First page - Vivat Maria Theresia

Second page - Archduchess Maria Theresia

Third page - The Austrian Succession War
Fourth page - The Seven Years' War
Fifth page - The Final Years
Sixth page - Topics

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Archduchess Maria Theresia

The Imperial couple had three more children:

    * date of birth

  • Maria Theresia * 13th May 1717
  • Maria Anna * 26th September 1718
  • Maria Amalia * 5th April 1724
  • Maria Theresia was the second child of Karl VI and Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. She was born in the Imperial Residence in Vienna (Hofburg) in the early morning of the 13th May 1717, and was baptised Maria Theresia Walburga Amalia Christina in the evening of the same day.

Her aunt Wilhelmine Amalia of Brunswick-Lüneburg, and grandmother Eleonor Magdalene of the Palatinate-Neuburg were her godmothers.

Karl had placed his nieces behind his daughter in the line of succession so his daughter immediately became heiress presumptive to the Habsburg Hereditary Lands.

The young Archduchess was a very pretty little girl and she had an adequate but not very thorough education. Her spelling and punctuation was not too good, and she had problems speaking in a formal manner and preferred speaking Viennese German.

She had received her formal education from members of the Jesuit order. The Jesuits were both powerful and influential and would later pose a danger to her authority. In later years Maria Theresia did not hesitate to issue a decree that removed the Jesuits from all the institutions, which led to the abolition of the Jesuit Order in 1773.

At the age of nineteen the young archduchess was tall, slender, and very attractive with sparkling grey eyes and an abundance of golden wavy hair. She had an aquiline nose and a beautiful mouth.

She spoke quickly and gestured in an ardent and impetuous manner, but never lost her dignity.

She could lose her patience quickly and was short-tempered, but her anger soon subsided especially when she realised that she had been ill tempered and then she often tried to make amends for her outburst with overflowing kindness.

Countess Marie Karoline von Fuchs-Mollard (Charlotte) was the governess of Maria Theresia.

The Countess was entrusted with the education and upbringing of the young Archduchess and taught her etiquette. Maria Theresia received the education and upbringing that was thought to be fitting for a young princess of the eighteenth century and was therefore taught the skills of drawing, painting, music and dancing.
Maria Theresia developed an affectionate and close relationship with Countess Fuchs, and when the countess died she showed her gratitude by allowing her to be buried in the Imperial Crypt.

As time passed by it became obvious that Maria Theresia was to inherit the Habsburg Hereditary Lands, but she was not very acquainted with politics and the affairs of state.
As a young Archduchess of fourteen years of age she was allowed to attend meetings of the council, but her father would never discuss the affairs of state with her.

Maria Theresia was engaged to be married to Leopold Clement of Lorraine.

In 1723 the young man was sent to Vienna to continue his education, but suddenly he caught smallpox and died.
His younger brother Franz Stephan was invited to Vienna and remained at the Imperial Court until 1729 and was surely the favourite candidate for a marriage with Maria Theresia. However, at the same time her father Karl VI wanted to use his daughter as a political pawn and, amongst other possibilities, contemplated marrying her to one of the Spanish royals thereby forming a union with Spain, but was forced to drop his plans due to the negative response of the other major powers who saw such a union as a threat to the European balance of power.

In the meantime Maria Theresia had become very fond of the nine-year older Franz Stephan (Francis Stephen of Lorraine).

In 1729, Franz Stephan ascended the throne of Lorraine, but had to wait until 1736 before he was formally promised Maria Theresia's hand.

On the 31st January 1736, Franz Stephan was obliged to sign the declaration of renunciation of the Duchy of Lorraine and comply with the demands of France that he should exchange his Duchy for the right of succession to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.
At first he hesitated and laid the quill on the table a few times before finally signing the document as he was confronted with the choice of "No signature - No Archduchess"

Maria Theresia and Franz Stephan of Lorraine married on the 12th February 1736 in the Augustinian Church in Vienna. He and his wife became the founders of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty.

Franz Stephan was officially joint ruler of the Habsburg Hereditary Lands. However, in reality he was merely the prince consort and had very little say in the affairs of state.
He was not unimportant, he just happened to be married to a famous woman.

The nineteen-year-old Maria Theresia was deeply in love with Franz Stephan and during his absences wrote many letters in which she expressed her eagerness to see him, whereas Franz Stephan wrote letters which were in comparison very formal.

Franz Stephan was not averse to extramarital amusements and had several affairs. He had to be very discreet and was under the constant observation of his very jealous wife who, for her part, tried to give him very few opportunities, and his infidelity became a tremendous problem during their marriage.

