View source for Maria Theresa of Spain

{{Short description|Queen of France from 1660 to 1683}}
{{distinguish|text = [[María Teresa Rafaela of Spain]], Dauphine of France (1726–1746)}}
{{Infobox royalty
| consort      = yes
| image        = Marie-Thérèse d'Autriche, reine de France.jpg
| image_size   = 230
| caption      = Queen Maria Theresa {{circa|1665}} by Henri and [[Charles Beaubrun]]
| succession   = [[Queen consort of France]]
| reign        = 9 June 1660 – 30 July 1683
| birth_date   = {{birth date|1638|9|10|df=y}}
| birth_place  = [[El Escorial]], [[Crown of Castile]]
| death_date   = {{death date and age|1683|7|30|1638|9|10|df=y}}
| death_place  = [[Palace of Versailles]], [[Kingdom of France]]
| burial_date  = 
| burial_place = [[Basilica of St Denis]]
| spouse       = {{marriage|[[Louis XIV]]|1660}}
| issue        = {{plainlist|
* [[Louis, Grand Dauphin]]
* [[Marie Thérèse, Madame Royale]]
* [[Philippe Charles, Duke of Anjou]]
* [[Louis François, Duke of Anjou]]}}
| issue-link   = #Issue
| issue-pipe   = more...
| full name    = {{langx|es|María Teresa de Austria y Borbón}}
| house        = [[House of Habsburg|Habsburg]]
| father       = [[Philip IV of Spain]]
| mother       = [[Elisabeth of France, Queen of Spain|Elisabeth of France]]
| signature    = Signature of Marie Thérèse d'Autriche in 1663 at the marriage of Henri Jules de Bourbon and Anne of Bavaria.jpg
}}
'''Maria Theresa of Spain''' ({{langx|es|María Teresa de Austria}}; {{langx|fr|Marie-Thérèse d'Autriche}}; 10 September 1638 &ndash; 30 July 1683) was [[Queen consort of France|Queen of France]] from 1660 to 1683 as the wife of King [[Louis XIV]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Whitfield |first=J. H. |date=June 1969 |title=La Belle Charite II: Racine, Molière and the Pastor Fido |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1179/its.1969.24.1.76 |journal=Italian Studies |language=en |volume=24 |issue=1 |pages=76–92 |doi=10.1179/its.1969.24.1.76 |issn=0075-1634|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Khan |first1=Samra Sarfraz |last2=Hussain |first2=Irum Iqbal |date=2019 |title=Matrimony and Monarchy: The Failure of Bourbon-Habsburg Matrimonial Alliance |url=https://jhss-uok.com/index.php/JHSS/article/view/93 |journal=Journal of History and Social Sciences |language=en |volume=10 |issue=2 |doi=10.22555/jhss.v10i2.93 |s2cid=216542130 |issn=2221-6804|doi-access=free }}</ref> She was born an [[Infante|Infanta of Spain and Portugal]] as the daughter of King [[Philip IV of Spain|Philip IV]] and [[Elisabeth of France, Queen of Spain|Elisabeth of France]], and was also an [[Archduke#Usage|Archduchess of Austria]] as a member of the Spanish branch of the [[House of Habsburg]].<ref>{{Citation |last=Fichtner |first=Paula Sutter |title=Creating a State |date=2003 |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-10642-1_3 |work=The Habsburg Monarchy, 1490–1848: Attributes of Empire |pages=59–88 |editor-last=Fichtner |editor-first=Paula Sutter |access-date=2023-09-18 |series=European History in Perspective |place=London |publisher=Macmillan Education UK |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-1-137-10642-1_3 |isbn=978-1-137-10642-1|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Her marriage in 1660 to King Louis XIV, her [[double first cousin]], was arranged with the purpose of ending the lengthy [[Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659)|war between France and Spain]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nevile |first=Jennifer |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zToNBu4jnXIC&dq=%22Maria+Theresa+of+Spain%22&pg=PA229 |title=Dance, Spectacle, and the Body Politick, 1250–1750 |date=2008-06-25 |publisher=Indiana University Press |isbn=978-0-253-21985-5 |language=en}}</ref> Famed for her virtue and piety, she saw five of her six children die in early childhood, and is frequently viewed as an object of pity in historical accounts of her husband's reign, since she was often neglected by the court and overshadowed by the King's many mistresses.

Without any political influence in the French court or government (except briefly in 1672, when she was named [[regent]] during her husband's absence during the [[Franco-Dutch War]], making her the last Queen of France to hold a regency),<ref name=Château>{{cite web |title=Marie-Therese d'Autriche |url=https://www.chateauversailles.fr/decouvrir/histoire/grands-personnages/marie-therese-autriche |website=Château de Versailles |access-date=25 November 2023}}</ref> she died aged 44 due to complications from an abscess on her arm. Her grandson [[Philip V of Spain|Philip V]] inherited the Spanish throne in 1700 after the death of her younger half-brother, [[Charles II of Spain|Charles II]]. The resulting [[War of the Spanish Succession]] established the [[House of Bourbon]] as the new ruling [[dynasty]] of Spain, where it has reigned with some interruption until the present time.

==Biography==
===At the Spanish court===
====Birth and early life====

[[File:Juan Bautista Martinez del Mazo 007.jpg|thumb|left|Portrait by [[Juan Bautista Martinez del Mazo]] {{circa|1645}}]]
[[Image:Diego Velázquez 030b.jpg|thumb|left|''[[Portrait of the Infanta Maria Theresa of Spain|The infanta Maria Theresa aged 14]]'' by [[Diego Velázquez]], {{circa|1653}}. Her hairstyle and dress with wide [[Pannier (clothing)|panniers]] were popular in Spain]]
Born at the [[El Escorial|Royal Monastery of El Escorial]] on 10 September 1638,<ref name=Château/> Maria Theresa was the eighth child and seventh daughter of [[Philip IV of Spain|Philip IV & III]] and his first wife [[Elisabeth of France, Queen of Spain|Elisabeth of France]].{{sfn|Anselme|1726|p=174}} As a member of the [[House of Habsburg|House of Austria]], Maria Theresa was entitled to use the title Archduchess of Austria. She was baptized on 7 October by Cardinal [[Gaspar de Borja y Velasco]], with [[Francesco I d'Este|Francesco I d'Este, Duke of Modena]] and [[Marie de Bourbon, Countess of Soissons|Marie de Bourbon, Princess of Carignan]], as godparents.

