Marie Anne de La Trémoille, princesse des Ursins facts for kids

Marie Anne de La Trémoille, also known as the Princesse des Ursins (born 1642 – died 1722), was a powerful French woman. She was a courtier who became very influential in politics. From 1701 to 1714, she was almost the real ruler of Spain.

She spent much of her life working for French interests in other countries. First, she was in Rome, and later in Spain. There, she served the new Bourbon royal family. After her time in Spain, she lived in Rome with the exiled Stuart royal family. Marie Anne played a key role in the Spanish court when Philip V first became king. However, she was later forced to leave Spain. This happened after a power struggle with the new queen, Elisabeth Farnese.

Early Life and Family Connections

Marie Anne was born in 1642 in Paris, France. Her father was Louis II de La Trémoille, Duc de Noirmoutier. Her mother was Renée Julie Aubery de Tilleport. Her family, the La Trémoille family, was very important in France.

She married Adrien Blaise de Talleyrand, Prince de Chalais, when she was young. Her husband had to leave France after an incident in 1663. He died soon after in Spain. Marie Anne then moved to Rome, Italy.

In 1675, she married Flavio Orsini, Duke di Bracciano. He was much older than her. When he died in 1698, he left her his fortune. She also took over leadership of the French group in Rome. She later sold the title and lands.

Marie Anne de La Trémoille

After her second husband's death, she started using the title Princesse des Ursins. This was a French translation of Orsini. She became known for her unofficial diplomatic work in Rome. She worked to gain support for France among important people in Naples and Spain. This was important because Louis XIV of France wanted his family to rule Spain.

Influence in Spain

In 1699, France rewarded her services with a pension. This money was very helpful for her. When Philippe of France, Louis XIV's grandson, became the heir to the Spanish throne, she helped arrange his marriage. He married Princess Maria Luisa of Savoy, who was only thirteen years old.

Marie Anne wanted to become the camarera mayor de palacio. This was the head of the young queen's household. Through careful diplomacy and help from Madame de Maintenon, she succeeded. In 1701, she traveled with the young queen to Spain.

Until 1714, when the queen died, Marie Anne was the most powerful person in Spain. She took care of the king and queen almost like a nurse. Her letters show she helped them get ready for bed and wake up. She even described how difficult it was to carry clothes and furniture into the royal bedroom.

Her role as camarera mayor was very important for political reasons. She was expected to protect French interests in the palace. She also had to manage the Spanish nobles. Many of them supported Austria and did not like foreign ways. They also disliked changes to the strict rules of the Spanish court.

Marie Anne did not want to be just an agent for France. At first, she often disagreed with the French ambassadors. They believed they should attend the king's private meetings and direct the government. Marie Anne believed the young king should rely on his Spanish subjects. In 1704, her enemies in the French court managed to get her recalled to France. But she still had the support of Madame de Maintenon. Marie Anne's cleverness helped her calm Louis XIV.

Return to Power

In 1705, she returned to Spain with a lot of power. She could practically choose her own government ministers. During the difficult War of the Spanish Succession, she was the true leader of the Bourbon supporters. She was greatly helped by Princess Maria Luisa of Savoy, the spirited young queen.

She was not afraid to argue with powerful people, like Cardinal Luis de Portocarrero. He was the Archbishop of Toledo and was against her. Yet, she was careful not to offend the Spanish people. In 1709, Louis XIV faced strong pressure from other powerful countries. He threatened to abandon his grandson's cause in Spain. Marie Anne responded by removing all French people from the court. She made the king rely only on the support of the Castilians.

Her influence over the king and queen remained strong until the queen's death. Marie Anne admitted in her many letters that she watched the king like a child. She wanted to keep all other influences away from him. King Philip was too weak to break free from her control. He only insisted that he needed a new wife.

Marie Anne was convinced by Alberoni to arrange a marriage with Elisabeth Farnese. She hoped to control the new queen just as she had controlled the old one. However, Saint-Simon wrote that Marie Anne first tried to become queen of Spain herself. When that failed, she chose Elisabeth Farnese. She hoped Elisabeth would feel grateful to her, as Elisabeth might not have become a queen otherwise.

By trying to become queen, Marie Anne lost the last bit of support from Madame de Maintenon. By choosing Elisabeth Farnese without France's approval, she also lost Louis XIV's support.

Elisabeth Farnese made it a condition that she could dismiss the camarera mayor. Marie Anne went to meet the new queen near the border. But she was insulted and sent out of Spain. She was not even allowed to change her court dress. The weather was so cold that the coachman lost his hand from frostbite.

She waited in Bayonne, France, hoping the king would call her back, but he never did. Saint-Simon believed her dismissal was planned beforehand, and the king even agreed to it. After a short stay in France, she went to Italy. She eventually settled in Rome. There, she became very influential in the small court of "The Old Pretender". She effectively ran this court until she died on 5 December 1722. She even met Alberoni there after his own downfall.

Legacy and Impact

Marie Anne de La Trémoille is remembered for starting to limit the power of the church and the Inquisition in Spain. She also tried to improve Spain's financial situation.

In his writings, Saint-Simon described her as a cunning schemer. However, he also admitted that he personally liked and admired her. He did not fully credit her important role in helping the royal couple stay on the throne. He also did not fully acknowledge her efforts to improve Spain's poor finances.

Marie Anne is also known for making the scent of bitter orange popular. She used it to perfume her gloves and her bath. Since then, this essence has been called Neroli. This name comes from Nerola, a town in Italy where she was a princess.

See also

In Spanish: Princesa de los Ursinos para niños