Maria Anna of Austria

Maria Anna of Austria
Queen consort of Portugal
Tenure 27 October 1708 – 31 July 1750
Born (1683-09-07)7 September 1683
Linz, Austria
Died 14 August 1754(1754-08-14) (aged 70)
Ribeira Palace, Lisbon, Portugal
Spouse John V of Portugal
Issue Barbara, Queen of Spain
Pedro, Prince of Brazil
Joseph, King of Portugal
Peter III, King of Portugal
Full name
Maria Anna Josepha Antonia Regina
House Habsburg
Father Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
Mother Eleonor Magdalene of Neuburg
Signature

Maria Anna of Austria (Maria Anna Josepha Antonia Regina; 7 September 1683 – 14 August 1754) was Queen consort of Portugal by marriage to King John V of Portugal. She was Regent of Portugal from 1742 until 1750 during the illness of John V.

Life

The Arrival of Maria Anna of Austria in Lisbon; Gottfried Stein, c. 1708.

Born Maria Anna Josepha, she was a daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I and Eleonor Magdalene of Neuburg. Maria Anna was a sister of Holy Roman Emperors Joseph I and Charles VI. Through her brother Charles, she was an aunt of Maria Theresa, Austria's only queen regnant.

Queen consort

On 27 October 1708 Maria Anna of Austria married John V, King of Portugal to seal the alliance between the two countries against Bourbon France and Spain during the War of Spanish Succession. She was subsequently Queen of Portugal until his death on 31 July 1750. During her queenship, she acted as regent during times of her husband's illness.

Once she was head of her household, Maria Anna reformed her court and its customs to follow the traditions and costums of the traditional Queens of Portugal.[1] Her greatest influence on the court, and Portuguese nobility as a whole, was the increase of segregation between men and women, as well as between servants and masters. Like John, Maria Anna had an exubrant taste, and this was best shown in her famous parties. Often lasting several days, she would invite the nobility from all over the country and hold a magnificent festival, often in concurrence with a saintly holiday, though religion played a small part in her parties.[2]

Regency

In 1742 Maria Anna took over power as regent after her husband suffered a stroke, which left him partially paralyzed. When John V died on 31 July 1750, she gave up power to their eldest son Joseph I of Portugal.

She died while in residence in the Palace of Belém in 1754.[3] After her death, she was buried in Lisbon, but her heart was brought to Vienna and buried there in the imperial crypt.

Issue

She was the mother of six children:

In culture

Maria Anna, along with her husband and children, is a central character in José Saramago's novel Baltasar and Blimunda (1987).

Ancestry

Titles and styles

  • 7 September 1683 – 27 October 1708 Her Royal Highness Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria
  • 27 October 1708 – 31 July 1750 Her Most Faithful Majesty the Queen of Portugal and the Algarves
  • 31 July 1750 – 14 August 1754 Her Most Faithful Majesty the Queen Mother of Portugal and the Algarves

References

  1. ↑ Nizza da Silva, p. 33.
  2. ↑ Nizza da Silva, p. 34.
  3. ↑ Vale, Teresa; Gomes, Carlos (1994). SIPA, ed. "Palácio Nacional de Belém" (in Portuguese). Lisbon, Portugal: SIPA – Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 18 July 2011.

Bibliography

  • Nizza da Silva, Maria Beatriz (2009). Reis de Portugal: D. João V (in Portuguese). Lisbon: Temas & Debates.
Maria Anna of Austria
Born: 7 September 1683 Died: 14 August 1754
Portuguese royalty
Preceded by
Maria Sofia of the Palatinate		 Queen consort of Portugal
27 October 1708 – 31 July 1750		 Succeeded by
Infanta Mariana Victoria of Spain
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