Elisabeth Farnèse

Elisabeth Farnèse , known also like Isabel de Farnesio or Isabella Farnese (Parma, October 25th 1692 - Aranjuez, July 11th 1766), it was Reine consort of Spain of 1714 with 1746 influencing in an important way the policy of the kingdom.

Biography

Elisabeth is the girl of Edouard II Farnèse, prince of Parma and Dorothée Sophie de Neubourg. It was not a beautiful woman because of her face marked by a variola at the time of its childhood, it was firm, decided and ambitious, the authors of the time spoke in praise of its perspicacity and its intelligence. It accepted a rigid education which his/her mother imposed to him.

To the image of some of its ancestors, it entered the diplomatic play of the family Farnèse, but rather like part of exchange. Thanks to the spirit of persuasion of the abbot Giulio Alberoni and to the intrigues of the Camarera Mayor of king d' Espagne, Marie-Anne of Trémoille, in 1714 Elisabeth married Philippe V of Spain, recently remained widowed of a princess of the Maison of Savoy.
The weddings were celebrated in Parma the August 25th. Like guarantees sympathy towards Spain, the Pape conferred the Rose of gold on Elisabeth. The queen was accompanied in Spain by Alberoni. During the voyage, can be inspired by the future cardinal, it matures the decision to move away Marie-Anne from Trémoille in order to be the single one to have ascending on the king. By this operation, Spain frees itself from the French influence. During first years of reign, she was very well advised by Alberoni and her uncle François Farnèse, Duc of Parma. Thanks to their councils, it succeeds in dominating the undecided character of her husband who never disputed any of these decisions what gave him an important weight in the policy of Spain of the 18th century. It is during this period that Alberoni was named cardinal and in 1716 Prime Minister. The influence of the queen on the king carried the Iberian policy has to turn again to the old possessions in Italy lost at the time of the War of succession of Spain and which culminated with the invasion of the Sardinia and of the Sicily. But the quadruple alliance between the France, the Austria, the England and the Holland, put an end to its ambition. The Spanish army was beaten by the French Army and the fleet sent by the bottom by the English to broad of the Cape Passero in Sicily. The price of peace (Paix of Aia 1720) was the reference of its minister the Alberoni cardinal who were exiled, the evacuation of Sicily and the renunciation of the claims on the old possessions. The same treaty establishes however as the duchy of Parma and Plaisance, in the event of absence of heir, the dynasty was dying out, would have passed to the hands of his/her oldest son Charles. Moreover, of share its ascent, Elisabeth were also the legitimate heiress of the Médicis, them also in process of extinction like Farnèse of Parma, thus its sons could have asserted their rights on the Toscane.

In 1724 Philippe V, tired abdicated in favor of his/her son Louis born from a preceding marriage and it withdrew in the palate of Granja, but the chance supported Elisabeth once again. Seven months later, his/her beautiful son died what convainquit Philippe to take the capacity and it again thus succeeds in directing the Spanish policy once again, especially when the king lost most of his mental faculties

Elisabeth survived 20 years dead of Philippe and it had to await the death of another beautiful son before seeing his Charles oldest son reaching the throne of Spain which meanwhile, during the War of succession of Poland had succeeds in taking possession of Parma, Naples and Sicily.

In 1732, Charles had taken possession of Parma and Plaisance, and two years after in 1734, with resulting from the battle of Velletri, it taken possession of Naples. It is at that time that the transfer of the goods of Farnèse from Parma goes up in Naples. After 1734, the rights which had been allotted to Charles by the preceding treaties returned to Elisabeth who was named “Legitimates Queen and Duchess of Parma and Plaisance”.

In 1746 Philippe V of Spain died and Ferdinand its other wire of the first marriage reached the throne. Elisabeth withdrew herself in Sant' Ildefonso, but without ceasing intriguing in favor of her sons. At the end of the war of succession of Austria which saw the exchange of territories between the powers, in 1748, by the treaty of treated of Aachen another of its sons Philippe de Bourbon had crowns it ducal of Parma yielded by his/her Charles brother. Philippe married Louis Elisabeth de France, girl of king de France.

In 1759, with died of sound beautiful son Ferdinand, Elisabeth assumed regency in waiting of the return of his/her Charles son.

Elisabeth spent the last years of her life to Aranjuez where it dedicated her time in charity works and it became protective Jesuits. She died the almost blind on July 11th, 1766.

Frederic II of Prussia, which knew Elisabeth known as of it well: “The energetic heart of a Roman, the pride of a sparte, the tenacity of English, the easy way of Italian, the promptness of French contributed to create this particular woman; She goes boldly to the realization of her projects, it does not have there nothing which can surprise it, nobody who can stop it.”

Children of Elisabeth Farnèse and Philippe V

See too

  • Family Farnèse

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