Marie Jeanne of Savoy - Widow and Regent of Savoy

Widow and Regent of Savoy

Declared Regent of her eleven-year-old son's dominions, she took her new charge with great interest and ambition. She carried on her husband's work on the properties of the Savoys and did much to maintain links with her powerful neighbour France whom they had various links with. She has been criticised for wanting to maintain power to much and for being a puppet to Louis XIV.

Her relationship with her only son was always strained and has been blamed on her ambition to keep power to herself. Marie Jeanne spent most of her time relegated to state business which she enjoyed and had little time for her only child whom she kept under close scrutiny in order to make sure he would try to assume power. Despite bad relationship with her son she openly kept lovers at court and at the age of thirty three was in a relationship with the Count of Saint Maurice some ten years her junior. Marie Jeanne and Saint Maurice's relationship lasted some four years before his whole family left in disgrace due to the Saint Maurice's father failing on a string of diplomatic relations.

By 1677 Marie Jeanne was looking to organise a marriage for her son who would reach his majority in May 1680 even though her hold on power lasted another four years. Popular candidates were the Archduchess Maria Antonia a cousin in Portugal, a Princess of the Palatinate or the French born Anne Marie d'Orléans. Marie Jeanne first looked to her sister in Lisbon whose only daughter the Infanta Isabel Luísa was the heiress to her father's dominions. Portuguese law stated that an heiress to the throne must remain in the country and marry a kinsman. Marie Jeanne opened negotiations with Portugal in order to get the Infanta to marry her son Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy. This prestigious union would have left Marie Jeanne permanently in control of the Savoy with Victor Amadeus II living in Portugal. Openly disliking the union, Victor Amadeus II approaching his majority in 1679, he decided to postpone the marriage for two years even though plans were even made for Victor Amadeus' arrival in Lisbon and a political party even established opposing the union.

These grand plans were halted as the birth of a son for Peter II of Portugal and a revolt in Piedmont supported by Victor Amadeus forced Marie Jeanne to abandon her plans and look elsewhere. The Infanta died unmarried in 1690 of smallpox. As a result, Marie Jeanne looked to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany who offered Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici as a bride. Negotiations were kept secret from France. This match was popular as it would give a powerful ally in Italy and was even favoured by Victor Amadeus II. The secret correspondence between Savoy and Tuscany has since been lost and the match never materialised.

Even though Marie Jeanne and her regency officially ended in 1679 she did not hand over power till 14 March 1684 when forced to do so by her son. She was responsible for the creation of the Royal Academy of Turin as well as making Savoy a neutral state. As noted, Louis XIV was eager to maintain his already considerable influence in Savoy and thus offered his niece Anne Marie d'Orléans. Anne Marie was the daughter of Philippe of France, Duke of Orléans and his first wife Henrietta of England. Victor Amadeus agreed to the match and he married Anne Marie in person on 6 May 1684.