Maria Theresa was named after [[Teresa of Ávila]], who her mother Elisabeth chose to protect her youngest daughter:<ref name=":0">{{harvnb|Duclos|1869|p=6}}</ref> all her six older sisters died in infancy,{{efn|
* Maria Margaret of Austria, Infanta of Spain (14 August 1621{{spaced ndash}}15 August 1621)
* Margaret Maria Catherine of Austria, Infanta of Spain (25 November 1623{{spaced ndash}}22 December 1623)
* Maria Eugenia of Austria, Infanta of Spain (21 November 1625{{spaced ndash}}21 August 1627)
* Miscarried daughter (16 November 1626)
* Isabella Maria Theresa of Austria, Infanta of Spain (31 October 1627{{spaced ndash}}1 November 1627)
* Maria Anna Antonia Dominica Jacinta of Austria, Infanta of Spain (17 January 1636{{spaced ndash}}5 December 1636)}} with the only son and heir, [[Balthasar Charles, Prince of Asturias]] survives.<ref name=":0" /> The Queen, born a princess of France and suffering greatly from being far from her native country, described to her daughter the beauties of France. She promised her that she would marry her cousin [[Louis XIV|the Dauphin]], born only five days before her. But on 6 October 1644, Elisabeth died following complications after another miscarriage,{{sfn|Hume|1907|pages=392-393}} and left an immense void in the heart of six-years-old Maria Theresa.{{sfn|Cortequisse|1992}}

====Education and youth====
After the death of her mother, the young Infanta became closer to her father and received a strict and religious education in the sense of the Catholic [[Counter-Reformation]]. However, her education was careful and she was not deprived of affection and entertainment: she was surrounded by a multitude of pets and dwarves. It was the royal governess [[Luisa Magdalena de Jesus]] who took care of her during her early years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://dbe.rah.es/biografias/109414/luisa-enriquez-manrique-de-lara|title = Luisa Enríquez Manrique de Lara &#124; Real Academia de la Historia}}</ref>

From the age of five, Maria Theresa's religious education was first carried out by Juan de Palma,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Juan de Palma {{!}} Real Academia de la Historia |url=https://dbe.rah.es/biografias/46961/juan-de-palma |access-date=2022-04-04 |website=dbe.rah.es}}</ref> commissioner of the Indies who had been the [[confessor]] of Elizabeth of France. He was charged by Philip IV with caring for his daughter, as he had cared for the Infanta's mother. Later, Father Vasquez, a man recognised in Spain for being highly educated and of great virtue, was entrusted with Maria Theresa's spiritual education.<ref>{{harvnb|Duclos|1869|p=17}}</ref>

====Heiress to the Spanish throne====
The death of her brother Balthasar Charles, Prince of Asturias on 9 March 1646, made Maria Theresa the [[heir presumptive|heiress presumptive]] to the vast [[Spanish Empire]]. Although women were recognized as having the right to ascend the throne,{{sfn|Mitchell|2013|pages=48-50}}{{sfn|Dunlop|2000|page=352}} Philip IV feared that the absence of a male heir could cause profound unrest that could destabilize the Catholic Monarchy. He then remarried in 1649 to his niece, Archduchess [[Mariana of Austria|Maria Anna of Austria]], the union being intended to continue the matrimonial and political alliance between the Austrian and Spanish branches of the [[House of Habsburg]]. The proximity in age between Maria Theresa and her first cousin (now stepmother) fostered a deep affection and friendship between them.{{sfn|Mitchell|2013|p=381}}{{sfn|Hume|1907|p=415}}

Due to the fact that she was now his only heir, Philip IV taught the young Infanta notions of history and politics. She would once in France reveal her skills in this field, notably during her regency during the Dutch War.{{sfn|Barbiche|Poussou|Tallon|2005|pp=313–325}} Maria Theresa also accompanied her father on his official trips and played a crucial role of representation. The Infanta enjoyed great popularity in Spain, especially because she did not have the seriousness of character of her Habsburg ancestors, she knew how to be cheerful and charming like her mother, who was also very popular.<ref name="Chevé">{{cite book |last=Chevé|first=Joëlle|title=Marie-Thérèse d'Autriche, épouse de Louis XIV|publisher=Pygmalion|language=fr |isbn=978-2-85704-949-4|year=2008}}</ref>

On 12 July 1651, the new Queen gave birth to her first child, a daughter named [[Margaret Theresa of Spain|Margaret Theresa]]. Maria Theresa became her godmother and the two half-sisters remained very close, particularly through correspondence, until Margaret Theresa's death in 1673.

The birth of her half-brother [[Philip Prospero, Prince of Asturias]] on 30 November 1657 marked a turning point for Maria Theresa, who was no longer the heiress presumptive to the Spanish throne and found herself in second position.{{sfn|Orso|1989|pages=77-78}} The reaction of the young Infanta, who reportedly nearly choked on an egg with rage when she was told of the birth of the heir to the throne, seems to prove her desire to seize the Spanish crown.{{sfn|Cortequisse|1992}} From this point, the relationship between Maria Theresa and Maria Anna became strained. 

====Treaty of the Pyrenees====
After the birth of her half-brother, it was possible to find a husband for the Infanta without risking upsetting the Spanish monarchy. For the same reasons that had led her father to remarry within the House of Habsburg, Maria Theresa was for a time promised to her first cousin (and brother of her stepmother), [[Ferdinand IV, King of the Romans|Archduke Ferdinand]], elected King of the Romans, and then, upon his death, to his brother [[Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor|Archduke Leopold]], future Holy Roman Emperor. Although Maria Theresa had no real say in her own marriage, she hinted several times to her father that she was not interested in these matches and that she wanted to be Queen of France or retire to a convent.

Fortunately for her, the vagaries of politics prevented this union from coming to fruition. Indeed, the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of France had been at war since 1635. In 1658, as war with France began to wind down, a union between the royal families of Spain and France was proposed as a means to secure peace.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brown |first1=Jonathan |author-link=Jonathan Brown (art historian)
|url=https://archive.org/details/palaceforkingbue0000brow_i2z9|title=A Palace for a King: The Buen Retiro and the Court of Philip IV |date=1980 |publisher=Yale University Press |location=New Haven and London |page=197}}</ref>

Maria Theresa and the French King were double first cousins: Louis XIV's father was [[Louis XIII]], who was the brother of Maria Theresa's mother, while her father was brother to [[Anne of Austria]], Louis XIV's mother. Spanish procrastination led to a scheme in which [[Chief minister of France|France's chief minister]], [[Cardinal Mazarin]], pretended to seek a marriage for his master with [[Princess Margaret Yolande of Savoy|Margaret Yolande of Savoy]].{{sfn|Wolf|1968|p=99}} When Philip IV heard of a meeting at Lyon between the Houses of France and [[House of Savoy|Savoy]] in November 1658, he reputedly exclaimed of the Franco-Savoyard union that "it cannot be, and will not be". The Spanish King then sent a special envoy to the French court to open negotiations for peace and a royal marriage,{{sfn|Dunlop|2000|p=48}} who reportedly tell Cardinal Mazarin: "the Savoyard marriage is not worthy of the King of France, Philip IV King of Spain proposes his daughter, the Infanta Maria Theresa of Austria who has all the qualities to become the wife of Louis XIV".

The negotiations for the marriage contract were intense. Eager to prevent a union of the two countries or crowns, especially one in which Spain would be subservient to France, the diplomats sought to include a renunciation clause that would deprive Maria Theresa and her children of any rights to the Spanish succession. A marriage contract was eventually arranged in November 1659 as one of the provisions of the [[Treaty of the Pyrenees]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Lynch |first1=John |author-link=John Lynch (historian)
|title=Spain Under the Habsburgs |date=1969 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York |page=123 |isbn=978-0-631-08030-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/spainunderhabsbu0002unse/page/123 |access-date=27 November 2023}}</ref> The contract specified that Maria Theresa was to renounce all claims to Spanish territory for herself and all her descendants.{{sfn|Wolf|1968|p=117}} Mazarin and [[Hugues de Lionne|Lionne]], however, made the renunciation conditional on the full payment of a Spanish dowry of 500,000 [[écu]]s.{{sfn|Dunlop|2000|p=54}} As it turned out, Spain, impoverished and bankrupt after decades of war, was unable to pay such a dowry, and France (who never received the agreed upon sum),{{sfn|Wolf|1968|p=117}} therefore considered that Maria Theresa still had her rights of succession to the Spanish throne, which caused the [[War of Devolution]] (1667-1668).

