Charles III
(Madrid, 1716 - Madrid, 1788)
The first-born son of Philip V (1683-1746) and his second wife, Elisabeth Farnese (1692-1766), the future Charles III was educated by Joseph Arnaud, the Jesuit priest Ignace de Laubrussel, and Father Saverio de la Conca. Together with learning to read and write, his training included knowledge of geography, history, religion, military tactics, Latin and modern languages, as well as other disciplines of a more social nature such as horse riding, hunting, dancing and music.
Charles III was not originally destined to reign, as his older brothers, the future Louis I and Ferdinand VI, preceded him in the line of succession to the Spanish throne. However, in early 1731, he was recognised as Duke of Parma and Piacenza, following the death...
Maria Amalia of Saxony
(Dresde (Alemania), 1724 - Madrid, 1760)
The fourth of fourteen children born to Augustus III (1696-1763), King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, and Maria Josepha of Austria (1699-1757), Maria Amalia of Saxony spent her childhood between Dresden, Pilnitz and Warsaw, where she moved after her father's accession to the Polish throne. Described by a contemporary witness as a "tall and robust" young woman, she had a strong personality, was noted for her religious piety and fondness for animals, especially exotic ones such as monkeys and parrots.
Her marriage to the future Charles III (1716-1788), then King of Naples and Sicily, was ratified in Portella (Naples) on 19th June 1738, when Maria Amalia of Saxony had not yet reached the age of fourteen. The King and...