[8] By early adulthood, Maria Amalia became a strong, independent young woman who cared little for her mother's personal and political plans.

[10][6] The marriage was supported by Maria Amalia's eldest brother, the future Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor,[citation needed] whose first, beloved wife had been Ferdinand's sister, Princess Isabella of Parma.

Maria Theresa promised her a splendid dowry and an annuity from the Spanish court, but the bride remained opposed to the match.

[11] The wedding, planned for the end of 1768, had to be postponed several times as Pope Clement XIII refused to issue the necessary dispensation because of his disputes with House of Bourbon.

The proxy wedding was celebrated in June 1769 in Vienna, and the groom was represented by Maria Amalia's younger brother Ferdinand.

Maria Amalia's marriage had been arranged by Austria and Spain to end the pro-French policy in Parma and replace it with an Austrian and Spanish one.

Upon her arrival, Maria Amalia was expected to submit to the wishes of du Tillot, who regarded her with suspicion, immediately causing conflict.

[4] In 1771, two years after her arrival in Parma, Maria Amalia secured the dismissal of du Tillot and replaced him with the Spaniard Jose del Llano, was highly recommended by the paternal uncle of Ferdinand, Charles III of Spain.

[4][6] In 1772, Maria Amalia fired del Llano and replaced him with an Italian prime minister and a cabinet of native Parmesans loyal to her rather than to a foreign ruler.

Duke Ferdinand, happy to spend his life with religious observance and raising his children, left the affairs of state entirely to his wife.

[13] She defended the independence of the Duchy of Parma, strengthened its sense of nationality, supported art, culture, and literature, working efficiently with her ministerial cabinet.

She used the funds from her mother for her wardrobe, a grand court and parties; she replaced most of her ladies-in-waiting with an entourage of handsome men from the royal guards, cross-dressed as male,[4] spent her nights unaccompanied and incognito on the streets, gambled in the officers' club and, while Ferdinand took mistresses from the peasantry, she enjoyed affairs with members of his guard.

She was greatly disliked by the Parmesan nobility, who described her as a shameful Messalina[4] and blamed her for living a life of imperial luxury in such a small state.

[4] In 1778, her eldest son, Prince Louis injured himself when banging his head into a marble table while playing with his sister.

Owing to ties with France's ally Spain, Napoleon offered to refrain from conquering the duchy if they agreed to let troops pass.

[4] Under the Treaty of Lunéville in February 1801, the Duchy of Parma was annexed to a newly founded French puppet state, the Kingdom of Etruria, which was granted to the son of Amalia, married to an infanta of Spain, daughter of Napoleon's ally.

[4] The new French governor of Parma, Jean-Andoche Junot, placed them under house arrest, and Maria Amalia reportedly feared for her husband's life.

"Maria Amalia never fully recovered from the death of her sister Marie Antoinette and afterwards was in mourning throughout her life.