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Marie Thérèse Félicité of France
Marie Thérèse Félicité while Duchess of Orléans in 1700 by Pierre Gobert
Duchess of Orléans
Tenure	1 September 1697 - 13 June 1704
Burial	26 June 1747 Royal Basilica of Saint Denis, France
Spouse	Louis Philippe, Duke of Orléans
Issue Detail	Louis XV of France Philippe, Duke of Orléans Marie Thérèse Félicité, Queen of Spain Marie Anne Victoire, Queen of Portugal
Names Marie Thérèse Félicité de France
Father	Louis XIV of France
Mother	Maria Teresa of Savoy

Marie Thérèse Félicité of France (23 November 1676 - 13 June 1747) was the younger daughter of Louis XIV and the wife of Louis Philippe, Duke of Orléans. She was the mother of Louis XV. She maintained great influence at court till her death.

Princess of France

Marie Thérèse Félicité was born in her mothers native Turin. Her parents had been married in Turin the previous year and had resided in the city during the wedding celebrations. She was the younger daughter of twins born to Louis XIV and Maria Teresa of Savoy. Her older sister Princess Marie Anne Victoire was later the queen of Sardinia as wife of their first cousin Victor Amadeus II. She was named after her mother, the name Félicité in honour of Saint Felicitas of Rome whose name day was the princess's day of birth. As the daughter of the King of France she automatically received the style of Royal Highness. She was nicknamed the petite Italiene ("little Italian") a reference to her birth in Turin as the younger sister. She and her family remained in Turin till March 1677 when they returned to Paris. During this time, Louis XIV's brother the Duke of Orléans acted as regent. She had a close relationship with her mother and was her fathers favourite. Called a beauty, prior to her marriage her hand was sought by the Prince of Condé, the Elector of Saxony as well as the widower Holy Roman Emperor. These marriages however were ruined by the Nine Years' War in which all the previous candidates fought against France. As a result, her father decided that she would marry her cousin the Duke of Chartres, son of his brother the Duke of Orléans and Henrietta of England.

Duchess of Chartres

She was married to the Duke of Chartres on 21 January 1692 at the Palais du Louvre at the age of fifteen. The ceremony was held in Notre Dame de Paris and the Bishop of Paris officiated. The couple spent their honeymoon at the Palace of Versailles. Due to the tender age of the bride, the couple were not allowed to sleep in the same bed till she was 18 in 1694. The couple had their first child later the same year. They had four children in total all of which would survive infancy and have further issue. The couple would have a loving relationship.

Duchess of Orléans

At the death of her uncle cum father-in-law in 1697, her husband succeeded as Duke of Orléans. The new Duchess of Orléans was the most senior female at court after her sister in law Maria Anna Josepha of Austria, the Dauphine of France. Marie Thérèse Félicité had lost her mother in 1693 and her sister Marie Anne Victoire had married in 1690. She would maintain a high position at court for the rest of her life.

Mother of the king

Issue

1. Louis XIV of France (1694-1764) married Maria Luisa of Austria and had issue.
2. Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans (1697-1746) married Maria Anna of Savoy and had issue.
3. Marie Thérèse Félicité d'Orléans (1799-1771) married Carlos III of Spain and had issue.
4. Marie Anne Victoire d'Orléans (1701-1776) married Pedro II of Portugal and had issue.

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

• 23 November 1676 - 21 January 1692 Her Royal Highness The Princess Marie Thérèse Félicité of France
• 21 January 1692 - 1 September 1697 Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Chartres
• 1 September 1697 - 13 June 1704 Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Orléans
• 13 June 1704 - 13 June 1747 Her Royal Highness The Dowager Duchess of Orléans

References

Bibliography

External links

Media related to Marie Thérèse Félicité of France at Wikimedia Commons

See also

v t e Princesses of France
The first generation are the children of Henry IV; these women held the rank of Daughter of France or Granddaughter of France.
1st Generation	Élisabeth, Queen of Spain Template:·w Christine Marie, Duchess of Savoy Template:·w Henriette Marie, Queen of England
2nd Generation	Marie Louise Élisabeth, Duchess of Montpensier* Template:·w Marie Louise, Grand Duchess of Tuscany Template:·w Élisabeth, Duchess of Lorraine
3rd Generation	Françoise Madeleine, Holy Roman Empress
4th Generation	Marie Anne Victoire, Queen of Sardinia Template:·w Marie Thérèse Félicité, Duchess of Orléans
5th Generation	Louise Élisabeth, Duchess of Parma Template:·w Marie Thérèse Félicité, Queen of SpainTemplate:·w Marie Anne Victoire, Queen of Portugal
6th Generation	none
7th Generation	none
8th Generation	Marie Anne Victoire, Queen of Spain
*died without surviving issue

• 1676 births
• House of Orléans
• House of Bourbon
• People from Turin (city)
• 17th-century French people
• 18th-century French people
• 1747 deaths
• Princesses of France (Bourbon)
• Duchesses of Orléans
• Deaths from tuberculosis
• Burials at the Basilica of St Denis