XIV agreed that her father would support France in the Nine Years' War. Her father's dominions had been ravaged during the war.Victor Amadeus had first proposed Marie Adélaïde as a candidate for marriage with the Archduke Joseph
Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph I , Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, King of Hungary, King of the Romans was the elder son of Emperor Leopold I and his third wife, Eleonor Magdalene of Neuburg....
, but Emperor Leopold I had declined because of their young age. The Treaty of Turin was negotiated under the influence of the Maréchal de Tessé
René de Froulay de Tessé
René de Froulay, comte de Tessé was a French Marshal and diplomat.- Military career :Tessé was born at Le Mans...
who suggested that Marie Adelaïde be sent to France to perfect her education before marrying the French prince.
She became known in France as Marie Adélaïde de Savoie.
Upon her arrival in France, Louis XIV, who had come to greet her, met her in Montargis
Montargis
Montargis is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France. The town is located about south of Paris and east of Orléans in the Gâtinais....
on 4 November 1696., and was quite pleased with "the Princess". Because of her extreme youth, the marriage did not take place immediately and, instead, three days a week, she was a pupil at the Maison royale de Saint-Louis
Maison royale de Saint-Louis
The Maison Royale de Saint-Louis was a 'pensionnat' or boarding school for girls set up in 1684 at Saint-Cyr in France by king Louis XIV at the request of his second wife, Madame de Maintenon, who wanted a school for girls from impoverished noble families...
, the girl school Madame de Maintenon had founded in 1684 in Saint-Cyr
Saint-Cyr-l'École
Saint-Cyr-l'École is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.It used to host the training school for officers of the French army, the École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr , which was relocated to Coëtquidan in 1945.The old buildings of the ESM are...
, in the vicinity of Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
.
On 6 December 1697, on her twelfth birthday, Princess Marie Adelaïde of Savoy was formally married to the Duke of Burgundy in the Palace of Versailles
Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles , or simply Versailles, is a royal château in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. In French it is the Château de Versailles....
. The event took place after the signing of the Treaty of Ryswick
Treaty of Ryswick
The Treaty of Ryswick or Ryswyck was signed on 20 September 1697 and named after Ryswick in the Dutch Republic. The treaty settled the Nine Years' War, which pitted France against the Grand Alliance of England, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire and the United Provinces.Negotiations started in May...
which ended the Nine Years' War. Her husband was the eldest son of Le Grand Dauphin and of his late wife Maria Anna Victoria of Bavaria.
Duchess of Burgundy
The new Duchess of Burgundy had a close relationship with the king and with Madame de Maintenon. Her arrival in Versailles was described "like a breathe of fresh air," reviving the dull court. She also maintained an ongoing correspondence with her parents and grandmother back in Savoy.She used her influence over the aging king to prevent her political enemies from furthering their causes. This group, known as the cabale de Meudon, devoted themselves to her father-in-law, hoping to secure themselves in his expected reign upon the death of Louis XIV. Her great enemy was the Duchess of Bourbon, a legitimated daughter of Louis XIV and his mistress, Madame de Montespan. The Duchess of Bourbon wanted her daughter Mademoiselle de Bourbon to wed Charles, Duke of Berry, youngest son of the Grand Dauphin. To maintain her influence over her grandfather-in-law, the Duchess of Burgundy organized Berry's marriage to Marie Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans
Marie Louise Elisabeth d'Orléans
Marie Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans, Duchess of Berry , was a member of the House of Orléans who married Charles, Duke of Berry.-Biography:...
, the eldest daughter of Philippe d'Orléans
Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
Philippe d'Orléans was a member of the royal family of France and served as Regent of the Kingdom from 1715 to 1723. Born at his father's palace at Saint-Cloud, he was known from birth under the title of Duke of Chartres...
and of his wife Françoise Marie de Bourbon. The influential Marie Adélaïde also brought about the disgrace of Louis Joseph, Duke of Vendôme, the great military man of the era.
The Duchess of Burgundy gave birth to her first child in 1704. The child, a short-lived boy, was given the title Duke of Brittany
Duke of Brittany
The Duchy of Brittany was a medieval tribal and feudal state covering the northwestern peninsula of Europe,bordered by the Alantic Ocean on the west and the English Channel to the north with less definitive borders of the Loire River to the south and Normandy to the east...
before his death in 1705. Marie Adélaïde bore two more children in 1707 and 1710. Her youngest son, the only child to survive beyond childhood, later became King Louis XV of France
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
.
Dauphine of France
In early April 1711, her father-in-law Le Grand Dauphin caught smallpoxSmallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
and died on 14 April at the Château de Meudon
Château de Meudon
The former Château de Meudon, on a hill in Meudon, about 4 kilometres south-west of Paris, occupied the terraced steeply sloping site. It was acquired by Louis XIV, who greatly expanded its as a residence for Louis, le Grand Dauphin...
