Infanta Luisa Fernanda, Duchess of Montpensier

Infanta Luisa Fernanda
Duchess of Montpensier
Infanta Luisa Fernanda
Born	(1832-01-30)30 January 1832 Royal Palace of Madrid, Spain
Died	2 February 1897(1897-02-02) (aged 65) San Telmo Palace, Seville, Spain
Burial	(1897-02-02)2 February 1897 Infantes Pantheon, Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain
Spouse	Prince Antoine, Duke of Montpensier
Issue	María Isabel, Countess of Paris Mercedes, Queen of Spain Infante Antonio, Duke of Galliera
Full name María Luisa Fernanda
House	House of Bourbon (by birth) House of Orléans (by marriage)
Father	Ferdinand VII, King of Spain
Mother	Princess Maria Cristina of the Two Sicilies
Religion	Roman Catholicism
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Infanta María Luisa Fernanda of Spain, Duchess of Montpensier (30 January 1832 – 2 February 1897) was Infanta of Spain and Duchess of Montpensier. She was the youngest daughter of king Ferdinand VII of Spain and his fourth wife Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies, the queen-regent, who was also his niece.

When her elder sister Isabella II of Spain succeeded to the throne, Infanta Luisa Fernanda was heiress-presumptive to the crown between 1833 and 1851, when Isabella's oldest surviving daughter was born.

Isabella had been engaged to their first cousin the Duke of Cádiz, who was known to be homosexual and rumored impotent. Their kinsman, the King of the French calculated that no children would be born from Isabella's marriage, and planned the crown of Spain to eventually devolve to his own grandchildren. For this purpose, Luisa Fernanda was engaged to the Duke of Montpensier, the youngest son of king Louis Philippe, who also was Luisa's mother's first cousin.

Luisa Fernanda, only 14 years old, and Antoine, 22, had their nuptials on 10 October 1846 as a double wedding with Isabella and Francis', and young Antoine was elevated to the rank of an Infante of Spain. The couple moved to Paris and later to Sevilla. The relationship between Isabella and her sister was tense, due to Antoine's conspiracies against the queen.

Antoine's father was deposed in 1848. The same year, the then 16-year-old Luisa Fernanda gave birth to their first child, Maria Isabel. After Isabella was deposed, the family went to exile. Luisa returned to Sevilla years later, already widowed, where she died. She is buried at Escorial.

Luisa Fernanda and Antoine had nine children, but only five reached adulthood.

Of all her children, just Marie Isabelle de Paris and Antonio di Galliera left issue. Through Antonio, the now non-royal line of dukes of Galliera continues. Alfonso's grandchildren lost royal status because of non-dynastic marriages. The current Duke of Galliera is Alfonso's great-grandson, Don Alfonso Francesco de Orléans-Borbón y Ferarra-Pignatelli.