26 Facts About Elisabeth Farnese

Elisabeth Farnese was Queen of Spain by marriage to King Philip V She was the de facto ruler of Spain from 1714 until 1746, since she managed the affairs of state with the approval of her spouse.

Elisabeth Farnese is particularly known for her great influence over Spain's foreign policy.

Elisabeth Farnese had a difficult relationship with her mother, but was reportedly deeply devoted to her uncle-stepfather.

Elisabeth Farnese could speak and write Latin, French, and German and was schooled in rhetoric, philosophy, geography and history, but, reportedly, she found no interest in her studies and lacked intellectual interests.

Elisabeth Farnese was a better student within dance, studied painting under Pietro Antonio Avanzini and enjoyed music and embroidery.

Elisabeth Farnese was a natural choice for Philip V because of the traditional Spanish interests in Italian provinces, and she was the heir of the Parmesan throne.

The Parmese ambassador convinced the all-powerful Princess des Ursins to give her crucial consent to the marriage by convincing her that Elisabeth Farnese was a simple-minded person, accustomed to nothing but needlework and embroidery and easy to control and dominate as a replacement for the previous, cooperative queen consort.

The princess had sent out spies who reported that Elisabeth Farnese was in fact not at all a timid person who would be easy to control.

Elisabeth Farnese received des Ursins and asked to speak with her privately.

Elisabeth Farnese enjoyed hunting and wore male riding attire while doing so.

Elisabeth Farnese was described as an excellent shot and rider, and often hunted with the king.

Elisabeth Farnese spent extravagantly, on both herself and her confidants.

Elisabeth Farnese respected her chief lady-in-waiting, Countess de Altamira, who managed her ladies-in-waiting very strictly.

Elisabeth Farnese was unpopular among the Spanish nobility for the decline of formal Spanish etiquette court life, and pamphlets of the "Spanish party" typically accused her of keeping the king in slavery, benefiting foreigners and trying to murder her step-sons.

Elisabeth Farnese was therefore present at all government meetings from the start, and while she initially sat by the side embroidering, she soon participated more and more and eventually speaking for her spouse while he sat quiet.

Also in 1724, Elisabeth Farnese acquired the San Ildefonso Group for him from the Odescalchi family.

Queen Elisabeth Farnese was uninterested in domestic policy and preferred foreign policy, where her goal was to enforce the Spanish presence in the Italian states, combined with her ambition for her own sons, who were initially not expected to succeed in Spain because of her step-sons.

Elisabeth Farnese's influence was exerted altogether in support of Alberoni's policy, one chief aim of which was to recover the ancient Italian possessions of Spain, and which actually resulted in the seizure of Sardinia and Sicily.

Elisabeth Farnese settled with a court of supporters in a rented mansion in Madrid, and demanded to be kept informed of government policy and openly criticized the new monarchs.

Elisabeth Farnese hosted grand receptions where she welcomed foreign diplomats and encouraged the criticism of the opposition toward her step-son.

The last time Elisabeth Farnese was involved in politics was after the death of her step-son Ferdinand VI in 1759.

Elisabeth Farnese was then made interim regent of Spain from the death of Ferdinand VI in 1759 until the arrival of her son Charles III in 1760.

Elisabeth Farnese later spent much of her time at the palaces of La Granja and Aranjuez.

Elisabeth Farnese was a patron of the Royal Glass Factory at La Granja.

Elisabeth Farnese died at Aranjuez in 1766 at the age of 73.

Elisabeth Farnese was buried next to her husband in the Colegiata of San Ildefonso.