====Marriage====
[[Image:Traite-Pyrenees.jpg|thumb|[[Meeting on the Isle of Pheasants]], June 1660; Maria Theresa is handed over to the French and her husband by proxy, [[Louis XIV]]]]
On 2 June 1660, Maria Theresa was [[Proxy marriage|married by proxy]] to Louis XIV at [[Hondarribia|Fuenterrabia]].{{sfn|Wolf|1968|p=121}} [[Luis Méndez de Haro]] acted as bridegroom.{{sfn|Dunlop|2000|p=55}} On 7 June her father and the entire Spanish court accompanied her to the [[Isle of Pheasants]] on the border in the [[Bidassoa]] river, that serves as the border between France and Spain. There she [[meeting on the Isle of Pheasants|met her husband for the first time]], as well as the French royal family and court, who greatly liked her.{{sfn|Dunlop|2000|p=57}}

Maria Theresa then said goodbye to her father, both knowing that they would never see each other again; their farewells were heartbreaking. So much so that Louis  XIV and his brother Philip of Orléans also shed a few tears. But Philip IV insisted to his daughter that she was now French, saying: "You must forget that you were an infanta and remember only that you are Queen of France".<ref name="histoire">{{cite web |language=fr|title=Marie-Thérèse d'Autriche, la reine effacée |url=https://www.histoire-et-secrets.com/marie-therese-dautriche-la-reine-effacee/|website=Histoire et Secrets |date=April 4, 2019 |access-date=October 24, 2024}}</ref>

The marriage of Louis XIV and Maria Theresa of Austria took place on 9 June 1660 at the recently rebuilt church of Saint Jean the Baptist in [[Saint-Jean-de-Luz]],{{sfn|Wolf|1968|p=123}} a town near the border between Spain and France where she stayed at the [[:fr:Maison de l'Infante|Joanoenia house]], now called the "House of the Infanta"). While the French King wanted to [[consummation|consummate]] the marriage as quickly as possible,{{sfn|Wolf|1968|p=124}}{{sfn|Dunlop|2000|p=58}} Maria Theresa initially expressed her hesitations to her mother-in-law [[Anne of Austria]] about the idea of sleeping with her husband immediately. But after the couple arrived at their intended house, the bride announced that the King was waiting for her and, already half undressed, she urged her ladies-in-waiting to finish undressing her. The next morning, both spouses seemed completely satisfied.

Later, after her marriage, Maria Theresa was asked one day if she had felt any girlish inclinations while she was still in Spain. "But no, of course not," she answered candidly, "there was only one King and he was my father!".

===At the French court===
====Arrival in Paris====
[[File:Oil on canvas portrait of Marie Thérèse of Austria (1638-1683) wearing the fleur-de-lis robes as Queen of France.jpg|thumb|Queen Maria Theresa, attributed to [[Charles Beaubrun]], {{circa|1660–1661}}]]
[[File:Anne of Austria with the Dauphin and Queen Marie Thérèse.jpg|thumb|Two queens of France: [[Anne of Austria]] with her niece and daughter-in-law, Maria Theresa, and the latter's son [[Louis, Dauphin of France (1661–1711)|Louis, the Great Dauphin]], attributed to [[Simon Renard de St. André]], 1665]]
[[File:Queen Marie Thérèse and her son the Dauphin of France, dated circa 1663 by Charles Beaubrun.jpg|thumb|Queen Marie Thérèse and her son the Dauphin of France in [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth|Polish]] costumes, dated {{circa|1663}} by [[Charles Beaubrun]]]]
On 26 August 1660, the newlyweds made the traditional [[Joyous Entry]] into Paris,{{sfn|Anselme|1726|p=157}}{{sfn|Dunlop|2000|p=63}} where the Queen was greeted by the nobility, ecclesiastical dignitaries and professors from the [[University of Paris|Sorbonne]]. The royal couple were acclaimed in front of hundreds of thousands of spectators who had come to attend the ceremony. Maria Theresa made a very good impression both by her appearance and by her character. Once installed at the court of France, at the time located at the [[Louvre]], her mother-in-law (and paternal aunt), [[Anne of Austria]] took her under her wing. Maria Theresa learned with her the duties of the Queen, the customs of the country as well as the French language. She would attain a good command of French, but would retain a strong Spanish accent until the end of her life.

The Queen Mother, Anne of Austria, cared for the young Queen as if she were her own daughter and tried to protect her from court intrigues. A close and mutual friendship developed. Maria Theresa often retreated to her mother-in-law's circle, where she could speak Spanish and drink hot chocolate, away from the prying eyes of the court. Together, they prayed, did charitable works, made donations to the poor, and visited monasteries and churches. Some courtiers criticized Anne of being too protective of Maria Theresa and thus developing her natural inclination toward withdrawal.{{sfn|Duclos|1869|p=17}}

The first time the Queen saw the [[Palace of Versailles]] was on 25 October 1660. It was then only a modest royal residence that had once been Louis XIII's hunting lodge, not far from [[Paris]]. At this time, as during the first months of the marriage, Louis XIV was highly affectionate and attentive to his wife, reportedly commanding the ''Grand Maréchal du Logis'' that "the Queen and himself were never to be set apart, no matter how small the house in which they might be lodging".{{sfn|Dunlop|2000|p=59}} However, his devotion was short-lived and he promptly began pursuing [[Louise de La Vallière]].{{sfn|Dunlop|2000|pages=79-80}} In addition, Maria Theresa had difficulty getting used to the French court, whose etiquette was very different from that of Madrid —where courtiers were not even allowed to touch her dress—, and often found difficult to understand French pleasures and humor.{{sfn|Wolf|1968|p=286}} Embarrassed by this new proximity, the young Queen had difficulty finding her place there and willingly withdrew to her apartments with her circle of intimates. {{sfn|Bertière|1999|p=323}} She clung to her aunt, the Queen Mother Anne of Austria, whom she affectionately referred to as “''tia''”.{{sfn|Wolf|1968|p=287}} Religiously devout, Maria Theresa enjoyed long masses and the celebration of traditional Spanish fêtes.{{sfn|Wolf|1968|p=288}} Outside of praying, she spent much of her free time playing cards and gambling.{{sfn|Wolf|1968|p=289}}{{sfn|Prince of Greece|1983|p=101}} Maria Theresa played little part in political affairs, although she briefly acted as [[regent]] in 1667 while her husband was away on campaigns on the frontier.{{sfn|Dunlop|2000|pages=153-154}}

====Birth of the Dauphin and first rivalries====
At the beginning of 1661, the Queen's first pregnancy was announced, to the great joy of the court and the city.{{sfn|Dunlop|2000|p=69}} The Queen then remained in bed most of the time and traveled exclusively in a sedan chair so as not to harm the royal child. The young Queen was afraid of dying like her mother, who had died following a miscarriage.<ref name="plume">{{cite web |lang=fr|title=Lien du sang: le drame de Louis XIV et Marie-Thérèse - |url=https://plume-dhistoire.fr/lien-du-sang-le-drame-de-louis-xiv-et-marie-therese/ |date=September 2, 2017|access-date=November 2, 2024}}</ref>

