Maria Pia did not involve herself in politics, but at a conflict with João Carlos Saldanha de Oliveira Daun, 1st Duke of Saldanha in 1870, she stated: "If I were the king, I would have you shot!"
Maria Pia se neangažovala v politických záležitostech, ale při konfliktu s João Carlosem vévodou ze Saldanhy roku 1870, prohlásila: "kdybych byla králem, nechala bych ho zastřelit!"