Adelaide of Austria (Adelheid Franziska Marie Rainera Elisabeth Clotilde; 3 June 1822 – 20 January 1855) wasQueen of Sardinia by marriage toVictor Emmanuel II ofSardinia, futureKing of Italy, from 1849 until 1855 when she died as a result ofgastroenteritis. She was the mother ofUmberto I of Italy.

Adelaide of Austria
Queen consort of Sardinia
Tenure	23 March 1849 – 20 January 1855
Born	(1822-06-03)3 June 1822 Royal Palace of Milan,Milan,Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia,Austrian Empire
Died	20 January 1855(1855-01-20) (aged 32) Royal Palace of Turin,Turin,Kingdom of Sardinia
Burial	Basilica of Superga, Turin
Spouse	Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia ​ ​ (m. 1842)​
Issue among others...	Maria Clotilde, Princess Napoléon Umberto I, King of Italy Amadeo I, King of Spain Oddone, Duke of Montferrat Maria Pia, Queen of Portugal
Names Adelheid Franziska Marie Rainera Elisabeth Clotilde
House	Habsburg-Lorraine
Father	Archduke Rainer of Austria
Mother	Princess Elisabeth of Savoy

She was born at theRoyal Palace of Milan toArchduke Rainer Joseph of Austria and his wifePrincess Elisabeth of Savoy.^[1] NamedAdelaide, or known asAdele in the family, she held the title ofArchduchess of Austria. Her father was theViceroy ofLombardy-Venetia.

On 12 April 1842, at thePalazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi, she marriedVictor Emmanuel, Duke of Savoy. The marriage was used to cement relations between the Houses ofSavoy andHabsburg, but was seen by many at the time as increasing Austrian power in Italy.^[2]

Victor Emmanuel was her paternal first cousin once removed and also her maternal first cousin, as her new father-in-law was also her maternal uncle. Prince Victor Emmanuel was theheir to his father KingCharles Albert of Sardinia. He was styled the "Duke of Savoy" prior to succession. Adelaide thus took on the style of "Duchess of Savoy." She maintained her style ofImperial and Royal Highness until she became Queen.

Her mother-in-law,Maria Theresa of Austria, retained great influence over her son throughout his life. Her husband's mother was also her first cousin, both she and Adelaide being grandchildren of EmperorLeopold II. Adelaide and her husband of thirteen years had eight children. Four of these went on to have further progeny. Her husband had various extramarital affairs throughout the marriage.^[3] Adelaide was a quiet and pious woman and had a strict upbringing. She was a loving wife and frequently would give to charity.^[4]

In March 1849, her father-in-law KingCharles Albert abdicated after the events of theRevolutions of 1848. Her husband succeeded asVictor Emmanuel II of Sardinia. During her tenure asqueen consort, she had three further children, all of whom died in infancy.

Queen Adelaide had no political influence, but she did on one occasion support her mother-in-law, queen dowager Maria Theresa, who had great influence over her son and who in one well known occasion tried to influence policy. When the reforms against the privileges of the Church were introduced by theCavour government in 1854, she united with her mother-in-law to support the latter's appeal to the king to prevent the reform with the argument that the reform was hostile to the church and thus unacceptable for a Christian.^[5] The effort was however unsuccessful.

On 8 January 1855, she gave birth to a son who was styled theCount of Genevois. Days later, QueenMaria Theresa died on 12 January 1855. Adelaide went to the late queen's funeral on 16 January, and on returning to the palace caught a cold. She died four days later at theRoyal Palace of Turin, having had an acute attack ofgastroenteritis. Another story says that Adelaide died of her burns after stepping on a match that set fire to her clothes. She is buried at the RoyalBasilica of Superga. In 1861 her husband would become the firstpost-unificationKing of Italy.

• Princess Maria Clotilde of Savoy (2 March 1843 – 25 June 1911) married PrinceNapoleon Joseph Bonaparte and had issue.
• Umberto I of Italy (14 March 1844 – 29 July 1900) marriedPrincess Margherita of Savoy and had issue.
• Amadeo I of Spain (30 May 1845 – 18 January 1890) married PrincessMaria Vittoria dal Pozzo and later PrincessMaria Letizia Bonaparte and had issue.
• Prince Oddone of Savoy (11 July 1846 – 22 January 1866) died unmarried.
• PrincessMaria Pia of Savoy (16 October 1847 – 5 July 1911) married KingLuís I of Portugal and had issue.
• Prince Carlo Alberto of Savoy (2 June 1851 – 22 June 1854)Duke of Chablais, died in childhood.
• Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy (6 July 1852) died at birth.
• Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy (8 January 1855 – 17 May 1855) Count of Genevois, died in infancy.

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