While the Queen was carrying her pregnancy to term, the King's brother, [[Philippe I, Duke of Orléans]], married a cousin, [[Henrietta of England|Princess Henrietta of England]]. The young, skinny exile of the 1650s had become a pretty and witty young woman, and everyone knew that her husband was not very attracted to women. From the summer of 1661, Louis XIV had a relationship that caused gossip with his sister-in-law and cousin who, to cut short the gossip and avoid incurring the wrath of the queen mother, suggested to the King that he court one of her maids of honour: Louise de La Vallière. The King took to the game and fell in love with the young girl whose shyness was matched only by her sincerity. At first, an attempt was made to hide Louis XIV's infidelities from Maria Theresa, in order to avoid an argument that could harm the unborn royal child. But suspecting that something was going on, the Queen managed to get one of her ladies-in-waiting to confess by asking a number of questions. She then complained to Anne of Austria, who intervened with the King, without success.{{sfn|Cortequisse|1992}}

On 1 November 1661, Maria Theresa gave birth to the long-awaited [[Dauphin of France|Dauphin]], [[Louis, Grand Dauphin|Louis of France]], fulfilling her primary duty as Queen.{{sfn|Dunlop|2000|page=80}} The birth was difficult and people even feared the worst for the Queen. Louis XIV assisted her throughout, as he would for her later births.{{sfn|Prince of Greece|1983|p=113}} He was very afraid for his wife's life and Madame de Motteville wrote: "While she was in great pain, the King seemed so afflicted and so deeply filled with pain that he left no room for doubt that the love he had for her was no more in his heart than in that of others".<ref name="plume"/> Maria Theresa's half-brother, Philip Prospero, Prince of Asturias, died the same day, leaving her again as heiress presumptive of the Spanish throne.{{sfn|Orso|1989|p=79}} But fortunately for the Catholic Monarchy, five days later (6 November 1661) Queen Maria Anna of Spain gave birth to another son, [[Charles II of Spain|Charles]]. However, the new heir was deformed and sickly.

After giving birth, Maria Theresa was very saddened by the flourishing relationship between her husband and Louise de La Vallière. The King initially attempted to keep his constant infidelity hidden,{{sfn|Prince of Greece|1983|p=121}} but became more overt as time progressed.{{sfn|Prince of Greece|1983|p=136}} Maria Theresa spent a lot of her time crying but tried to keep a good face by participating in balls and shows, despite her great shyness. The Queen would also show a keen interest in comedy, particularly Spanish comedy. To please her, the King would have it performed quite frequently.<ref name="Chevé"/>

The benevolent and intensely devoted Maria Theresa spent much of her time caring for the sick, the poor and the disinherited. She regularly visited the hospital at [[Saint-Germain-en-Laye]], and even relieved the "poor shameful" by secretly granting dowries to the daughters of the poor nobility. Despite her great piety, Maria Theresa did not neglect her role as queen; she was also the last Queen of France to lead the monarchical parade.{{sfn|Cortequisse|1992}}

Maria Theresa gives birth on 18 November 1662 a second child, a daughter named Anne-Élisabeth of France after her two grandmothers. Born sickly, the little princess died one month later, on 30 December, to the consternation of the royal family. This was the beginning of a string of children that would die in infancy.

====A difficult cohabitation====
[[File:Anne of Austria with Queen Marie Thérèse by André Simon Renard de Saint.jpg|thumb|left|Anne of Austria with Maria Theresa by André Simon Renard de Saint, 1664]]
Louis XIV continued his extramarital affairs, and Maria Theresa did not want to sit idly by. She then used her ladies-in-waiting, particularly her Spanish servants, to spy on her husband and thus find out how he went about visiting his mistresses (indeed, the King hid his adulterous relationships so as not to shock his mother Anne of Austria). Maria Theresa's ''[[Première dame d'honneur]]'', [[Suzanne de Navailles]], then tried to prevent the King from accessing the bedroom of his conquests, even going so far as to place bars on the secret entrances to the bedrooms. Louis XIV became furious and banished her from the court, despite the strong protests of Maria Theresa and Anne of Austria.{{sfn|Cortequisse|1992}}

The first construction campaign of the Palace of Versailles (1664–1668) began with ''[[The Pleasures of the Enchanted Island]]'' of 1664, a week-long celebration at Versailles held officially in honor of the two Queens of France, the mother and wife of Louis XIV. In reality, the festivities were dedicated to Louise de La Vallière. During the festivities, Maria Theresa would venture into acting for the first time.

On 17 September 1665, Philip IV of Spain died, leaving the throne to his son Charles II. Maria Theresa approved of Louis XIV's actions (who claimed a share of the Spanish inheritance in the [[War of Devolution]]) and did not seem concerned that France was waging war against native country of Maria Theresa.

The death of Anne of Austria on 20 January 1666 was a major blow for Maria Theresa; she lost an important supporter at court. Indeed, when there was a dispute within the royal couple, the Queen Mother often took the side of her niece and daughter-in-law.

Maria Theresa suffered greatly from the King's adulteries. After the death of Anne of Austria, Louis XIV no longer wanted to take the trouble to hide his affairs from the Queen. All the more so since the King had fallen under the spell of [[Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart, Marquise de Montespan|Madame de Montespan]] in the autumn of 1666. Her pride, arrogance and lively mind contrasted with his first mistress, the sensitive Louise de La Vallière, who took care to avoid hurting the Queen. Maria Theresa could not resist the new favourite for long and had to slip away after a few outbursts of anger.{{sfn|Prince of Greece|1983|pages=166-167}} Although Louis XIV reprimanded Madame de Montespan when her behaviour at court too flagrantly disrespected the Queen's position,{{sfn|Prince of Greece|1983|p=193}} yet often displayed a level of indulgence toward her that surpassed his treatment of the queen.{{sfn|Prince of Greece|1983|page=186}}

A period of cohabitation then began between the Queen and the two favorites. Louis XIV forced Maria Theresa to take Louise de La Vallière and Madame de Montespan as ladies-in-waiting. In addition, he traveled openly with his wife and his two mistresses. Faced with this spectacle, the people murmured, mockingly or distressed: "The King is taking the three Queens for a walk". Maria Theresa then used the privileges due to her rank to make life difficult for her rivals.

Maria Theresa also suffered from the successive legitimations of her husband's natural children, which overshadowed her son the [[Louis, Grand Dauphin|Dauphin]]. The Queen made numerous reproaches to her husband on his conduct, but it all was in vain.

====Resignation and Regency====
The night of 1 March 1672 at around 10 p.m., the Queen found her only surviving daughter, [[Marie Thérèse, Madame Royale|Marie-Thérèse of France]], born five years earlier, covered in sweat. The little princess died shortly after in her arms, taken by tuberculosis. Her parents had great hope and saw in her a future Queen of Spain. Deeply affected by the death of their daughter, the Queen turned even more towards religion while the King decreed mourning throughout the kingdom.{{sfn|Cortequisse|1992}}

During the [[Franco-Dutch War]] in 1672, Louis XIV entrusted his wife with the reins of power. During the regency, Maria Theresa received the King's letters, who kept her informed of the advancement of the troops and she then transmitted the news to the ministers. She assumed the function of supreme administrator of state finances, could raise troops and received ambassadors and correspondence from foreign monarchs. The Queen also presided over the council of ministers.