. Upon the death of Le Grand Dauphin, Marie Adélaïde's husband became Dauphin of France and she Dauphine of France.
The mourning court traveled to Fontainebleau
Château de Fontainebleau
The Palace of Fontainebleau, located 55 kilometres from the centre of Paris, is one of the largest French royal châteaux. The palace as it is today is the work of many French monarchs, building on an early 16th century structure of Francis I. The building is arranged around a series of courtyards...
in February 1712. At Fontainebleau, Marie Adélaïde caught a fever which escalated in measles
Measles
Measles, also known as rubeola or morbilli, is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus, specifically a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus. Morbilliviruses, like other paramyxoviruses, are enveloped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses...
. Having been bled and given emetics, she died in Versailles at the age of 26. Louis XIV and Madame de Maintenon were plunged into sadness. Madame later said that Marie Adélaïde was one of the only two persons Louis XIV had ever truly loved in his life, the other being Anne of Austria, the king's mother. After the Dauphine's death, the royal family moved to Marly
Château de Marly
The Château de Marly was a relatively small French royal residence located in what has become Marly-le-Roi, the commune that existed at the edge of the royal park. The town that originally grew up to service the château is now a dormitory community for Paris....
to avoid the spread of infection. It was at Marly
Marly-le-Roi
Marly-le-Roi is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris from the centre....
that the Dauphin himself died six days later, having caught the measles from his wife.
The couple was buried together at the Basilica of Saint Denis on 23 February 1712. Their son, the Duke of Brittany succeeded as Dauphin, but he died the following March from the measles. The only child to survive the epidemic was the future Louis XV who was locked inside his apartments with his governess Madame de Ventadour
Madame de Ventadour
Charlotte de La Motte Houdancourt, Duchess of Ventadour was the governess of King Louis XV of France, great-grandson of King Louis XIV. She is credited with saving Louis XV from the ministrations of the royal doctors when he was ill as a child...
to avoid being bled to death by doctors like his elder brother had been. Madame de Ventadour was renowned for having saved the infant Louis XV's life. Louis XV subsequently named his fourth daughter Marie Adélaïde in his mother's honour.
The Dauphine died in her twenty-sixth year like her aunt Marie Louise, Queen of Spain, her grandmother Henriette, Duchess of Orléans and her sister Maria Luisa, Queen of Spain
Maria Luisa of Savoy
Maria Luisa of Savoy was a Savoyard princess and the first wife of Philip V of Spain. She acted as Regent of Spain and had great influence over her husband...
. She was the subject of a statue held at the Louvre
Louvre
The Musée du Louvre – in English, the Louvre Museum or simply the Louvre – is one of the world's largest museums, the most visited art museum in the world and a historic monument. A central landmark of Paris, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement...
in which she posed as the Roman goddess Diana
Diana (mythology)
In Roman mythology, Diana was the goddess of the hunt and moon and birthing, being associated with wild animals and woodland, and having the power to talk to and control animals. She was equated with the Greek goddess Artemis, though she had an independent origin in Italy...
which was crafted by Antoine Coysevox
Antoine Coysevox
Charles Antoine Coysevox , French sculptor, was born at Lyon, and belonged to a family which had emigrated from Spain...
in 1710.
Issue
- Louis of France, Duke of Brittany (25 June 1704 – 13 April 1705) died of convulsions;
- Louis of France, Duke of Brittany (8 January 1707 – 8 March 1712) died of measlesMeaslesMeasles, also known as rubeola or morbilli, is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus, specifically a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus. Morbilliviruses, like other paramyxoviruses, are enveloped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses...
; - Louis XV of FranceLouis XV of FranceLouis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
(15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774) first engaged to Mariana Victoria of SpainMariana Victoria of SpainMariana Victoria of Spain was an Infanta of Spain and Queen consort of Portugal as wife of King Joseph I. The mother of Queen Maria I of Portugal, she also acted as Regent of Portugal during the last months of her husband's life and advisor to her daughter during her reign.-Background:Mariana...
; married Marie Leszczyńska and had issue; died of smallpoxSmallpoxSmallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
.
Ancestry
Titles and styles
- 6 December 1685 – 7 December 1697 Her Highness Princess Maria Adelaide of Savoy
- 7 December 1697 – 14 April 1711 Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Burgundy
- 14 April 1711 – 12 February 1712 Her Royal Highness the Dauphine of France
Sources
- Fraser, Antonia : Love and Louis XIV; The Women in the Life of the Sun King, Anchor Books, London, 2006, ISBN 0753822938
- Mitford, Nancy: The Sun King, Penguin Publishing, London, 1966, ISBN 0140239677
- Symcox, Geoffrey: Victor Amadeus II: absolutism in the Savoyard State, 1675-1730, University of California Press, 1983, ISBN 9780520049741
- Williams. H. Noel: A Rose of Savoy, Marie Adelaide of Savoy, duchesse de Bourgogne, Mother of Louis XV, New York, 1909