Marie-Josèphe of Saxony
Encyclopedia
Maria Josepha of Saxony was a Duchess of Saxony
and the Dauphine of France. She became Dauphine at the age of fifteen through her marriage to Louis de France, the son and heir of Louis XV
. Marie Josèphe was the mother of three kings of France, including the doomed Louis XVI
, who died under the guillotine
during the French Revolution
. Her youngest daughter, Madame Élisabeth, also was beheaded during the Revolution.
to Frederick Augustus II
, Prince-Elector
of Saxony
and King of Poland, and Maria Josepha of Austria
, the daughter of Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor
. As a daughter of the Electoral Prince, she was a Duchess in Saxony
. Her mother was a first cousin of Maria Theresa of Austria
, who in turn was the mother of Marie Antoinette
, Maria Josepha's future daughter-in-law.
Maria Josepha was the eighth of fifteen children and the fourth daughter. Her oldest sister Maria Amalia Christina
married the future Charles III of Spain
in 1738 and had a large family. Her second sister, Maria Margaretha, died in infancy; Maria Anna Sophia
became the Electress of Bavaria in 1747. Her eldest surviving brother Frederick Christian
became the Elector of Saxony in 1763 and reigned for only 74 days.
Her younger sisters Maria Christina of Saxony
and Maria Kunigunde of Saxony were Princess-abbesses of prestigious religious institutions.
. The Dauphin of France had been married to the Infanta Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain since February 1745. The couple had been very happy together and deeply in love. The Infanta, known as Marie-Thérèse-Raphaëlle in France, died on 22 July 1746 after giving birth to a daughter, the couple's only child, Princess Marie-Thérèse of France
. Ferdinand VI of Spain
, half-brother of the deceased Marie-Thérèse-Raphaëlle, had offered the Dauphin another Bourbon princess, Infanta Maria Antonietta
. Instead, Louis XV and his all-powerful mistress Madame de Pompadour
wanted to open up diplomatic channels.
The marriage between Maria Josepha and the Dauphin of France had first been suggested by Maria Josepha's uncle Maurice de Saxe, an illegitimate son of Maria Josepha's grandfather Augustus II
. Louis XV and his mistress, were convinced that the marriage would be advantageous to French foreign affairs. France and Saxony had been on opposing sides in the recent War of the Austrian Succession
and thus the marriage between the Saxon princess and the Dauphin of France would form a new alliance between the two nations.
There was one problem with the suggested bride: Maria Josepha's grandfather Augustus II had dethroned Stanisław Leszczyński (then the Duke of Lorraine). Stanisław was the father of the then Queen of France
Maria Leszczyńska. The marriage was said to have humiliated the simple-living Queen, even though the Queen and Dauphine would later get on well.
Other proposals came from Savoy in the form of Princess Eleonora of Savoy
or her sister Princess Maria Luisa of Savoy
. Both were refused.
Despite the disapproval of the Queen, the two were married on 9 February 1747, Maria Josepha of Saxony married Louis de France, Dauphin of France and Fils de France
. Her marriage to a Fils de France ("Son of France") allowed Maria Josepha the style of Royal Highness
, the right to travel and lodge wherever the king did, as well as the coveted right of dining with him in an armchair in his presence. However in practice, the Dauphine was addressed as Madame la Dauphine, the more traditional French style prevailing at Versailles till the Revolution
.
Prior to the marriage, tradition demanded that the bride wear a bracelet which had a picture of her father on it; the Queen seeing the Dauphine asked to see the bracelet. The witty Marie-Josèphe then revealing the bracelet to the Queen showed a portrait of the Queen's father. The Dauphine said that the portrait represented the fact that the Duke of Lorraine was Marie-Josèphe's grandfather by marriage. The Queen and the court were strongly impressed by the tact of this girl of 15 years. The Dauphine was also very close to her father-in-law Louis XV.
At the time of the marriage, the Dauphin was still grieving for his Spanish wife. This grief was very public on the part of the Dauphin but Marie-Josèphe was praised greatly for her conquering the heart of the Dauphin "bit by bit". Despite Marie-Josèphe being the patient wife, the Dauphin's grief worsened in April 1748 when his only child with the Infanta died at the age of two.
The Dauphin was deeply affected by the death of Marie-Thérèse, known as Madame Royale, as she was his only link to her deceased mother. Marie-Josèphe, her stepmother, later commissioned a painting (now lost) of the infant to be left over her cradle.
