HOW TO REPRESENT WOMEN OF POWER IN EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY SPAIN? MARÍA LUISA OF SAVOY, THE PRINCESSE DES URSINS AND ELISABETH FARNESE DURING THE REIGN OF PHILIP V (1700-1746)

The reign of Philip V (1700-1746) was a particularly troubled one. The War of Succession, which did not end until thirteen years after his accession to the throne, largely explains the instability he faced. However, it was also for another reason that the reign of Philip V was not quite like the others. The king largely left the reins of Spain to three women: his first wife, Maria Luisa of Savoy, her first lady Marie-Anne de la Trémoille - better known as Princesse des Ursins - and, later on, his second wife, Elisabeth Farnese. This study aims to analyze the status of these three women of power, the way in which they assumed their leading political role and, above all, how the texts and images of the time portrayed them. What do official and unofficial testimonies reveal about their position of power? What representation was the crown trying to convey? Do independent newspapers, pamphlets, poems, and prints fit this official image? These are some of the questions that this work will raise and attempt to answer.