Bárbara of Portugal

Queen Consort of Spain (1746 - 1758)

Bárbara of Portugal (Pronunciation IPA: ['baɾbɐɾɐ], December 4, 1711 – August 27, 1758) was a Portuguese princess, daughter of King John V of Portugal, of the House of Braganza, and his wife, Maria Anna of Austria.

Maria Bárbara of Portugal
María Bárbara of Portugal
Queen consort of Spain
Tenure9 July 1746 – 27 August 1758
Born(1711-12-04)4 December 1711
Lisbon, Portugal
Died27 August 1758(1758-08-27) (aged 46)
Royal Palace of Aranjuez, Aranjuez, Spain
Burial
Convent of the Salesas Reales
SpouseFerdinand VI of Spain
Full name
Maria Madalena Josefa Teresa Bárbara de Bragança
HouseHouse of Bourbon
House of Braganza
FatherJohn V of Portugal
MotherMaria Anna of Austria
ReligionRoman Catholicism

She was born on 4 December 1711 in Lisbon, Portugal and given the name Maria Madalena Bárbara Xavier Leonor Teresa Antónia Josefa de Bragança. She was usually called just Bárbara or Maria Bárbara, in honour of Saint Barbara, the saint of her birthday.

She had a fine education and loved music. She could speak six languages and studied music for several years with Domenico Scarlatti, the famous Italian harpsichordist and composer.

In 1729, when she was 18 years old, she married the future King Ferdinand VI of Spain, in Badajoz, Spain. They had no children. She died on 27 August 1758 in Aranjuez, Spain.

The city of Santa Bárbara de Samaná in the Dominican Republic was named after her when it was founded in 1756.


Titles, styles, honours and arms

change
 
Coat of arms of Barbara of Portugal, Queen of Spain

Titles and styles

change
  • 4 December 1711 – 19 October 1712 Her Royal Highness the Princess of Brazil
  • 19 October 1712 – 20 January 1729 Her Highness the Infanta Barbara of Portugal
  • 20 January 1729 – 9 July 1746 Her Royal Highness the Princess of Asturias
  • 9 July 1746 – 27 August 1758 Her Majesty the Queen of Spain