The sexual morality of the Imperial Court of Vienna during the 18th century was one-sided. Mistresses were not unknown, and infidelity was common amongst men but frowned upon for female members of the Imperial family who were expected to comply with the rigid moral standards of the day.

In 1745, Franz Stephan was able to emerge from the shadow of his wife and was elected Holy Roman Emperor, Franz I.

The Imperial Couple

Franz Stephan was a financial wizard and managed to amass a large private fortune.

He purchased estates in Lower Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, and Moravia, and he created a very profitable industrial empire by building textile and pottery factories. He was able to give financial support to the State, and he himself benefited from the modernisation and the resulting needs of the Austrian army.
These assets gave his son and successor Joseph II the means to settle the debts caused by the wars.
KarlV1 died on the 20th October 1740 at the Favorita Palace in Vienna, probably as a result of mushroom poisoning.
After the death of her father, Archduchess Maria Theresia became; Sovereign of Hungary and Bohemia, of Dalmatia, of Croatia, of Slavonia, of Galicia, of Lodomeria, etc.; Archduchess of Austria; Duchess of Burgundy, of Styria, of Carinthia and of Carniola; Grand Princess of Transylvania; Margravine of Moravia; Duchess of Brabant, of Limburg, of Luxemburg, of Guelders, of Württemberg, of Upper and Lower Silesia, of Milan, of Mantua, of Parma, of Piacenza, of Guastalla, of Auschwitz and of Zator; Princess of Swabia; Princely Countess of Habsburg, of Flanders, of Tyrol, of Hainault, of Kyburg, of Gorizia and of Gradisca; Margravine of Burgau, of Upper and Lower Lusatia; Countess of Namur; Lady of the Wendish Mark and of Mechlin; Duchess of Lorraine and Bar, Grand Duchess of Tuscany.

Karl VI had left a weakened army and during the last years of his reign the financial situation within his domains was in a poor state. He had not taken the time to introduce his daughter into the workings of the affairs of state because he presumed she would hand the ruling of her dominions to her husband.

After her accession to the throne, the twenty-three year old Maria Theresia made her husband co-ruler of the Austrian and Bohemian Lands, but it took over a year before Hungary accepted Franz Stephan as co-ruler.

The Austrian Succession War broke out shortly after Maria Theresia ascended the throne because the neighbouring powers refused to accept the principles of the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713, which it turned out to be nothing more than a useless piece of paper, but it thrust Maria Theresia into the thick of European politics. Maria Theresia was suddenly forced to defend her inheritance against Prussia, Bavaria, France, Poland, Saxony and Spain.

During the next twenty years, Maria Theresia fought two major wars and gave birth to sixteen children.

The first three children were girls and the Imperial couple had to wait until 1741 before the first boy was born, and by this time Maria Theresia was fighting to preserve her inheritance. Three of her children were born before the Austrian Succession War began, and five children were born during the peace between the Austrian Succession War and the Seven Years War. She was pregnant or shall we say child-bearing throughout the Austrian Succession War and gave birth to her last child at the age of thirty-nine in 1756 at the beginning of the Seven Years War.

Maria Theresia was definitely a good mother and treated her children well, but at the same time she saw them as political pawns in a dynastic game and soon started negotiations regarding the future marriages of the Imperial children. These talks were held in conjunction with those needed to keep up the war effort and all other affairs of state.

The Imperial Children


In spite of his infidelity Franz Stephan and Maria Theresia were very happily married.

Over the following two decades she gave birth to sixteen children, eleven daughters, and five sons.

THE FIRST CHILD

Archduchess Maria Elisabeth Amalia Antonia Josepha Gabriele Johanna Agathe

Maria Elisabeth was born on the 5th February 1737, and died in the arms of her father on the 7th June 1740 after a sudden illness.

THE SECOND CHILD

Archduchess Maria Anna Josepha Antonia was born on the 6th October 1738, and died on the 19th November 1789. She was born with a slight physical disability and suffered from a fusion of her spine that caused her to develop a hunched-back later in her life making her unsuitable for marriage.

In 1766, she became the abbess of the Imperial and Royal Convent for Noble Ladies in Prague, and later became an abbess in a convent in Klagenfurt together with her younger sister Maria Elisabeth.

Maria Anna (Marianna) was very intelligent with a keen interest in science and conducted many experiments. She was very active in supporting archaeology, the arts, science and social projects.

THE THIRD CHILD

Archduchess Maria Carolina Ernestina Antonia Johanna Josepha was born on the 12th January 1740, and on the 24th January 1741 she suddenly became very ill, possibly with smallpox and died the next day.

