Princess Maria Antonia of Parma (1895–1977)

Princess Maria Antonia was born in exile at Schloss Schwarzau in Lower Austria.^[1] As the daughter of the last reigning Duke of Parma, she grew up in a vast family of 24 siblings, including Zita, Empress of Austria, Felix, Prince consort of Luxembourg, and Xavier, Duke of Parma. Her upbringing was characterized by a strict Catholic education and frequent travels between the family's estates in Austria and Italy.^[2] During her youth, she was noted for her piety and interest in the liturgical life of the Church, following the tradition of several of her sisters, such as Princess Maria Adelaide and Princess Francesca Giuseppa, who also chose religious vocations.^[3]

In the early 1910s, Maria Antonia was considered a potential bride for Infante Jaime, Duke of Madrid, but she ultimately did not marry him.^[4] Instead, she followed a religious calling and entered the Benedictine Order. She became a nun at the Abbey of Saint Cecile in Solesmes, taking the name Mother Maria Antonia.

During World War II, while her sister Empress Zita and mother lived in reduced circumstances in Quebec,^[5] Maria Antonia remained dedicated to her cloistered life in France. She died in Solesmes in 1977 at the age of 81.^[6]