Her contemporaries were astonished by the Queen's diligence during the regency. [[Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet]] would say: "This regency did not last long but served to prove the Queen's ability in business, and all the confidence that the King had in her".<ref name="Chevé"/>

During her regency, Maria Theresa gave birth on 14 June 1672 to her sixth and last child, [[Louis François, Duke of Anjou|Louis-François of France]], created at birth [[Counts and dukes of Anjou|Duke of Anjou]], who would die prematurely only four months later. In 1675 the Queen would suffer a miscarriage which would render her sterile because no more pregnancies would occur, despite the continuity of her marital life with Louis XIV.
[[File:Louise-Adelaide Desnos - A royal meeting, 1838.jpg|thumb|right|''Maria Theresa of Austria forgives Louise de la Vallière'', by [[Louise Adélaïde Desnos]] 1838]]
In 1673, a suspicious letter from a lady-in-waiting of the Queen was sent to the [[Regent of Spain]], Maria Anna of Austria, while the two countries were at war. Louis XIV, furious, decided to send away the entire Spanish retinue of the Queen. The latter was the first to be stunned and assured that she had not known about the letter. The King, knowing the character of his wife and her attachment to the interests of her adopted country, believed her. But Maria Theresa stood up to Louis  XIV and asked to keep one of her Spanish ladies, Felipa Abarca; she was her illegitimate half-sister, daughter of Philip IV, born from one of his several affairs and who was married to a Frenchman. Thanks to the unexpected support of Madame de Montespan, this lady was able to stay.<ref name="histoire"/>

In 1674, to the great astonishment of the court, [[Louise de La Vallière]], her husband's first favourite, converted and repented, publicly asked for Maria Theresa's forgiveness before retiring to the [[:fr:Couvent des Carmélites du faubourg Saint-Jacques|Carmelite convent in the Faubourg Saint-Jacques]]. The Queen, with a truly Christian [[Mercy]], granted her forgiveness. She would often visit ''Sister Louise de la Miséricorde'' thereafter.

Maria Theresa's jealousy of her husband's favourites gradually gave way to resignation and she ended up withdrawing into herself. She bore her fate with dignity and made no further scenes for her husband, who continued to do her all the honours due to his position and ensured that Madame de Montespan did not disrespect him. The Queen then took refuge in religion and increasingly went to the Carmelite convent of Sainte-Thérèse, [[:fr:Rue du Bouloi|rue du Bouloi]], which she had founded in 1664.<ref>{{cite web |lang=fr |title=Visite de la chapelle du Carmel de Créteil |url=https://ville-data.com/que-faire/agenda/Visite-de-la-chapelle-du-Carmel-de-Creteil/Creteil/94-144029-94028|website=ville-data.com |access-date=2024-12-21}}</ref>

====Regain of favor====
[[File:Anonymous - Marie Thérèse of Austria, Queen of France - Carnavalet P 2142.jpg|thumb|left|Queen Maria Theresa, {{circa|1680}}. [[Musée Carnavalet]]]]
The [[Affair of the Poisons]] broke out in 1679 and Madame de Montespan and other women of the high nobility were worried. Rumours said that royal mistress had participated in black masses and that she had tried to take the life of the king. The ''[[Chambre Ardente]]'' was created and the affair was hushed up. To the great relief of Maria Theresa, Madame de Montespan gradually fell from grace after more than ten years of informal rule.

The same year, the Queen, given her correspondence, will play a diplomatic role in the context of the marriage of her niece Marie-Louise of Orléans with her half-brother King Charles II of Spain.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lurgo|first=Elisabetta |title=Marie-Louise d'Orléans - La Princesse Oubliée, Nièce De Louis XIV|year=2021|publisher=Perrin|isbn=978-2-26208-210-9|language=fr}}</ref>

On 7 March 1680, the King hastily married the Dauphin to [[Maria Anna Victoria of Bavaria]]. Louis XIV did not tell his wife about it, because he was in love with another woman. Maria Theresa was upset because she wanted to marry her son with Archduchess [[Maria Antonia of Austria]], only surviving daughter of her half-sister, Empress Margaret Theresa. The Queen felt a certain jealousy towards her daughter-in-law, especially since she found that the festivities given for her wedding were less grandiose than those that had been done for the Dauphine.<ref name="histoire"/> But over time the Queen would become closer to the Dauphine.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Cortequisse|first=Bruno|title=Les dauphines de France au temps des Bourbons|year=2023|publisher=Perrin|isbn=978-2-262-09676-2|oclc=1369646008|language=fr}}</ref>

The governess of Madame of Montespan's illegitimate children by Louis XIV, [[Françoise d'Aubigné, marquise de Maintenon|Madame de Maintenon]], came to supplant her mistress in the King's affections. At first, she resisted the King's advances and encouraged him to bestow more attention on his long-neglected wife.{{sfn|Prince of Greece|1983|p=230}} From the summer of 1680, Louis XIV became closer to Maria Theresa, whom he had publicly neglected: "The Queen is very happy at court", [[Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, marquise de Sévigné|Madame de Sévigné]] would remark mockingly. The Queen, filled with happiness and moved by the unexpected attentions of her fickle husband, would say: "God has raised up Madame de Maintenon to give me back the heart of the King! Never has he treated me with as much tenderness as since he has listened to her!". As a sign of gratitude, Maria Theresa then showed herself very benevolent towards Madame de Maintenon{{sfn|Prince of Greece|1983|p=231}} (who was secretly the King's mistress, and after the Queen's death, would become Louis XIV's second, although officially secret, wife{{sfn|Dunlop|2000|pages=261-262}}).

Between 1680 and 1682, Louis XIV began to persecute Protestants, particularly the Huguenots. The Queen, although deeply Catholic, opposed these measures and told him: "You don't have to kill them, just pray for them". But despite her opposition, the persecutions continued, particularly in [[Béarn]], [[Guyenne]], [[Gascony]], [[Limousin]] and [[Languedoc]].<ref>{{cite web |title=María Teresa de Austria y Borbón {{!}} Real Academia de la Historia|lang=es|url=https://dbe.rah.es/biografias/11503/maria-teresa-de-austria-y-borbon |website=dbe.rah.es |access-date=January 1, 2025}}</ref>

On 6 May 1682, the court settled permanently in [[Versailles]]. Maria Theresa soon became grandmother for the first time, with the birth of [[Louis, Duke of Burgundy|Louis of France, Duke of Burgundy]] on 6 August 1682. She finally begins to find her place as Queen and to be comfortable with it after the disgrace of Madame de Montespan.

