Princess Isabella of Parma was born on 31 December 1741. She was the first child of the Duke of Parma and Louise Élisabeth of Bourbon, the eldest daughter of Louis XV of France.
Probably due to their small age gap — Louise Élisabeth was only fourteen when Isabella was born — mother and daughter never developed a close relationship. Later in life, Isabella was renowned and admired for her exceptional intelligence and brilliant, almost academic education. Her formative years, however, spent in the rigid atmosphere of the royal court in Madrid, were lonely and strictly controlled, marked by more corporal punishment than playmates. Only during her one-year stay at Versailles did she encounter the brighter and more luxurious side of courtly life.
A few years later, Isabella’s marriage to Archduke Joseph, Maria Theresa’s eldest son, was arranged. Although deeply beloved by her husband, the young princess remained emotionally distant and depressive.
31 December 1510 also marks the death of another unhappy lady — Bianca Maria Sforza, the third wife of Maximilian I. The Emperor willingly accepted the advantages of her political connections and vast dowry but showed little affection for his young wife and made no effort to grow closer to her. Ailing and depressed, the unfortunate Empress spent her married life in comparative isolation.
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