Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily, Queen of the French

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2016

painting by Louis Hersent. source: Wikipedia

Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily, Queen of the French. source: Wikipedia

Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily, Queen of the French

Princess Maria Amalia Teresa of Naples and Sicily was the wife of Louis Philippe I, King of the French. She was born on April 26, 1782, at the Caserta Palace in Caserta, Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy, to King Ferdinand IV of Naples (also King Ferdinand III of Sicily) and Maria Carolina of Austria. At the time, Naples and Sicily were two independent kingdoms. Years later, Ferdinand joined them together as the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, becoming King Ferdinand I. This made him the founder of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon. Maria Amalia had 17 siblings:

Maria Amalia had 17 siblings:

While still very young, Maria Amalia was engaged to her first cousin, the Dauphin of France. His mother, Queen Marie Antoinette was Maria Amalia’s maternal aunt. However, this ended upon his death in 1789. Her youth was spent in upheaval – the events in France – particularly the execution of her aunt – and subsequent conflict during the First Coalition soon found the family fleeing Sicily for the safety of Naples. After spending two years in Austria, she returned to Naples in 1802 but four years later, when Napoleon invaded, the family again fled, this time settling in Palermo where British forces protected them.

It was in Palermo, in 1806, that she met her future husband, who had also been forced from his home in France. The relationship was not without controversy, primarily because of Louis Philippe’s father’s role in the downfall and eventual execution of Maria Amalia’s aunt, Marie Antoinette. Finally winning over Maria Amalia’s mother, the couple were married in Palermo on November 25, 1809. The bride took the French version of her name – Marie Amélie. They had ten children:

Marie Amélie with her eldest son, c1818. source: Wikipedia

Marie Amélie with her eldest son, c1818. source: Wikipedia

For the first several years of their marriage, they lived in Palermo at the Palazzo Orléans, a palace given to them by her father, where they raised their growing family. Following the Bourbon Restoration, the family was permitted to return to France, taking up residence at the Palais-Royal in Paris. Despite their limited financial resources, they spent millions of francs restoring the palace and turning it into one of the centers of Parisian high society.

In 1830, King Charles X was overthrown during the July Revolution and forced to abdicate. The King named Louis Philippe as Lieutenant-General of the Kingdom, entrusting him to name the King’s grandson as his successor and to serve as regent. Instead, the Chamber of Deputies named Louis Philippe as King, swearing him as King of the French on August 9, 1830. Marie Amélie found herself, very reluctantly, as Queen of the French. She was strongly against her husband accepting the throne and tried to refuse it on his behalf. She saw the throne as nothing but a means of destroying her peaceful family life and putting all of their lives in constant jeopardy.

She avoided politics at all costs and did everything in her power to remain quietly in the background. Her time was spent primarily raising her large family and taking part in the charity work that had been a part of her life for many years. During her husband’s reign, she became known for her simple life, shying away from formal functions, and giving most of her large allowance to the poor.

However strongly she had been against her husband accepting the throne, she was just as strongly in support of his retaining it. When he was forced to abdicate on February 24, 1848, the Queen was heartbroken that he had not taken her advice to take control of the troops and defend his crown. Two days later, the National Assembly declared the Second Republic, once again ending the French monarchy. The family left Paris and were eventually welcomed in England by Queen Victoria, who gave them the use of Claremont House in Surrey, England.

Queen Marie Amélie, c1865. source: Wikipedia

Queen Marie Amélie, c1865. source: Wikipedia

After her husband’s death two years later, Queen Marie Amélie lived a very private life, spending time with much of her family and enjoying a close relationship with the British Royal Family.

At the age of 83, Queen Marie Amélie died at Claremont House on March 24, 1866. She was buried at the St. Charles Borromeo Chapel in Weybridge, England, and per her request, her gravestone identified her as Duchess of Orléans instead of Queen of the French. Ten years later, her remains, along with those of her husband, were moved to the Chapelle royale de Dreux in Dreux, France.

Memorial to Louis Philippe and Maria Amalia at the Royal Chapel of Dreux; Credit – By Real politik – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6656193

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