“A Lily among Thorns”: The Emblematic Eclipse of Spain’s María Luisa de Orleáns in the Hieroglyphs of Her Funeral Exequies

Abstract

The rich symbolism of the fleur-de-lis can be traced back at least as far as the Song of Solomon 2.2: sicut lilium inter spinas sic amica mea inter filias¹ (“As the lily among thorns so is my love among the daughters”). As an iconographical attribute of the Virgin Mary, the white lily symbolizes purity and chastity. The adoption of the fleur-de-lis as the heraldic symbol of the French monarchy as early as the fifth century by King Clovis I further endowed this motif with sublime connotations. The brief and troubled life of Marie Louise de Orléans (1662–1689), queen consort of Spain from 1679 to 1689, may be appropriately emblematized as that of a lily among thorns. In this chapter, we will situate the ill-fated queen within her cultural and historical contexts and examine how some aspects of her life can be interpreted emblematically through the hieroglyphs that decorated the convent walls for the official Madrid celebration of her funeral exequies, and which appeared subsequently in print form in the published chronicle of these solemn celebrations. At least some of these hieroglyphs fulfill their customary function as the exalted remembrance of the passing of a monarch but at the same time reveal a subversive subtext that decries the sterility that has left a nation bereft of a successor.