Luisa Magdalena de Jesus facts for kids

Luisa Enríquez Manrique de Lara (born in 1603, died in 1660) was an important woman in the Spanish royal court. She served as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elisabeth of France (1602–1644). A lady-in-waiting is a female assistant to a queen or princess. Luisa also became the royal governess, or aya, to Princess Maria Theresa of Spain. This meant she helped raise and educate the young princess.

Early Life and Family

Luisa Enríquez was born to Luis Enríquez and Catalina Luján. She later married her cousin, Manuel Manrique de Lara. He was known as the Count de Paredes de Nava.

Life at the Royal Court

In 1616, Luisa was chosen to be a lady-in-waiting for Queen Elisabeth. She quickly became one of the Queen's closest friends and most trusted helpers. The Queen shared her secrets and relied on Luisa for support.

When Queen Elisabeth had to act as a regent, Luisa played a very important role. A regent is someone who rules a country when the king or queen is too young or unable to rule. During a war in Catalonia, Queen Elisabeth was the regent. Luisa Enríquez helped the Queen by giving her advice. She also delivered the Queen's orders to important government officials, called ministers of state.

Luisa stayed by the Queen's side through good times and bad. She even cared for the Queen when she was sick. Queen Elisabeth died in 1644. In her will, the Queen asked that Luisa Enríquez become a royal governess for Princess Maria Theresa. Luisa shared this important job with another noblewoman, Inés de Zúñiga.

Later Life

In 1648, Luisa Enríquez decided to leave the royal court. She chose to become a nun, dedicating her life to religious service. Even after becoming a nun, she continued to write letters to the King. These letters are still kept today. They give us a special look into the history of that time.