1.
Florence
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Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the Metropolitan City of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants, Florence was a centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of the time. It is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, and has called the Athens of the Middle Ages. A turbulent political history includes periods of rule by the powerful Medici family, from 1865 to 1871 the city was the capital of the recently established Kingdom of Italy. The Historic Centre of Florence attracts 13 million tourists each year and it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. The city is noted for its culture, Renaissance art and architecture, the city also contains numerous museums and art galleries, such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Palazzo Pitti, and still exerts an influence in the fields of art, culture and politics. Due to Florences artistic and architectural heritage, it has been ranked by Forbes as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, in 2008, the city had the 17th highest average income in Italy. Florence originated as a Roman city, and later, after a period as a flourishing trading and banking medieval commune. According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, it was politically, economically, and culturally one of the most important cities in Europe, the language spoken in the city during the 14th century was, and still is, accepted as the Italian language. Starting from the late Middle Ages, Florentine money—in the form of the gold florin—financed the development of all over Europe, from Britain to Bruges, to Lyon. Florentine bankers financed the English kings during the Hundred Years War and they similarly financed the papacy, including the construction of their provisional capital of Avignon and, after their return to Rome, the reconstruction and Renaissance embellishment of Rome. Florence was home to the Medici, one of European historys most important noble families, Lorenzo de Medici was considered a political and cultural mastermind of Italy in the late 15th century. Two members of the family were popes in the early 16th century, Leo X, catherine de Medici married king Henry II of France and, after his death in 1559, reigned as regent in France. Marie de Medici married Henry IV of France and gave birth to the future king Louis XIII, the Medici reigned as Grand Dukes of Tuscany, starting with Cosimo I de Medici in 1569 and ending with the death of Gian Gastone de Medici in 1737. The Etruscans initially formed in 200 BC the small settlement of Fiesole and it was built in the style of an army camp with the main streets, the cardo and the decumanus, intersecting at the present Piazza della Repubblica. Situated along the Via Cassia, the route between Rome and the north, and within the fertile valley of the Arno, the settlement quickly became an important commercial centre. Peace returned under Lombard rule in the 6th century, Florence was conquered by Charlemagne in 774 and became part of the Duchy of Tuscany, with Lucca as capital. The population began to again and commerce prospered
Florence
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A collage of Florence showing the
Galleria degli Uffizi (top left), followed by the
Palazzo Pitti, a sunset view of the city and the
Fountain of Neptune in the
Piazza della Signoria
Florence
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A wooden model of Florence as it would have probably looked during Roman times, showing the ancient amphitheatre
Florence
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The façade of the Cathedral
Florence
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Leonardo da Vinci statue outside the
Uffizi Gallery.
2.
Munich
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Munich is the capital and largest city of the German state of Bavaria, on the banks of River Isar north of the Bavarian Alps. Munich is the third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg, the Munich Metropolitan Region is home to 5.8 million people. According to the Globalization and World Rankings Research Institute Munich is considered an alpha-world city, the name of the city is derived from the Old/Middle High German term Munichen, meaning by the monks. It derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who ran a monastery at the place that was later to become the Old Town of Munich, Munich was first mentioned in 1158. From 1255 the city was seat of the Bavarian Dukes, black and gold—the colours of the Holy Roman Empire—have been the citys official colours since the time of Ludwig the Bavarian, when it was an imperial residence. Following a final reunification of the Wittelsbachian Duchy of Bavaria, previously divided and sub-divided for more than 200 years, like wide parts of the Holy Roman Empire, the area recovered slowly economically. In 1918, during the German Revolution, the house of Wittelsbach, which governed Bavaria since 1180, was forced to abdicate in Munich. In the 1920s, Munich became home to political factions, among them the NSDAP. During World War II, Munich was heavily bombed and more than 50% of the entire city, the postwar period was characterised by American occupation until 1949 and a strong increase of population and economic power during the years of the Wirtschaftswunder after 1949. The city is home to corporations like BMW, Siemens, MAN, Linde, Allianz and MunichRE as well as many small. Munich is home to national and international authorities, major universities, major museums. Its numerous architectural attractions, international events, exhibitions and conferences. Munich is one of the most prosperous and fastest growing cities in Germany and it is a top-ranked destination for migration and expatriate location, despite being the municipality with the highest density of population in Germany. Munich nowadays hosts more than 530,000 people of foreign background, the year 1158 is assumed to be the foundation date, which is the earliest date the city is mentioned in a document. The document was signed in Augsburg, by that time the Guelph Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony and Bavaria, had built a bridge over the river Isar next to a settlement of Benedictine monks—this was on the Old Salt Route and a toll bridge. In 1175, Munich was officially granted city status and received fortification, in 1180, with the trial of Henry the Lion, Otto I Wittelsbach became Duke of Bavaria and Munich was handed over to the Bishop of Freising. In 1240, Munich was transferred to Otto II Wittelsbach and in 1255, Duke Louis IV, a native of Munich, was elected German king in 1314 and crowned as Holy Roman Emperor in 1328. He strengthened the position by granting it the salt monopoly
Munich
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From left to right: The
Munich Frauenkirche, the
Nymphenburg Palace, the
BMW Headquarters, the
New Town Hall, the
Munich Hofgarten and the
Allianz Arena.
Munich
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Munich city
coat of arms
Munich
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Banners with the colours of Munich (left) and Bavaria (right) with the
Frauenkirche in the background
Munich
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Bombing damage to the Altstadt. Note the roofless and pockmarked Altes Rathaus looking up the Tal. The roofless Heilig-Geist-Kirche is on the right of the photo. Its spire, without the copper top, is behind the church. The Talbruck gate tower is missing completely.
3.
Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria
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Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria, was the de facto ruler of Bavaria from 1886 to 1912, due to the incapacity of his nephews, King Ludwig II for three days and King Otto for 26 years. Luitpold was born in Würzburg, the son of King Ludwig I of Bavaria and his wife. He was the brother of King Maximilian II of Bavaria. Luitpold was in line to succeed to the throne of the Kingdom of Bavaria, however, the Greek law of succession required that Ottos heir should belong to the Greek Orthodox Church. Otto was deposed in 1862 and replaced by Prince William of Denmark, Otto died in 1867, leaving Luitpold and his descendants as representatives of Ottos claim. However, Luitpold never pursued that claim, at the age of fourteen Luitpold joined the Bavarian Army and was promoted Captain of the Artillery in 1835. During the revolutions of 1848 Prince Luitpold mediated and facilitated an audience of discontented citizens with his father, during the rule of his brother Maximilian II, Luitpold did not play a significant political role. With the reign of his nephew Ludwig II Prince Luitpold had increasingly to represent the house due to the kings long absence from the capital. In the Austro-Prussian War in 1866 Luitpold was commander of the 3rd Royal Bavarian Division, in 1869 he became Inspector General of the Bavarian Army, during the Franco-Prussian War 1870/71 he represented Bavaria in the German General Staff. In that capacity he handed over Ludwigs Kaiserbrief on 3 December 1870, Otto then criticized the celebration as ostentatious and heartless in a letter to his brother. In 1876 Luitpold was appointed Field Marshal, on 10 June 1886, Luitpolds nephew King Ludwig II was declared mentally incompetent and Luitpold was named Regent. Following Ludwig IIs mysterious death a few later, his brother Otto assumed the throne. However, Otto was likewise mentally incapable of reigning, and Luitpold continued to serve as regent, Prince Luitpold was even accused by some people of the murder of his nephew, but soon the decent and affable prince became one of Bavarias most popular rulers. One of his first actions was to several of the palaces of Ludwig II to the public. His governments gradually moved away from the previous anti-Catholic Kulturkampf policies, during the regency of Prince-Regent Luitpold relations between Bavarians and Prussians remained cold as Bavarians resented Prussias strategic dominance over the empire. Luitpold continued to serve as regent until 1912, when he contracted bronchitis and he was succeeded by his eldest son, Prince Ludwig, who remained as regent for another year before becoming king in his own right as Ludwig III. He is buried in the crypt of the Theatinerkirche in Munich, in connection with the unhappy end of the preceding rule of King Ludwig II this break in the Bavarian monarchy looked even stronger. Today the connection of two developments is regarded as a main cause for the unspectacular end of the Bavarian kingdom without opposition in the course of the November revolution of 1918
Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria
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Prince Luitpold
Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria
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Prince Luitpold of Bavaria
Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria
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Prince Regent Luitpold celebrating his 90th birthday in 1911
Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria
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Augsburg monument by the
sculptor Franz Bernauer on top of the fountain Prinzregentenbrunnen.
4.
Ludwig III of Bavaria
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Ludwig III, was the last King of Bavaria, reigning from 1913 to 1918. Ludwig was born in Munich, the eldest son of Prince Luitpold of Bavaria and of his wife and he was a descendant of both Louis XIV of France and William the Conqueror. Hailing from Florence, Augusta always spoke in Italian to her four children, Ludwig was named after his grandfather, King Ludwig I of Bavaria. Ludwig spent his first years living in the Electoral rooms of the Munich Residenz, from 1852 to 1863, he was tutored by Ferdinand von Malaisé. When he was ten years old, the moved to the Leuchtenberg Palace. In 1861 at the age of sixteen, Ludwig began his career when his uncle, King Maximilian II of Bavaria. A year later, he entered the Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, when he was eighteen, he automatically became a member of the Senate of the Bavarian Legislature as a prince of the royal house. In 1866, Bavaria was allied with the Austrian Empire in the Austro-Prussian War, Ludwig held the rank of Oberleutnant. He was wounded at the Battle of Helmstedt, taking a bullet in his thigh, the incident contributed to the fact that he was rather averse to the military. He received the Knights Cross 1st Class of the Bavarian Military Merit Order In June 1867, Ludwig visited Vienna to attend the funeral of his cousin, while there, Ludwig met Mathildes eighteen-year-old step-cousin Maria Theresia, Archduchess of Austria-Este. On 20 February 1868, at St. Augustines Church in Vienna and she was the only daughter of the late Archduke Ferdinand Karl Viktor of Austria-Este and of his wife Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria. Until 1862, Ludwigs uncle had reigned as King Otto I of Greece, although Otto had been deposed, Ludwig was still in line of succession to the Greek throne. Had he ever succeeded, this would have required that he renounce his Roman Catholic faith, Maria Theresas uncle, Duke Francis V of Modena, was a staunch Roman Catholic. He required that as part of the marriage agreement Ludwig renounce his rights to the throne of Greece, in addition, the 1843 Greek Constitution forbade the Greek sovereign to be simultaneously ruler of another country. Consequently, Ludwigs younger brother Leopold technically succeeded upon their fathers death to the rights of the deposed Otto I, by his marriage, Ludwig became a wealthy man. Maria Theresa had inherited large properties from her father and she owned the estate of Sárvár in Hungary and the estate of Eiwanowitz in Moravia. The income from these estates enabled Ludwig to purchase an estate at Leutstetten in Bavaria, over the years, Ludwig expanded the Leutstetten estate until it became one of the largest and most profitable in Bavaria. Ludwig was sometimes derided as Millibauer due to his interest in agriculture, although they maintained a residence in Munich at the Leuchtenberg Palace, Ludwig and Maria Theresa lived mostly at Leutstetten
Ludwig III of Bavaria
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Ludwig III
Ludwig III of Bavaria
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"Ludwig III" redirects here. For another ruler of that name, see
Louis III, Grand Duke of Hesse.
