Maria Bárbara de Bragança, Reina consorte de España

https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_B%C3%A1rbara_de_Bragan%C3%A7a,_...

Life

Her parents were married in 1708, but for nearly three years the queen did not give birth to any children. The King then made a promise to God that if an heir to the throne was born, a great convent would be built to thank Him. On December 4, 1711, an Infanta was born, and the Convent of Mafra was built.

Princess of Brazil

She was born as heiress-presumptive to the Portuguese throne, but her status as heiress lapsed when the Queen gave birth to a son, Pedro, two years later. Her title while she was heir to the throne was Princess of Brazil or Princesa do Brasil in its portugese form. Pedro died at the age of two, but another son, Joseph, had been born before Peter's death. Though Barbara was never heiress-presumptive again, she was second-in-line to the throne throughout much of her life.

The Princess was baptized Maria Madalena Bárbara Xavier Leonor Teresa Antónia Josefa (English: Mary Magdalene Barbara Xavier Eleanor Theresa Antonia Josepha), her names honouring a number of saints and relatives. She was usually referred to as Bárbara or Maria Bárbara, a name never before used among Portuguese royals, in honour of St. Barbara, the saint of her birthday.

Life

Her parents were married in 1708, but for nearly three years the queen did not give birth to any children. The King then made a promise to God that if an heir to the throne was born, a great convent would be built to thank Him. On December 4, 1711, an Infanta was born, and the Convent of Mafra was built.

Princess of Brazil

She was born as heiress-presumptive to the Portuguese throne, but her status as heiress lapsed when the Queen gave birth to a son, Pedro, two years later. Her title while she was heir to the throne was Princess of Brazil or Princesa do Brasil in its portugese form. Pedro died at the age of two, but another son, Joseph, had been born before Peter's death. Though Barbara was never heiress-presumptive again, she was second-in-line to the throne throughout much of her life.

The Princess was baptized Maria Madalena Bárbara Xavier Leonor Teresa Antónia Josefa (English: Mary Magdalene Barbara Xavier Eleanor Theresa Antonia Josepha), her names honouring a number of saints and relatives. She was usually referred to as Bárbara or Maria Bárbara, a name never before used among Portuguese royals, in honour of St. Barbara, the saint of her birthday.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_of_Portugal

Barbara of Portugal

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Barbara of Portugal

María Bárbara of Bragança

Queen consort of Spain

Consort 1746 - 1758

Spouse Ferdinand VI of Spain

Full name

Maria Madalena Josefa Teresa Bárbara

House House of Bourbon

House of Braganza

Father John V of Portugal

Mother Maria Anna of Austria

Born 4 December 1711(1711-12-04)

Lisbon, Portugal

Died 27 August 1758 (aged 46)

Aranjuez, Spain

Burial Convent of the Salesas Reales

Barbara of Portugal (4 December 1711 – 27 August 1758) was a Portuguese infanta and later Queen Consort of Spain.

Contents

[show]

   * 1 Early life

* 2 Princess of Brazil
* 3 Marriage
* 4 Death
* 5 Ancestors
[edit] Early life

She was the eldest daughter of King John V of Portugal and his wife, Maria Anna, Archduchess of Austria, a daughter of Emperor Leopold I.

Her parents were married in 1708, but for nearly three years the queen did not give birth to any children. The King then made a promise to God that if an heir to the throne was born, a great convent would be built to thank Him. On 4 December 1711, an Infanta was born, and the Convent of Mafra was built.

[edit] Princess of Brazil

Barbara in her youthful years

Barbara in her later years, by Jacopo Amigoni

She was born as heiress-presumptive to the Portuguese throne, but her status as heiress lapsed when the Queen gave birth to a son, Pedro, two years later. Her title while she was heir to the throne was Princess of Brazil or Princesa do Brasil in its Portuguese form. Pedro died at the age of two, but another son, Joseph, had been born before Pedro's death. Though Barbara was never heiress-presumptive again, she was second-in-line to the throne throughout much of her life.

The Princess was baptized Maria Madalena Bárbara Xavier Leonor Teresa Antónia Josefa (English: Mary Magdalene Barbara Xavier Eleanor Theresa Antonia Josepha), her names honouring a number of saints and relatives. She was usually referred to as Bárbara or Maria Bárbara, a name never before used among Portuguese royals, in honour of St. Barbara, the saint of her birthday.

She had a fine education and loved music. An accomplished keyboard player, she was a student of Domenico Scarlatti, the famous harpsichordist and composer, from age 9 or 10 until age 14.

She was eligible to marry Louis XV.

[edit] Marriage

In 1729 at age 18, she married the future Ferdinand VI of Spain, two years her junior. Her brother Joseph married Ferdinand's half-sister, the Spanish Infanta Infanta Mariana Victoria of Spain. Scarlatti followed her to Madrid on her marriage and remained with her, composing hundreds of harpsichord sonatas for her. During her reign, Barbara presided over magnificent parties and concerts at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez, which was her favourite retreat.

Although Barbara was not beautiful — her homely looks were thought by observers to cause the prince a visible shock when he was first presented to her — 'Ferdinand the Learned' (as he was called) became deeply attached to her, sharing her passion for music. Her death was said to have broken his heart. They had no children.

Arms of Barbara of Portugal, Queen of Spain.

[edit] Death

Barbara suffered from severe asthma for most of her life. Although a beauty in her youth, she became quite overweight later in life. She died at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez, on the outskirts of Madrid, Spain in 1758.

This page was last modified on 9 June 2010 at 06:54.

She was the eldest daughter of King John V of Portugal and his wife, Maria Anna, Archduchess of Austria, a daughter of Emperor Leopold I.

Her parents were married in 1708, but for nearly three years the queen did not give birth to any children. The King then made a promise to God that if an heir to the throne was born, a great convent would be built to thank Him. On December 4, 1711, an Infanta was born, and the Convent of Mafra was built.

She was born as heiress-presumptive to the Portuguese throne, but her status as heiress lapsed when the Queen gave birth to a son, Pedro, two years later. Her title while she was heir to the throne was Princess of Brazil or Princesa do Brasil in its portuguese form. Pedro died at the age of two, but another son, Joseph, had been born before Peter's death. Though Barbara was never heiress-presumptive again, she was second-in-line to the throne throughout much of her life.

The Princess was baptized Maria Madalena Bárbara Xavier Leonor Teresa Antónia Josefa (English: Mary Magdalene Barbara Xavier Eleanor Theresa Antonia Josepha), her names honouring a number of saints and relatives. She was usually referred to as Bárbara or Maria Bárbara, a name never before used among Portuguese royals, in honour of St. Barbara, the saint of her birthday.

She had a fine education and loved music. An accomplished keyboard player, she was a student of Domenico Scarlatti, the famous harpsichordist and composer, from age 9 or 10 until age 14.

In 1729 at age 18, she married the future Ferdinand VI of Spain, two years her junior. Her brother Joseph married Ferdinand's half-sister, the Spanish Infanta Marianne Victoria of Borbón. Scarlatti followed her to Madrid on her marriage and remained with her, composing hundreds of harpsichord sonatas for her.

Although Barbara was not beautiful — her homely looks were thought by observers to cause the prince a visible shock when he was first presented to her — 'Ferdinand the Learned' (as he was called) became deeply attached to her, sharing her passion for music. Her death was said to have broken his heart. They had no children.

Barbara, who suffered from severe asthma for most of her life, died at the Palacio Real de Aranjuez, on the outskirts of Madrid, Spain in 1758.