The new Dauphine was very grateful to Madame de Pompadour for helping arrange her marriage, and always maintained a good relationship with the royal mistress
. Although it was an arranged marriage
, Marie-Josèphe fell in love with the Dauphin.
Like her husband, Marie-Josèphe was very devout. Together with Queen Maria Leszczyńska
, she formed a counterbalance to the libertine
behaviour of her father-in-law and his court. The couple were not fond of the various entertainments held at Versailles every week, preferring to stay in their apartments which can still be seen on the ground floor of Versailles overlooking the Orangerie.
The couple's first child was a daughter, born in 1750 on the feast day of Saint Zephyrinus
and named Marie Zéphyrine. The birth of the Princess, known as Madame Royale, was greeted with much joy by her parents even though Louis XV naturally had been disappointed the child was not a male. This princess died in 1755 without being mourned; in France, a princess had to live at least five years to be formally mourned. Their second child, Louis Joseph Xavier de France
, a son born on 15 September 1751, was given the title of duc de Bourgogne
, a title traditionally given to the eldest son of the Dauphin of France. Bourgogne was the apple of his parents' eye. His talents appeared early and inspired hope for the future in the hearts of the entire court. He was adored by his older sister Marie Zéphyrine and he adored her too.
Unfortunately, the royal couple concentrated so much time and energy on this eldest son that their other children suffered from neglect. He died on 22 March 1761 at the age of nine at Versailles after having fallen from a toy horse. He started limping and a tumour began to grow on his hip. This was operated on, but he never recovered the use of his legs. He was buried at the Basilica of St Denis.
The couple's second son, Xavier de France, duc d'Aquitaine
, born in 1753, died a year later. As a result, their third son, Louis Auguste de France
, duc de Berry, born on 23 August 1754, became second in line to the French throne after his father. A strong and healthy boy, although very shy, he excelled in his studies and had a strong taste for Latin, history
, geography
, and astronomy
, and became fluent in Italian
and English
. Louis Auguste would later become King of France being orphaned at the age of 12.
Thanks to Marie-Josèphe's close relationship with the King and Dauphin, the relationship between father and son soon repaired itself. The Dauphin was at the center of the Dévots
, a group of religious-minded men who hoped to gain power when he succeeded to the throne. They were against the way of Louis XV who openly had affairs at court in blatant view of the Queen. Naturally they were not popular with Louis XV.
Her father-in-law named his loving daughter-in-law la triste Pepe; in 1754 Frederick II of Prussia
invaded her native Saxony and that started the Seven Years' War
in which France later joined. Saxony was pillaged by Frederick. Then in 1757 her mother died aged 58 in Dresden. Her father would die in 1763.
Politically reserved, she exerted herself only once, in 1762, in vain, for the preservation of the Society of Jesus
in France. The Society had been dissolved by the King on the initiative of the duc de Choiseul and Madame de Pompadour.
mourned intensely. The Queen grieved greatly.
To save her the torment of remaining with bittersweet memories of her dead husband, Louis XV allowed her to move at Versailles from the apartments she had shared with her deceased spouse into the apartments of the late Madame de Pompadour, who had died in 1764. There, he visited her more than he had in the past and discussed with her the possible wedding of her son, the new dauphin. Marie-Josèphe was not pleased with the idea of her eldest son marrying Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria
, the future Marie Antoinette. Their mothers were first cousins, and Marie Antoinette's mother had seized the inheritance of the Habsburg Empire from Marie-Josèphe's mother.
Soon, her health declined. She died on 13 March 1767 of tuberculosis
, and was buried in the royal crypt in Saint-Denis. The marriage of her son Louis Auguste with Maria Antonia was celebrated three years later.
Maria Josepha also had a stillborn son in 1748 and again in 1749. A stillborn daughter in 1752; Stillborn son in 1756. She also miscarried a son in 1762
Maria Josepha's father held the title of king of Poland. However, children of Polish kings were explicitly forbidden the use of the title of prince or princess of Poland
.
Electorate of Saxony
The Electorate of Saxony , sometimes referred to as Upper Saxony, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire. It was established when Emperor Charles IV raised the Ascanian duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg to the status of an Electorate by the Golden Bull of 1356...
and the Dauphine of France. She became Dauphine at the age of fifteen through her marriage to Louis de France, the son and heir of Louis XV
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
. Marie Josèphe was the mother of three kings of France, including the doomed Louis XVI
Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793....