Ludwig III of Bavaria
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King Ludwig III, his consort Maria Theresia and their son crown prince Rupprecht
Ludwig III of Bavaria
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Princess Adelgunde (1870–1958), Princess Maria (1872–1954), Prince Karl (1874–1927), Prince Franz (1875–1957), Princess Hildegarde (1881–1948), Princess Wiltrud (1884–1975) and Princess Helmtrud (1885–1977).
5.
Prince Leopold of Bavaria
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Leopold Maximilian Joseph Maria Arnulf, Prinz von Bayern was born in Munich, the son of Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria and his wife Archduchess Augusta of Austria. He was a Field Marshal who commanded German and Austro-Hungarian forces on the Eastern Front in World War I, Prince Leopold entered the Bavarian Army at the age of 15, and received his patent as a lieutenant dated 28 November 1861. He saw first combat during the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, where he commanded a battery at Kissingen. In 1870, King Ludwig II of Bavaria sent Leopold to the battlefields of France and he served with the 3rd Bavarian Artillery Regiment and saw action at Sedan and Beauvert. He was promoted to major in December 1870, in the post-war years, Prince Leopold spent most of his time travelling, visiting Africa, Asia and countries of Europe. In 1911 he ordered a 6m racing yacht Ralle II from the great British yacht designer Alfred Mylne and he was married on 20 April 1873 at Vienna to his second cousin Archduchess Gisela of Austria, daughter of Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria and the Empress Elisabeth. He remained in the Bavarian army and was promoted to the rank of field marshal on 1 January 1905. He retired from duty in 1913. Prince Leopolds retirement, however, did not last long, on 16 April 1915, he was given command of the German 9th Army, replacing General August von Mackensen. Leopold quickly proved himself a commander as he took Warsaw on 4 August 1915. Following this success, he was put in command of Army Group Prince Leopold of Bavaria, Leopold held this post for the rest of the war. Because of his position, Leopold was a potential German candidate for the throne of the puppet Kingdom of Poland, on 4 March 1918, Leopold received yet another high honor, the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross, awarded only five times during World War I. Prince Leopold retired again in 1918 after the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk and this treaty was highly favorable to Germany, and Leopold ended his career with success. He died on 28 September 1930 in Munich and is buried in the Colombarium in the Michaelskirche in Munich, at Leopolds death his rights were inherited by his son Georg. Leopold Prinz von Bayern 1846-1930, aus den Lebenserinnerungen, edited by Hans-Michael Körner, generalfeldmarschall Prinz Leopold von Bayern, ein Lebensbild
Prince Leopold of Bavaria
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Prince Leopold of Bavaria
6.
Princess Theresa of Bavaria
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Princess Theresa of Bavaria, was a Bavarian princess, ethnologist, zoologist, botanist, travel writer and leader in social care. Theresa was the child and only daughter of Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria. As a child, she was instructed at home alongside her two brothers, Arnulf and Ludwig, as a child, Theresa showed an extraordinary ability for languages, as well as a keen interest in plants. In 1864, when Theresa was 13, tragedy befell her family when her mother died and that same year, her cousin, 18-year-old Ludwig, became King Ludwig II. He would go down in history through the notorious moniker Ludwig the mad, later, Theresa would fall deeply in love with his younger brother, Otto, later Otto I of Bavaria. However, Otto, like his brother, would be deemed unfit to rule due to mental illness, Theresa never married, remaining a spinster all her life. She was considered a confident, independent woman, and one with unusual interests and she was the iconoclast for women of her era. Her interests in geology, botany, anthropology, zoology required her to attain tutors, neither were girls at this particular time in Bavaria deemed fit to attend school. Women became allowed into universities in 1903, when Theresas father, Prince Regent Lutipold, at age 21, she began to tour Europe and North Africa. She learned to read and write in a total of 12 languages. She would usually travel with a group of people who served her, including a lady-in-waiting, throughout her life Theresa made numerous trips to other countries where she collected specimens of local flora and fauna. She wrote a number of books about these excursions in which she described the history of the places she visited. Her early works were published under the pseudonym Th. v. Bayer, in 1892 Theresa became the first woman to be given honorary membership in the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities. The same year she became a member of the Munich Geographical Society. In 1897 she became the first woman to receive a doctorate from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. She was also a member of the Berlin Entomological Society. After her death, Theresas important collection of materials from South America became part of the collection of the State Museum of Ethnology in Munich. Spain, 629th Dame of the Order of Queen Maria Luisa -, meine Reise in den Brasilianischen Tropen
Princess Theresa of Bavaria
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Theresa, photographed c. 1875.
7.
Prince Arnulf of Bavaria
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Prince Arnulf of Bavaria was a member of the Bavarian Royal House of Wittelsbach and a General of Infantry. Arnulf was born in Munich, Bavaria and he was the youngest son of Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria and his wife Archduchess Augusta of Austria. As his older brothers, Arnulf joined the Bavarian army and became a regimental commander and he fought with the Russian army in the Russo-Turkish War and was present at the Siege of Plevna. From 1892 to 1903 he commanded the First Bavarian Army Corps, in 1901 Arnulf represented his father Prince Regent Luitpold at the funeral of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. On 12 April 1882 Arnulf married Princess Therese of Liechtenstein, the daughter of Prince Alois II of Liechtenstein, the wedding took place in the Palais Liechtenstein in Vienna, Austria. The couple had a son, Prince Heinrich of Bavaria Arnulf died on 12 November 1907 in Venice and he is buried in the crypt of the Theatinerkirche in Munich, Bavaria. Jirí Louda and Michael MacLagan, Lines of Succession, Heraldry of the Royal Families of Europe, 2nd edition Konrad Krafft von Dellmensingen and Friedrichfranz Feeser
Prince Arnulf of Bavaria
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Prince Arnulf of Bavaria
8.
Dynasty
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A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a feudal or monarchical system but sometimes also appearing in elective republics. The dynastic family or lineage may be known as a house, historians periodize the histories of many sovereign states, such as Ancient Egypt, the Carolingian Empire and Imperial China, using a framework of successive dynasties. As such, the dynasty may be used to delimit the era during which the family reigned and to describe events, trends. The word dynasty itself is often dropped from such adjectival references, until the 19th century, it was taken for granted that a legitimate function of a monarch was to aggrandize his dynasty, that is, to increase the territory, wealth, and power of his family members. The longest-surviving dynasty in the world is the Imperial House of Japan, dynasties throughout the world have traditionally been reckoned patrilineally, such as under the Frankish Salic law. Succession through a daughter when permitted was considered to establish a new dynasty in her husbands ruling house, however, some states in Africa, determined descent matrilineally, while rulers have at other times adopted the name of their mothers dynasty when coming into her inheritance. It is also extended to unrelated people such as poets of the same school or various rosters of a single sports team. The word dynasty derives via Latin dynastia from Greek dynastéia, where it referred to power, dominion and it was the abstract noun of dynástēs, the agent noun of dynamis, power or ability, from dýnamai, to be able. A ruler in a dynasty is referred to as a dynast. For example, following his abdication, Edward VIII of the United Kingdom ceased to be a member of the House of Windsor. A dynastic marriage is one that complies with monarchical house law restrictions, the marriage of Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange, to Máxima Zorreguieta in 2002 was dynastic, for example, and their eldest child is expected to inherit the Dutch crown eventually. But the marriage of his younger brother Prince Friso to Mabel Wisse Smit in 2003 lacked government support, thus Friso forfeited his place in the order of succession, lost his title as a Prince of the Netherlands, and left his children without dynastic rights. In historical and monarchist references to formerly reigning families, a dynast is a member who would have had succession rights, were the monarchys rules still in force. Even since abolition of the Austrian monarchy, Max and his descendants have not been considered the rightful pretenders by Austrian monarchists, nor have they claimed that position. The term dynast is sometimes used only to refer to descendants of a realms monarchs. The term can therefore describe overlapping but distinct sets of people, yet he is not a male-line member of the royal family, and is therefore not a dynast of the House of Windsor. Thus, in 1999 he requested and obtained permission from Elizabeth II to marry the Roman Catholic Princess Caroline of Monaco. Yet a clause of the English Act of Settlement 1701 remained in effect at that time and that exclusion, too, ceased to apply on 26 March 2015, with retroactive effect for those who had been dynasts prior to triggering it by marriage to a Catholic
Dynasty
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Charles I of England and his son, the future
James II
9.
House of Habsburg-Lorraine
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The House of Lorraine originated as a cadet branch of the House of Metz. It inherited the Duchy of Lorraine in 1473 after the death of duke Nicholas I without a male heir, Francis, his sons Joseph II and Leopold II, and grandson Francis II were the last four Holy Roman Emperors from 1745 to the dissolution of the empire in 1806. Habsburg-Lorraine inherited the Habsburg Empire, ruling the Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary until the dissolution of the monarchy in 1918, the house claims descent from Gerard I of Paris whose immediate descendants are known as the Girardides. The Matfridings of the 10th century are thought to have been a branch of the family, at the turn of the 10th century they were Counts of Metz and ruled a set of lordships in Alsace and Lorraine. Mary of Guise, mother of Mary, Queen of Scots, louis XIVs imperialist ambitions forced the dukes into a permanent alliance with his archenemies, the Holy Roman Emperors from the House of Habsburg. Following the failure of both Emperor Joseph I and Emperor Charles VI to produce a son and heir, the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 left the throne to the yet unborn daughter. In 1736 Emperor Charles arranged her marriage to Francis of Lorraine who agreed to exchange his hereditary lands for the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, at Charless death in 1740 the Habsburg lands passed to Maria Theresa and Francis, who was later elected Holy Roman Emperor as Francis I. The Habsburg-Lorraine nuptials and dynastic union precipitated, and survived, the War of the Austrian Succession, another member of the house, Archduke Maximilian of Austria, was Emperor of Mexico. In 1900, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria contracted a marriage with Countess Sophie Chotek. Their descendants, known as the House of Hohenberg, have been excluded from succession to the Austro-Hungarian crown, but not that of Lorraine, where morganatic marriage has never been outlawed. Nevertheless, Otto von Habsburg, the eldest grandson of Franz Ferdinands younger brother, was regarded as the head of the house until his death in 2011. It was at Nancy, the capital of the House of Vaudemont. House of Metz Adalbert, Duke of Upper Lorraine r, 1047/8 Gérard, Duke of Lorraine, r. 1390–1431 Charles II died without heir, the duchy passing to Isabella, Duchess of Lorraine. The duchy passed to their son John II, whose son Nicholas I died without male heir, the title now went to Nicholas aunt Yolande. René inherited the title of Duke of Lorraine upon his marriage in 1473, René II, Duke of Lorraine, r. 1608–1624 Nicole Claude Francis II, Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine r, 1624–1675 Nicholas Francis Charles V, r. 1690–1729 Francis Stephen, Duke of Lorraine, r, 1745–1765 House of Habsburg-Lorraine Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor, r
House of Habsburg-Lorraine
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The
Château du Grand Jardin in
Joinville, the seat of the
Counts and Dukes of Guise.
