Anna Maria Luisa della Toscana

## Anna Maria Luisa

Portrait of Anna Maria Luisa della Toscana (c. 1690)

Anna Maria Luisa's Signature

**Anna Maria Luisa della Toscana** (11th of August, 1667 - Present) is the current Imperatrix Romanorum and second wife to ***Philippus IX & VIII***. She is the only daughter of ***Cosimo III della Toscana, Granduca della Toscana,*** and his wife ***Marguerite Louise d'Orleans***, the cousin of ***Louis XIV, Roi de France***.

Taking the looks of her father and paternal grandmother, ***Vottoria della Rovere***, aswell as her mothers sly personality, Anna was not exactly what is expected of a consort. After the departure of her mother, and the many rejections for her hand, she was no dearing heart. She disliked sewing, painting, and singing, simply because she could not do such, instead she indulged in gossip, rather enjoying the embarassment of others. During her time at the Palazzo Pitti she often played mischevious pranks on the poorly maidens, planting mice under her bed sheets to scare them away. A notable moment in her teenage years was when she fed a young girl with seasonal allergies soup garnished with pollen, causing the maiden to fall extremely ill. Due to this, Anna's tutor informed Cosmo that he take immediate action on Anna's behavior as it could heavily reflect her future oppurtunities, he had simply brushed the warning off. By the time she was twenty she had remained heavily spoiled often having her mishaps paid off through her father. When she was twenty-three, her father had her quickly betrothed to ***Philippus IX & VIII***, ***Imperator & Autocrat Romanorum***. Anna thinking Philippus to be too old, fought her father for several nights before her departure for the crossover, though nothing budged his thoughts. The two were wedded the same year and Anna took no time to make herself comfortable in the Latin court.

## Early Life

### Infancy

Despite her mother's efforts to induce a miscarriage by means of riding, Anna Maria Luisa della Toscana, the only daughter and second child of Cosimo III della Toscana, Granduca della Tuscana, and his consort, Marguerite Louise d'Orléans, was born in Florence on the 11th of August, 1667. She was named after her maternal aunt Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, Duchesse de Montpensier.

During her eventful infancy, she experencied the rare ups and the often downs of her father and mothers marriage. Naturally bonding with her mother, Marguerite attempted to tear herself from her infant daughter. After so many attempts Anna eventually grew closer to her much more giving father. Cosmo often gifted his daughter jewels she could not yet wear, or small pets to keep her company. While it was expected that Cosmo prioritize his duties, it burdened the young Anna as it took away the attention she so desperatly required from her father. Instead, she was raised by her grandmother **Vattoria della Rovere**. She had not ever given her grandmother hardship in raising her, the two adored one another and were insepreable by the time of her adolescence.

### Departure of Marguerite Louise d'Orléans

Her parents' relationship remained quarrelsome; Marguerite Louise took every chance to humiliate Cosimo. On one documented occasion, she branded him "a poor groom" in the presence of the Papal nuncio. The enmity between them continued until 26 December 1674; after all attempts at conciliation failed, a stressed Cosimo consented to his wife's departure for the Convent of Montmartre, France. The contract created that day revoked her privileges as a *petite fille de France*, and declared that upon her death all her assets were to be inherited by her children. Cosimo granted her a pension of 80,000 livres in compensation. She abandoned Tuscany in June 1675; Anna Maria Luisa, who was less than eight years of age at that time, never saw her again.

It took Anna no time to realize the feelings her own mother had for her, the sudden departure angered the adolescent Anna, even more, the fact she could not mutually express what she had felt towards Marguerite. After this, Anna deemed that Marguerite no longer be considered her mother, even telling the people of the Tuscan court that her paternal grandmother was much more of a mother than Marguerite ever was. Any mention of Margeurite was put to an immediate halt as she had found the existence of her to be 'embarrassing'.

### **Betrothal Complications**

In 1669, while Anna was just two years of age she was considered as a potential bride to ***Louis, le Grand Dauphin***, the heir-apparent of ***Louis XIV de France***. Cosimo III did not like the idea of a French marriage, and never devoted himself fully to the cause, Anna was later rejected. Instead, Cosimo offered her to his first choice, **Pedro II de Portugal**. Peter's ministers declined, fearing that Anna Maria Luisa might have inherited her mother's temperament, and may seek to dominate Peter II while being herself intractible to reason. In fact, contemporaries thought her traits to be a combination of those of her father and paternal grandmother. Following refusals from Portugal, France, Spain and Savoy, ***James II of England*** put forward his brother-in-law, ***Francesco II d'Este, Duke of Modena***, but the Princess deemed a duke too lowly in terms of protocol for the daughter of a *grand* duke. Finally, Cosmo's ministers suggested he betroth Anna Maria Luisa to the widower emperor, ***Philippus IX & VIII***, it took little time for the offer to be accepted.