Maria Theresa Of Spain - The Wife Of Louis XIV

The Wife Of Louis XIV, Maria Theresia of Spain; born September 10, 1638 in the Escorial near Madrid; died July 30, 1683 in Versailles, was a European noblewoman. As the daughter of the Spanish King Philip IV, she was Infanta of Spain and as a princess from the House of Austria she is also called Maria Theresa of Austria; she also held the title Archduchess of Austria. In 1660 she was married to the Sun King Louis XIV and was therefore Queen of France and Navarre from June 9, 1660 to July 30, 1683. The conclusion of this marriage sealed the agreed peace between France and Habsburg Spain after a long war. This marriage was very unhappy for her and she was soon permanently overshadowed by Ludwig's changing mistresses. She died at the age of 44. She was the grandmother of Philip V of Spain and great-grandmother of Louis XV from France. Maria Theresia of Spain; born September 10, 1638 in the Escorial near Madrid; died July 30, 1683 in Versailles, was a European noblewoman. As the daughter of the Spanish King Philip IV, she was Infanta of Spain and as a princess from the House of Austria she is also called Maria Theresa of Austria; she also held the title Archduchess of Austria. In 1660 she was married to the Sun King Louis XIV and was therefore Queen of France and Navarre from June 9, 1660 to July 30, 1683. The conclusion of this marriage sealed the agreed peace between France and Habsburg Spain after a long war. This marriage was very unhappy for her and she was soon permanently overshadowed by Ludwig's changing mistresses. She died at the age of 44. She was the grandmother of Philip V of Spain and great-grandmother of Louis XV from France.

[@shanny4306]

Her babies came so close together,,,,,,,,,,I can not see how she had time to recuperate enough to be strong for the new baby,,,,women died during childbirth,often back then,,,,,she was one tough cookie to survive all the childbirths , I tip my hat to her,,,,,THANKYOU for your wonderful art and history lesson ,,,,can not wait for more!!☺️

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Thank you for your thoughts… I totally agree with you !

[@eburel506]

Close together, her and her husband were closely related, infant and child mortality, and lots of sickness going around. It’s a wonder even one of her kids survived. Poor woman.

[@christineakey9016]

I am so intrigued by this Queen! The French court must have been awful for such a pious person. Thank you for another great biography!

[@TheKingsofFrance]

I totally agree with your statements. She must've felt very lonely and misunderstood at times. Thank you for watching and commenting, I really appreciate it !

[@ericbolton9512]

She endured a lot. Queen Anne, also. Could you imagine, being forced to wed a foreign King? That, in itself must have been tough. Never mind the infamous infidelity of the Bourbon line.

[@ambreeniram2268]

Noble lady who gave her life to unfaithful husband. She lost five of her children, such sorrow she endured and died young.

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Thank you so much for watching and commenting !

[@julietcunningham852]

No wonder so few of their children lived more than a year. They were double cross cousins. His father was her uncle, his mother was her aunt, and vice-versa. The King of Spain married the sister of the King of France, and the King of France married the sister of the King of Spain. Then, the next King of France married the sister of the next King of Spain. They had only four grandparents between them. Genetically, it's as if Louis XIV had married his sister.

[@TheKingsofFrance]

It was indeed very common for cousins to marry one another. The worst example of inbreeding in the royal families are the Habsburg Dynasty. They were well known for their Habsburg jaw (protruding lower jaw), and this extremely prominent in the severely disabled King Of Spain, Charles II. Thank you so much for watching and commenting, I am very glad you've taken the time to do so ! Hope you'll enjoy some other videos on my channel as well !

[@CFdoinggood]

All of that hurt my head!😉

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Uh oh… sorry about that…

[@siraksleepmastersiraksleep9814]

oh... i had not realized they were double cousins, you are right, they were as close genetically as two full sibilings...

