Royal uncle-niece marriages happened several times over the years. These marriages often happened for strategic reasons, such as land or power, but also because of rank and status. There simply weren’t enough others of high enough rank for marriage. The offspring of such marriages often suffered from genetic abnormalities, such as the famous Habsburg jaw. Quite often, these children did not survive to adulthood.
Here are five more of those marriages:
6. Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies & Ferdinand VII of Spain
Ferdinand VII of Spain was married four times. His first wife, Princess Maria Antonia of Naples and Sicily, was a first cousin. His second wife, Maria Isabel of Portugal, was also his niece. His third wife, Maria Josepha Amalia of Saxony, was not a close relation. His fourth wife, Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies, was yet another niece. Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies was born on 27 April 1806 as the daughter of King Francis I of the Two Sicilies by his second wife, Maria Isabella of Spain. On 11 December 1829, she became the fourth wife of Ferdinand VII of Spain. Maria Christina quickly fell pregnant, and she gave birth to Isabella in 1830 and Luisa Fernanda in 1832. They also had two sons, who did not survive infancy. Her husband died on 29 September, and he had set aside Salic law with the help of the Cortes Generales to allow Isabella to succeed him.
7. Luisa Carlotta of the Two Sicilies & Infante Francisco de Paula of Spain
Luisa Carlotta of the Two Sicilies was born on 24 October 1804 as the daughter of the future King Francis I of the Two Sicilies and María Isabella of Spain, who were first cousins. Her elder sister is the abovementioned Maria Christina. She was still only 14 years old when she married her maternal uncle, Infante Francisco de Paula of Spain, who was ten years her senior. Her mother was reportedly against the match because she considered her brother to be too reckless. He was the 14th and final child of King Charles IV of Spain and his wife, Maria Luisa of Parma. His elder brother became King Ferdinand VII of Spain. The proxy wedding between Francisco and Luisa Carlotta took place on 15 April 1819, and she arrived in Barcelona on 14 May. A second wedding ceremony took place on 9 June 1819 at the Royal Palace of Madrid.
The newlyweds moved into a wing of the Royal Palace of Madrid, and between 1820 and 1834, they went on to have 11 children. They were: Francisco de Asís Luis (1820 – 1821), Isabel Fernanda (1821–1897), Francisco de Asís, Duke of Cádiz (1822–1902), Enrique, Duke of Seville (1823–1870), Luisa Teresa (1824–1900), Eduardo Felipe (1826–1830), Josefina Fernanda (1827–1910), María Teresa (1828–1829), Fernando María (1832–1854), María Cristina (1833–1902) and Amalia (1834–1905). Their son Francisco would eventually marry his first cousin, Queen Isabella II of Spain.
Luisa Carlotta would not see the marriage between her eldest son and the young Queen take place. She died of measles on 29 January 1844 – she was still only 39.
8. Anna Caterina Gonzaga & Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria
Anna was born with the first names Anna Caterina in Mantua in modern-day Italy in 1566 into a wealthy and noble family. Her father was Guglielmo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua, and her mother was Eleanora of Austria, the daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor. In 1582, Anna was called in to speak to her father, who had a request for her, which was to de-rail the plan she had for her life. Her father had been approached for Anna’s hand in marriage on behalf of Archduke Ferdinand II of Austria, who was also her uncle as he was her mother’s brother. Archduke Ferdinand was almost forty years older than Anna, but having recently been widowed from a morganatic marriage, meaning his children could not succeed him, he needed an heir. While Anna longed for a religious life and did not want to marry her ageing uncle, she did not complain and did what she was required to do for her family’s sake.
On 14 May 1582, the sixteen-year-old Anna married her fifty-three-year-old uncle and became Archduchess of Austria. Within a year, Anna and Archduke Ferdinand had a daughter together named Anna Eleonore, but sadly, the girl died the next year. A second daughter was born just months after her sister’s death and was named Maria. Maria lived a long life as a nun. In 1585, a third daughter was born to the pair and was named Anna and she went on to become Holy Roman Empress after her marriage to her cousin Matthias.
The two surviving girls were raised in the Catholic faith by their mother and were educated to a very high standard. Due to their sickly nature, Anna also made sure to feed the children a special diet from a cookbook she had made personally. Archduke Ferdinand was angered by the fact that no sons were born to him and Anna, and though he loved his daughters, he could not hide his resentment. After a period of illness, Ferdinand died in 1595. His ten-year-old daughter Anna inherited his lands in Tyrol and other further Austrian territories which would later be combined with her husband’s vast dominions.
After the death of her husband, Anna could finally devote herself to a religious life as she had always planned. Anna died in 1621, and she came to be thought of as a saint with people devoting themselves to her. A case for her to be canonised was opened but has so far never been finalised.
9. Louise of Anhalt-Dessau & Gustav, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg
Louise was born on 1 March 1798 as the fifth child and second daughter of Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Anhalt-Dessau and his wife Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Homburg. She was apparently deaf from birth.
On 12 February 1818, Louise married her maternal uncle, Gustav, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg. He was 17 years older than her. They went on to have three children together: Caroline (born 1819), Elisabeth (born 1823) and Frederick (born 1830). Frederick died shortly before his 18th birthday. As their only son had predeceased his father, Gustav was succeeded as Landgrave by his brother, Ferdinand. Ferdinand had no children and he was thus the last Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg.
Louise survived her husband by nine years and died on 11 June 1858 at the age of 60.
10. Maria Beatrice of Savoy & Francis IV, Duke of Modena
Maria Beatrice of Savoy was born on 6 December 1792, the daughter of the future Victor Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia, and Maria Theresa of Austria-Este. She was their eldest child, and six more siblings would follow, although only three sisters survived to adulthood.
On 20 June 1812, Maria Beatrice married her maternal uncle Francis, Archduke of Austria-Este. They had an age difference of 13 years. They went on to have four children together: Maria Theresa (born 1817), Francis V, Duke of Modena (born 1819), Ferdinand Karl Viktor (born 1821), and Maria Beatrix (born 1824). Maria Beatrice also held the Jacobite claim to the thrones of England, Scotland, and Ireland between 1824 and her death in 1840. Her husband died on 21 January 1846.
Part three coming soon.
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