House of Habsburg-Lorraine
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House of Habsburg-Lorraine Haus Habsburg-Lothringen
House of Habsburg-Lorraine
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Francis I of Lorraine with his family.
10.
Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany
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Leopold II was Grand Duke of Tuscany. He married twice, first to Maria Anna of Saxony, and after her death in 1832, by the latter, he begat his eventual successor, Ferdinand. Leopold was recognized contemporarily as a monarch, authorizing the Tuscan Constitution of 1848. The Grand Duke was deposed briefly by a government in 1849, only to be restored the same year with the assistance of Austrian troops. Leopold attempted a policy of neutrality with regard to the Second Italian War of Independence, the Grand Ducal family left for Bologna, in Papal territory. Tuscany was occupied by soldiers of Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia for the duration of the conflict, Ferdinand was not, however, any more acceptable to the revolutionaries in control of Florence, and his accession was not proclaimed. Instead, the government proclaimed the deposition of the House of Habsburg. Born in Florence, Leopold II was the son of Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany and Princess Luisa Maria Amelia Teresa of the Two Sicilies and his maternal grandparents were Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies and Marie Caroline of Austria. He succeeded his father on 18 June 1824, during the first twenty years of his reign he devoted himself to the internal development of the state. But Austrian influence prevented him from doing more, even had he wished to do so, the granting of the Neapolitan and Piedmontese constitutions was followed by that of Tuscany, composed by Gino Capponi. His speech on their departure was uncompromisingly Italian and Liberal, soldiers, he said, the holy cause of Italian freedom is being decided to-day on the fields of Lombardy. Already the citizens of Milan have purchased their liberty with their blood, honour to the arms of Italy. The Tuscan contingent fought bravely, though unsuccessfully, at Curtatone, Capponi resigned, and Leopold agreed reluctantly to a Montanelli-Guerrazzi ministry, which in its turn had to fight against the extreme republican party. New elections in the autumn of 1848 returned a constitutional majority, the utmost confusion prevailed in Florence and other parts of Tuscany. On 18 February 1849 a republic was proclaimed and on same day Leopold sailed for Gaeta. A third parliament was elected and Guerrazzi appointed dictator, but there was great discontent, and the defeat of Charles Albert at Novara caused consternation among the Liberals. Leopold accepted, although he said nothing about the foreign invasion, on 24 May the latter appointed G Baldasseroni prime minister, on the 25th the Austrians entered Florence and on 28 July Leopold himself returned. On their advice he formally revoked the constitution, political trials were held, Guerrazzi and many others being condemned to long terms of imprisonment, and although in 1855 the Austrian troops left Tuscany, Leopolds popularity was gone
Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany
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Grand Duke Leopold in the uniform of an Austrian Field Marshal, 1828, by
Pietro Benvenuti.
Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany
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Portrait of Leopold II as a young man.
Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany
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Maria Anna of Saxony
Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany
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Maria Antonietta of Two Sicilies
11.
Maria Anna of Saxony (1799-1832)
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Marie Anna of Saxony, Grand Duchess of Tuscany, was a princess of Saxony. She became Grand Duchess of Tuscany by her marriage to Leopold II, marie Anna was born in Dresden, one of the seven children of Maximilian of Saxony by his first wife Caroline of Bourbon-Parma. Her father was a son of Frederick Christian, Elector of Saxony and her mother was a daughter of Ferdinand, Duke of Parma. Through her mother, Maria Anna was also a descendant of Louis XIV of France. During her short life she showed an especial interest for ancient paintings and classical poetry, acquiring the Liber Interitus by Horace for an unknown and she was inspired by Gnostic writings to write a short poet entitled Chuchotet dArchont, published posthumously. Along with her husband she was the patron of LIstituto Statale della Ss. Annunziata, the first female boarding school in Florence set up to educate aristocratic and she died in Italy of tuberculosis she passed onto Auguste, her only surviving daughter. During the celebrations, Ferdinand became attached to Maria Annas sister and her sister Maria Ferdinanda thus became Maria Annas stepmother-in-law
Maria Anna of Saxony (1799-1832)
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Maria Anna of Saxony
12.
Prince regent
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A prince regent, or prince-regent, is a prince who rules a monarchy as regent instead of a monarch, e. g. as a result of the Sovereigns incapacity or absence. Regents Park, Regent Street and Regents Canal in London were all named in honour of him. Nash, under the patronage of the HRH Prince Regent, planned a palatial summer residence for the Prince,50 detached villas in a parkland setting and elegant terraces around the exterior of the park. This was all part of a plan, to develop The Regents Park and lay out an elegant new street, Regents Street, to link it to St Jamess Park. This period is known as the British Regency, or just the Regency, the title was conferred by the Regency Act on February 5,1811. Subject to certain limitations for a period, the Prince Regent was able to exercise the powers of the King. The precedent of the Regency Crisis of 1788 was followed, the Prince of Wales continued as regent until his fathers death in 1820, when he became George IV. The years of Luitpolds regency were marked by artistic and cultural activity in Bavaria. Numerous streets in Bavarian cities and towns are called Prinzregentenstraße, many institutions are named in Luitpolds honour, e. g. the Prinzregententheater in Munich. Prinzregententorte is a cake with chocolate butter cream named in Luitpolds honour. At Luitpolds death in 1912, his son Prince Ludwig succeeded as Prince Regent, Ludwig held the title for less than a year, since the Bavarian Legislature decided to recognise him as king. Prince Charles of Belgium served as Prince Regent of Belgium from 1944 to 1950 during the German captivity and then exile to Switzerland of his elder brother, King Leopold III of Belgium. On 5 September 1944 the Soviet Union declared war on the Kingdom of Bulgaria and on 8 September Soviet armies crossed the Romanian border, in the Kingdom of Swaziland, queen mothers have temporarily stepped in when the sovereign was either a minor or unable to reign for other reasons. More prince-regents are to be found in List of regents, crown Prince Frederick of Denmark served as regent from 1784 to 1808 for his father, King Christian VII of Denmark, who was insane. Prince William of Prussia served as regent from 1858 to 1861 for his older brother King Frederick William IV of Prussia, who had become mentally unfit to rule. Prince Dorgon of the early Qing dynasty served as regent for his nephew, Dorgon was instrumental in moving Manchu forces into Beijing in 1644, proclaiming the Qing dynasty to be the legitimate successor to the Ming dynasty. In Qing dynasty historical records, Dorgon was the first to be referred to as Shezhengwang, rameses The Great Prince Chun of the late Qing dynasty served as regent from 1908 to 1911 for his son Puyi, the Xuantong Emperor. Apart from Dorgon, Zaifeng was the person in Chinese history who was specifically referred to as Prince Regent
Prince regent
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George IV of the United Kingdom, who was Prince Regent while his father was mentally incapable between 1811 and 1820
Prince regent
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Royal, noble and
chivalric ranks
Prince regent
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The Prince Regent Kyril, Prince of Preslav
13.
Ferdinand IV, Grand Duke of Tuscany
–
Ferdinand IV, Grand Duke of Tuscany was the last Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1859 to 1860. The House of Habsburg-Lorraine continued to hold the title as pretenders until the end of World War I, born at Florence, he was the son of Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany and Princess Maria Antonia of the Two Sicilies. The family took refuge in Austria, after the end of the war, Leopold II abdicated on July 21, and Ferdinand succeeded him as Grand Duke. Ferdinand proved unable to return to Florence to claim his throne, Ferdinand still hoped to recover his throne, as both France and Austria had promised to recognize his rights to it in the Armistice of Villafranca. However, neither power was willing to take any steps to bring about his restoration, the Kingdom of Sardinia annexed Tuscany on March 22,1860, ending Ferdinands hopes to reclaim the throne. Ferdinand spent the rest of his life in exile in Austria and he died there, in Salzburg, in 1908. She became abbess of the Theresia Convent in the Hradschin in Prague, stillborn daughter From his second marriage in Frohsdorf on 11 January 1868 to Princess Alice Alix of Parma, daughter of Charles III of Parma, Archduke Leopold Ferdinand, Prince of Tuscany. He renounced his titles on 29 December 1902 and took the name Leopold Wölfling, archduchess Luise, Princess of Tuscany Archduke Josef Ferdinand, Prince of Tuscany. He married first Rosa Kaltenbrunner and, after divorcing her, he married second Gertrud Tomanek, Archduke Peter Ferdinand, Prince of Tuscany. Married Princess Maria Cristina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and had issue, Archduke Heinrich Ferdinand Salvator, Prince of Tuscany. Major General in the Austrian Army, married morganatically to Maria Karoline Ludescher and had issue. Archduchess Anna Maria Theresia, Princess of Tuscany, married Johannes, Prince of Hohenlohe-Bartenstein, their granddaughter married Count Hans Veit of Toerring-Jettenbach, son of Princess Elizabeth of Greece and Denmark. com
Ferdinand IV, Grand Duke of Tuscany
–
Grand Duke Ferdinand IV, in later life.
14.
