Maria Christina by Vicente Lopez Portana, 1830
Imagine being known as “The Queen of Sad Mischance.” That’s not how most people want to be remembered, or have their existence reduced to one temporary emotion. Isabella II (1830-1904) was the only queen regnant in Spain’s history. Her reign was marred by an unhappy marriage, palace intrigues, and military rebellions. While she’s worth her own post, I wanted to write about the person responsible for putting her on the throne, and changing her country’s monarchy from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional one. This person also married a commoner in secret– taking a huge risk at the time.
That person would be in mother– Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies. Under her regency, Spain transitioned from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy, adopting the Royal Statute of 1834 and Constitution of 1837. While her place in Spanish history is often overshadowed by her daughter Isabella II, Maria Christina was a fixture in politics for almost 50 years. She was also somewhat scandalous, having secretly married a low-ranking soldier following her royal husband’s death.
While I couldn’t find much information about Maria Christina herself, I used the people and world around her to piece together the faithful biography of an underrated historical figure.
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Born in Palermo, Sicily, on April 27th, 1806 (Taurus), she was the third-oldest daughter of King Francis I of the Two Sicilies and Maria Isabella of Spain. (A year ago, I wrote about Maria Isabella if you’re interested.) She had eleven siblings and two half-siblings from her father’s first marriage. Her mother was only sixteen when she was born, as she married Francis I at only 13. (Wow!) She was part of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. (related to both Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette)
Irish writer Marguerite Gardiner, Countess of Blessington (1789-1849), met Maria Christina on her “Grand Tour” of Europe. The Countess described Maria Christina as having beautiful facial features, expressive eyes, healthy teeth, and a flawless smile. Maria Christina was cheerful, energetic, and could often be found hunting or painting. She was also flirtatious, a trait passed down from her mother. Her middle-aged mother had affairs with handsome young soldiers– and even married one after her royal husband died.
At the age of 23, Maria Christina was forced to marry her uncle, Ferdinand VII, the king of Spain. (Ew!) Here’s how.
On May 27th, 1829 the king’s third wife died. (Maria Josepha Amalia of Saxony) An interesting, yet sad anecdote– Maria Josepha was raised in a strict Catholic household without sexual education. On her wedding night, when she saw Ferdinand naked, she ran screaming out of her bedroom. This infuriated him, yet he had his sister convince Maria Josepha to return to the room. She did, but was so anxious, she urinated and defecated herself. The marriage would not be consummated until she received a letter from the Pope telling her that sexual relations between a married couple were not sinful. The marriage would finally be consummated, but Maria Josepha insisted that she and her husband pray before the deed.
The marriage produced no children, and Maria Josepha was only 25 when she died. I feel bad for her, as she was never given a proper education, and forced into an uncomfortable marriage. She must have been traumatized on her wedding night.
Ferdinand VII had no male heir, sparking a succession duel between his four children. Ferdinand VII declared his intention to marry and assembled the Council of Castile, who helped the King with remarriage. Following one suggestion, Ferdinand VII sent for his niece Maria Christina. To up to the ick factor, he was said to have always had a crush on his niece. They got married on December 12th, 1829 at Madrid’s Basilica of Nuestra Senora de Atocha.
The marriage produced two daughters– the future Queen Isabella II of Spain and Luisa Fernanda, Duchess of Montpensier (1832-1897). This disappointed Ferdinand VII, as the point of his marriage was to produce a son. Maria Christina was Ferdinand’s fourth wife, so he was frustrated, and she likely anxious.
This reminds me of Henry VIII and his first two wives Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, who had “Bloody” Mary I and Elizabeth I– respectively. His third and favorite wife was Jane Seymour, as she gave him a son, Edward VI. This is such a selfish way of looking at women, treating them as livestock…or characters in a book who don’t do what you want.
Maria Christina and the governesses spoiled her daughters. Isabella, who became queen at only 13, became an unpopular queen who was eventually ousted in 1868. (I’ll not get too much into her reign.) But even as a child, people didn’t have nice things to say about her. She was described as “indolent, untidy, unkempt, and was ruled by her whims which were always satisfied.” Martin S.A. Hume wrote that she was a “stoutly built, very precocious girl with full cheeks, a snub nose, and thick sensuous lips, incredibly ignorant but with a great deal of natural shrewdness; in manner somewhat bluff, jovial and outspoken.” She was said to have a beautiful singing voice, but was too lazy to pursue any artistic career. (At least, in the opinion of those around her.)
Isabella also had ichthyosis, or dry scaly skin, and regularly visited medicinal spas.
Maria Christina became embroiled in the conflict between the Spanish Liberals and Carlists. (Who wanted Ferdinand’s son Carlos on the throne) The former faction, and most Spanish people, admired Maria Christina. When she first arrived in 1829, their blue cloak inspired their official color. The latter were conservative absolutists, who wanted nothing more than to see Infante Carlos on the throne.
