The main role played by queens throughout history has been to produce he althy heirs to ensure the continuation of the dynasty. Nevertheless, there were empresses who could not fulfill their main female destiny - to become a mother. One of them is Marie Louise d'Orléans, the beautiful and elegant niece of Louis XIV of France. It was expected that she would give the infirm Spanish monarch an heir. But since the king could not be publicly accused of infertility, Marie Louise had to take the blame.
Royal granddaughter
Marie Louise, who came from the House of Orleans, was born in Paris in March 1662 at the Palais Royal. She was the daughter of Duke Philip, younger brother of King Louis XIV, and Henrietta Stuart, daughter of Charles I of England.
Maria Louise and her younger sister lost their mother in 1670. However, even before that, the parents, busy with court life, did not indulge their daughters too much with their attention. Therefore, Maria Louise spent a lot of time with her grandmothers:Henrietta Maria, mother of the English king, and Anne of Austria, mother of the French monarch.
The following year, 1671, Duke Philip married a German princess who managed to replace his daughters' mother. Maria Luisa maintained a close relationship with her stepmother until her departure to Spain.
The little princess received an excellent education and spent a lot of time in Versailles. However, the splendor of court life that surrounded her in France was soon to be replaced by the prim etiquette of the Spanish court.
For political reasons
As you know, princes and princesses are not free to choose their spouses. Everything is decided by the political interests of the powers. Having waited for the sixteenth birthday of Marie Louise d'Orleans, her father and uncle considered it necessary to arrange her marriage, and at the same time to relieve tensions in relations with Spain that had arisen due to France's intervention in the Dutch conflict.
Therefore, Louis XIV informed his niece of his royal will - Maria Louise was to become the wife of Charles II of Habsburg. By that time, the marriage agreement had already been signed with the Spanish ambassador.
Despite the fact that her fate was decided, the princess publicly demonstrated her displeasure with the decision to send her beyond the Pyrenees. She even threatened to become a nun. But in the end, she still had to come to terms.
On the last day of the summer of 1679, a wedding took place at the Palace of Fontainebleau. The groom was not present at the wedding. The ceremony was performed by proxy. This practice was widespread among the royal houses of Western Europe. The groom was formally replaced by Prince Condé, the bride's cousin.
From Versailles to Alcazar
Followed by celebrations in honor of the new Spanish queen, only on November 3, 1679, her cortege arrived at the border river Bidasoa. Two weeks later, Marie Louise d'Orléans and Charles saw each other for the first time. She is beautiful, he althy and blooming, he is unattractive, thin and sickly. At the same time, a wedding ceremony took place near the city of Burgos, now according to all the rules.
Early next year, the queen consort arrived in Madrid, where she settled in the Alcazar, a dark and cold palace that was so unlike the cheerful and shining Versailles. She had to get used to the strict and even harsh rules of the ceremonial Spanish court, where, moreover, everything French was not too favored.
Maria Louise's relationship with her mother-in-law, Marianne of Austria, was better than the courtiers expected. The main reason was that the queen consort had no interest in politics. This circumstance completely suited the imperious mother-in-law.
Maria Louise was more concerned about satisfying her whims. She loved horseback riding, beautiful clothes, French dishes, because she could not get used to Spanish cuisine, which used too many spices. Despite the fact that they were complete opposites with the mother-in-law, the latter repeatedly asked her son to meet the whims of the Frenchwoman.
According to the evidencecontemporaries, Karl fell in love with his wife from the first moment they met. At first, Maria Louise did not share his ardent feelings, but over time she became attached to her physically handicapped spouse.
King Charles II of Spain
Several generations of Habsburgs, all for the same notorious political reasons, married close relatives. The result of such incestuous unions was physical and mental degeneration. The unfortunate Charles II was the last of a dying dynasty.
A congenital deformity of his jaw prevented him from chewing food and speaking clearly. The king learned to walk late, suffered from epilepsy, diarrhea and scrofula all his life. As a man, he was also bankrupt. In short, King Charles II of Spain was disabled.
The Heir Who Never Appeared
Despite the obvious he alth problems of the monarch, the people and the courtiers continued to hope for the birth of the Infante. Various dubious remedies were used to treat the "barren" Marie Louise. Several times it was even announced that the queen became pregnant. However, denials soon followed. Disappointment over time has given rise to absurd rumors that the queen deliberately provokes abortions.
Marie Louise of Orleans marriage did not make happy. She lived in Spain for almost 10 years, during which she tried in vain to fulfill her duty - to give birth to the heir to the Habsburg dynasty.
Death of the Queen
In early February 1689 after a long walkon horseback, Marie Louise suddenly fell ill. She began to vomit and had severe abdominal pain. The doctors called to her could not help her. After spending the whole night in extreme suffering, she died the next day. As usual in such cases, rumors of poisoning spread.
Modern historians, based on the documents of that era, believe that there was no conspiracy. Most likely, the queen died from some kind of digestive infection, such as salmonellosis, or from an acute attack of appendicitis.
Marie Louise d'Orleans died on February 12th. The remains of the queen were buried in the pantheon of the Infantes of the Abbey of Escorial.
Controversial Spanish inheritance
Years later, a prolonged military conflict broke out in Europe, called the War of the Spanish Succession. Although Charles II married again, this time to a German princess, his son was never born. After the death of the last Habsburg, the European powers began to divide the Spanish possessions. The war ended in 1714 with the coronation of the Duke of Anjou. He went down in history under the name of Philip V of Spain.
