María de las Mercedes, Princess of Asturias facts for kids
Quick facts for kids María de las Mercedes |
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| Princess of Asturias Princess Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies |
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| Born | 11 September 1880 Royal Palace of Madrid, Madrid, Spain |
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| Died | 17 October 1904 (aged 24) Madrid |
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| Burial | El Escorial | ||||
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| House | Bourbon | ||||
| Father | Alfonso XII of Spain | ||||
| Mother | Maria Christina of Austria | ||||
| Religion | Roman Catholicism | ||||
María de las Mercedes, Princess of Asturias (born María de las Mercedes de Borbón y Habsburgo-Lorena; 11 September 1880 – 17 October 1904) was the oldest child of King Alfonso XII of Spain and his second wife, Maria Christina of Austria. She was the Princess of Asturias, which means she was the person next in line to become Queen of Spain. She held this important role for all 24 years of her life.
If her younger sibling, who was not yet born when King Alfonso XII died, had been a girl, Mercedes would have become the Queen of Spain. However, her sibling was a boy, Alfonso XIII. When he was born in 1886, he became king right away. Mercedes then went back to being the heir presumptive. She remained in this position until her own death. After she passed away, her baby son Alfonso became the next in line to the throne. This happened because King Alfonso XIII had not yet married or had any children.
Mercedes married her second cousin, Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, in Madrid on 14 February 1901. Prince Carlos was a nephew of the king of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, which no longer existed. He was given the special title of Infante of Spain. Their marriage caused a lot of debate because Prince Carlos's father had connections to a group called the Carlists. Mercedes died three years later from problems during the birth of her third child.
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Early Life of Princess Mercedes
Mercedes was born on 11 September 1880 at the Royal Palace of Madrid. She was the first child of King Alfonso XII and his second wife, Maria Christina of Austria. She was christened with the full name María de las Mercedes Isabel Teresa Cristina Alfonsa. Her godmother was Queen Isabella II, who was her grandmother. Queen Isabella II traveled from Paris to be there for the birth of her first grandchild.
There was some disappointment when Mercedes was born because her family and the country had hoped for a boy. To make things better, Queen Maria Christina suggested naming her daughter Mercedes. This was in honor of her husband's first wife, Mercedes of Orléans.
Mercedes was the next in line to the throne from the moment she was born. However, the disappointment about her being a girl was so strong that she was first treated only as an infanta (a royal princess). Antonio Cánovas del Castillo, who was the head of the government, did not like Maria Christina. He also did not want a woman to be queen again after the difficult reign of Isabella II. So, he decided to ignore the newborn princess.
Mercedes's aunt, Isabella, kept the title of Princess of Asturias for a while. But then, Práxedes Mateo Sagasta, who replaced Cánovas as President of the government, convinced King Alfonso XII to give the title to Mercedes. This happened on 10 March 1881. On 12 November 1882, Mercedes gained a sister, Infanta Maria Teresa.
Their parents' marriage was not happy. King Alfonso had married Maria Christina to make sure there would be an heir to the throne. He did not love his wife and was disappointed when she gave birth to two daughters. In July 1883, Maria Christina left the Spanish court. She traveled with her daughters to visit her own family in Austria.
By the summer of 1884, King Alfonso XII's health got worse. He had tuberculosis. After a short improvement, the 27-year-old king died on 25 November 1885. He left behind his wife, who was three months pregnant. Mercedes was not made queen right away. This was because she would lose her position if a son was born. Instead, there was a six-month period without a king or queen. Her brother, Alfonso XIII, was born on 17 May 1886. He became king immediately after his birth. If the baby had not survived or had been another daughter, Mercedes would have become queen. She would have been recognized as queen during the time without a ruler. She then went back to being the heir presumptive, a position she held for the rest of her life.
Princess Mercedes's Education
Mercedes first appeared in public at the royal court with her mother. This was when Queen Maria Christina was declared regent (a temporary ruler). The education of the Princess of Asturias and her younger sister, Infanta Maria Teresa, happened inside the Royal Palace of Madrid. It was a strict environment led by two widows: their mother and their aunt Isabella.
The Queen raised her three children very strictly. Even though Mercedes was next in line to the throne, she was not given an education that would prepare her to rule the country. Instead, she received the usual education for princesses of her time. She had piano and painting lessons, and learned knitting. The Queen also involved her daughter in palace duties. A lot of attention was given to obedience and religious rules.
