Margherita Maria Farnese

Margherita Maria Farnese (24 November 1664 – 17 June 1718) was an Italian noblewoman born into the House of Farnese. She was the Duchess of Modena and Reggio by marriage to her first cousin Francesco II d'Este, Duke of Modena. Her niece was Elisabeth Farnese, wife of Philip V of Spain. Biography Margherita Maria was the eldest child of Ranuccio II Farnese, Duke of Parma and his second wife Isabella d'Este. Her mother died in childbirth in 1666 after giving birth to Odoardo, Hereditary Prince of Parma (father of the famous Elisabeth Farnese, Queen of Spain). Her father Ranuccio had previously been married to Margaret Yolande of Savoy but the marriage produced no surviving issue; as such, Margherita Maria was the first of Ranuccio's children to survive infancy. Her younger half brothers Francesco Farnese and Antonio Farnese were successively the rulers of Parma. When the latter died, the House of Farnese became extinct.