[@MJ13ish]

No one does invest like the Spanish Hapsburgs

[@Rebeyvapara]

Since I was little I had interest in French history and kinda relate to her because of her naivety, she wasn't stupid though, she was the last Regent Queen during the war in 1670 and fared well, in a better world she could have been Queen of Spain and would have been happier in her homeland instead of vile French court. Thanks for this video

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Thank you so much for watching. Maybe some of my other videos might be interesting for you as well…

[@KenDelloSandro7565]

Her Majesty, Maria Theresia ,the Queen of France is a saint.

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Not sure if I'd go as far as to call her a saint, but she certainly had a lot of patience. Thank you for this comment as well !!

[@leroux-ianni]

I don't know why but I'm obsessed with the past mainly with kings, queens and monarchs and poets of those times...it's strange...I learned a lot reading and watching videos on KZbin ! Thanks lady for this video !

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Thank you Yanni, for watching !

[@hiworld7306]

I nearly cried after this video, she suffered a lot. By the way mademoiselle you have done a good job of the video. I think this is the first channel I have ever seen of French monarchy.

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Thank you very much for watching and commenting. There are indeed many channels on royal houses, particulary on the English Royals and the Tudors. I do enjoy watching those as well though. Do you have any favorite history channels you watch ?

[@hiworld7306]

@@TheKingsofFrance OH yeah I do, Anne Boleyn Files and Tudor history by Claire Ridgway. But Louis Quatorze is my favorite Monarch. Thank you for posting videos about him and his family.

[@TheKingsofFrance]

@@hiworld7306 i love Claire Ridgway… she is extremely knowledgeable about the subject and I watch every single video of her !

[@hiworld7306]

@@TheKingsofFrance Me too

[@irawilliams343]

She was that rose petal floating in a cesspool. The court of Versailles was so frivolous, full of adultery, drinking, gambling, poisoning, etc. while she remained true to her faith.

[@TheKingsofFrance]

I agree Ira ! Thank you so much for commenting !

[@unknownuser_99]

She did a bit of gambling though.

[@irawilliams343]

@@unknownuser_99 at least she didn't drain the treasury

[@unknownuser_99]

@@irawilliams343 Yeah, in comparison to most French Queens, she was a saintly cheapskate.

[@AlexS-oj8qf]

Stupid faith that displace millions.

[@KenDelloSandro7565]

The Spanish court was run like a monastery, honorable, classy with no immoral distractions. The royal palace was a legitimate monastery. The French Bourbon Royal court was the complete opposite of the Spanish court. Especially in king Louis XIV 's era, the royal palace was a enormous whore house. The whole court was such an immoral disgrace , they would make the ancient Egyptians blush. Sad to see just how far the eldest daughter of the Church fell from her ancient Catholic Glory. Outwardly, The most beautiful looking court but totally rotten inside.

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Thank you Ken, for sharing your opinions. Although Maria Theresa was in a very different court from the one in which she grew up, she definitely kept her personal piety and is to be commended for it ! Thank you for watching !

[@popefrancis8153]

Money rots people

[@AlexS-oj8qf]

But it was Ptolemaic Egypt whose court are famous for debauchery, not ancient egypt 🥺

[@sakarncharoensakulchai9617]

The Spanish Habsburgs, notably Emperor Charles V, King Philip II and King Philip IV, were also known had extramarital relationships and fathered bastards. Indeed, Emperor Charles V was rumored to had an affair with his step-grandmother, Queen Germaine of Foix, second wife of his grandfather, King Ferdinand II of Aragon, and impregnated her.

[@carolinpurayidom4570]

@@sakarncharoensakulchai9617 yeah but compared to the French court they were saints

[@luvzfrance24]

It's awful how doctor's had no idea what they were doing at that time. I can't imagine how much pain she was in.

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Physicians often made matters far far worse...

[@badassunicorn5351]

Loved it!!! Learning so much about France's Royalty. Thank you!