Louis XIV of France
–
Louis XIV, known as Louis the Great or the Sun King, was a monarch of the House of Bourbon who ruled as King of France and Navarre from 1643 until his death in 1715. His reign of 72 years and 110 days is the longest of any monarch of a country in European history. In the age of absolutism in Europe, Louis XIVs France was a leader in the centralization of power. Louis began his rule of France in 1661, after the death of his chief minister. By these means he became one of the most powerful French monarchs, under his rule, the Edict of Nantes, which granted rights to Huguenots, was abolished. The revocation effectively forced Huguenots to emigrate or convert in a wave of dragonnades, which managed to virtually destroy the French Protestant minority. During Louis reign, France was the leading European power, and it fought three wars, the Franco-Dutch War, the War of the League of Augsburg. There were also two lesser conflicts, the War of Devolution and the War of the Reunions, warfare defined Louis XIVs foreign policies, and his personality shaped his approach. Impelled by a mix of commerce, revenge, and pique, in peacetime he concentrated on preparing for the next war. He taught his diplomats their job was to create tactical and strategic advantages for the French military, Louis XIV was born on 5 September 1638 in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, to Louis XIII and Anne of Austria. He was named Louis Dieudonné and bore the title of French heirs apparent. At the time of his birth, his parents had married for 23 years. His mother had experienced four stillbirths between 1619 and 1631, leading contemporaries thus regarded him as a divine gift and his birth a miracle of God. Sensing imminent death, Louis XIII decided to put his affairs in order in the spring of 1643, in defiance of custom, which would have made Queen Anne the sole Regent of France, the king decreed that a regency council would rule on his sons behalf. His lack of faith in Queen Annes political abilities was his primary rationale and he did, however, make the concession of appointing her head of the council. Louis relationship with his mother was uncommonly affectionate for the time, contemporaries and eyewitnesses claimed that the Queen would spend all her time with Louis. Both were greatly interested in food and theatre, and it is likely that Louis developed these interests through his close relationship with his mother. This long-lasting and loving relationship can be evidenced by excerpts in Louis journal entries, such as, but attachments formed later by shared qualities of the spirit are far more difficult to break than those formed merely by blood
Louis XIV of France
–
Louis XIV by
Hyacinthe Rigaud (1701)
Louis XIV of France
–
Louis-Dieudonné,
Dauphin of France, in 1643 by
Claude Deruet
Louis XIV of France
–
Louis XIV as a child, unknown painter
Louis XIV of France
–
1655 portrait of Louis, the Victor of the Fronde, portrayed as the god
Jupiter
15.
William the Conqueror
–
William I, usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman King of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 1087. A descendant of Rollo, he was Duke of Normandy from 1035 onward, after a long struggle to establish his power, by 1060 his hold on Normandy was secure, and he launched the Norman conquest of England six years later. The rest of his life was marked by struggles to consolidate his hold over England and his continental lands, William was the son of the unmarried Robert I, Duke of Normandy, by Roberts mistress Herleva. His illegitimate status and his youth caused some difficulties for him after he succeeded his father, during his childhood and adolescence, members of the Norman aristocracy battled each other, both for control of the child duke and for their own ends. In 1047 William was able to quash a rebellion and begin to establish his authority over the duchy and his marriage in the 1050s to Matilda of Flanders provided him with a powerful ally in the neighbouring county of Flanders. By the time of his marriage, William was able to arrange the appointments of his supporters as bishops and his consolidation of power allowed him to expand his horizons, and by 1062 William was able to secure control of the neighbouring county of Maine. In the 1050s and early 1060s William became a contender for the throne of England, then held by the childless Edward the Confessor, his first cousin once removed. There were other claimants, including the powerful English earl Harold Godwinson. William argued that Edward had previously promised the throne to him, William built a large fleet and invaded England in September 1066, decisively defeating and killing Harold at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066. After further military efforts William was crowned king on Christmas Day 1066 and he made arrangements for the governance of England in early 1067 before returning to Normandy. Several unsuccessful rebellions followed, but by 1075 Williams hold on England was mostly secure, Williams final years were marked by difficulties in his continental domains, troubles with his eldest son, and threatened invasions of England by the Danes. In 1086 William ordered the compilation of the Domesday Book, a listing all the landholders in England along with their holdings. William died in September 1087 while leading a campaign in northern France and his reign in England was marked by the construction of castles, the settling of a new Norman nobility on the land, and change in the composition of the English clergy. He did not try to integrate his various domains into one empire, Williams lands were divided after his death, Normandy went to his eldest son, Robert Curthose, and his second surviving son, William Rufus, received England. Norsemen first began raiding in what became Normandy in the late 8th century, permanent Scandinavian settlement occurred before 911, when Rollo, one of the Viking leaders, and King Charles the Simple of France reached an agreement surrendering the county of Rouen to Rollo. The lands around Rouen became the core of the duchy of Normandy. Normandy may have used as a base when Scandinavian attacks on England were renewed at the end of the 10th century. In an effort to improve matters, King Æthelred the Unready took Emma of Normandy, sister of Duke Richard II, as his second wife in 1002
William the Conqueror
–
William as depicted in the
Bayeux Tapestry during the
Battle of Hastings, lifting his helm to show that he is still alive
William the Conqueror
–
Château de Falaise in
Falaise,
Lower Normandy, France; William was born in an earlier building here.
William the Conqueror
–
Column at the site of the
Battle of Val-ès-Dunes
William the Conqueror
–
Image from the
Bayeux Tapestry showing William with his half-brothers. William is in the centre, Odo is on the left with empty hands, and Robert is on the right with a sword in his hand.
16.
Ludwig I, King of Bavaria
–
Ludwig I was king of Bavaria from 1825 until the 1848 revolutions in the German states. Born in the Hôtel des Deux-Ponts in Strasbourg, he was the son of Count Palatine Maximilian Joseph of Zweibrücken by his first wife Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt, at the time of his birth, his father was an officer in the French army stationed at Strasbourg. He was the godson and namesake of Louis XVI of France and his father assumed the title of King of Bavaria on 1 January 1806. Starting in 1803 Ludwig studied in Landshut where he was taught by Johann Michael Sailer, on 12 October 1810 he married Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, the daughter of Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The wedding was the occasion of the first-ever Oktoberfest, as commander of the 1st Bavarian Division in VII Corps, he served under Marshal François Joseph Lefebvre in 1809. He led his division in action at the Battle of Abensberg on 20 April, on 14 October, Bavaria made a formal declaration of war against Napoleonic France. The treaty was passionately backed by Crown Prince Ludwig and by Marshal von Wrede, already at the 1815 Congress of Vienna, Ludwig advocated a German national policy. Until 1816 the crown prince served as governor-general of the Duchy of Salzburg and his second son Otto, the later King of Greece, was born there. Between 1816 and 1825, he spent his years in Würzburg and he also made numerous trips to Italy and stayed often in the Villa Malta in Rome, which he later also bought. Ludwig supported generously as a Philhellene the Greek War of Independence, in 1817 Ludwig was also involved in the fall of Prime Minister Count Max Josef von Montgelas whose policies he had opposed. He succeeded his father on the throne in 1825, Ludwigs rule was strongly affected by his enthusiasm for the arts and women and by his overreaching royal assertiveness. An enthusiast for the German Middle Ages, Ludwig ordered the re-erection of several monasteries in Bavaria which had closed during the German Mediatisation. He reorganized the regions of Bavaria in 1837 and re-introduced the old names Upper Bavaria, Lower Bavaria, Franconia, Swabia. He changed his royal titles to Ludwig, King of Bavaria, Duke of Franconia, Duke in Swabia, Ludwigs plan to reunite the eastern part of the Palatinate with Bavaria could not be realized. In 1815, Badens possession of Manheim and Heidelberg was confirmed, Ludwig founded the city of Ludwigshafen there as a Bavarian rival to Mannheim. Ludwig moved the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität from Landshut to Munich in 1826, the king also encouraged Bavarias industrialization. He initiated the Ludwig Canal between the rivers Main and the Danube, in 1835 the first German railway was constructed in his domain, between the cities of Fürth and Nuremberg. Bavaria joined the Zollverein in 1834, as Ludwig had supported the Greek fight of independence his second son Otto was elected king of Greece in 1832
Ludwig I, King of Bavaria
–
Portrait by
Joseph Stieler, 1825
Ludwig I, King of Bavaria
–
Crown Prince Ludwig, 1807 by
Angelica Kauffman
Ludwig I, King of Bavaria
–
Ludwig I of Bavaria, c. 1830
Ludwig I, King of Bavaria
–
Ludwig I of Bavaria, ca 1860
17.
Revolutions of 1848 in the German states
–
They were a series of loosely coordinated protests and rebellions in the states of the German Confederation, including the Austrian Empire. They demonstrated the desire for the Zollverein movement. The middle-class elements were committed to principles, while the working class sought radical improvements to their working and living conditions. As the middle class and working class components of the Revolution split, liberals were forced into exile to escape political persecution, where they became known as Forty-Eighters. Many immigrated to the United States, settling from Wisconsin to Texas, the groundwork of the 1848 uprising in Germany was laid long beforehand. The Hambacher Fest of 1832, for instance, reflected growing unrest in the face of heavy taxation, the Hambacher Fest is noteworthy for the republicans adopting the black-red-gold colours as a symbol of the republican movement and of unity among the German-speaking people. Activism for liberal reform spread through many of the German states, in France the revolution of 1848 became known as the February Revolution. The revolutions spread across Europe, they erupted in Austria and Germany, beginning with the demonstrations on March 13,1848. This resulted in the resignation of Prince von Metternich as chief minister to Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria, because of the date of the Vienna demonstrations, the revolutions in Germany are usually called the March Revolution. Fearing the fate of Louis-Philippe of France, some monarchs in Germany accepted some of the demands of the revolutionaries, in the south and west, large popular assemblies and mass demonstrations took place. They demanded freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, written constitutions, arming of the people, in 1848, Austria was the predominant German state. It was considered the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, which had dissolved by Napoleon in 1806. German Austrian chancellor Metternich had dominated Austrian politics from 1815 until 1848, on March 13,1848 university students mounted a large street demonstration in Vienna, and it was covered by the press across the German-speaking states. Following the important, but relatively minor, demonstrations against Lola Montez in Bavaria on February 9,1848, the first major revolt of 1848 in German lands occurred in Vienna on March 13,1848. The demonstrating students in Vienna had been restive and were encouraged by a sermon of Anton Füster, the student demonstrators demanded a constitution and a constituent assembly elected by universal male suffrage. Emperor Ferdinand and his chief advisor Metternich directed troops to crush the demonstration, when demonstrators moved to the streets near the palace, the troops fired on the students, killing several. The new working class of Vienna joined the student demonstrations, developing an armed insurrection, the Diet of Lower Austria demanded Metternichs resignation. With no forces rallying to Metternichs defense, Ferdinand reluctantly complied and dismissed him, the former chancellor went into exile in London
Revolutions of 1848 in the German states
–
Germania, by
Philipp Veit, 1848
Revolutions of 1848 in the German states
–
Origin of the
Flag of Germany: Cheering revolutionaries in
Berlin, on March 19, 1848
Revolutions of 1848 in the German states
–
Barricades at Alexander Platz, Berlin
Revolutions of 1848 in the German states
–
The May uprising in Dresden
18.