THE FOURTH CHILD

Archduke Joseph Benedikt Anton Michael Adam was born on the 13th March 1741, and died on the 20th February 1790.

Maria Theresia had already given birth to three daughters, two of whom had already died, so when she gave birth to her first-born son Joseph his birth was a great event and was duly celebrated by the Imperial family.

In 1764, Joseph was elected King of the Holy Roman Empire and in 1765, after the sudden death of his father he succeeded to the throne becoming Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. His mother remained responsible for the affairs of State and procedures made in regard to the Habsburg crown-lands and other important decisions.

Joseph's first wife Isabella of Parma, whom he loved passionately, died of smallpox about three years after their marriage.

Joseph acted as co-regent of the Habsburg dynasty together with Maria Theresia until her death in 1780.

In 1765, he married Maria Josepha of Bavaria, which was more of a political marriage than one born out of love.

Maria Josepha died during an outbreak of smallpox in 1767.

During the co-regency, and after Maria Theresia's death, Joseph continued the reforms along the lines pursued by his mother. Compared to his mother Joseph was more ideological, less flexible and often less successful. However, he managed to balance Austria's finances, reorganise the army, and made secure Austria's position in Europe.

THE FIFTH CHILD

Archduchess Maria Christina Johanna Josepha Antonia was born on the 13th May 1742, and died on the 24th June 1798.

Maria Theresia gave birth to Maria Christina (Mimi) on her twenty-fifth birthday. Mimi was a very talented artist and Maria Theresia's favourite child.

Of all Maria Theresia's married children Mimi's marriage to Albert von Saxon-Teschen was the only non-political marriage. Albert came to Vienna in 1760 and fell in love with Mimi, but Maria Theresia's husband Franz Stephan was not in favour of the marriage.

After the sudden death of Franz Stephan the young couple were allowed to marry.

They were later appointed joint governors of the Austrian Netherlands, but in the summer of 1789, after the outbreak of the French Revolution, a revolt also began in the Austrian Netherlands. In November 1792, Albert and Mimi had to leave the country for the second time and returned to Vienna after the French occupation of the country.

Albert was passionately devoted to the Arts. Together with his wife he founded the Albertina in Vienna which, even today, holds one of the largest collections of graphic sketches and art work in the world.

THE SIXTH CHILD

Archduchess Maria Elisabeth Josepha was born on the 13th August 1743, and died on the 22nd September 1808.

Maria Elizabeth (Liesl) was obliged to stay in Vienna because she was marked by smallpox which lessened her hopes of getting married. She was appointed abbess of the Convent for Noble Ladies in Innsbruck from 1780 until 1806.

Maria Elisabeth was forced to leave Innsbruck after Tyrol had been captured by Napoleon's ally the King of Bavaria and she later moved to the city of Linz.

THE SEVENTH CHILD

Archduke Karl Joseph Emanuel Johann Nepomuk Anton Prokop was born on the 1st February 1745, and died on the 18th February January 1761.

Karl Joseph was the favourite son and won the affection and respect of his siblings and the entire court with his charm and intelligence. This led to a great deal of rivalry between Karl Joseph and his elder brother.

It was intended that Karl Joseph should succeed his father as Duke of Tuscany, but he fell ill at the age of fifteen and died of smallpox.

THE EIGTH CHILD

Maria Amalia Josepha Johanna Antonia was born on the 26th February 1746, and died on the 18th June 1804.

Maria Amalia was married to Ferdinand of Parma. The pre-arranged marriage was part of a complicated series of political marriages between the House of Habsburg-Lorraine and the House of Bourbon.

When Napoleon invaded Italy he expelled her from Parma in October 1802.

Maria Amalia then moved to Prague where she died in 1804.

THE NINTH CHILD

Archduke Peter Leopold Joseph Anton Joachim Pius Gotthard was born on the 5th May 1747, and died on the 1st March 1792.

Leopold was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1765 to 1790, and Holy Roman Emperor and King of Hungary and Bohemia from 1790 to 1792.

He had to reverse many of the earlier reforms and offer new concessions to restore law and order including giving back the church and the regional governing bodies many of their old powers.

THE TENTH CHILD

Archduchess Maria Carolina was born on the 17th September 1748, and died later the same day.

The baby girl was hurriedly baptised and named Maria Carolina in memory of her deceased sister.

THE ELEVENTH CHILD

Archduchess Maria Johanna Gabriele Josefa Antonia was born on the 4th February 1750, and died on the 23rd December 1762.

She was described as likeable and good-natured.

