by Scott Mehl

Maria Giuseppina of Savoy, Countess of Provence

Maria Giuseppina Luigia of Savoy was the wife of King Louis XVIII of France, although he did not actually become King until after her death. She was born on September 2, 1753, at the Royal Palace of Turin, in Turin, Duchy of Savoy, now in Italy, daughter of King Vittorio Amadeo III of Sardinia and Infanta Maria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain. She had eleven siblings:

On May 14, 1771, at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France, Maria Giuseppina married Louis Stanislas of France, Count of Provence. He was the son of Louis, Dauphin of France and Maria Josepha of Saxony. She took on the French version of her name – Maria Joséphine – and was styled Countess of Provence. The couple had no children, although she did have several miscarriages.

From all accounts, there was little love in the marriage. It was the first of three marriages arranged between the royal families of Sardinia and France. Considered ugly and ill-mannered, Marie Joséphine never quite fit in at the Court of Versailles. She and her husband had a strained relationship with his brother and sister-in-law, the future King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, and saw themselves as better suited to be next-in-line for the French throne.

After being forced to return to Paris in October 1789, Marie Joséphine and her husband took up residence at the Luxembourg Palace, still distancing themselves from the rest of the royal family were living at the Tuileries Palace. They successfully escaped to the Austrian Netherlands in June 1791. By then, she and her husband fought constantly, and she found comfort in the company of her lady-in-waiting, Marguerite de Gourbillon. Many have speculated that the two were lovers, although there is no conclusive evidence of this.

In June 1795, Marie Joséphine’s husband became the titular King of France following the death of the only surviving son of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. However, as the French monarchy had been abolished years earlier, the two remained in exile as Count and Countess of Provence. They continued living in different parts of Europe before moving to England in 1808, taking up residence at Hartwell House in Buckinghamshire.

On November 13, 1810, Marie Joséphine died at Hartwell House. Following a grand funeral, attended by the British Royal Family, she was interred in the Henry VII Lady Chapel at Westminster Abbey. The following year, her husband had her remains moved to the Cagliari Cathedral in Sardinia. Here, her brother, King Carlo Felice of Sardinia, had a large monument built in her honor.

Learn more about royalty, past and present here and share your thoughts on our forums.