Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma, Princess of Bourbon-Parma, was the first wife of Tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria and mother of Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria.
Marie Louise was born Maria Luisa Pia Teresa Anna Ferdinanda Francesca Antonietta Margherita Giuseppina Carolina Bianca Lucia Appollonia in 1869, the eldest daughter of daughter of Roberto I of Parma and Marie Pie, Princess of Bourbon-Sicily. Thankfully, she was to be known by the relatively laconic title Marie-Louise.
Nineteenth century European politics dictated that as a princess, she could best serve Parma and her family by marrying well and her father suitably arranged for her marriage to the then Prince of Bulgaria, Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Despite the fact that Marie-Louise and Ferdinand had never met prior to the day they became engaged, they were dutifully married on 20 April 1893 at the Villa Pianore in Luccia, Italy and wasted no time producing an heir, with son Boris born nine months and ten days later. Marie Louise gave birth to three further children:
Described by one historian as "a long-nosed creature with quiet manners and a kindly nature", it is unknown how Marie-Louise dealt with Ferdinand's taste for handsome young blond men or his regular visits to Capri, a well known haunt for wealthy late nineteenth century homosexuals. Marie Louise died on 31 January 1899, aged just 29.
