Central Europe (Nov 2022)
Bourbon Ceremony on the Former Habsburg Territory
Abstract
This article examines descriptions of the wedding ceremony of Habsburg Archduchess Maria Amalia and Duke Ferdinand of Parma in 1769 and specifically analyzes the decision-making behind her marriage and the symbolism replete in her wedding ceremony. While scholarship on this Habsburg archduchess is extremely scarce and predominantly focuses on her later life as a ruling duchess in Parma, this article sheds light on an important moment in her life and one that had widespread political implications. Situating the marriage in the historical and political context of the eighteenth century, this article contends that Maria Amalia and Ferdinand’s alliance was made by Habsburgs as a part of mid-eighteenth-century “Diplomatic Revolution,” which aimed at repairing the relationship with Bourbons after the War of Austrian Succession. Hosted in the Duchy of Parma, a region which had been ceded to Bourbons from the Habsburgs in 1748, the wedding ceremony was marked by the high-profile and laudatory celebrations of the Bourbons, which contrasted with the humble and censored presence of the Habsburgs. This contrast reflected the larger political situation: Defeated by Bourbons in the War of Austrian Succession, Habsburgs’ prestige had plummeted dramatically since the mid-eighteenth century. They were not allowed to present themselves politically in their former territory. Hence what welcomed the Habsburg bride in Parma was a ceremony with strong militaristic features and full of Bourbon propaganda.
