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Countess Palatine Dorothea Sophie of Neuburg

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(Redirected from Dorothea Sophie of the Palatinate-Neuburg) Duchess consort of Parma and Piacenza
Dorothea Sophie of Neuburg
Duchess consort of Parma and Piacenza
Tenure7 December 1696 – 26 May 1727
Born(1670-07-05)5 July 1670
Neuburg Palace, Neuburg
Died15 September 1748(1748-09-15) (aged 78)
Parma, Duchy of Parma and Piacenza
BurialSanctuary of Santa Maria della Steccata
SpousesOdoardo, Hereditary Prince of Parma
Francesco, Duke of Parma
Issue
Detail
Prince Alessandro Ignazio
Elisabeth, Queen of Spain
HouseWittelsbach
FatherPhilip William, Elector Palatine
MotherElisabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt

Dorothea Sophie of Neuburg (5 July 1670 – 15 September 1748) was Duchess of Parma from 1695 to 1727 by marriage to Francesco, Duke of Parma. She served as Regent of the Duchy of Parma for her grandson Charles of Spain between 1731 and 1735.

Early life

Born at the Neuburg Palace, as the fourteenth of seventeen children and the sixth daughter of the Elector Palatine, Philip William of Neuburg, and Landgravine Elisabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt.

On 17 September 1690, she married Odoardo Farnese, Hereditary Prince of Parma, heir to the throne of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza. The festivities for their wedding were the most splendid that had ever taken place in Parma. In their three years of marriage, they had two children, a son who died in infancy and a daughter, Elisabeth, future Queen of Spain.

Duchess of Parma

Her husband died on 6 September 1693, only a month after the death of their son. On 7 December 1696, Dorothea married Odoardo's half-brother, Francesco Farnese, who had become Duke of Parma when his father died in 1694.

This marriage was decided by Francesco himself, because he did not want to give up Dorothea's dowry should she marry someone else. Nevertheless, this marriage remained childless.

Francesco died in 1727 and was succeeded by his only remaining brother Antonio.

Regent

Antonio died on 20 January 1731. The previous day, he had announced that his wife, Enrichetta d'Este, was pregnant; after his death, a regency council for the potential heir was formed, consisting of Enrichetta, a bishop, the first secretary of state and two gentlemen of the court.

It was decided that, should the child be female, the duchy of Parma would pass to Charles of Spain (then aged 12), eldest of the three sons of Dorothea Sophie's daughter Queen Elisabeth of Spain. Enrichetta was thus invested as regent of Parma, supported by Imperial troops.

Enrichetta's pregnancy was questioned by the queen of Spain though her mother, Dorothea Sophie, who wished to defend the right of Charles, as well as the pope, who wished to annex the duchy to the Papal State. However, Enrichetta was supported by the Emperor, who opposed Spanish influence in Parma. Of the request of Spain, Enrichetta was examined in May 1731 by doctors confirming her pregnancy. The news was reported around Parma and then around the European courts. Her regency could thus continue, with support by the emperor.

On 22 July however, the Second Treaty of Vienna officially recognised the right of Charles as the duke of Parma and Piacenza, pursuant to the Treaty of London (1718). When Spain demanded that the delivery of Enrichetta should be a public affair, the emperor retracted his support to Enrichetta and discontinued the original plan to arranged a simulated birth.

Queen Elisabeth in Spain convinced her mother to have Enrichetta examined again on 13 September 1731; it was then reported that there was in fact no child, and the House of Farnese was extinct. Charles of Spain was thus recognised as duke, deposing the regency of Enrichetta d'Este. Since Charles was still a minor, his maternal grandmother Dorothea Sophie, was named regent.

Dorothea ruled as regent until 1735, when the duchy was ceded to Austria after the War of the Polish Succession.

She died in Parma in 1748 and was buried at the Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Steccata.

Issue

Both of her children were with her first husband Odoardo Farnese, Hereditary Duke of Parma.

  1. Alessandro Ignazio Farnese (6 December 1691 – 5 August 1693) died in infancy.
  2. Elisabeth Farnese (25 October 1692 – 11 July 1766) married Philip V of Spain and had issue.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Countess Palatine Dorothea Sophie of Neuburg
16. Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
8. Philip Louis, Count Palatine of Neuburg
17. Landgravine Anna of Hesse
4. Wolfgang Wilhelm, Count Palatine of Neuburg
18. William, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg
9. Anna of Cleves
19. Archduchess Maria of Austria
2. Philip William, Elector Palatine
20. Albert V, Duke of Bavaria
10. William V, Duke of Bavaria
21. Archduchess Anna of Austria
5. Duchess Magdalene of Bavaria
22. Francis I, Duke of Lorraine
11. Renata of Lorraine
23. Princess Christina of Denmark and Norway
1. Dorothea Sophie of Neuburg
24. George I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
12. Louis V, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
25. Countess Magdalene of Lippe
6. George II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
26. John George, Elector of Brandenburg
13. Margravine Magdalena of Brandenburg
27. Princess Elisabeth of Anhalt-Zerbst
3. Landgravine Elisabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt
28. Christian I, Elector of Saxony
14. John George I, Elector of Saxony
29. Margravine Sophie of Brandenburg
7. Princess Sophia Eleonore of Saxony
30. Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia
15. Duchess Magdalene Sibylle of Prussia
31. Duchess Marie Eleonore of Cleves

Notes and references

  1. ^ Huberty, Michel; Giraud, Alain; Magdelaine, F. and B. (1985). L'Allemagne Dynastique, Tome IV – Wittelsbach. France: Laballery. pp. 199–201. ISBN 2-901138-04-7.
  2. "ENRICHETTA MARIA d'Este, duchessa di Parma e Piacenza in "Dizionario Biografico"".
  3. "ENRICHETTA MARIA d'Este, duchessa di Parma e Piacenza in "Dizionario Biografico"".
  4. "ENRICHETTA MARIA d'Este, duchessa di Parma e Piacenza in "Dizionario Biografico"".
  5. "ENRICHETTA MARIA d'Este, duchessa di Parma e Piacenza in "Dizionario Biografico"".

External links

Media related to Dorothea Sophia of Palatinate-Neuburg at Wikimedia Commons

Princesses of Parma by marriage
Generations are numbered from the daughter-in-law of Pier Luigi Farnese, Duke of Parma, onwards
1st generation
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5th generation
  • None
6th generation
7th generation
  • None
8th generation
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10th generation
11th generation
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13th generation
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*did not have a royal or noble title by birth
^also princess of Luxembourg by marriage
¤also princess of Nassau by marriage
#title lost due to divorce
Duchesses of Parma
* denotes titular Duchess
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