Lola Montez
–
She used her influence to institute liberal reforms. At the start of the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states and she proceeded to the United States via Switzerland, France and London, returning to her work as an entertainer and lecturer. Lolas mother, Eliza Oliver was the child of Charles Silver Oliver, in December 1818, Ensign Edward Gilbert met Eliza Oliver when he arrived with the 25th Regiment. They were married on 29 April 1820, and Lola was born the following February, the young family made their residence at King House in Boyle, County Roscommon, until early 1823, when they journeyed to Liverpool, thence departing for India on 14 March. As with many aspects of her life, discrepant reports of the birth of Eliza Gilbert have been published. For many years, it was accepted that she was born in the city of Limerick, as she claimed, possibly on 23 June 1818. However, when her baptismal certificate came to light in the late 1990s, it was established that Eliza Rosanna Gilbert was actually born in Grange, County Sligo, on 17 February 1821. She was baptized at St Peters Church in Liverpool on 16 February 1823, shortly after their arrival in India, Edward Gilbert died of cholera. Her mother, who was now 19, married another officer, Lieutenant Patrick Craigie, Craigie quickly came to care for a young Eliza, but her spoiled and half-wild ways concerned him greatly. Eventually, it was agreed she would be sent back to Britain to attend school, staying with Craigies father in Montrose, Scotland, but the queer, wayward little Indian girl quickly became known as a mischief-maker. On one occasion, she stuck flowers into the wig of a man during a church service, on another. At the age of ten, Eliza was moved on again – this time to Sunderland, England, when her stepfathers older sister, Catherine Rae, set up a boarding school in Monkwearmouth with her husband, Eliza joined them to continue her education. Elizas determination and temper were to become her trademarks and her stay in Sunderland lasted only a year, as she was then transferred to Bath for a more sophisticated education. In 1837, 16-year-old Eliza eloped with Lieutenant Thomas James, the couple separated five years later, in Calcutta, and she became a professional dancer under a stage name. She had her London debut as Lola Montez, the Spanish dancer in June 1843, the resulting notoriety hampered her career in England and she departed for the continent. At this time, she was almost certainly accepting favours from a few wealthy men, in 1844, Lola made a personally disappointing Parisian stage début as a dancer in Fromental Halévys opera, Le lazzarone. She met and had an affair with Franz Liszt, who introduced her to the circle of George Sand, in Paris she would meet Alexandre Dujarier, owner of the newspaper with the highest circulation in France, and also the newspapers drama critic. Through their romance Montez revitalized her career as a dancer, later on, after the two had their first quarrel over Lolas attendance to a party, Dujarier would attend the party and then in a drunken state offend Jean-Bapiste Rosemond de Beauvallon
Lola Montez
–
Lola Montez c.1851
Lola Montez
–
Lola Montez portrait by Josef Heigel before 1840
Lola Montez
–
Lola Montez's lithographie
Lola Montez
–
Lola Montez (1847), painted by
Joseph Karl Stieler for
Ludwig I of Bavaria and his
Schönheitengalerie
19.
Archduchess Gisela of Austria
–
Her German title was Gisela Louise Marie, Erzherzogin von Österreich, Prinzessin von Bayern. Although christened Gisella, after a 10th-century Habsburg ancestress, she only ever wrote her name with one L, just like her older sister Archduchess Sophie and her brother Crown Prince Rudolf, Gisela was raised by her paternal grandmother, Princess Sophie of Bavaria. A sober nature like her father, she kept a reserved attitude towards her mother and she had a very close relationship with her brother, whose suicide hit her hard. Her father collected some the familys personal items, such as the first pair of shoes worn by each of his children. Among these keepsakes was a written for him by a young Gisela one Christmas - the poem was said to be the most treasured item among this collection. Archduchess Gisela was also known to paint in her later years, on 20 April 1873, at the age of 16, Gisela was married to Prince Leopold of Bavaria in Vienna. Prince Leopold was a son of Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria and Auguste Ferdinande of Austria, Leopold had initially fallen for Princess Amalie of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, who, however, Empress Elisabeths younger brother Duke Maximilian Emanuel in Bavaria intended to marry. The empress therefore arranged an encounter of Leopold and Gisela at Gödöllő Palace and it seems he felt he had to secure the only viable candidate to whom he could give Gisela with confidence. Prince Leopold received the dowry of a half a million guilders. Giselas mother remained absent during the wedding celebrations, the young couple was made welcome in Munich by her husbands family, and went on to live in the Palais Leopold residence in Schwabing. The street opposite the Palais was renamed Giselastraße in her honor in 1873, a year after her wedding, she gave birth to her first child and even Empress Elisabeth was present during the baptism. During World War I she ran a hospital in her Palais while her husband was a field marshal on the eastern front. Gisela and her husband celebrated their wedding anniversary in 1923. Her husband died in 1930, and Gisela only survived him by two years and she died aged 76 in Munich on 27 July 1932, and is buried next to Prince Leopold in the Colombarium at the St. Michaelskirche, Munich
Archduchess Gisela of Austria
–
Archduchess Gisela, Princess of Bavaria
20.
Princess Therese of Liechtenstein
–
Theresa Maria Josepha Martha was a Princess of Liechtenstein and of Bavaria. Theresa was the child and ninth daughter of Aloys II, Prince of Liechtenstein and his wife, Countess Franziska Kinsky of Wchinitz. She was a sister of Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein. On 12 April 1882, in Vienna, Theresa married Prince Arnulf of Bavaria, youngest son of Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria and they had only one child, Heinrich, who died in the First World War. She is buried in the Theatinerkirche in Munich,28 July 1850 -12 April 1882, Her Serene Highness Princess Theresa of Liechtenstein 12 April 1882 -13 March 1938, Her Royal Highness Princess Theresa of Bavaria
Princess Therese of Liechtenstein
–
Princess Theresa
21.
Theatine Church, Munich
–
The Theatine Church of St. Cajetan is a Catholic church in Munich, southern Germany. Now administered by the Dominican Friars, it is known as the Dominican Priory of St. Cajetan. The church was built in Italian high-Baroque style, inspired by SantAndrea della Valle in Rome and his successor, Enrico Zuccalli, added two 66 meters high towers, originally not planned, and then finished the 71-metre high dome in 1690. The church is 72 metres long and 15.5 metres wide, the facade in Rococo style was completed only in 1768 by François de Cuvilliés. Its Mediterranean appearance and yellow coloring became a known symbol for the city and had much influence on Southern German Baroque architecture. After the crown prince and later elector Max Emanuel had been born on 11 July 1662, as a construction site for church and cloister the north-east corner of the cross quarter was selected directly by the town wall and Schwabinger Gate which lies opposite to the Residence. Already on 29 April 1663 the laying of the foundation stone occurred, Barelli took as a model the mothers church of the Theatines, SantAndrea della Valle in Rome. During the shell works it came to violent discussions between Barelli and his site manager Antonio Spinelli, even Theatine and father confessor of Henriette which finally led to Barellis dismissal, Agostino Barelli still completed the shell till 1674 and then left Munich. In the same year Enrico Zuccalli took over the artistic management, main focus of his activity was the outside creation. Zuccalli determined the form of the dome and the very unconventional towers, at the same time he also co-operated in the decorative arrangement of the church interior decisively. Also in 1674 Giovanni Nicolò Perti and Antonio Viscardi as well as Abraham Leuthner began with the stucco works, the interior has a rich stucco decoration, executed by Nicolò Petri, Wolfgang Leutner being responsible for the stucco figures. The great black pulpit is a work of Andreas Faistenberger, the altars house paintings of Caspar de Crayer, Carlo Cignani, Georg Desmarées and Joachim von Sandrart. For the altar from 1722 Balthasar Ableithner created the statues of four evangelists. On 11 June 1675 the church was consecrated – it was extensive at that time still in the shell state, long discussions about the final facade creation delayed the completion, a final result was not found. Thus Zuccalli established first between 1684 and 1692 after his plans the towers, in 1688 the interior equipment was completed, from 1692 up to the completion Viscardi took over the site management. Henriette of Savoy did not experience the completion of the Theatinerkirche, the outside facade of the Theatinerkirche still remained furthermore incomplete, because in spite of long discussions no arrangement could be achieved. The cloister construction was carried out in line with the manuscript of Zuccalli under whose management the master builder Lorenzo Perti created the buildings, Church and cloister formed a large quadrangle. When the Schwabinger Gate was broken down in 1817 the Theatinerkirche became a visual point with the construction of the Ludwigstrasse
Theatine Church, Munich
–
The Theatinerkirche in Munich
Theatine Church, Munich
Theatine Church, Munich
–
Interior of the church
Theatine Church, Munich
–
The dome
22.
Princess Adelgunde of Bavaria
–
Princess Adelgunde of Bavaria was a daughter of Ludwig I of Bavaria and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. She was Duchess consort of Modena by her marriage to Francis V, Adelgunde was the sixth child and fourth daughter of Ludwig I of Bavaria and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. She was born in Würzburg on 19 March 1823, included among her siblings were Maximilian II of Bavaria, Mathilde, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, King Otto of Greece and Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria. On 20 March 1842 in Munich, Adelgunde married Archduke Francis of Austria-Este, eldest son of Francis IV, Duke of Modena, the couple had only one child, Princess Anna Beatrice Theresia Maria. Francis acceded to the dukedom on his fathers death in 1846 as Francis V, after the Italian Unification, Francis was deposed, and he and his wife were exiled to Vienna, where he died fifteen years later. Adelgunde survived her husband for years and died in Munich at the age of 91. She never remarried and is interred in Vienna, a pearl brooch formerly owned by her was auctioned at Sothebys in 2012
Princess Adelgunde of Bavaria
–
Princess Adelgunde of Bavaria
23.
