It is well known that Maria Theresa gave birth to 16 children.
But who were they and what became of them?
How many of them reached adulthood?
Who is the most famous daughter internationally?
Find out here
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Maria Theresa of the House of Habsburg (1717-1780) is undoubtedly one of the most important monarchs in the country’s history, especially in the era of enlightened absolutism. She was Archduchess of Austria and Queen of Hungary and Bohemia.
She is often mistakenly referred to as Empress Maria Theresa, but the regent never officially held this title.
However, as she enjoyed great influence and her husband Francis I Stephen of Lorraine was crowned Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in 1745, she shaped the image of an empress for many people.
Especially as the affairs of government were largely carried out by “Frau Kaiser”.
Maria Theresa’s children: 11 daughters, 5 sons
The marriage of the then 19-year-old Maria Theresa to her beloved Franz Stephan of Lorraine took place on February 12, 1736 in the Augustinian Church in Vienna .
Three months after the wedding, she was already pregnant and gave birth to 16 children within 20 years.
The first-born daughter, Maria Elisabeth (1737-1740) already died as a toddler.
In 1738, the next daughter was born, Maria Anna (1738-1789) , whose interests were very similar to those of her father.
Unfortunately, she suffered from a malformation of the ribcage and could therefore not be married.
She therefore remained with her mother until Maria Theresa’s death in 1780.
She spent the evening of her life in the Elisabethine Convent in Klagenfurt.
The third child, again a daughter, named Maria Karolina, (born 1740) died while still an infant.
Joint regency with son Josef
A year later, the Habsburg finally gave birth to a son and thus the long-awaited heir to the throne. Joseph II (1741-1790) ruled the lands of the Habsburg Monarchy together with his mother and succeeded her to the throne after his mother’s death in 1780.
He is best known for his reforms.
However, it is said that his mother was not very happy about many of these reforms and the way they were implemented.
Maria Christine was born in 1742 as the fifth child of the imperial couple.
“Mimi”, as she was called by her mother, was considered Maria Theresa’s favorite daughter.
This was partly due to the fact that Maria Christine was born on the Archduchess of Austria’s 25th birthday, which Maria Theresa interpreted as an important sign.
Relations with her siblings were therefore not always easy.
She was the only one of the many children allowed to choose her own husband.
Her choice fell on Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen.
Maria Elisabeth (1743-1808) was the sixth child to see the light of day and was a particularly pretty girl.
She was to play a special role in her family’s politically motivated marriage plans from an early age.
Unfortunately, her beauty was disfigured by smallpox.
As a result, she remained unmarried and became known as the dreaded “kropferte Liesl“.
Favorite son Karl Joseph died early
Number seven was the second son Karl Joseph (1745-1761) . Unlike his older brother, Karl Joseph was considered to be particularly intelligent and amiable.
He can therefore justifiably be described as Maria Theresa’s favorite son.
He therefore had a rivalry with his brother, the heir to the throne.
Unfortunately, he died at the young age of 16 due to smallpox . A heavy blow for both parents.
The eighth child was Maria Amalie (1746-1804), who was married against her will to Duke Ferdinand of Parma.
The ninth child and third son was Peter Leopold (1747-1792), who became ruler in Tuscany and even held the imperial office for two years.
In tenth place was Maria Karoline (born 1748), who died shortly after her birth.
The eleventh child, Johanna (1750-1762) fell victim to smallpox at a young age, as did number twelve, Maria Josepha (1751-1767), who was about to marry the Neapolitan crown prince.
This meant that the next daughter and 13th child in total, Maria Karolina (1752-1814) , followed and had to marry Ferdinand of Naples-Sicily .
The Queen of Naples and Sicily even gave birth to a total of 18 children
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Maria Theresa’s child number 14 was Ferdinand Karl Anton (1754-1806), who founded the collateral line Habsburg-Modena through his marriage to Maria Beatrice d’Este.
The sad fate of Marie-Antoinette
Maria Antonia (1755-1793) was the 15th child to be born.
To this day, she is undoubtedly Maria Theresa’s best-known daughter internationally, mainly due to her tragic death.
Through her marriage to the French Dauphin Louis XVI in 1770, Maria Antonia became Marie-Antoinette, Empress of France from 1774.
Initially very popular, the people eventually turned against the royal couple.
In the course of the French Revolution, she was executed on the scaffold on October 16, 1793, nine months after her husband.
The youngest and 16th child was Maximilian Franz (1756-1801) , who was destined for a clerical career.
He became Archbishop and Elector of Cologne, Prince-Bishop of Münster and acted as Beethoven’s patron.
Only 10 children of Maria Theresa grew up
Due to her smart marriage policy, the archduchess was often referred to as the “mother-in-law of Europe”.
However, the fates of some of her descendants were tragic.
In fact, only 10 of the 16 children of Maria Theresa and Franz I Stephan of Lorraine reached adulthood, and two daughters were marked by serious illnesses throughout their lives.
Learn more about the four children of Empress Elisabeth and Emperor Franz Joseph in this article
Time Travel Tip: At Schönbrunn Palace, you can take a guided tour to find out how the imperial family lived with their 16 children.
Here you will find the top sights in Vienna.