, who died under the guillotine
Guillotine
The guillotine is a device used for carrying out :executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the head from the body...
during the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. Her youngest daughter, Madame Élisabeth, also was beheaded during the Revolution.
Family
Maria Josepha was born on 4 November 1731 in Dresden CastleDresden castle
Dresden Castle is one of the oldest buildings in Dresden. For almost 400 years, it has been the residence of the electors and kings of Saxony...
to Frederick Augustus II
Augustus III of Poland
Augustus III, known as the Saxon ; ; also Prince-elector Friedrich August II was the Elector of Saxony in 1733-1763, as Frederick Augustus II , King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania in 1734-1763.-Biography:Augustus was the only legitimate son of Augustus II the Strong, Imperial Prince-Elector...
, Prince-Elector
Prince-elector
The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
of Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
and King of Poland, and Maria Josepha of Austria
Maria Josepha of Austria
Maria Josepha of Austria was born an Archduchess of Austria, and from 1711 to 1713 was heiress presumptive to the Habsburg Empire...
, the daughter of Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph I , Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, King of Hungary, King of the Romans was the elder son of Emperor Leopold I and his third wife, Eleonor Magdalene of Neuburg....
. As a daughter of the Electoral Prince, she was a Duchess in Saxony
Electorate of Saxony
The Electorate of Saxony , sometimes referred to as Upper Saxony, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire. It was established when Emperor Charles IV raised the Ascanian duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg to the status of an Electorate by the Golden Bull of 1356...
. Her mother was a first cousin of Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma...
, who in turn was the mother of Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
, Maria Josepha's future daughter-in-law.
Maria Josepha was the eighth of fifteen children and the fourth daughter. Her oldest sister Maria Amalia Christina
Maria Amalia of Saxony
Maria Amalia of Saxony was a German princess from the House of Wettin and was the wife of Charles III of Spain; she was the Queen consort of Naples and Sicily from 1738 till 1759 and then Queen consort of Spain from 1759 until her death in 1760...
married the future Charles III of Spain
Charles III of Spain
Charles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...
in 1738 and had a large family. Her second sister, Maria Margaretha, died in infancy; Maria Anna Sophia
Maria Anna Sophia of Saxony
Maria Anna Sophia of Saxony was a daughter of King Augustus III of Poland and his wife Maria Josepha of Austria who became Electress of Bavaria.-Biography:...
became the Electress of Bavaria in 1747. Her eldest surviving brother Frederick Christian
Frederick Christian, Elector of Saxony
Frederick Christian, Elector of Saxony was the Prince-Elector of Saxony for less than three months in 1763...
became the Elector of Saxony in 1763 and reigned for only 74 days.
Her younger sisters Maria Christina of Saxony
Princess Maria Christina of Saxony (1735–1782)
Maria Christina of Saxony was a Princess of Saxony and later Abbess of Remiremont.-Family:...
and Maria Kunigunde of Saxony were Princess-abbesses of prestigious religious institutions.
Marriage negotiations
As noted, her oldest sister Maria Amalia had married a Spanish prince, Infante Carlos, in 1738. He was a member of the House of BourbonHouse of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
. The Dauphin of France had been married to the Infanta Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain since February 1745. The couple had been very happy together and deeply in love. The Infanta, known as Marie-Thérèse-Raphaëlle in France, died on 22 July 1746 after giving birth to a daughter, the couple's only child, Princess Marie-Thérèse of France
Princess Marie-Thérèse of France (1746–1748)
Marie Thérèse of France, fille de France was a French princess by birth. She was the second of her paternal grandparents' grandchildren after the birth of Princess Isabella of Parma .-Biography:...
. Ferdinand VI of Spain
Ferdinand VI of Spain
Ferdinand VI , called the Learnt, was King of Spain from 9 July 1746 until his death. He was the fourth son of the previous monarch Philip V and his first wife Maria Luisa of Savoy...
, half-brother of the deceased Marie-Thérèse-Raphaëlle, had offered the Dauphin another Bourbon princess, Infanta Maria Antonietta
Maria Antonietta of Spain
Maria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain was an Infanta of Spain and the youngest daughter of Philip V of Spain and Elisabeth Farnese. She was the wife of Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia whom she married in 1750...
. Instead, Louis XV and his all-powerful mistress Madame de Pompadour
Madame de Pompadour
Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour, also known as Madame de Pompadour was a member of the French court, and was the official chief mistress of Louis XV from 1745 to her death.-Biography:...
wanted to open up diplomatic channels.