After the death of Karl Joseph in 1761, Maria Theresia wanted all of her remaining children to be inoculated against smallpox, but Johanna became ill after the inoculation and the young Archduchess died of the dreaded disease at the age of twelve.

THE TWELTH CHILD

Archduchess Maria Josepha Gabriela Johanna Antonia Anna was born on the 19th March 1751, and died on the 15th October 1767.

Maria Theresia wanted to marry Maria Josepha to Ferdinand of Naples and Sicily, but shortly before she was to leave Austria to marry Ferdinand she contracted smallpox and died aged sixteen.

THE THIRTEENTH CHILD

Archduchess Maria Carolina Louise Josepha Johanna Antonia was born on the 13th August 1752, and died on the 8th September 1814.

Maria Carolina was married to King Ferdinand IV of Naples (Ferdinand I of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies) in 1768.

In 1798, the French invaded Naples and formed the Parthenopean Republic.
Ferdinand and Caroline fled to Sicily and returned to Naples in 1799 after the defeat of the Republic.

In 1806, Napoleon captured Naples and forced the royal family to seek refuge once again in Sicily. Ferdinand was obliged to appoint his son Franz as regent, and granted Sicily a constitution.

In 1813, Maria Caroline returned to Vienna and died shortly before the Congress of Vienna (1814-15) agreed to return the kingdom to her husband

THE FOURTEENTH CHILD

Archduke Ferdinand Karl Anton Joseph Johann Stanislaus was born on the 1st June 1754, and died on the 24th December 1806.

In 1763 the nine-year old Ferdinand was engaged to Maria Beatrice Ricciarda d'Este the daughter of Ercole III d'Este, Duke of Modena, and the young couple married on the 15th October 1771.

Ferdinand became Governor of the Duchy of Milan in 1771.

In 1796, during the Napoleonic Wars, the family was forced to flee Milan.

Duke Ercole III was later granted the Duchy of Breisgau and after his death in 1803 Ferdinand succeeded as Duke of Breisgau, but had to cede the Duchy to the Grand Duchy of Baden (Treaty of Pressburg) in 1805.

Ferdinand died the following year in Vienna.

After the Congress of Vienna in 1814, Ferdinand's son, Franz IV became Duke of Modena.

THE FIFTEENTH CHILD

Archduchess Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna was born on the 2nd November 1755, and died on the 16th October 1793.

Maria Antonia (Marie Antoinette) married the Dauphin (crown prince) of France in 1770.

Four years later when her husband was crowned King Louis XVI (House of Bourbon) she became Queen of France. Marie Antoinette and Louis were confronted with the political and social changes taking place in France during the 18th century.

In 1792, the royal family were accused of high treason and imprisoned.

In 1789, a mob of revolutionists (The Women's March to Versailles) forced its way into the Palace of Versailles demanding that the royal family be removed to the Tuilerie Palace in Paris where the King and Queen were virtual prisoners.

Marie Antoinette sought help from other European rulers including her brother the Austrian Emperor Joseph II and her sister Maria Caroline, Queen of Naples.
King Louis and his family attempted to flee France but were recognised and brought back to Paris.

Austria and Prussia declared war on France and Marie Antoinette was accused of passing military secrets to the enemy.

On the 21st January 1793, Louis XVI was convicted of treason and executed on the guillotine.

Marie Antoinette suffered much during her final weeks of imprisonment.
The revolutionists took her children away from her and her best friend, the Princess de Lambelle, was killed and her severed head was put on a pole and paraded in front of the Queen's prison window.

Marie Antoinette followed her husband to the guillotine on the 16th October 1793.

THE SIXTEENTH CHILD

Archduke Maximilian Franz Xaver Joseph Johann Anton de Paula Wenzel was born on the 8th December 1756, and died on the 26th July 1801.

Maximilian Franz became Archbishop-Elector of Cologne in 1784.

A keen patron of music, Maximilian Franz maintained and played an important role in the early career of Ludwig van Beethoven.

In October and November 1794, during the Napoleonic Wars, Cologne and Bonn were occupied by the French and Maximilian Franz left Bonn and the Archbishop's court was dissolved.

In later life he resided at Hetzendorf Palace in Vienna.

He suffered from ill-health and put on an enormous amount of weight.

Beethoven visited him shortly before his death in Vienna and planned to dedicate his First Symphony to his former patron, but Maximilian Franz died before it was completed.

First page - Vivat Maria Theresia

Second page - Archduchess Maria Theresia

Third page - The Austrian Succession War
Fourth page - The Seven Years' War
Fifth page - The Final Years
Sixth page - Topics

About Me


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This page: Archduchess Maria Theresia

Next page: The Austrian Succession War

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