Mercedes grew up to be a serious young woman. She was shy and not very outgoing. She looked more like her Habsburg relatives, with a long face. The royal family spent their summer months at the Miramar Palace in San Sebastián.
As a teenager, Mercedes traveled with her mother. They visited her grandmother in Paris, her aunt Paz in Munich, and her other grandmother Elisabeth Franziska in Vienna. The situation in Spain became more difficult with the Spanish–American War in 1898. Mercedes and her sister lived a quiet life. Their mother was very traditional and did not let them join in the social events of the Spanish noble families.
The Queen finally held a party at the Royal Palace to introduce her daughters to society on 9 May 1899. This event had been delayed because of the war. At the dance, Mercedes met and fell in love with Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. They were often seen together after that.
Marriage of Princess Mercedes
Prince Carlos was Queen Maria Christina's first cousin once removed. He belonged to the royal family of the Two Sicilies, which had lost its throne. He had come to Spain years earlier to join the Spanish army. The idea of Mercedes marrying Prince Carlos was not by chance. Both Queen Maria Christina and Infanta Isabella (who was also his aunt) had chosen him as a possible husband.
It was very important for Mercedes to marry a member of the Bourbon family. This was to make sure the royal family would not change if she became queen after her brother. Prince Carlos also had other benefits as a husband for the Princess of Asturias. Since he was not from a ruling royal family, he could live permanently in Spain. He could also become a Spanish citizen, which was necessary. However, he had to give up his rights to the throne of the Two Sicilies. He was third in line after his father and older brother.
Carlos was a serious and shy person, and he was handsome. Mercedes was very attracted to him. Their engagement was announced on 14 December 1899. Immediately, many people opposed it. This included the liberal political party, the republican group, and many ordinary Spanish citizens. There was nothing personal against Prince Carlos himself. But his father, the Count of Caserta, had been a general in the last Carlist War. He had taken part in the looting of the city of Cuenca by Carlist soldiers. People worried that if Caserta's son married Mercedes, the Carlist group would become too close to the Spanish throne. Even the Prince's name – Carlos – caused suspicion. Also, the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies was seen as a very traditional Catholic royal family, which worried the liberal party.
There were strong attacks against Mercedes's marriage in newspapers. People protested in the streets of Madrid, Seville, and Granada. The Archbishop of Valladolid, a very important religious leader in Spain, wrote a letter to the Queen. He warned her about bad things that might happen if the marriage went ahead. The Queen wrote back to him, saying: "Monsignor, focus on leading your diocese and praying, which are your main duties. Perhaps this way none of the disasters you predict will happen."
Mercedes herself felt frustrated by the strong opposition to her choice of husband. She wrote to her aunt Paz: "I am happy to marry him, but I am also upset at those who have caused such a fuss and made mother suffer for this... all because his father fought alongside don Carlos. Is this fair?"
The arguments spoiled the wedding celebrations. On the day of the wedding, the streets leading to the Royal Palace were blocked. This was because people feared protesters. A large number of soldiers were placed throughout the capital. However, there were no major problems. The wedding ceremony took place on 14 February 1901 in the chapel of the Royal Palace of Madrid.
Death of Princess Mercedes
The couple lived at the Royal Palace of Madrid, very close to Queen Maria Christina. This was what the Queen had wanted. Their marriage was happy, and they had two children quickly: Prince Alfonso (born 1901) and Prince Fernando (born 1903).
Mercedes became pregnant for the third time. She hoped for a daughter, as she already had two sons. In September 1904, she turned twenty-four years old. The next month, twenty days before her baby was due, Mercedes became very ill. She had appendicitis, but at first, doctors thought it was just simple stomach cramps. An infection called Peritonitis started. In the early hours of 16 October 1904, Mercedes gave birth early to her third child, Princess Isabella Alfonsa (born 1904).
The mother's health was so bad that little attention was given to the baby. People thought the baby was stillborn (born not alive). But then, the young King Alfonso realized the baby was alive. Mercedes died the next day, on 17 October 1904. Her family was with her.
Mercedes's three children were cared for by Queen Maria Christina. They were raised at the court of King Alfonso XIII. Her older son was not given the title of Prince of Asturias. Instead, he took his mother's place as the next in line to the throne.
Images for kids
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Coat of Arms of Mercedes, Princess of Asturias
See Also
In Spanish: María de las Mercedes de Borbón y Habsburgo-Lorena para niños