The marriage between Maria Josepha and the Dauphin of France had first been suggested by Maria Josepha's uncle Maurice de Saxe, an illegitimate son of Maria Josepha's grandfather Augustus II
Augustus II the Strong
Frederick Augustus I or Augustus II the Strong was Elector of Saxony and King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania ....
. Louis XV and his mistress, were convinced that the marriage would be advantageous to French foreign affairs. France and Saxony had been on opposing sides in the recent War of the Austrian Succession
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession – including King George's War in North America, the Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins' Ear, and two of the three Silesian wars – involved most of the powers of Europe over the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the realms of the House of Habsburg.The...
and thus the marriage between the Saxon princess and the Dauphin of France would form a new alliance between the two nations.
There was one problem with the suggested bride: Maria Josepha's grandfather Augustus II had dethroned Stanisław Leszczyński (then the Duke of Lorraine). Stanisław was the father of the then Queen of France
Maria Leszczynska
Marie Leszczyńska was a queen consort of France. She was a daughter of King Stanisław Leszczyński of Poland and Catherine Opalińska. She married King Louis XV of France and was the grandmother of Louis XVI, Louis XVIII, and Charles X. In France, she was referred to as Marie Leczinska...
Maria Leszczyńska. The marriage was said to have humiliated the simple-living Queen, even though the Queen and Dauphine would later get on well.
Other proposals came from Savoy in the form of Princess Eleonora of Savoy
Princess Eleonora of Savoy
Eleonora of Savoy was a Savoyard princess, the eldest daughter of Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia and his second wife Polyxena of Hesse-Rotenburg...
or her sister Princess Maria Luisa of Savoy
Princess Maria Luisa of Savoy (1729–1767)
Maria Luisa of Savoy was a princess of Savoy. A religious woman, she died unmarried.-Biography:...
. Both were refused.
Despite the disapproval of the Queen, the two were married on 9 February 1747, Maria Josepha of Saxony married Louis de France, Dauphin of France and Fils de France
Fils de France
Fils de France was the style and rank held by the sons of the kings and dauphins of France. A daughter was known as a fille de France .The children of the dauphin, who was the king's heir apparent, were accorded the same style and status as if they were the king's children instead of his...
. Her marriage to a Fils de France ("Son of France") allowed Maria Josepha the style of Royal Highness
Royal Highness
Royal Highness is a style ; plural Royal Highnesses...
, the right to travel and lodge wherever the king did, as well as the coveted right of dining with him in an armchair in his presence. However in practice, the Dauphine was addressed as Madame la Dauphine, the more traditional French style prevailing at Versailles till the Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
.
Marie-Josèphe de Saxe
In France the Saxon princess was known as Marie-Josèphe de Saxe.Prior to the marriage, tradition demanded that the bride wear a bracelet which had a picture of her father on it; the Queen seeing the Dauphine asked to see the bracelet. The witty Marie-Josèphe then revealing the bracelet to the Queen showed a portrait of the Queen's father. The Dauphine said that the portrait represented the fact that the Duke of Lorraine was Marie-Josèphe's grandfather by marriage. The Queen and the court were strongly impressed by the tact of this girl of 15 years. The Dauphine was also very close to her father-in-law Louis XV.
At the time of the marriage, the Dauphin was still grieving for his Spanish wife. This grief was very public on the part of the Dauphin but Marie-Josèphe was praised greatly for her conquering the heart of the Dauphin "bit by bit". Despite Marie-Josèphe being the patient wife, the Dauphin's grief worsened in April 1748 when his only child with the Infanta died at the age of two.
The Dauphin was deeply affected by the death of Marie-Thérèse, known as Madame Royale, as she was his only link to her deceased mother. Marie-Josèphe, her stepmother, later commissioned a painting (now lost) of the infant to be left over her cradle.
The new Dauphine was very grateful to Madame de Pompadour for helping arrange her marriage, and always maintained a good relationship with the royal mistress
Royal mistress
A royal mistress is the historical position of a mistress to a monarch or senior Royal. Some mistresses have had considerable power. The prevalence of the institution can be attributed to the fact that royal marriages were until recent times conducted solely on the basis of political and dynastic...
. Although it was an arranged marriage
Arranged marriage
An arranged marriage is a practice in which someone other than the couple getting married makes the selection of the persons to be wed, meanwhile curtailing or avoiding the process of courtship. Such marriages had deep roots in royal and aristocratic families around the world...
, Marie-Josèphe fell in love with the Dauphin.
