Maria Anna of Austria

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.

Not to be confused with Maria Anna of Spain.

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

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 customs 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 exuberant 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:

• Barbara of Portugal (4 December 1711 – 27 August 1758), married Ferdinand VI of Spain, no issue.
• Pedro of Portugal (19 October 1712 – 24 October 1714), Prince of Brazil, died in infancy.
• Joseph I of Portugal (6 June 1714 – 24 February 1777), married Mariana Victoria of Spain.
• Infante Carlos of Portugal (2 May 1716 – 1 April 1736), died before his parents.
• Peter III of Portugal (5 July 1717 – 25 May 1786), married Maria I, Queen regnant of Portugal.
• Infante Alexandre of Portugal (24 September 1723 – 2 August 1728), died in infancy.

In culture

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

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

Ancestry

Ancestors of Maria Anna of Austria

16. Charles II, Archduke of Inner Austria[4] (= 22) 8. Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor[5] 17. Maria Anna of Bavaria[4] (= 23, ≠9) 4. Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor[6] 18. William V, Duke of Bavaria[7] (= 26) 9. Maria Anna of Bavaria[5] (≠ 17, 23) 19. Renata of Lorraine[7] (= 27) 2. Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor 20. Philip II of Spain[8] 10. Philip III of Spain[9] 21. Anna of Austria[8] 5. Maria Anna of Austria[6] 22. Charles II, Archduke of Inner Austria[10] (= 16) 11. Margaret of Austria[9] 23. Maria Anna of Bavaria[10] (= 17, ≠9) 1. Maria Anna of Austria 24. Philip Louis, Count Palatine of Neuburg[11] 12. Wolfgang William, Count Palatine of Neuburg[12] 25. Anna of Cleves[11] 6. Philip William, Elector Palatine[6] 26. William V, Duke of Bavaria[13] (= 18) 13. Magdalene of Bavaria[12] 27. Renata of Lorraine[13] (= 19) 3. Eleonor Magdalene of Neuburg 28. Louis V, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt[14] 14. George II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt[15] 29. Magdalene of Brandenburg[14] 7. Elisabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt[6] 30. John George I, Elector of Saxony[16] 15. Sophia Eleonore of Saxony[15] 31. Magdalene Sibylle of Prussia[16]

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.
4. Eder, Karl (1961), "Ferdinand II.", Neue Deutsche Biographie (NDB) (in German), 5, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 83–85; (full text online)
5. Eder, Karl (1961), "Ferdinand III.", Neue Deutsche Biographie (NDB) (in German), 5, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 85–86; (full text online)
6. Genealogie ascendante jusqu'au quatrieme degre inclusivement de tous les Rois et Princes de maisons souveraines de l'Europe actuellement vivans [Genealogy up to the fourth degree inclusive of all the Kings and Princes of sovereign houses of Europe currently living] (in French). Bourdeaux: Frederic Guillaume Birnstiel. 1768. p. 100.
7. Wurzbach, Constantin, von, ed. (1861). "Habsburg, Maria Anna von Bayern" . Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich [Biographical Encyclopedia of the Austrian Empire] (in German). 7. p. 23 – via Wikisource.
8. Wurzbach, Constantin, von, ed. (1861). "Habsburg, Philipp III." . Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich [Biographical Encyclopedia of the Austrian Empire] (in German). 7. p. 120 – via Wikisource.
9. Wurzbach, Constantin, von, ed. (1861). "Habsburg, Maria Anna von Spanien" . Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich [Biographical Encyclopedia of the Austrian Empire] (in German). 7. p. 23 – via Wikisource.
10. Wurzbach, Constantin, von, ed. (1861). "Habsburg, Margaretha (Königin von Spanien)" . Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich [Biographical Encyclopedia of the Austrian Empire] (in German). 7. p. 13 – via Wikisource.
11. Breitenbach, Josef (1898), "Wolfgang Wilhelm", Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB) (in German), 44, Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 87–116
12. Fuchs, Peter (2001), "Philipp Wilhelm", Neue Deutsche Biographie (NDB) (in German), 20, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, p. 384; (full text online)
13. Wolf, Joseph Heinrich (1844). Das Haus Wittelsbach. Bayern's Geschichte (in German). p. 281.
14. Becker, Wilhelm Martin (1964), "Georg II.", Neue Deutsche Biographie (NDB) (in German), 6, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, p. 217; (full text online)
15. Louda, Jirí; MacLagan, Michael (1999). Lines of Succession: Heraldry of the Royal Families of Europe (2nd ed.). London: Little, Brown and Company. table 84.
16. Flathe, Heinrich Theodor (1881), "Johann Georg I. (Kurfürst von Sachsen)", Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB) (in German), 14, Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 376–381

Bibliography

• Nizza da Silva, Maria Beatriz (2009). Reis de Portugal: D. João V (in Portuguese). Lisbon: Temas & Debates.
• Raggi, Giuseppina (2017). "The Queen of Portugal Maria Anna of Austria and the Royal Opera Theaters by Giovanni Carlo Sicinio Galli Bibiena". Music in Art: International Journal for Music Iconography. 42 (1–2): 121–140. ISSN 1522-7464.

Maria Anna of Austria House of Habsburg 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