Adelaide of Austria
| Adelaide of Austria | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||
| Queen consort of Sardinia | |||||
| Tenure | 23 March 1849 – 20 January 1855 | ||||
| Born | 3 June 1822 Royal Palace of Milan, Milan | ||||
| Died | 20 January 1855 (aged 32) Royal Palace of Turin, Turin | ||||
| Burial | Basilica of Superga, Turin | ||||
| Spouse | |||||
| Issue among others... | Maria Clotilde, Princess Napoléon Umberto I, King of Italy Amadeo I, King of Spain Oddone, Duke of Montferrat Maria Pia, Queen of Portugal | ||||
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| House | Habsburg-Lorraine | ||||
| Father | Archduke Rainer of Austria | ||||
| Mother | Princess Elisabeth of Savoy | ||||
| Religion | Roman Catholicism | ||||
Adelaide of Austria (Adelheid Franziska Marie Rainera Elisabeth Clotilde; 3 June 1822 – 20 January 1855) was the Queen of Sardinia by marriage to Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia, future King of Italy, from 1849 until 1855 when she died as a result of gastroenteritis. She was the mother of Umberto I of Italy.
Biography[]
Archduchess of Austria[]
She was born at the Royal Palace of Milan to Archduke Rainer of Austria and his wife Princess Elisabeth of Savoy.[1] Named Adelaide, or known as Adele in the family, she held the title of Archduchess of Austria. Her father was the Viceroy of Lombardy-Venetia
Duchess of Savoy[]
On 12 April 1842, at the Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi, she married Victor Emmanuel of Savoy. The marriage was used to cement relations between the House of Savoy and that of the House of Habsburg but was viewed by many people of the time to increase Austrian power in Italy.[2]
Victor Emmanuel was her first cousin and heir apparent to the King of Sardinia. He was styled the "Duke of Savoy" prior to succession. Adelaide thus took on the style of "Duchess of Savoy." She maintained her style of Imperial and Royal Highness until she became Queen.
Her husband's mother, Maria Theresa of Austria, retained great influence over her son throughout his life. Her mother-in-law was also her first cousin, both she and Adelaide being grandchildren of Emperor Leopold II. Adelaide and her husband of thirteen years had eight children. Four of these went on to have further progeny. Her husband had various extramarital affairs throughout the marriage.[3] Adelaide was a quiet and pious woman and had a strict upbringing. She was a loving wife and frequently would give to charity.[4]
Queen of Sardinia[]
In March 1849, her father-in-law King Charles Albert abdicated after the events of the Revolutions of 1848. Her husband succeeded as Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia. During her tenure as queen consort, she had three further children, all of whom died in infancy. On 8 January 1855, she gave birth to a son who was styled the . Days later, Queen Maria Theresa died on 12 January 1855. Adelaide went to the late queen's funeral on 16 January, and on returning to the palace caught a cold. She died four days later at the Royal Palace of Turin, having had an acute attack of Gastroenteritis. Another story says that Adelaide died of her burns after stepping on a match that set fire to her clothes. She is buried at the Royal Basilica of Superga. In 1861 her husband would become the first post-unification King of Italy. Her husband wed again to Rosa Vercellana in a morganatic marriage.[5] The present Italian pretender is her direct great-great-grandson.
Issue[]
- Princess Maria Clotilde of Savoy (2 March 1843 – 25 June 1911) married Prince Napoleon Joseph Bonaparte and had issue.
- Umberto I of Italy (14 March 1844 – 29 July 1900) married Princess Margherita of Savoy and had issue.
- Amadeo I of Spain (30 May 1845 – 18 January 1890) married Princess Maria Vittoria dal Pozzo and later Princess Maria Letizia Bonaparte and had issue.
- Prince Oddone of Savoy (11 July 1846 – 22 January 1866) died unmarried.
- Princess Maria Pia of Savoy (16 October 1847 – 5 July 1911) married King Luís I of Portugal and had issue.
- Prince Carlo Alberto of Savoy (2 June 1851 – 22 June 1854) Duke of Chablais, died in childhood.
- Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy (6 July 1852) died at birth.
- Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy (8 January 1855 – 17 May 1855) Count of Genevois, died in infancy.
Ancestry[]
| showAncestors of Adelaide of Austria |
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References[]
- ^ Urban. Sylvanius: The Gentleman's Magazine, 1855, p 303
- ^ Georgina Sarah. Godkin:Life of Victor Emmanuel II, First king of Italy, Volume I, 1879, p 44
- ^ Forester. C.S: Victor Emmanuel II: And the Union of Italy, Simon Publications LLC, 2001, p 216
- ^ The eclectic magazine of foreign literature Volume 2; Volume 35, p 556
- ^ Forester. C.S: Victor Emmanuel II: And the Union of Italy, Simon Publications LLC, 2001, p 210
External links[]
Media related to Adelaide of Austria at Wikimedia Commons
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- Sardinian queens consort
- 1822 births
- 1855 deaths
- Nobility from Milan
- Princesses of Savoy
- House of Habsburg-Lorraine
- Italian people of Polish descent
- Austrian Poles
- Tuscan princesses
- Austrian princesses
- Duchesses of Savoy
- Burials at the Basilica of Superga
- Victor Emmanuel II of Italy
- 19th-century Italian women