Like her husband, Marie-Josèphe was very devout. Together with Queen Maria Leszczyńska
Maria Leszczynska
Marie Leszczyńska was a queen consort of France. She was a daughter of King Stanisław Leszczyński of Poland and Catherine Opalińska. She married King Louis XV of France and was the grandmother of Louis XVI, Louis XVIII, and Charles X. In France, she was referred to as Marie Leczinska...
, she formed a counterbalance to the libertine
Libertine
A libertine is one devoid of most moral restraints, which are seen as unnecessary or undesirable, especially one who ignores or even spurns accepted morals and forms of behavior sanctified by the larger society. Libertines, also known as rakes, placed value on physical pleasures, meaning those...
behaviour of her father-in-law and his court. The couple were not fond of the various entertainments held at Versailles every week, preferring to stay in their apartments which can still be seen on the ground floor of Versailles overlooking the Orangerie.
The couple's first child was a daughter, born in 1750 on the feast day of Saint Zephyrinus
Pope Zephyrinus
Pope Saint Zephyrinus, born in Rome, was bishop of Rome from 199 to 217. His predecessor was bishop Victor I. Upon his death on December 20, 217, he was succeeded by his principal advisor, bishop Callixtus I.-Papacy:...
and named Marie Zéphyrine. The birth of the Princess, known as Madame Royale, was greeted with much joy by her parents even though Louis XV naturally had been disappointed the child was not a male. This princess died in 1755 without being mourned; in France, a princess had to live at least five years to be formally mourned. Their second child, Louis Joseph Xavier de France
Louis of France (1751-1761)
Louis Joseph Xavier de France, Duke of Burgundy was a French Prince du Sang of the House of Bourbon.-Life:...
, a son born on 15 September 1751, was given the title of duc de Bourgogne
Duke of Burgundy
Duke of Burgundy was a title borne by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, a small portion of traditional lands of Burgundians west of river Saône which in 843 was allotted to Charles the Bald's kingdom of West Franks...
, a title traditionally given to the eldest son of the Dauphin of France. Bourgogne was the apple of his parents' eye. His talents appeared early and inspired hope for the future in the hearts of the entire court. He was adored by his older sister Marie Zéphyrine and he adored her too.
Unfortunately, the royal couple concentrated so much time and energy on this eldest son that their other children suffered from neglect. He died on 22 March 1761 at the age of nine at Versailles after having fallen from a toy horse. He started limping and a tumour began to grow on his hip. This was operated on, but he never recovered the use of his legs. He was buried at the Basilica of St Denis.
The couple's second son, Xavier de France, duc d'Aquitaine
Duke of Aquitaine
The Duke of Aquitaine ruled the historical region of Aquitaine under the supremacy of Frankish, English and later French kings....
, born in 1753, died a year later. As a result, their third son, Louis Auguste de France
Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793....
, duc de Berry, born on 23 August 1754, became second in line to the French throne after his father. A strong and healthy boy, although very shy, he excelled in his studies and had a strong taste for Latin, history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
, and astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
, and became fluent in Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. Louis Auguste would later become King of France being orphaned at the age of 12.
Thanks to Marie-Josèphe's close relationship with the King and Dauphin, the relationship between father and son soon repaired itself. The Dauphin was at the center of the Dévots
Dévots
Dévots was the name given in France in the first half of the 17th century to a party following a Catholic policy of opposition to the Protestants inside France, and alliance with the Catholic Austrian empire abroad....
, a group of religious-minded men who hoped to gain power when he succeeded to the throne. They were against the way of Louis XV who openly had affairs at court in blatant view of the Queen. Naturally they were not popular with Louis XV.
Her father-in-law named his loving daughter-in-law la triste Pepe; in 1754 Frederick II of Prussia
Frederick II of Prussia
Frederick II was a King in Prussia and a King of Prussia from the Hohenzollern dynasty. In his role as a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, he was also Elector of Brandenburg. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel...
invaded her native Saxony and that started the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
in which France later joined. Saxony was pillaged by Frederick. Then in 1757 her mother died aged 58 in Dresden. Her father would die in 1763.
Politically reserved, she exerted herself only once, in 1762, in vain, for the preservation of the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
in France. The Society had been dissolved by the King on the initiative of the duc de Choiseul and Madame de Pompadour.