[@TheKingsofFrance]

I am very thankful for your view and your kind comment !!!! I hope you'll have a lovely Sunday !

[@katerynavolkova-shapovalen995]

A very nice honorable woman and queen! Always thankful for your videos!

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Thank you so much for watching this video as well !

[@LariLesque]

Thanks for another great video. I am struck by the differences in education for royal women. Many were highly educated, speaking several languages yet some were just expected to be pious and virtuous and it was a disadvantage to be too clever. Some had to rule in their husband's absence or for their young sons so why was their education so neglected?

[@TheKingsofFrance]

What a great point you make Laraine, you are absolutely right. Although some female royals were definitely well educated, the education of some (such as this of Maria Theresa) definitely left a lot to be desired. Perhaps this is due to expectations (they ended up marrying above the expectation of their parents ?). It's a good point and I'm definitely going to look into it to find out more.

[@LariLesque]

@@TheKingsofFrance Considering Henry VIII's wives, I believe that 1, 2 and 6 were highly educated, Jane to a gentlewoman's standards - embroidery etc, Anna in domestic matters and poor little Catherine Howard's education was shockingly neglected.

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Catherine Howard really drew the short end of the stick, that's for sure.

[@astrofabio68]

in Spain the royal women had the best education a tradition impose by Isabella I of Castile in XV century, her daughters ( Catherine of Aragon or Joana I queen of Castile) were the most educated princess in all Europe, the problem with Maria Teresa was her father Phillip IV, even her brother the future king Charles II was not most educated...

[@Lafleurbrioche]

I have read two biographies on Marie Antoinette and it seems like she was educated to a point but not as educated as her siblings. She was never expected to marry as high as the Queen of France. I think they sort of allowed her a bit more dalliance because she was one of so many. She had trouble trusting older women too. They intimidated her. I think she probably had great potential but these children were talked down to.

[@mc.8391]

I have just discovered your videos.... and I love them. So much about French Royalty that I enjoy. Thank you

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Welcome ! I hope you'll stick around !

[@MarinaKaFai]

To think she could have ruled Spain if her brother was never born! I wonder how well she would have done as queen regnant? And what pain for her to have lost almost all of her children! While Louis didn't love her the way she deserved to be loved, he insisted she'd be treated with respect, no one could bad mouth her and he was by her side when she gave birth. He tried to support her, telling her kind and encouraging words, prayed for her... He even helped a doctor during a labor by holding the queen's legs! And he joined her bed every night not only for making babies but because he enjoyed her company. I read on a blog that when their daughter Marie-Therese died, Louis lost all appetite, wept and barely slept. For Marie-Anne's birth which almost cost her her life, the king asked the physician to save the mother rather than the child. So while he wasn't in love with her, he did have affection for her. It's a shame Marie-Therese isn't remembered well or just like a queen who didn't want to settle with the french ways and enjoyed eating chocolate rather than being queen!

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Thank you so much for sharing that information with us. It was known he cared for her, when she died, he spoke he words that her death was the only grief she ever caused him...

[@MarinaKaFai]

@@TheKingsofFrance That's a lovely tribute

[@janetparnell222]

​@@TheKingsofFrance 😅 8:25

[@phredmadsen-vallee8375]

A beautiful and informative post. Thank you so very much.

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Thank you for watching and commenting, I really appreciate it !

[@barbararoca6847]

Why on earth wasn't that girl taught French? Her mother was French. Wouldn't her mother have spoken in French to her little girl? Of course, royals didn't see their children very much. Spanish and French have a great deal in common. It wouldn't be that hard. Anne of Austria would have been a good friend to have. Anne wasn't accepted by the French early on either. Isn't it true that Anne of Austria and Louis XIII didn't get on either? Marie Therese lost five children? That is just terrible. Well, Marie Therese probably did the best she could by living a quiet life and not causing problems.

