Queen Isabella II of Spain

Overview

Isabella II (10 October 1830 – 9 April 1904) was Queen of Spain from 1833 until the Glorious Revolution of September 1868 forced her into exile in France, where she settled in Paris. In 1870 she abdicated in favour of her son Alfonso XII. She continued to live in Paris for most of the rest of her life, maintaining a royal household and an active social circle in the city. After Alfonso's accession (1874) she made a few visits to Spain but largely remained in France until her death. In 1880, when Marie mentions visiting "la Reine" (the Queen) who "m'aime beaucoup" (is very fond of me), Isabella was 49 years old and well established in Parisian society. Marie's family moved in the aristocratic and émigré circles that naturally included the exiled Spanish queen.

Relevance to Marie

Marie visited Queen Isabella on 10 May 1880 and again on subsequent occasions: "Nous allons chez la Reine qui est vraiment une bien bonne et bien aimable femme. Elle m'aime beaucoup et m'a dit de venir la voir en l'absence de maman." (We go to the Queen's — who is truly a very good and very amiable woman. She is very fond of me and told me to come see her in Maman's absence.) The warmth of this description suggests a genuine social friendship between the exiled queen and the Bashkirtseff family.

References in Diary

• 1880-05-10: Visit to the Queen; described as "une bien bonne et bien aimable femme."

Sources

Wikipedia: Isabella II of Spain; Britannica: Isabella II