Widowhood
The death of her husband, on 20 December 1765, dealt Marie-Josèphe a devastating blow from which she never recovered, sinking into a deep depression for the rest of her life. Her sisters by marriage, Mesdames Adélaïde, Victoire, and SophiePrincess Sophie-Philippine of France
Sophie Philippine Élisabeth Justine de France, fille de France was a French princesse du sang. She was the sixth daughter and eighth child of Louis XV of France and his Queen consort Marie Leszczyńska. First known as Madame Sixième, she later became Madame Sophie.-Biography:Sophie is less well...
mourned intensely. The Queen grieved greatly.
To save her the torment of remaining with bittersweet memories of her dead husband, Louis XV allowed her to move at Versailles from the apartments she had shared with her deceased spouse into the apartments of the late Madame de Pompadour, who had died in 1764. There, he visited her more than he had in the past and discussed with her the possible wedding of her son, the new dauphin. Marie-Josèphe was not pleased with the idea of her eldest son marrying Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
, the future Marie Antoinette. Their mothers were first cousins, and Marie Antoinette's mother had seized the inheritance of the Habsburg Empire from Marie-Josèphe's mother.
Soon, her health declined. She died on 13 March 1767 of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
, and was buried in the royal crypt in Saint-Denis. The marriage of her son Louis Auguste with Maria Antonia was celebrated three years later.
Issue
| Name | | Portrait | Lifespan | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marie Zéphyrine de France Princess Marie Zéphyrine of France Marie Zéphyrine de France, fille de France was a French Princess. The daughter of the Dauphin and Dauphine, Louis and Princess Maria Josepha of Saxony.... Madame Royale |
26 August 1750 - |
Born at Versailles, she was known as Madame Royale at court; died at Versailles aged 5 | |
| Louis Joseph Xavier de France Louis of France (1751-1761) Louis Joseph Xavier de France, Duke of Burgundy was a French Prince du Sang of the House of Bourbon.-Life:... Duke of Burgundy |
 |
13 September 1751- |
Heir of the Dauphin, he died at Versailles aged 9 much to the distress of his family; |
| Xavier Marie Joseph de France Duke of Aquitaine |
 |
8 September 1753 – |
Born at the Palace of Versailles dying there aged 5 months; |
| Louis Auguste de France Louis XVI of France Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793.... King of France Duke of Berry |
23 August 1754 – |
Born at Versailles, was later husband of Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I.... and King of France; had issue; |
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| Louis Stanislas Xavier de France Louis XVIII of France Louis XVIII , known as "the Unavoidable", was King of France and of Navarre from 1814 to 1824, omitting the Hundred Days in 1815... King of France Count of Provence |
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17 November 1755 – |
Born at Versailles, he married Princess Marie Josephine Louise of Savoy and had no issue; later King of France; |
| Charles Philippe de France Charles X of France Charles X was known for most of his life as the Comte d'Artois before he reigned as King of France and of Navarre from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. A younger brother to Kings Louis XVI and Louis XVIII, he supported the latter in exile and eventually succeeded him... King of France Count of Artois |
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9 October 1757 – |
Born at Versailles, he married Princess Maria Theresa of Savoy and had issue; was later King of France; |
| Marie Adélaïde Clotilde Xavière de France Queen of Sardinia |
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23 September 1759 – |
Born at Versailles, she married the future Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia Charles Emmanuel IV was King of Sardinia from 1796 to 1802. He abdicated in favour of his brother Victor Emmanuel I... and had no issue; |
| Élisabeth Philippine Marie Hélène de France Madame Élisabeth |
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3 May 1764 – |
Born at Versailles, she never married and was executed in the French Revolution aged 30; |
Maria Josepha also had a stillborn son in 1748 and again in 1749. A stillborn daughter in 1752; Stillborn son in 1756. She also miscarried a son in 1762
Ancestry
Titles and styles
- 4 November 1731 - September, 1733 Her HighnessHighnessHighness, often used with a possessive adjective , is an attribute referring to the rank of the dynasty in an address...
Duchess Maria Josepha of Saxony - 9 February 1747 – 20 December 1765 Her Royal Highness the Dauphine of France (Madame la Dauphine [de France])
- 20 December 1765 – 13 March 1767 Her Royal Highness the Dowager Dauphine of France
Maria Josepha's father held the title of king of Poland. However, children of Polish kings were explicitly forbidden the use of the title of prince or princess of Poland
Henrician Articles
The Henrician Articles or King Henry's Articles were a permanent contract that stated the fundamental principles of governance and constitutional law in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the form of 21 Articles written and adopted by the nobility in 1573 at the town of Kamień, near Warsaw,...
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