URSINS, MARIE ANNE DE LA TREMOILLE, P RIN CESSE DES (1642-1722), lady of the Spanish court, daughter of the duke of Noirmontier and Renee Julie Aubri. After the death of her second husband, Flavio Orsini, duke of Bracciano, she assumed the title of Princess des Ursins, a corruption of Orsini, and for her unofficial services in securing Neapolitans and Spaniards of rank at Rome as French partisans in view of the approaching death of Charles II. of Spain, she was rewarded in 1699 by a pension. When Philip, duke of Anjou, grandson of the French king was declared heir by the will of Charles II. the princess took an active part in arranging his marriage with a daughter of the duke of Savoy. Appointed Camarera Mayor by quiet diplo macy and the help of Madame de Maintenon, she accompanied the young queen to Spain in 1701. Till 1714 she was the most powerful person in the country. She was expected to look after French interests in the palace, and to manage the Spanish nobles. But she wisely held that the young king should rely on his Spanish subjects and was in frequent conflict with the French ambassadors. Recalled in 1704, she still had the support of Madame de Main tenon, and her own tact placated Louis XIV. In i 705 she returned
to Spain, with practically the power to name her own ministry. During the war of the Spanish Succession she was the real head of the Bourbon party. She was so far from offending the nation, that when Louis XIV. threatened in 1709 to desert his grandson, she dismissed all Frenchmen from the court. On the death of the queen, acting by advice of Alberoni, she arranged a marriage for the king with Elizabeth Farnese of Parma. She was rudely disil lusioned in her hopes of governing the new queen as she had done the old. Driven from Elizabeth's presence with insult, at Quad raque, whither she had gone to meet her, she was sent out of Spain without being allowed to change her court dress. After a short stay in France, Madame des Ursins went to Rome, where she died Dec. 5, 1722.
See F. Combes, La Princesse des Ursins . . . (1858) ; Lettres inedites de Mme. de Maintenon et de . . la Princesse des Ursins (1826; Eng. trans., 1827) ; Lettres inedites de la princesse des Ursins (1859) C. Hill, Story of the Princess des Ursins in Spain (19o5).