====Death====
[[File:Marie Thérèse of Austria in 1683, Queen of France and Navarre by Nicolas Larmessin.png|thumb|Engraving of Queen Maria Theresa in 1683, by Nicolas Larmessin]]
[[File:Adam-François van der Meulen (1632-90) - The Funeral of Marie Therese, Queen of France, 10 August 1683 - RCIN 404781 - Royal Collection.jpg|thumb|right|''The Funeral of Marie Therese, Queen of France, 10 August 1683'', by [[Adam Frans van der Meulen]]]]
Queen Maria Theresa didn't enjoy this renewed favour for long. On 20 July 1683, the royal couple returned from a royal tour of the fortresses built by [[Sébastien Le Prestre, Marquis of Vauban|Vauban]] in Burgundy. The Queen was reported to be in excellent health, although she had put on a little weight; she was expected to be delighted by the progress of the work on the gardens of Versailles.<ref name="Chevé"/>

A few days later, Maria Theresa complained of fever and no longer left her apartments. An abscess was discovered on her left armpit.<ref name="Trèves">{{cite journal |lang=fr |last1=Trèves|first1=Richard|title=Pouvait-on sauver Marie-Thérèse d'Autriche ? |journal=Hegel |url=https://www.cairn.info/revue-hegel-2014-2-page-201.htm|date=August 27, 2020|issue=2 |page=201 |doi=10.4267/2042/53791 |access-date=January 18, 2025|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Antoine d'Aquin, the ''Premier médecin du roi'', and [[Guy-Crescent Fagon]] took charge of the matter in the face of this purplish and purulent abscess. The King's physician convinced the Queen's physician of the urgent need for bloodletting. A surgeon to the Queen, Pierre Gervais, opposed it,{{sfn|Prince of Greece|1983|page=231}} saying that it would be the death of his mistress.<ref name="Trèves"/> The Queen was bled all the same and the abscess, instead of being incised, was vainly fought with moist plasters, remedies that weakened her.{{sfn|Bertière|1999|p=323}}

On 30 July 1683, Maria Theresa, feeling increasingly ill, requested the Blessed Sacrament, but the doctors administered emetic wine to her. At 3 p.m. the Queen succumbed before there was time to administer the [[Anointing of the sick]].{{sfn|Dunlop|2000|p=261}} Her last words were: "Since I have been Queen, I have had only one happy day".{{sfn|Lefrançois|2013|p=33}}

Marc-Antoine Charpentier composed dramatic motets H.409, H.189, H.331 for her grandiose funeral<ref>{{cite web|title=Musique pour les funérailles de la reine Marie-Thérèse [music] / Marc-Antoine Charpentier; édition par Jean Duron|lang=fr|year=2000|website=trove.nla.gov.au|access-date=January 19, 2025|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/32395535}}</ref> and [[Jean-Baptiste Lully]] performed his ''[[Dies irae]]'' and ''De profundis'',<ref>{{cite web|last=Thompson|first=Jason|title=The interaction of Theater and Sacred Music: Jean-Baptiste Lully's Setting of the Dies irae|url=https://arts.unco.edu/music/rocky-mountain-society-music-theory/2020_conference_thompson.pdf|website=[[University of Northern Colorado]]|year=2020|access-date=January 19, 2025}}</ref> while [[Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet|Bossuet]] delivered the funeral oration.<ref>{{cite web|title=A sermon preached at the funeral of Mary Terese of Austria, Infanta of Spain, Queen of France [and] Navarre, at St. Denis, Sept. 1. 1683. By Monsieur James Benigne Bossuet, Bishop of Meaux, counsellor to the King in his councils, late preceptor to the Dauphin, and chief almoner to Madame the Dauphine. Printed at Paris by the King's special command|url=https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=eebo2;idno=A28849.0001.001|website=University of Michigan Library| date=1684 |editor=Reprinted at London : by J.C. and F.C. for H.R. and sold by Samuel Crouch, in Cornhil, MDCLXXXIV. [1684]|access-date=January 19, 2025}}</ref>

Upon her death, Louis XIV said: "This is the first chagrin she has ever given me".{{sfn|Lefrançois|2013|p=33}}{{sfn|Wolf|1968|p=328}} Barely two months after these grand ceremonies, the King secretly married his last mistress, whom he nicknamed in private "Saint Françoise": Madame de Maintenon. The latter affected to wear mourning and to show a crestfallen expression, while the King almost immediately resumed his entertainment.<ref name="Rorive">{{cite book|last1=Rorive|first1=Jean-Pierre|title=Petites histoires des grands de France|lang=fr|editor=Jourdan Editeur|year=2005|publisher=Jourdan |isbn=978-2930359359}}</ref>

When the royal tombs in the [[Basilica of Saint-Denis]] were ransacked during the [[French Revolution]], they were opened and looted on 15 October 1793, and the remains buried in a common grave outside the church. During the [[Bourbon Restoration in France|Bourbon Restoration]], after 1815, the bones and ashes buried in the two graves outside the basilica were recovered and, no longer able to be attributed by name, were interred together in an ossuary in the crypt.

[[Image:Grave of Marie Thérèse of Austria at the Royal Basilica of Saint Denis.jpg|thumb|right|Marie-Thérèse's burial site at the [[Basilica of St Denis]], where most of France's monarchs are buried]]

===Profile and characteristics===
====Personality====
Maria Theresa was shy, charitable, greedy and superstitious. Of a self-effacing nature, she spent most of her free time with her ladies-in-waiting who had followed her from Spain, her dwarves, her little dogs and her chocolate. She wore very high heels to compensate for her small height, but they often made her fall. However, she persisted in wearing them, which earned her the mockery of the courtiers.

Unlike her husband, she was not interested in politics but preferred acts of devotion and playing cards with her ladies-in-waiting. Her taste for gambling gradually became an addiction, and she began to lose considerable sums of money, sometimes forcing Louis XIV to intervene.{{sfn|Cortequisse|1992}}

Maria Theresa of Austria was in love with Louis XIV and did everything to be a devoted wife. She complied with the fashion of the French court to please the King and she followed him on his travels. Louis XIV was grateful for her loyalty and even at the height of his love affairs, he showed her a lot of friendship and always ended his nights in her bed. Moreover, at each party the royal couple opened the [[Ball (dance event)|ball]] with a few dance steps, although Maria Theresa quickly withdrew due to her clumsiness.<ref name="Chevé"/>

Despite her shyness, the Queen did not give in. She stood up to her stepmother Maria Anna of Austria at the Spanish court, and although she mostly followed the King's decisions, when they went against her interests, she became angry. She also resisted her husband's mistresses as best she could by recalling her rank and origins.<ref name="Chevé"/>

Maria Theresa took her role as mother seriously, which was rare at the time. She supported Bossuet, who was in charge of the Dauphin's education, as evidenced by their correspondence: "Do not tolerate anything, Sir, in the conduct of my son that could offend the sanctity of the religion he professes, and the majesty of the throne for which he is destined".<ref name=Château/>

The Queen feared spirits. At night, even with the king at her side, a woman would tell her stories to put her to sleep and hold her hand all night. This woman remained present even when the king wanted to fulfill his [[Marital debt|marital duty]].<ref name="Rorive"/>

Louis XIV had absolute confidence in his wife, whom he knew to be loyal. Unlike other queens of foreign origin, such as Anne of Austria in her youth, Maria Theresa never plotted against the interests of France.<ref>{{cite web |title=Marie-Thérèse d'Autriche, épouse de Louis XIV|lang=fr|url=https://www.canalacademie.com/ida3792-Marie-Therese-d-Autriche-epouse-de-Louis-XIV.html|website=www.canalacademie.com |date=January 11, 2009|access-date=February 2, 2025}}</ref>

====Physical====
Maria Theresa was a small, plump woman who was well within the beauty standards of the time, namely fair skin and blond hair. Thanks to her mother, a princess of the [[House of Bourbon]], she had not inherited the typical facial features of the Spanish Habsburgs caused by generations of [[inbreeding]] ([[Prognathism#Mandibular_prognathism_(progenism)|Habsburg Jaw]]). However, the Queen had bad teeth since she liked to eat sweets and drink hot chocolate.<ref name="Chevé"/>

Unlike Philip IV 's other legitimate children who suffered from hereditary diseases, she enjoyed good health which she maintained until her death.

