Marriage

On 27 June (some say 28 January), 1776 at Olias del Rey, she married Luis of Spain, Count of Chinchón. The marriage was much to the liking of Luis' brother king Charles III: the king had not allowed his brother to enter a dynastic marriage with a royal person because he wanted to ensure that Luis could not have children with a claim to the throne, and he made certain that the children of Luis and María Teresa were not to be able to inherit the throne, nor even their father's name Bourbon.^[2]

As the spouse of Luis, María Teresa was obliged to accompany him in his exile from court at his estates in Velada and Arenas de San Pedro. Charles III allowed Luis to attend the royal court, but he did not give Maria Teresa the permission to do so.^[3]

Later life

In 1785, she became a widow. Eight days after the death of her spouse, the king deprived Maria Teresa the custody of her children and entrusted them to Francisco Lorenzana in Toledo.^[4] Between 1785 and 1792, María Teresa lived at the Arenas de San Pedro estate. During this period, she was described as mentally weak, which was probably a reference to a depression.^[5]

In 1792, María Teresa was given permission to live where she liked. She visited her children in Toledo, and then left for her home city of Zaragoza. When her daughter married Manuel Godoy in 1797, her children were granted the right to their father's name Bourbon and several privileges, and in 1802, María Teresa was granted the privilege to use the royal crest on her carriage.^[6]

When the French invaded Spain in 1808 María Teresa de Vallabriga fled to Mallorca where she lived until 1814. She lived her last years in Zaragoza.

Goya made several notable paintings of María Teresa de Vallabriga.