Maria de las Mercedes of Orléans, Queen of Spain

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Maria de las Mercedes of Orléans, Queen of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

The first wife of King Alfonso XII of Spain, Maria de las Mercedes of Orléans, was born at the Royal Palace of Madrid on June 24, 1860. She is one of only three queens consort of Spain born in Spain. The other two are Archduchess Anna of Austria (born in Badajoz, Spain), fourth wife of King Philip II and Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano (born in Oviedo, Asturias, Spain), wife of King Felipe VI. Known as Mercedes, the princess was the seventh of the ten children of Antoine of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier (son of King Louis Philippe of France) and Infanta Luisa Fernanda of Spain (daughter of King Ferdinand VII of Spain). Mercedes was both a French princess and a Spanish Infanta. Her maternal aunt Queen Isabella II of Spain and Isabella’s husband Francisco, Duke of Cadiz and King Consort of Spain were her godparents. At her baptism, Mercedes was given a very long name: María de las Mercedes Isabel Francisca de Asís Antonia Luisa Fernanda Felipa Amalia Cristina Francisca de Paula Ramona Rita Cayetana Manuela Juana Josefa Joaquina Ana Rafaela Filomena Teresa Santísima Trinidad Gaspara Melchora Baltasara et omni sancti.

Mercedes had nine siblings:

  • Maria Isabel (1848–1919), married her first cousin Philippe, Comte de Paris, had issue
  • Maria Amelia (1851–70), unmarried
  • Maria Cristina (1852–79), unmarried
  • Maria de la Regla (1856–61), died young
  • Fernando (1859–73), died young
  • Felipe Raimundo Maria (1862–64), died young
  • Antonio, Duke of Galliera (1866–1930), married his first cousin Infanta Eulalia of Spain, had issue
  • Luís (1888–1945), married Marie Charlotte Say, no issue
  • Luis Maria Felipe Antonio (1867–74), died young

Infanta Luisa Fernanda and Antoine, Duke of Montpensier with four of their children circa 1860; Credit – Wikipedia

Mercedes spent the first eight years of her childhood in Spain, but her family was forced into exile in 1868 when her maternal aunt Queen Isabella II was deposed. When the Spanish monarchy was restored in 1874 and Queen Isabella’s son Alfonso became king, Mercedes and her family returned to Spain and lived in the Palace of San Telmo in Seville, Spain.

Mercedes in 1874; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

In 1872, Mercedes and her first cousin Alfonso, son of Queen Isabella II, started a romance. Queen Isabella II opposed the match because of confrontations with Mercedes’ father. The Spanish government preferred that the young King Alfonso XII marry some other European princess. One of the marriage candidates was Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom, the youngest daughter of Queen Victoria. Nevertheless, Alfonso and Mercedes married on January 23, 1878, at the Royal Basilica of Our Lady of Atocha in Madrid, Spain. At age 17, Mercedes was the youngest Queen Consort of Spain.

Alfonso and Mercedes; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Mercedes in her wedding dress; Credit – Wikipedia

In June 1878, it was announced that Mercedes was pregnant and the country rejoiced. However, the joy was short-lived as Mercedes suffered a miscarriage. Shortly after the miscarriage, Mercedes became suddenly ill. Within hours, she was at death’s door with typhoid fever. Mercedes died two days after her 18th birthday, on June 26, 1878, at her birthplace, the Royal Palace of Madrid. She was buried in the Pantheon of Infantes at the Monastery of El Escorial as she could not be buried in the Pantheon of Kings because she was not a mother of a king. On November 8, 2000, Mercedes’ remains were re-interred at the Cathedral of Santa María la Real de La Almudena in Madrid, Spain. Despite her short time as Queen Consort, Mercedes had been a driving force for the construction of the cathedral. In 2004, King Felipe VI and Letizia Ortiz Roscalano were married at the Almudena Cathedral.

Mercedes of Spain tomb

Tomb of Queen Mercedes in Almudena Cathedral; Photo Credit – www.findagrave.com

Inscription on the tomb; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

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