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Yes you are right about Anne and Louis XIII not having a happy marriage. This was partly due to the forced consummation of their wedding night when they were both still children, and the both of them being traumatised by that. Anne of Austria was left to her own devices at the french court for years... so I imagine she was a great comfort to Maria Theresia... thank you for watching and commenting again Barbara !!! I am very grateful 🥰.

[@catherineehlers8115]

In addition to being Maria Theresa’s mother in law, Anne of Austria was also her aunt, as Maria Theresa’s father, King Phillip IV of Spain, was Anne’s brother.

[@48music90]

Lost her mother when she's 6

[@beautifuldreamer3991]

There's the possibility she did know. But chose to pretend she didn't know. Self protection?

[@siraksleepmastersiraksleep9814]

its weird isn't it? since her mother died early her father at least nominally was in charge of her education and taking in account she was his only heir until she was well an adult that he left her so unsupervised was just shocking, i get that he always planed to have a son but even with that since he agreed to marry her to the french king why did he not simply ordered her nurses to teach her french, and even without that modern languages should have been considered adecuate to know for a royal princess... its very weird

[@mariaortizjimenez9645]

There is a wonderful portrait painted by Velázquez of María Teresa which I don’t understand why it hasn’t been used here.

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Good question. I just checked my directory for this video and the portrait is in there so not sure how I missed it. It is indeed beautiful.

[@RVChua-js2dw]

There are a lot of Maria Theresas in royalty, I am interested in them all especially Maria Theresa of Austria.

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Thank you for watching and commenting ! I really appreciate it !

[@jamiemohan2049]

They all seem to be Habsburgs too.🤣😂🤣😂

[@catonkybord7950]

@@jamiemohan2049 Yes. Habsburg blood is everywhere 😅

[@nancytestani1470]

All European monarchies, even today, are all related in some aspects. Wonderful biographies, take care and keep them coming!

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Thank you so much for watching and commenting Nancy, I really appreciate that !

[@XtreamBrands]

I am really enjoying your channel. Thanks so much!

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Thank you so much for watching and commenting. There is more to come in weeks and months to come, so I hope you'll enjoy those videos too. Have a great Sunday !

[@timallardyce1216]

I have always been interested in Queen Marie-Therese. It was very interesting to see her as a major character in the TV series Versailles. Not sure that much about her was accurate, however Loui's disinterest in her seems to have been. I do wonder why though. What was wrong with her that he wasn't so keen? Didn't stop them having 6 children though. Very interesting

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Thank you so much for providing your thoughts on her. Louis' disinterest came from the fact that his marriage to Maria Theresia was a political one. He never really fell in love with her. In fact, he was in love with Mazarin's cousin when he needed to marry Marie Theresia, and was really reluctant to do so in the first place. But in the end, he made the best political choice for his country, and assured the birth of an heir.

[@beautifuldreamer3991]

Not only that, they were related as well. His disinterest may have also been instinctive. It is after all, incest.

[@helene4397]

She was too different from him.

[@CFdoinggood]

Or bedding anything that wore a skirt!

[@sardiniapiedmont]

She was short, chubby, and boring

[@ameliaflynnhayes]

She may not have always been happy with him but she did give him an heir.

[@hudiscool4186]

Excellent ! Neat and concise!

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Thank you so much for your comment, I am so glad you liked it ! Hope you'll enjoy some of my other videos as well, there might be some that peak your interest I hope.

[@amitkreiner2351]

Maria Theresa's story is so fascinating and this video is so educating. Just for knowledge, what is the name of the musical piece in the background?

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Thank you very much for taking the time to watch and comment. I had a small mishap with my laptop, so I need to look up what I used again (lost the file unfortunately). I will find out and will let you know asap.

[@ulrikjensen6841]

J.S.Bach: Double concerto d-minor for oboe, violin and orchestra (also in c-minor)

[@Lafleurbrioche]

The fact that the king was expected to have a mistress but that a lot of people still found it hypocritical and wrong is fascinating to me. Like, the wife still feels betrayed. I know some queens were “prepped” about this but it still hurt. Such a backwards concept.