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
–
Francis I was Holy Roman Emperor and Grand Duke of Tuscany, though his wife effectively executed the real powers of those positions. With his wife, Maria Theresa, he was the founder of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty, from 1728 until 1737 he was Duke of Lorraine. In 1737, Lorraine became managed by France under terms resulting from the War of the Polish Succession, Francis and the House of Lorraine received the Grand Duchy of Tuscany in the peace treaty that ended that war. Francis was born in Nancy, Lorraine, the oldest surviving son of Leopold, Duke of Lorraine and he was connected with the Habsburgs through his grandmother Eleonor, daughter of Emperor Ferdinand III. He was very close to his brother and sister Anne Charlotte, Emperor Charles VI favored the family, who, besides being his cousins, had served the house of Austria with distinction. He had designed to marry his daughter Maria Theresa to Francis older brother Leopold Clement, on Leopold Clements death, Charles adopted the younger brother as his future son-in-law. Francis was brought up in Vienna with Maria Theresa with the understanding that they were to be married, and a real affection arose between them. At the age of 15, when he was brought to Vienna, he was established in the Silesian Duchy of Teschen, Francis succeeded his father as Duke of Lorraine in 1729. In 1731 he was initiated into freemasonry by John Theophilus Desaguliers at a specially convened lodge in The Hague at the house of the British Ambassador, Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield. During a subsequent visit to England, Francis was made a Master Mason at another specially convened lodge at Houghton Hall, Maria Theresa arranged for Francis to become Lord Lieutenant of Hungary in 1732. He was not excited about this position, but Maria Theresa wanted him closer to her, in June 1732 he agreed to go to Pressburg. A preliminary peace was concluded in October 1735 and ratified in the Treaty of Vienna in November 1738, in March 1736 the Emperor persuaded Francis, his future son-in-law, to secretly exchange Lorraine for the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. France had demanded that Maria Theresas fiancé surrender his ancestral Duchy of Lorraine to accommodate the deposed King of Poland, the Emperor considered other possibilities before announcing the engagement of the couple. If something were to go wrong, Francis would become governor of the Austrian Netherlands, as a result, Elisabeth sons could claim by right of being a descendant of Margherita. On January 31,1736 Francis had agreed to marry Maria Theresa, especially his mother Élisabeth Charlotte dOrléans and his brother Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine were against the loss of Lorraine. On February 1, Maria Theresa sent Francis a letter, she would withdraw from her future reign and they married on 12 February in the Augustinian Church, Vienna. The wedding was held on February 14,1736, the treaty between the Emperor and Francis was signed on 4 May 1736. In January 1737, the Spanish troops withdrew from Tuscany, and were replaced by 6,000 Austrians, on 24 January 1737 Francis received Tuscany from his father-in-law
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
–
Francis I by
Martin van Meytens
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
–
Francis at the age of 15 in his hunting attire.
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
–
Gold coin, commemorating Emperor Francis' coronation in 1745
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
–
Silver coin of Francis I, dated 1754. The Latin inscription reads on the obverse FRANCISCVS D[EI] G[RATIA] ROM[ANORVM] IMP[ERATOR] SEMP[ER] AVG[VUSTVS], or in English, "Francis, by the Grace of God, Emperor of the Romans, forever Augustus" and on the reverse MONETA REIP[VBLICAE] RATISBON[AE] or in English, "Mint of the
Republic of
Ratisbon."
24.
Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor
–
Leopold II was Holy Roman Emperor and King of Hungary and Bohemia from 1790 to 1792, Archduke of Austria and Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1765 to 1790. He was a son of Emperor Francis I and his wife, Empress Maria Theresa, Leopold was a moderate proponent of enlightened absolutism. In 1753, he was engaged to Maria Beatrice dEste, heiress to the Duchy of Modena, the marriage never materialised, Maria Beatrice instead married Leopolds brother, Archduke Ferdinand. On the death of his brother, Charles, in 1761, it was decided that he should succeed to his fathers grand duchy of Tuscany. This settlement was the condition of his marriage on 5 August 1764 with Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain, daughter of Charles III of Spain, on the death of his father, Francis I, he succeeded to the grand duchy. Leopold was famous in Florence for his numerous extra-marital affairs, among his lovers was Countess Cowper, wife of the 3rd Earl Cowper, who in compensation for being cuckolded was given honours by Leopolds brother, Joseph II. For five years, he exercised little more than nominal authority, in 1770, he made a journey to Vienna to secure the removal of this vexatious guardianship and returned to Florence with a free hand. During the twenty years which elapsed between his return to Florence and the death of his eldest brother Joseph II in 1790, he was employed in reforming the administration of his small state. As he had no army to maintain, and as he suppressed the small naval force kept up by the Medici, Leopold was never popular with his Italian subjects. His disposition was cold and retiring, but his steady, consistent, and intelligent administration, which advanced step by step, brought the grand duchy to a high level of material prosperity. His ecclesiastical policy, which disturbed the deeply rooted convictions of his people and he was unable to secularize the property of the religious houses or to put the clergy entirely under the control of the lay power. However, his abolition of capital punishment was the first permanent abolition in modern times, Leopolds concept of this was based on respect for the political rights of citizens and on a harmony of power between the executive and the legislative. However, Leopold developed and supported social and economic reforms. Smallpox inoculation was made available, and an early institution for the rehabilitation of juvenile delinquents was founded. Leopold also introduced reforms to the system of neglect and inhumane treatment of those deemed mentally ill. On 23 January 1774, the legge sui pazzi was established, a few years later Leopold undertook the project of building a new hospital, the Bonifacio Hospital. He used his skill at choosing collaborators to put a young physician, Vincenzo Chiarugi and he and Joseph II were tenderly attached to one another and met frequently both before and after the death of their mother. The portrait by Pompeo Batoni in which appear together shows that they bore a strong personal resemblance to one another
Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor
–
Leopold as a youth drawing fortifications by
Jean-Étienne Liotard, 1762,
Geneva,
Musée d'Art et d'Histoire
Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor
–
Emperor Leopold II in the regalia of the Order of the Golden Fleece
Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor
–
Leopold (left) with his brother
Emperor Joseph II, by
Pompeo Batoni, 1769,
Vienna,
Kunsthistorisches Museum
Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor
–
Leopold as a young man by
Anton Raphael Mengs, 1770,
Madrid,
Museo del Prado
25.
Maria Theresa of Austria
–
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Transylvania, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, by marriage, she was Duchess of Lorraine, Grand Duchess of Tuscany and Holy Roman Empress. She started her 40-year reign when her father, Emperor Charles VI, Charles VI paved the way for her accession with the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 and spent his entire reign securing it. Upon the death of her father, Saxony, Prussia, Bavaria, Prussia proceeded to invade the affluent Habsburg province of Silesia, sparking a nine-year conflict known as the War of the Austrian Succession, and subsequently conquered it. Maria Theresa would later try to reconquer Silesia during the Seven Years War. Of the sixteen, ten survived to adulthood and she had eleven daughters and five sons. She criticised and disapproved of many of Josephs actions, Maria Theresa understood the importance of her public persona and was able to simultaneously evoke both esteem and affection from her subjects. However, she refused to allow religious toleration and contemporary travelers thought her regime was bigoted and superstitious. As a young monarch who fought two wars, she believed that her cause should be the cause of her subjects. The dowager empresses, her aunt Wilhelmine Amalia of Brunswick-Lüneburg and grandmother Eleonor Magdalene of the Palatinate-Neuburg, were her godmothers and her father was the only surviving male member of the House of Habsburg and hoped for a son who would prevent the extinction of his dynasty and succeed him. Thus, the birth of Maria Theresa was a disappointment to him. Charles sought the other European powers approval for disinheriting his nieces and they exacted harsh terms, in the Treaty of Vienna, Great Britain demanded that Austria abolish the Ostend Company in return for its recognition of the Pragmatic Sanction. France, Spain, Saxony-Poland, Bavaria and Prussia later reneged, little more than a year after her birth, Maria Theresa was joined by a sister, Maria Anna, and another one, named Maria Amalia, was born in 1724. The portraits of the family show that Maria Theresa resembled Elisabeth Christine. The Prussian ambassador noted that she had blue eyes, fair hair with a slight tinge of red, a wide mouth. Unlike many other members of the House of Habsburg, neither Maria Theresas parents nor her grandparents were closely related to each other, Maria Theresa was a serious and reserved child who enjoyed singing and archery. She was barred from riding by her father, but she would later learn the basics for the sake of her Hungarian coronation ceremony. The imperial family staged opera productions, often conducted by Charles VI and her education was overseen by Jesuits
Maria Theresa of Austria
–
Portrait by
Martin van Meytens, 1759
Maria Theresa of Austria
–
Three-year-old Maria Theresa in the gardens of
Hofburg Palace
Maria Theresa of Austria
–
Archduchess Maria Theresa in 1729, by
Andreas Möller. The flowers which she carries in the uplifted folds of her dress represent her fertility and expectations to bear children in adulthood.
Maria Theresa of Austria
–
Maria Theresa and Francis Stephen at their
wedding breakfast, by
Martin van Meytens.
26.
Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany
–
Ferdinand III was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1790 to 1801 and, after a period of disenfranchisement, again from 1814 to 1824. He was also the Prince-elector and Grand Duke of Salzburg and Grand Duke of Würzburg, Ferdinand was born in Florence, Tuscany, into the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. He was the son of Leopold, then Grand-Duke of Tuscany. When his father was elected Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Ferdinand succeeded him as Grand Duke of Tuscany, in 1792 during the French Revolution, Ferdinand became the first monarch to recognize the new French First Republic formally, and he attempted to work peacefully with it. As the French Revolutionary Wars commenced, however, the rulers of Britain, Ferdinand provided his allies with passive support but no enthusiasm, and after he witnessed a year of resounding victories by the French, he became the first member of the coalition to give up. In a proclamation dated 1 March 1795, he abandoned the alliance, on 25 December 1805, Ferdinand had to give up Salzburg as well, which by the Treaty of Pressburg was annexed by his older brother, Emperor Francis II. Ferdinand was then made Duke of Würzburg, a new state created for him from the old Bishopric of Würzburg, with the dissolution of the Empire in 1806, he took the new title of Grand Duke of Würzburg. On 30 May 1814, after Napoleons fall, Ferdinand was restored as Grand Duke of Tuscany, Ferdinand died in 1824 in Florence and was succeeded by his son Leopold. Grand Duchess Luisa died when they were all young, on 19 September 1802. Two decades later, in Florence on 6 May 1821, Ferdinand married again, this time to the much younger Princess Maria Ferdinanda of Saxony. She was the daughter of Maximilian, Prince of Saxony, and his wife Caroline of Bourbon-Parma, she was also his first cousin once removed, though Ferdinand was likely hoping to produce another male heir, there were no children born of this second marriage. House of Habsburg, Tuscan Branch, family tree by Ferdinand Schevill in A Political History of Modern Europe
Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany
–
Grand Duke Ferdinand sitting in his library, 1797, after Joseph Dorffmeister
27.
