| Elisabeth of Saxony | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duchess of Genoa Marchioness of Rapallo | |||||
 | |||||
| Born | (1830-02-04)4 February 1830 Dresden,Kingdom of Saxony | ||||
| Died | 14 August 1912(1912-08-14) (aged 82) Stresa,Piedmont,Kingdom of Italy | ||||
| Spouse | |||||
| Issue | |||||
| |||||
| House | Wettin | ||||
| Father | John of Saxony | ||||
| Mother | Amalie Auguste of Bavaria | ||||
Elisabeth of Saxony (4 February 1830 – 14 August 1912) was a Princess ofSaxony who married the second son of the King ofSardinia. She was the mother ofMargherita, Queen of Italy.
She was born inDresden, capital ofSaxony, as daughter ofKing John of Saxony and his wifePrincess Amalie of Bavaria. Her paternal grandparents werePrince Maximilian of Saxony andCarolina of Parma. Her maternal grandparents wereKing Maximilian I of Bavaria andKaroline of Baden.
On 22 April 1850, she married, inDresden Cathedral,Prince Ferdinand, 1st Duke of Genoa, second son ofKing Charles Albert of Sardinia andMaria Theresa of Tuscany. Their marriage was a dynastic arrangement, and it was generally held to be loveless.[1]
The couple had two children:
| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margherita Maria Teresa Giovanna | Palazzo Chiablese, 20 November 1851 | Bordighera, 4 January 1926 | marriedUmberto I of Italy; had issue. |
| Tommaso Alberto Vittorio, 2nd Duke of Genoa | Palazzo Chiablese, 6 February 1854 | Turin, 15 April 1931 | marriedPrincess Isabella of Bavaria; had issue. |
On 10 February 1855 her husband died in Turin, leaving Elizabeth a widow at the age of 25.
Before her second year of widowhood had ended, she remarried on 4 October 1856 with her chamberlain Niccolò Bernoud, Marchese di Rapallo.[1] They married secretly, before her period of official mourning was over. This act so infuriated her brother-in-lawVictor Emmanuel II of Italy that he ordered her into virtual exile and disallowed her from seeing her two children.[1] They were later reunited however.
In 1882, her second husband committed suicide. Court gossip had often hinted that their marriage was unhappy, and his suicide added fuel to these stories.[1] Elisabeth had no children from her second marriage.
Elisabeth suffered an attack ofapoplexy in 1910, which caused her health to quickly deteriorate.[1] She died in Piedmont, Kingdom of Italy on 14 August 1912.[1]