[@TheKingsofFrance]

A king indeed was expected to have mistresses to prove his virility. Odd for sure, but that's just the way it was back then...

[@EmilyGloeggler7984]

@@TheKingsofFrance Not all kings or emperors had to be.

[@soniatapia7374]

Always look forward to watching your videos! Everything about European History kings Queens Monarchy castles crowns …I, find it all so Intriguing fascinating and educational! Thank you !

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Thanks so much Sonia, I appreciate your comment !

[@tijanapopovic1324]

Beautiful content👏👏👏

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Thank you so much Tijana, I really appreciate you being here !

[@esterherschkovich6499]

Merci beaucoup. Interesting.

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Merci for watching and commenting !

[@zamorapakalolo1389]

I've been watching the Netflix show, Versailles and they pretty much butchered their character. So disappointing how they use drama in place of historical facts.

[@TheKingsofFrance]

It's not the only TV show that really takes a LOT of liberty with the line between reality and fiction. But, for what it's worth, it brought a lot of interest to the House of Bourbon so at least for that it served a purpose. Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@patricialong5767]

It sounds like she had a very difficult life, even as a royal. Poor thing!

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Yes, being a royal female wasn't easy... Thank you for watching Patricia !

[@BluePenguin200]

What is your native language? If it is not french?:) Dutch?

[@TheKingsofFrance]

it is dutch. Thank you for watching !

[@kimm.8800]

She was a poor thing. She was just like people at this time period expected the ideal woman to be: pious, humble, dutiful and loyal to an unfaithful husband. In short, she was a poor thing. She should have cheated.

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Thank you for watching and commenting Kim !

[@plamenivanov92]

My favorite princesses: 1Mihrimah Sultan 2 Maria Anna of Austria 3 Isabella of Parma 4 Victoria Eugenia 5 Xenia Godunova 6 Madame Premiere and 7 Milica of Serbia

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Thank you for sharing that with us ! Happy New Year !

[@judidoyle5060]

I had read that due to the inbreeding she was rather delayed mentally. I'd be interested to know if that is true, or was she simply very naive and uneducated? An excellent video!

[@TheKingsofFrance]

As far as I know, she was merely ill educated. Her mother was Elisabeth of France, whereas her half brother Charles II's mother was a Habsburg, just like his father was. Therefore the genetic deformities within Charles II were much more severe than those of Maria Theresa. Thank you for watching and being here !

[@maryammon3941]

est-ce que vous feriez une vidéo en français?

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Je suis désolé... mon français n'est pas assez bon. Merci d'avoir regardé.

[@maryammon3941]

@@TheKingsofFrance no worries! 😁

[@sauvageaux]

❤

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Thank you so much for watching and commenting !

[@elisebrodeur-jacobs5215]

Versailles was based on the Sun King, but is it historically accurate? In particular, did Maria Theresia give birth to a mixed race baby?

[@TheKingsofFrance]

No she did not. Infidelity by a queen was unthinkable. Keep in mind that Louis was an absolute ruler, and Maria Theresa was subjected to his every whim. In reality, she wasn't very pretty, and a very pious individual. She most certainly did not have a child out of wedlock.

[@unknownuser_99]

It is said that one of her babies came out a dark purple or brown colour because it had been strangled by the umbilical chord.

[@gregoryjones9546]

I Wouldn't Believe That Either. Back In The Day,Infidelity By A Queen Would Equal A DEATH SENTENCE!!! Kings Could Have As Many Mistresses As They Wanted,But Queens Were To Remain Loyal To The Husbands,Obedient,Faithful And Bear Them Heirs!!!

[@2007CamryToyota]

@@gregoryjones9546 You should search for Maria Luisa of Parma, a spanish queen who had many known affairs with other men (although some rumors were exaggerated) .It is true that infidelity was more severe for women, but it didn't mean that it was always the case.