In a secret session of the Cortes in 1789, King Charles IV reversed the male heir-only Salic Law with the Pragmatic Sanction. Seeking to secure an heir to the throne, no matter their gender, Ferdinand VII announced the Pragmatic Sanction to the public in March 1830. This allowed his daughter Isabella to become queen.
In July 1832, Ferdinand became badly injured in a carriage accident. He became increasingly ill over the year, and died in September 1833. He was only 48 years old.
When Ferdinand died, Maria Christina became regent for their daughter Isabella. Isabella’s claim to the crown was disputed by Carlos, who claimed that Ferdinand wrongfully changed the succession law to allow women to inherit the throne. This led to the First Carlist War (1833-1840), a civil war over succession. More civil wars would follow until 1876. (I know the Spanish Civil War was in 1936, but I’m focusing on the first for now.)
As regent, Maria Christina was popular, especially among liberals. She moved the Spanish Constitution into a more progressive direction. Among her reforms were more rights of the individual (property, equality, freedom, judicial independence, and ministerial responsibility). In 1834, she abolished the centuries-old Spanish Inquisition or (the Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition), which had been used to torture Jews and Muslims into converting to Catholicism.
(I’m surprised the Inquisition lasted that long, but I’m glad she abolished it.)
Unfortunately, the rules of Maria Christina’s regency stated that she couldn’t remarry, as this would remove her royal status. But did Maria Christina want to limit herself with this? Of course not!
On December 28th, 1833, shortly after Ferdinand VII’s death, Maria Christina secretly married an ex-sergeant from the royal guard, Agustin Fernando Munoz (1808–1873). He was low-ranking, while she was queen regent. Maria Christina and Agustin tried to keep their marriage secret, but had eight children together. Given how quickly they married after Ferdinand VII died, it’s possible that she was having an affair with Agustin. (Which, I wouldn’t blame her for, since she was married to her uncle.)
So, how did they meet? In 1830, Agustin enlisted in the royal guard and attracted Maria Christina’s attention. According to one account, he distinguished himself by stopping runaway horses from her carriage; according to another, he picked up her handkerchief. Either way, he charmed his way into her heart.
images not mine
If you’ve read my post on Maria Isabella, this sounds familiar, as Maria Christina’s mother had a similar second marriage, to a handsome lieutenant. However, her husband was much younger than her (Maria Isabella was 50, while Francesco was 34.), while Maria Christina’s husband was only two years younger. As queen mother, Maria Isabella was able to live peacefully, boy-toy at her side. Yet her daughter was not so lucky.
News broke that of Maria Christina had married this low-ranking soldier. This made Maria Christina deeply unpopular. Politicians worried that she wasn’t actually liberal or supportive of their policies. The army and liberal leadership in the Cortes combined to depose Maria Christina. In 1840, Maria Christina renounced the regency and left Spain with Agustin. General Baldomero Espartero (1793-1879) replaced her as regent.
In 1842, Maria Christina moved into the Chateau de Malmaison in Rueil-Malmaison, a suburb of Paris, France. (Fun fact: This chateau was formerly the residence of Empress Josephine de Beauharnais, Napoleon’s wife.) The next year, General Espartero was overthrown, so Maria Christina returned to Spain with her husband.
Queen Isabella II assumed the throne in 1844 (at only 13, remember!), and she gave her official blessing to her mother’s marriage. She granted her mother’s permission for a public wedding, as well as giving Agustin Muñoz the title of Duke of Riánsares.
In 1847, King Louis Philippe I made Agustin the Duke of Montmorot. (France) Seven years later, after a change in Isabella II’s government, queen mother Maria Christina was exiled once again. She returned to the Château de Malmaison in France with her husband, where she lived the rest of her life. Isabella II moved to Paris after she was deposed, and while I didn’t find this anywhere, probably visited with her mother, as they had been somewhat close.
The now-noble Agustin died in 1872. Maria Christina suffered from fevers, fainting spells, and coughing fits. On August 22, 1878, she died in Le Havre, France. She was 72 years old. Her final resting place can be found at the royal crypt in El Escorial.
I’ve mentioned Isabella II several times, but what of her other children? Luisa Fernanda married Antoine, Duke of Montpensier (1824-1890), the youngest son of French King Louis Philippe I. Her children from her second marriage inherited noble titles and enjoyed comfortable lives in the aristocracy.
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Maria Christina not only held her own in politics, but also in her autonomy. She made 1830s Spain a more liberal place and, although it was controversial, she married a low-ranking “commoner” for love. She may not have been perfect, but she was a rare royal woman who defied convention and sought a life of her own. If anything, she teaches us that life goes on, no matter how many questions you leave behind.
Curious History Girl 