===Tributes===
*Maria Therese received the [[Golden Rose]] from [[Pope Clement IX]] in 1668 for the birth of her son, the Dauphin.<ref>{{cite web |lang=fr |title=Pourquoi le Pape offre-t-il des roses dorées chaque année?|url=https://fr.aleteia.org/2017/05/12/connaissiez-vous-lhistoire-du-cadeau-du-pape-a-notre-dame-de-fatima/ |website=Aleteia |date=May 12, 2017|access-date=February 2, 2025}}</ref>

*The [[:fr:Rue Thérèse|''Rue Thérèse'']] in the [[1st arrondissement of Paris]] was named in her honor.

*The [[:fr:Maison de l'Infante|''Maison de l'Infante'']] as well as the ''rue de l'Infante'' and the quai de l'Infante in [[Saint-Jean-de-Luz]] were also named in her honor.

===In popular culture===
====Appearance in art====
*Her first appearance in a film was in ''[[Royal Affairs in Versailles]]'' in 1954, a 1954 French-Italian historical drama directed by [[Sacha Guitry]]. Here she was played by Jany Castel.

*In 1964, in ''[[Angélique, Marquise des Anges]]'' and in 1966, in ''[[Angelique and the King]]'', she was played by Claire Athana.

*In the film ''The King's Alley'' (1996), directed by [[Nina Companeez]], she is played by [[Annie Grégorio]].

*In 2000, Maria Theresa of Austria is played by actress Nathalie Cerda in the film [[Vatel (film)|''Vatel'']], directed by [[Roland Joffé]]. 

*The Queen was also played by French actress [[Elisa Lasowski]] in the television series [[Versailles (TV series)|''Versailles'']] in 2015.

She was also painted many times in her capacity as Infanta of Spain and then Queen of France. The most famous paintings of her are the portraits made by [[Diego Velázquez]] in the early 1650s. One of these paintings had been sent to Anne of Austria to show her what her young niece looked like. These portraits are exhibited in the greatest museums in the world such as the [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]] in [[New York City|New York]], the [[Philadelphia Museum of Art]] and the [[Louvre]] in [[Paris]].

====Legend of The Black Nun of Moret====
According to a hypothesis developed by 19th century writers, including [[Victor Hugo]], Maria Theresa had an illegitimate daughter, a black nun named [[Louise Marie Thérèse (The Black Nun of Moret)|Louise Marie Thérèse]] and know as ''La Mauresse de Moret'' (The Black Nun of Moret).{{sfn|Prince of Greece|1983|p=126}}{{sfn|Cortequisse|1992|p=82}} She claimed to be of royal blood and this woman received much honor from Louis XIV for a simple nun. The theory is that the Queen's third child, Marie-Anne of France, was black. The father was said to be a black dwarf of the Queen, "Nabo". To hide the scandal, the girl was declared dead but she was in reality entrusted to a convent.

However, it is now accepted that Maria Theresa could not have been the mother of the Black Nun of Moret. Indeed, with the very strict and religious education she received, it was unthinkable for her to have a child with anyone other than the King. In addition, the births of queens took place in public, and no foreign ambassador mentioned a black girl. It is obvious that if the Queen had really given birth to a black girl, the news would have spread throughout Europe through these ambassadors.<ref>{{cite web |lang=fr |first=Dominique|last=Bonnet|title=Enigmes de l'Histoire (2/4) – La reine Marie-Thérèse, femme de Louis XIV, a-t-elle vraiment eu un bébé noir?|url=https://www.parismatch.com/Royal-Blog/royaute-francaise/Enigmes-de-l-Histoire-2-4-La-reine-Marie-Therese-a-t-elle-vraiment-eu-un-bebe-noir-1457273 |website=parismatch.com |date=February 10, 2018|access-date=April 5, 2025}}</ref>

In reality, Marie-Anne was born following a very difficult delivery for the Queen. Following an argument with Louis XIV, she gave birth at only 8 months of pregnancy on 16 November 1664.<ref>{{cite web |title=Histoire et Secrets.com - Découvrez l'Envers de l'Histoire et ses Secrets... - Les enfants royaux - 04. Marie-Anne, fille de Louis XIV |url=http://histoire-et-secrets.com/articles.php?lng=fr&pg=124 |lang=fr |date=October 11, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011135155/http://histoire-et-secrets.com/articles.php?lng=fr&pg=124 |access-date=April 5, 2025 |archive-date=October 11, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The little princess, very frail and premature, was purple due to breathing difficulties (which is at the origin of the rumors that she was black). Mother and daughter were both victims of violent convulsions. It was then feared that both would die, and it was finally little Marie-Anne who died of a convulsion attack.{{sfn|Cortequisse|1992}}

Today, historians agree that the Black Nun of Moret was either an illegitimate daughter of Louis XIV or a child of black servants who was sponsored by the royal couple.

====Cultural posterity====
In posterity, Maria Theresa of Austria, having died prematurely, was eclipsed by the long reign of her husband Louis XIV. Moreover, after so many writings on the latter's mistresses, it was not until 1992 that the first biographical book dedicated to her appeared: "Madame Louis XIV: Maria Theresa of Austria", by Bruno Cortequisse.<ref>{{cite book|lang=fr|first=Bruno|last=Cortequisse|title=Madame Louis XIV: Marie-Thérèse d'Autriche|editor=Perrin: réédition numérique FeniXX|year=2002|publisher=(Perrin) réédition numérique FeniXX |isbn=978-2-262-08872-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=De_vDwAAQBAJ}}</ref> Subsequently, interest in this figure in French history continued to inspire historians on many occasions, her political imprint as Queen of France was a source of interest, notably in the work of 2005, "The Regency of Maria Theresa (April 23–July 31, 1672)", by Bernard Barbiche.{{sfn|Barbiche|Poussou|Tallon|2005|pp=313–325}}

==Issue==
Maria Theresa married her double first cousin [[Louis XIV]] in 1660. The couple had six children, only one of whom survived to adulthood:

#[[Louis, Grand Dauphin]] (1 November 1661 – 14 April 1711) married [[Maria Anna Victoria of Bavaria]], had issue.{{sfn|Anselme|1726|p=175}}
#Anne-Élisabeth (18 November 1662 – 30 December 1662); died in infancy.{{sfn|Anselme|1726|p=175}}
#Marie-Anne (16 November 1664 – 26 December 1664); died in infancy.{{sfn|Anselme|1726|p=175}}
#[[Marie Thérèse, Madame Royale|Marie Thérèse]] (2 January 1667 – 1 March 1672); styled as ''[[Madame Royale]]'', died at the age of five.{{sfn|Anselme|1726|p=175}}
#[[Philippe Charles, Duke of Anjou|Philippe Charles]] (5 August 1668 – 10 July 1671); styled as [[Duke of Anjou]], died at the age of two.{{sfn|Anselme|1726|p=175}}
#Louis François (14 June 1672 – 4 November 1672); styled Duke of Anjou, died in infancy.{{sfn|Anselme|1726|p=175}}