[@gregoryjones9546]

@@2007CamryToyota I Sure Will,Her Story Sounds Fascinating!!!

[@zathanian]

Maria Therese, Henrietta of England, and Lous XIV were all first cousins

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@dominickkleinmeyer7009]

💗💗💗💗💗

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Thank you for watching once again Dominick, I hope you'll have a great day !

[@iparipaitegianiparipaitegi4643]

She never properly spoke french, which was a huge problem at the french court. Hopefully Louis spoke spanish (his mother was a Spaniard)

[@chieromancer]

Watch the movie "Vatel" for a taste of this time in history.

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Thank you for your suggestion ! I will !

[@ericspencer8093]

Vatel is almost entirely fiction that bares little resemblance to its historical time-period. It's entertaining film, but that's its only value.

[@chieromancer]

@@ericspencer8093 It's not a bio-pic, that is true. But the Royals were real. Plus it's a beautiful film.

[@latifamiah5742]

I feel very bad for her :(

[@TheKingsofFrance]

As always, thank you !

[@latifamiah5742]

@@TheKingsofFrance As always your welcome

[@justbdsd4569]

sad, he didn't deserve her

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Agreed.

[@dustin628]

The Spanish lobbed a genetic time bomb on their rivals the French.

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@dipanwitadasgupta5221]

What boggles the mind is the degree of intermarrying & incestous realities!!!😱😶

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Thank you for watching and commenting !

[@maidaerdenhout]

Both are Habsburgs ......

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Thank you for watching !

[@reniasva]

She's been desribed as very religious, simple and sometimes even as flat out stupid.When I watched the TV series "Versailles" I was baffled by her depiction. She apparently loved hot chocolate, sweets of all sorts and clowns. I think of her as a very basic and nice mom-like type. Elisabeth von der Pfalz describes her as naive and too nice for her own good. When she died Louis famously said "Alas, this was the first chagrin she has ever given to me!" and that pretty much sums up her life: simple, charming and uninteresting.

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Yes, Versailles completely dropped the ball when casting her. But it's probably a bit of hollywood stereotype casting, we can't have ugly women on tv...

[@reniasva]

@@TheKingsofFrance Which is weird, bc we actually have a lot of less attractive people on TV. I think they tried to make her more of a competition to La Vallière and Montespan. Marie Thérèse was actually a little blonde Austrian chubby kinda woman.

[@TheKingsofFrance]

@@reniasva Well the whole series did have a serious 'sex, drugs and rock 'n roll' vibe in a Baroque setting imo so maybe they just didn't really see a little chubby chocolate eating dummy as being very appealing to the audience lol.

[@reniasva]

@@TheKingsofFrance True dat! *lol* I think WE should make a movie about the subject. Did you see "The death of Louis XIV"?

[@TheKingsofFrance]

@@reniasva Yes, and I loved it. Although I couldn’t find a subtitled version so I had to brush off my French. The actor playing Louis was very convincing.

[@reinadegrillos]

Teresa!

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Thank you for commenting and watching.

[@d.l.l.6578]

Louis XIV was forced to marry her. She was a dull, boring, dumb dolt with no personality. He was madly in love with Marie Mancini and they had to be torn from each other’s arms. He had to marry someone of his own royal level. He never loved the queen, but he had to put up with her. So he immersed himself in his mistresses and partying.

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Thank you for watching and commenting !

[@barrymoore4470]

I perceive her as being naive rather than stupid. She had a retiring and pious personality, not well fitted for the worldly, clever French court of the time. That she never became fluent in the language of her adopted country could not have helped her standing among the courtiers, other than the respect that was her due as Queen.

[@isaiasramosgarcia9771]

no era guapa, ni lista, ni fue feliz

[@TheKingsofFrance]

Thank you for watching and commenting. Indeed she did not live a happy life…