Maria Beatrice d’Este (Italian: Maria Beatrice Ricciarda; 7 April 1750 – 14 November 1829) was heiress of Modena and Reggio as well as the sovereign of Massa and Carrara from 1790 until 1796 and from 1815 until her death in 1829.

Maria Beatrice was born in Modena, the eldest child of two monarchs, Ercole III d'Este, Duke of Modena and Maria Teresa Cybo-Malaspina, reigning duchess of Massa and princess of Carrara.

Her parents' marriage was unhappy and they lived separated from each other; they only produced two children: Maria Beatrice, born on 7 April 1750 and Rinaldo Francesco, born on 4 January 1753. The death of Rinaldo aged four months old (5 May 1753) led to Maria being acknowledged as an heiress. Her paternal ancestors included Louis XIII of France and Philippe d'Orléans, Regent of France for Louis XV and Mary Stuart. Her maternal ancestors were members of the House of Cybo-Malaspina, members of the Italian nobility.

As heiress to four states (Modena, Reggio, Massa and Carrara), she was a very attractive wedding partner. Empress Maria Theresa sought to arrange a marriage between Maria Beatrice and the Archduke Leopold (future Holy Roman Emperor) but this never materialised. Instead she married Leopold's brother, Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, in a union through which the Austrians aimed to expand their influence in Italy.

The couple was engaged from 1754. As the children were so young, the marriage was not celebrated till 1771 when a ceremony in Milan on 15 October officially united them. Festivities arranged for this occasion included the operas Ascanio in Alba by Mozart and Il Ruggiero by Johann Adolph Hasse.

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