Of her six children, only one survived her, [[Louis, Grand Dauphin|Louis, ''{{lang|fr|le Grand Dauphin|nocat=y}}'']], the oldest one,{{sfn|Wolf|1968|p=314}} who died in 1711. One of her younger grandsons eventually inherited her claim to the Spanish throne to become King [[Philip V of Spain]] in 1700.{{sfn|Prince of Greece|1983|page=308-309}}

==Ancestry==
{{ahnentafel
|collapsed=yes |align=center
|boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
|1= 1. '''Maria Theresa of Austria'''
|2= 2. [[Philip IV of Spain]]
|3= 3. [[Elisabeth of France (1602–1644)|Elisabeth of France]]
|4= 4. [[Philip III of Spain]]
|5= 5. [[Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain|Margaret of Austria]]
|6= 6. [[Henry IV of France]]
|7= 7. [[Marie de' Medici]]
|8= 8. [[Philip II of Spain]]
|9= 9. [[Anna of Austria, Queen of Spain|Anna of Austria]]
|10= 10. [[Charles II, Archduke of Austria|Charles II, Archduke of Inner Austria]]
|11= 11. [[Maria Anna of Bavaria (1551–1608)|Maria Anna of Bavaria]]
|12= 12. [[Antoine of Navarre]]
|13= 13. [[Jeanne d'Albret|Jeanne III of Navarre]]
|14= 14. [[Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany]]
|15= 15. [[Joanna of Austria, Grand Duchess of Tuscany|Joanna of Austria]]
}}

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

=== Sources ===
*{{cite book |last=Anselme de Sainte-Marie |first=Père |title=Histoire généalogique et chronologique de la maison royale de France |volume=1 |trans-title=Genealogical and chronological history of the royal house of France  |url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k76026j |publisher=La compagnie des libraires |location=Paris |language=fr |edition=3rd |year=1726 |ref={{harvid|Anselme|1726}} }}
*{{cite book |last1=Barbiche|first1=Bernard|last2=Poussou|first2=Jean-Pierre|last3=Tallon|first3=Alain |title=Pouvoirs, contestations et comportements dans l'Europe moderne: mélanges en l'honneur du professeur Yves-Marie Bercé — «La régence de Marie-Thérèse (23 avril-31 juillet 1672)»|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G0Ktr5DN-2sC&q=Pouvoirs%2C+contestations+et+comportements+dans+l%E2%80%99Europe+moderne%2C|publisher=Presses Paris Sorbonne|location=Paris |language=fr |year=2005|isbn=978-2-84050-400-9|pages=313–325}}
*{{cite book|last=Bertière|first=Simone|title=Les femmes du Roi-Soleil (Les reines de France au temps des Bourbons)|publisher=Le Livre de Poche|language=fr|isbn=978-2-253-14712-1|date=6 October 1999}}
*{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Marie Thérèse|volume=20 |page=715}}
*{{cite book |title=Madame Louis XIV |first=Bruno |last=Cortequisse |year=1992 |location=Paris |publisher=Perrin |language=French |url=https://archive.org/details/madamelouisxivma0000cort}}
*{{Cite book |last=Duclos |first=Henri-Louis |url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6439399z.texteImage |title=Madame de La Vallière et Marie-Thérèse d'Autriche, femme de Louis XIV : avec pièces et documents inédits |year=1869 |location=[[Paris]] |language=fr}}
* {{cite book|last=Dunlop|first=Ian|title=Louis XIV|url=https://archive.org/details/louisxiv00iand|publisher=Pimlico|location=London|year=2000|isbn=978-0-71266-709-8}}
*{{cite book |first=Martin |last=Hume |author-link=Martin Sharp (journalist)
|title=Court of Philip IV: Spain in Decline |url=https://archive.org/details/courtphilipivsp01humegoog|location= New York |publisher= G. P. Putnam's Sons |year=1907}}
*{{cite book|last=Lefrançois|first=Marc |title=Histoires insolites des Rois et Reines de France|publisher=City Edition|language=fr|isbn=978-2-82460-335-3|year=2013}}
*{{cite thesis |last=Mitchell |first=Silvia Z. |date=2013 |title=Mariana of Austria and Imperial Spain: Court, Dynastic, and International Politics in Seventeenth-Century Europe |url=https://scholarship.miami.edu/esploro/outputs/doctoral/Mariana-of-Austria-and-Imperial-Spain/991031447870202976|degree=Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)  |access-date= 21 November 2023}}
*{{cite book |first=Steven |last= Orso |title=Art and death at the Spanish Habsburg Court: The Royal Exequies for Philip IV |year=1989|url=https://archive.org/details/artdeathatspanis00orso |location=Columbia |publisher=University of Missouri Press|isbn= 978-0-8262-0710-4 }}
*{{cite book |last=Prince of Greece |first=Michael |title=Louis XIV: The Other Side of the Sun |url=https://archive.org/details/louisxivothersid00mich |translator=Alan Sheridan |year=1983 |location=New York |publisher= Harper & Row|isbn=978-0-06-015217-8}}
*{{cite book |first=John B. |last=Wolf |author-link=John Baptist Wolf
|title=Louis XIV |url=https://archive.org/details/louisxiv0000wolf|publisher=W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. |location=New York |year=1968}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|position=left|Marie Thérèse of Austria}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070616071522/http://www.smae.diplomatie.gouv.fr/choiseul/ressource/pdf/D16590004.pdf Full text of marriage contract], France National Archives transcription {{in lang|fr}}

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{{S-hou|[[House of Habsburg]]|10 September|1638|30 July|1683}}
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|-
{{s-vac|last=[[Anne of Austria]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Queen consort of France]]|years=1660 &ndash; 1683}}
{{s-vac|next=[[Maria Leszczyńska]]}}
{{S-end}}

{{French consorts}}
{{Austrian archduchesses}}
{{Infantas of Spain}}
{{Portuguese infantas}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maria Theresa Of Spain}}
[[Category:1638 births]]
[[Category:1683 deaths]]
[[Category:17th-century regents]]
[[Category:17th-century House of Habsburg]]
[[Category:17th-century women regents]]
[[Category:17th-century French nobility]]
[[Category:17th-century French women]]
[[Category:17th-century Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:17th-century Spanish nobility]]
[[Category:17th-century Spanish women]]
[[Category:Queens consort of France]]
[[Category:Navarrese royal consorts]]
[[Category:Court of Louis XIV]]
[[Category:Regents of France]]
[[Category:House of Bourbon (Spain)]]
[[Category:Children of Philip IV of Spain]]
[[Category:Portuguese infantas]]
[[Category:Portuguese Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:Spanish Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:Spanish infantas]]
[[Category:Burials at the Basilica of Saint-Denis]]

[[Category:Castilian infantas]]
[[Category:Aragonese infantas]]
[[Category:Daughters of kings]]
[[Category:Daughters of dukes]]
[[Category:Daughters of counts]]