Maria Isabel of Spain
| Maria Isabella | |
|---|---|
Portrait by Vicente López y Portaña
|
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| Queen consort of the Two Sicilies | |
| Tenure | 4 January 1825 – 8 November 1830 |
| Born |
6 July 1789 Royal Palace of Madrid, Spain |
| Died | 13 September 1848 (aged 59) Palace of Portici, Italy |
| Burial | Basilica di Santa Chiara |
| Spouse |
|
| Issue |
|
| House | Bourbon |
| Father | Charles IV of Spain |
| Mother | Maria Luisa of Parma |
| Signature |  |
Maria Isabella of Spain (María Isabel de Borbón y Borbón-Parma 6 July 1789 – 13 September 1848) was an infanta of Spain and Queen consort of the Two Sicilies.
She was the youngest daughter of King Carlos IV of Spain and his wife Maria Luisa of Parma. María Isabel's birth coincided with the rise to power in Spain of her mother's favorite, Manuel Godoy. Court rumour attributed María Isabel's paternity not to the king, but to the young Godoy, who became Spain's prime minister in 1792.
The Infanta's childhood coincided with the events of the French revolution and political turbulence in Spain. The youngest surviving daughter in a large family, María Isabel was spoilt by both of her parents and her education was rudimentary. She and her family members were painted by Francisco Goya in his 1800–1801 portrait Charles IV of Spain and His Family.
In December 1800, Lucien Bonaparte arrived in Spain as the new French ambassador. Through him, Queen Maria Luisa offered María Isabel in marriage to Napoleon Bonaparte in April 1801. Then First Consul, Napoleon had been married to Joséphine de Beauharnais for two years, but it had been suggested that he should divorce her to marry a princess of royal blood. Napoleon had a low opinion of the House of Bourbon and commented privately, "If I would have to remarry, I wouldn't look in a house in ruins for my descendants"
Anxious to find a crown for Maria Isabel, in the spring 1801, her mother looked to marry her with her paternal first cousin the Duke of Calabria, Prince Francesco of Naples and Sicily, whose wife, Archduchess Maria Clementina of Austria, was then still alive, but died of consumption in November of that year.
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