Maria Theresa of Savoy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Marie Thérèse of Savoy |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Countess of Artois | |||||
Portrait by François-Hubert Drouais, 1775
|
|||||
| Born | 31 January 1756 Royal Palace, Turin, Savoy |
||||
| Died | 2 June 1805 (aged 49) Graz, Austrian Empire |
||||
| Burial | Imperial Mausoleum, Graz, Austria | ||||
| Spouse | |||||
| Issue Detail |
Prince Louis Antoine, Duke of Angoulême Princess Sophie Prince Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry Princess Marie Thérèse |
||||
|
|||||
| House | Savoy | ||||
| Father | Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia | ||||
| Mother | Maria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain | ||||
| Religion | Roman Catholicism | ||||
| Signature |  |
||||
 |
|||||
Maria Theresa of Savoy (French: Marie Thérèse de Savoie; born January 31, 1756 – died June 2, 1805) was a princess who became part of the French royal family. She married Charles Philippe, the Count of Artois. He was the grandson of King Louis XV of France and the younger brother of the future King Louis XVI. Many years after Maria Theresa's death, her husband became King Charles X of France. Her son, Prince Louis Antoine, married Marie Antoinette’s daughter, Marie-Thérèse Charlotte. They were briefly King and Queen of France in 1830.
Contents
Her Early Life
Princess Maria Theresa of Savoy was born at the Royal Palace in Turin. This was during the time her grandfather, Charles Emmanuel III, was king. Her parents were Victor Amadeus, who would later become king, and his wife, Maria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain. Maria Theresa was their fifth child and third daughter out of twelve children. She grew up with her older sister, Princess Maria Giuseppina. Both sisters would later join the French royal family.
Her Royal Marriage
Maria Theresa was chosen to marry the Count of Artois. He was the youngest grandson of the French King Louis XV. This marriage was part of a series of important weddings between the royal families of France and Savoy.
Her older sister, Marie Joséphine, married the Count of Provence in 1771. Then, Maria Theresa married the Count of Artois (who would become King Charles X) in 1773. Her oldest brother, Prince Charles Emmanuel, married Princess Clotilde of France in 1775. Also, her husband's older brother, Louis Auguste (who became King Louis XVI), had married Marie Antoinette three years earlier.
Maria Theresa first married the Count in a special ceremony in Savoy. Then, she traveled to France. Her official wedding took place at the Palace of Versailles on November 16, 1773. Because her husband was a king's grandson, Maria Theresa was given the special title of "granddaughter of France." People usually called her "Madame la comtesse d'Artois."
Life as Countess of Artois
People described Maria Theresa as small and not very beautiful, but they admired her skin. She was seen as a kind person, though she was often quiet and not interested in many things.
In her first years in France, Maria Theresa and her husband, along with the other royal couples (the Count and Countess of Provence, and the Dauphin and Dauphine), were good friends. They even acted in plays together for fun. However, this close friendship changed after Louis XVI became king in 1774.
About a year after Maria Theresa arrived at Versailles, she became pregnant. She gave birth to her first child, Louis Antoine, Duke of Angoulême. This was a very important event because the King and his older brother had no children yet. The birth of Maria Theresa's son was a relief for the royal family.
The next year, Maria Theresa had a daughter named Sophie. Sophie was known as Mademoiselle because she was the highest-ranking unmarried princess at court. Sadly, Sophie died when she was seven years old in 1783. Maria Theresa's second son, Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry, was born in 1778. Her last child, Marie Thérèse, died when she was only six months old.
Before the French Revolution began, false rumors were spread about every member of the royal family, including Maria Theresa.
Leaving France: Exile
Maria Theresa left France with her husband after the Storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789. This event marked the start of the French Revolution. She went to her home country of Savoy for safety. She left about a week after her husband, with many people traveling with her.
When her husband left Savoy in 1791, Maria Theresa stayed behind. They lived separately for the rest of their lives. Her husband did not allow her to visit him, even for their son's wedding. Soon after, her two sons also left Savoy to join an army of French nobles who had left France. Maria Theresa was very sad after her husband and sons left her in Savoy. She even thought about becoming a nun. Her sister-in-law, Clothilde, convinced her not to, reminding her of her duty to her children. Maria Theresa was later thankful for this advice.
In 1792, her sister Marie Joséphine joined her in Turin. Their presence in Savoy caused problems between France and Savoy. In April 1796, France, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, defeated Savoy. Maria Theresa and her sister Marie Joséphine left Turin. While her sister went to Austria, Maria Theresa returned to Turin after peace was made between France and Savoy.
In December 1798, when France took over Piemonte, Maria Theresa moved to Graz in Austria. She was allowed to stay there and died in 1805. Because she died before her husband became King of France, she remained the Countess of Artois. She was buried in the Imperial Mausoleum near Graz Cathedral.
Her Children
- Louis Antoine, Duke of Angoulême (born August 6, 1775 – died June 3, 1844): He married Marie Thérèse of France but had no children.
- Sophie, Mademoiselle d'Artois (born August 5, 1776 – died December 5, 1783): She died when she was a child.
- Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry (born January 24, 1778 – died February 14, 1820): He married Princess Maria Carolina of Naples and Sicily and had children.
- Marie Thérèse d'Artois, Mademoiselle d'Angoulême (born January 6, 1783 – died June 22, 1783): She died when she was a baby.
Gallery
-
Maria Theresa of Savoy in 1785.
-
A small portrait of the Countess of Artois in a white dress with a blue top.
See also
In Spanish: María Teresa de Saboya para niños