Charles III of Spain
–
Charles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. While he was the son of Philip V of Spain, he was the eldest son of Philips second wife. In 1731, the 15-year-old Charles became the Duke of Parma and Piacenza, as Charles I, following the death of his childless granduncle Antonio Farnese. In 1734, as Duke of Parma, he conquered the kingdoms of Naples and of Sicily, and was crowned king on 3 July 1735, reigning as Charles VII of Naples and Charles V of Sicily until 1759. In 1738 he married Princess Maria Amalia of Saxony, daughter of Polish king Augustus III, Charles and Maria Amalia resided in Naples for 19 years. Charles succeeded to the Spanish throne on 10 August 1759, after the death of his half-brother King Ferdinand VI of Spain who left no heirs. As King of Spain Charles III made far-reaching reforms such as promoting science and university research, facilitating trade and commerce and he also tried to reduce the influence of the Church and avoided costly wars. His previous experience as King of Naples and Sicily proved valuable as King of Spain and he did not achieve complete control over the States finances, and was sometimes obliged to borrow to meet expenses. Most of his reforms proved to be successful and his important legacy lives on to this day, historian Stanley Payne wrote that Charles III was probably the most successful European ruler of his generation. He had provided firm, consistent, intelligent leadership, personal life had won the respect of the people. In 1713, the Treaty of Utrecht concluded the War of the Spanish Succession and reduced the political and military power of Spain, which the House of Bourbon had ruled since 1700. Moreover, the House of Savoy gained the Kingdom of Sicily, and the Kingdom of Great Britain gained the island of Minorca, in 1700, Charles father, originally a French prince, became King of Spain as Philip V. For the remainder of his reign, he attempted to regain the ceded territories. Elisabeth and Philip married on 24 December 1714, she proved a domineering consort. On 20 January 1716, Elisabeth gave birth to the Infante Charles of Spain at the Real Alcázar of Madrid and he was fourth in line to the Spanish throne, after three elder half-brothers, the Infante Luis, Prince of Asturias, the Infante Felipe, and Ferdinand. Because the Duke Francesco of Parma and his heir were childless, Elisabeth sought the duchies of Parma and she also sought for him the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, because Gian Gastone de Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany was also childless. He was a distant cousin of hers, related via her great-grandmother Margherita de Medici, the birth of Charles encouraged the Prime Minister Alberoni to start laying out grand plans for Europe. In 1717 he ordered the Spanish invasion of Sardinia, in 1718, Alberoni also ordered the invasion of Sicily, which was also ruled by the House of Savoy
Charles III of Spain
–
Charles III
Charles III of Spain
–
Portrait of
Elisabeth Farnese.
Charles III of Spain
–
Portrait of Charles, 9 years old.
Charles III of Spain
–
Charles, 11 years old.
28.
Maria Luisa of Spain
–
Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain was Holy Roman Empress, German Queen, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, Grand Duchess of Tuscany as the spouse of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor. Maria Luisa was born a Princess of Naples and Sicily and her father, the future Charles III of Spain, had become King of Naples and Sicily in 1735 after its occupation by the Spanish in the War of Polish Succession. After her father became King of Spain at the death of her half-uncle, Ferdinand VI of Spain, in 1759 and she still had the use of the style of Royal Highness. Maria Luisa was born in Portici, in Campania, the site of the palace of her parents, King Charles, King of Naples and Sicily. She was the daughter, and second surviving child, of her parents. Her father became King of Spain as Charles III in 1759 and her first cousins included Louis XVI, Maria I of Portugal and Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia. Before her marriage, she was made to renounce her rights to the throne of Spain upon the wish of her father, after her wedding by proxy, she traveled to Austria by way of Barcelona, Genova and Bolzano. The next year, on 5 August, she married him in person at Innsbruck, the couple arrived to Florence 13 September 1765. They were settled in the Palazzo Pitti, by her strict Catholic upbringing, Maria Luisa was raised to endure any hardship of pregnancy and marriage without complaint, a role she also fulfilled during her marriage. The relationship between Maria Luisa and Leopold has been described as happy, and Maria Luisa as a supporting and she was never crowned as Grand Duchess, though she was present at the coronation of Leopold in July 1768. She accompanied her consort and her sister-in-law, Maria Carolina of Austria, at the marriage to her brother, the King of Naples. In 1770, she accompanied Leopold on his visit to Vienna, Maria Luisa and her spouse gave their children a very free upbringing, away from any formal court life, and occasionally took them on trips to the country side and the coast. She remained mostly unknown in the aristocracy, and restricted her private social life to a very small circle of friends. In 1790, on the death of Peter Leopolds childless brother, Joseph II, Maria Luisas husband inherited the Habsburg lands in Central Europe, and was shortly thereafter elected Holy Roman Emperor. Taking the name of Leopold II, the new Emperor moved his family to Vienna, Leopold died scarcely two years later, on 1 March 1792. Maria Luisa followed her husband to the grave in less than three months, not living long enough to see her eldest son Francis elected as the last Holy Roman Emperor, Maria Theresa of Austria married Anton of Saxony and had issue. Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany married Luisa of Naples and Sicily and had issue, Maria Anna of Austria died unmarried. Charles of Austria married Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg and had issue, alexander Leopold of Austria died unmarried
Maria Luisa of Spain
–
Maria Luisa of Spain
29.
Maria Amalia of Saxony
–
She was the mother of thirteen children, many of whom died in childhood. A popular consort, she oversaw the construction of the Caserta Palace outside Naples as well as other projects in her husbands domains. Moving to Spain in 1759, she set about the improvements to the Royal Palace of Madrid. Maria Amalia was politically active and openly participated in affairs in both Naples and Spain. She was born at Dresden Castle in Dresden, the daughter of Augustus III of Poland, Elector of Saxony and Maria Josepha of Austria, herself daughter of Joseph I and her mother was the first cousin of Empress Maria Theresa. The infant was baptised with the names Maria Amalia Christina Franziska Xaveria Flora Walburga and her youngest sister, Princess Kunigunde was a possible wife for the future Philippe Égalité. She grew up at the court of Dresden and was educated in French, dance and she was also an accomplished musician and sang and played the keyboard from an early age. In 1738 Maria Amalia became engaged to Charles, King of Naples and Sicily, the impenetrable secret negotiations had taken place earlier in Vienna, where the Dowager Empress Wilhelmina Amalia, grandmother of Maria Amalia, played an important part in the negotiations. The Spanish ambassador in Vienna, Count Fuenclara, acted on behalf of the courts of Madrid and Naples, in December 1737, a papal dispensation was made, and the marriage announced in the beginning 1738. On May 8,1738, Maria Amalia had a ceremony at Dresden with her brother, Frederick Christian of Saxony. Since this marriage was looked upon favorably by the papacy, it soothed the diplomatic disagreements between Charles and the Papal states, on July 4,1738, Maria Amalia arrived at Naples and to what was described as a euphoric welcome. The couple met for the first time on June 19,1738 at Portella, at court, festivities lasted till July 3 when Charles created the Royal order of San Gennaro – the most prestigious chivalric order in the kingdom. He later had the Order of Charles III created in Spain on 19 September 1771, despite being an arranged marriage, the couple became very close, it was noted and reported to her mother-in-law in Spain, that Charles seemed happy and pleased when he first met her. Maria Amalia was described as a beauty and as a skillful rider, as Queen, she exerted great influence upon politics despite her frequent illnesses, and she actively participated in state affairs. He displeasure led directly to the latter being deposed as prime minister, Maria Amalia did not need to keep her influence secret, after the birth of her first son in 1747, she was given a seat in the council of state. In 1744, however she was forced to agree to declare war and she then favored Great Britain before France and Austria. Maria Amalia was talked about because of her favorites, which were to have influence over her policy when she was ill, such as princess Anna Francesca Pinelli. In 1754, she supported the career of Bernardo Tanucci as Foreign Minister, however, they left Naples before its completion due to her declining health so they never actually lived in the palace
Maria Amalia of Saxony
–
Maria Amalia of Saxony depicted in Polish attire in 1738,
Museo del Prado
Maria Amalia of Saxony
–
Portrait of Maria Amalia overlooking the Neapolitan crown, by
Giuseppe Bonito, c. 1745.
Maria Amalia of Saxony
30.
Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
–
Ferdinand I, was the King of the Two Sicilies from 1816, after his restoration following victory in the Napoleonic Wars. Before that he had been, since 1759, Ferdinand IV of the Kingdom of Naples and he was deposed twice from the throne of Naples, once by the revolutionary Parthenopean Republic for six months in 1799 and again by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1805. Ferdinand was the son of King Charles III of Spain, Naples and Sicily by his wife. On 10 August 1759, Charles succeeded his brother, Ferdinand VI. Ferdinand was the founder of the cadet House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Ferdinand was styled both Ferdinand III of Sicily and Ferdinand IV of Naples. On 21 January 1799, the Kingdom of Naples was abolished and replaced by the Parthenopaean Republic which lasted until 13 June 1799, Ferdinand was restored to the throne for a while. On 26 December 1805, Napoleon I of France declared Ferdinand deposed again, Ferdinand was restored for the second time following the Austrian victory at the Battle of Tolentino over rival monarch King Joachim I. On 8 March 1816 he merged the thrones of Sicily and Naples into the throne of the Two Sicilies and he continued to rule until his death on 4 January 1825. Ferdinand was born in Naples and grew up amidst many of the monuments erected there by his father which can be seen today, Ferdinand was his parents third son, his elder brother Charles was expected to inherit Naples and Sicily. When his father ascended the Spanish throne in 1759 he abdicated Naples in Ferdinands favor in accordance with the treaties forbidding the union of the two crowns, a regency council presided over by the Tuscan Bernardo Tanucci was set up. Ferdinands minority ended in 1767, and his first act was the expulsion of the Jesuits, the following year he married Archduchess Maria Carolina, daughter of Empress Maria Theresa. By the marriage contract the queen was to have a voice in the council of state after the birth of her first son, Tanucci, who attempted to thwart her, was dismissed in 1777. He became practically and afterward prime minister. Although not a mere grasping adventurer, he was responsible for reducing the internal administration of the country to a system of espionage, corruption. The French entered the city in spite of the resistance of the lazzaroni. When, a few weeks later the French troops were recalled to northern Italy, Ferdinand sent a hastily assembled force, under Cardinal Ruffo, to reconquer the mainland kingdom. Ruffo, with the support of British artillery, the Church, and the aristocracy, succeeded, reaching Naples in May 1800. After some months King Ferdinand returned to the throne, the king returned to Naples soon afterwards, and ordered a few hundred who had collaborated with the French executed
Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
–
Ferdinand I
Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
–
Ferdinand in 1760, at age nine.
Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
–
Ferdinand I
King of the Two Sicilies depicted on a
Duchy of Parma 8 Doppie coin (1791)
Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
–
Piastra of Ferdinand IV of
Naples, dated 1805.
31.
Princess Luisa of Naples and Sicily
–
Luisa of Naples and Sicily, was a Neapolitan and Sicilian princess and the wife of the third Habsburg Grand Duke of Tuscany. Luisa Maria Amalia Teresa was born at the Royal Palace in Naples and her father was the future King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies and her mother, born Maria Carolina of Austria, was a sister of Marie Antoinette. Her paternal grandparents were Charles III of Spain and his Saxon wife Maria Amalia, her grandparents were Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor. She was one of eighteen children, seven of whom survived into adulthood, on 15 August 1790, she married her double first cousin, Archduke Ferdinand of Austria. The wedding ceremony took place in Florence, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany which her husband had ruled since the beginning of the year. Her husband ruled the Grand Duchy till 1801, when in the Treaty of Aranjuez, Luisa died in childbirth the next year at the Hofburg Imperial Palace in Vienna, the princess is buried in the Imperial Crypt with her stillborn son in her arms. Archduchess Carolina Ferdinanda Teresa, died in infancy, Archduke Francesco Leopoldo, died in infancy. Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany, married Maria Anna of Saxony and had issue, remarried Princess Maria Antonia of the Two Sicilies and had issue. Archduchess Maria Luisa Giuseppa, born disabled and suffered a severe deformity, was affectionately called the little hunchback by the people of Florence. Archduchess Maria Theresa, married Charles Albert of Sardinia and had issue
Princess Luisa of Naples and Sicily
–
Luisa by Joseph Dorffmeister in 1797
32.
Maria Carolina of Austria
–
Maria Carolina of Austria was Queen of Naples and Sicily as the wife of King Ferdinand IV & III. She was a proponent of enlightened absolutism until the advent of the French Revolution, born an Austrian archduchess, the thirteenth child of Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Francis I, she married Ferdinand as part of an Austrian alliance with Spain, where Ferdinands father was king. Following the birth of an heir in 1775, Maria Carolina was admitted to the Privy Council. Thereafter, she dominated it until 1812, when she was sent back to Vienna, like her mother, Maria Carolina took pains to make politically advantageous marriages for her children. Maria Carolina promoted Naples as a centre of the arts, patronising painters Jacob Philipp Hackert and Angelica Kauffman and academics Gaetano Filangieri, Domenico Cirillo and Giuseppe Maria Galanti. Maria Carolina, abhorring her sister Marie Antoinettes treatment by the French, allied Naples with Britain and Austria during the Napoleonic, as a result of a failed Neapolitan invasion of French-occupied Rome, she fled to Sicily with her husband in December 1798. One month later, the Parthenopean Republic was declared, which repudiated Bourbon rule in Naples for six months. Deposed as Queen of Naples for a time by French forces, in 1806, Maria Carolina died in Vienna in 1814. Her godparents were King Louis XV of France and his wife, Maria Carolina was the daughter who resembled her mother most. Maria Carolina formed a close bond with her youngest sister. From very early on they shared the same governess Countess Lerchenfeld, a testament to their closeness is the fact that when one caught an illness the other did too. In August 1767 Maria Theresa separated the two girls, hitherto raised together under the auspices of Countess Marie von Brandis, because of their bad behaviour. Soon after in October of the year, Maria Carolinas sister Maria Josepha, destined to marry Ferdinand IV of Naples as part of an alliance with Spain. Anxious to save the Austro-Spanish alliance Charles III of Spain, father of Ferdinand IV, the Empress offered the court of Madrid, negotiating on behalf of that of Naples, Maria Amalia or Maria Carolina. Because Maria Amalia was five years older than his son Charles III opted for the latter, Maria Carolina reacted badly to her engagement, crying, entreating and saying that Neapolitan marriages were unlucky. Her objections, however, did not delay her preparation for her new role as Queen of Naples by the Countess of Lerchenfeld, nine months later, on 7 April 1768, Maria Carolina married Ferdinand IV of Naples by proxy, her brother Ferdinand representing the bride-groom. The fifteen-year-old Queen of Naples journeyed at leisure from Vienna to Naples, making stops at Mantua, Bologna, Florence and she entered the Kingdom of Naples on 12 May 1768, disembarking at Terracina, where she took leave of her native attendants. To the Countess of Lerchenfeld, she wrote, I love him only out of duty, Ferdinand, too, was not taken with her, declaring, after their first night together, She sleeps like the dead and sweats like a pig
Maria Carolina of Austria
–
Maria Carolina, Queen of Naples and Sicily, by
Martin van Meytens, ca. 1770.
Maria Carolina of Austria
–
Archduchess Maria Carolina holding a portrait of her father,
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor.
Maria Carolina of Austria
–
Maria Carolina, Queen of Naples and Sicily, by
Anton Raphael Mengs, ca. 1768.
Maria Carolina of Austria
–
Marquis
Bernardo Tanucci,
de facto ruler of Naples and Sicily from 1759 until 1776.
33.
Augustus III of Poland
–
The only legitimate son of Augustus II of Poland, he followed his father’s example by joining the Roman Catholic Church in 1712. In 1719 he married Maria Josepha, daughter of the Holy Roman emperor Joseph I, chosen king by a small minority of electors on 5 October 1733, he drove his rival, the former Polish king Stanisław I, into exile. He was crowned in Kraków on 17 January 1734, and was recognised as king in Warsaw in June 1736. Augustus gave Saxon support to Austria against Prussia in the War of the Austrian Succession and his last years were marked by the increasing influence of the Czartoryski and Poniatowski families, and by the intervention of Catherine the Great in Polish affairs. His rule deepened the anarchy in Poland and increased the dependence on its neighbours. The reign of Augustus witnessed one of the greatest periods of disorder in Polish history, Augustus was the only legitimate son of Augustus II the Strong, Prince-Elector of Saxony and king of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth who belonged to the Albertine line of the House of Wettin. His mother was Christiane Eberhardine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, groomed to succeed his father as king of Poland, Augustus converted to Catholicism in 1712, when publicly announced, this caused discontent among the Protestant Saxon aristocracy. Upon the death of Augustus II in 1733, Augustus inherited the Saxon electorate and was elected to the Polish throne, with the support of the Russian Empire and the Holy Roman Empire. He was opposed by the forces of Stanisław I Leszczyński, who had usurped the throne with Swedish support during the Great Northern War, reigning from 1706 until 1709, Stanisław was overthrown after the Swedish defeat at Poltava. As King, Augustus was uninterested in the affairs of his Polish–Lithuanian dominion, focusing instead on hunting, the opera, Augustus delegated most of his powers and responsibilities in the Commonwealth to Heinrich von Brühl, who served in effect as the viceroy of Poland. Augustuss eldest surviving son, Frederick Christian of Saxony, succeeded his father as Elector, a Russian-supported coup détat in Poland, instigated by the Czartoryskis, resulted in the election of Stanisław August Poniatowski as king of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania on 7 September 1764. August was portrayed by Ernst Dernburg in the 1941 film Friedemann Bach, in Dresden on 20 August 1719, Augustus married Archduchess Maria Josepha of Austria, the eldest child of Joseph I, the Holy Roman Emperor. Bachs title of Koeniglicher Pohlnischer Hoff Compositeur is engraved on the page of Bachs famous Goldberg Variations. History of Saxony History of Poland Rulers of Saxony List of Lithuanian rulers Dresden Castle – Residence of Augustus III Bach, Johann Sebastian, Mass in B Minor, Cue points, Oregon Bach festival
Augustus III of Poland
–
Augustus, aged 19 years in 1715 by
Nicolas de Largillière
Augustus III of Poland
–
Signature
Augustus III of Poland
–
King Augustus III by
Pietro Rotari
Augustus III of Poland
–
Portrait of Crown Prince Augustus
34.
Frederick Christian, Elector of Saxony
–
Frederick Christian, Elector of Saxony was the Prince-Elector of Saxony for fewer than three months in 1763. He was a member of the House of Wettin and he was the third but eldest surviving son of Frederick Augustus II, Prince-Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, by his wife, Maria Josepha of Austria. A weak child since his birth, he suffered paralysis in one foot and was dependent on wheelchairs early in life. In a well-known portrait, which shows his Wettin and Wittelsbach relatives around him, today, this painting is shown in the Schloss Nymphenburg. His mother tried repeatedly to him to take monastic vows. The early deaths of his two brothers, Frederick Augustus, who was stillborn, and Joseph Augustus, made him the heir to the throne. When his father died, on 5 October 1763, Frederick Christian succeeded him as Elector, even before, Frederick Christian had written in his diary, Princes exist for their subjects, not subjects for their princes. His subjects wealth, public credit and a well-standing army make up the happiness of a prince. He was also known for his musical talent. In Munich on 13 June 1747 and again in Dresden on 20 June 1747, like him, she was exceptionally talented in music and the couple had nine children. He began to reconstruct the wrecked finances of his country through his Rétablissements, through economic reconstruction, he gave new life to the devastated and plundered land which his predecessors had left him. Also introduced were measures to pare down the expenses of the court, most members of his government, such as Thomas von Fritsch of Leipzig, Friedrich Ludwig Wurmb, and Christian Gotthelf Gutschmied had middle-class origins. After a reign of only 74 days, Frederick Christian died of smallpox and he was buried in the Hofkirche of Dresden. Because Frederick Christians eldest son was a minor, his brother Franz Xavier and the Dowager Electress Maria Antonia took the joint regency of the Electorate until the boys majority
Frederick Christian, Elector of Saxony
–
Frederick Christian
Frederick Christian, Elector of Saxony
–
Frederick Christian in his young age
Frederick Christian, Elector of Saxony
–
Frederick Christian as Elector of Saxony
35.
Maria Josepha of Austria
–
Maria Josepha of Austria was born an Archduchess of Austria, and from 1711 to 1717 was heir presumptive to the Habsburg Empire. By her marriage to Augustus III of Poland she was the Electress of Saxony, Maria Josepha was born in Vienna, an Archduchess of Austria as the eldest child of Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor, and Princess Wilhelmina Amalia of Brunswick-Lüneburg. A marriage between Maria Josepha and Frederick Augustus II, Elector of Saxony had been suggested by Fredericks father, August II the Strong, the fact that Maria Josepha was not allowed to marry a non-Catholic, however, prevented the marriage. When Augustus converted to Catholicism in 1712, the negotiations became serious, on 20 August 1719, Maria Josepha and Frederick Augustus married. The couples eldest surviving son, Frederick Christian, eventually succeeded his father as Elector of Saxony, in Saxony, the couple lived at Dresden Castle. The marriage has been described as happy, and Augustus was apparently never unfaithful, in 1733, Frederick Augustus was elected King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth as August III the Saxon. Maria Josepha was crowned 20 January 1734, Queen Maria Josepha was described as ambitious, intelligent and religious. She founded many churches and convents and gave her support to the Polish Jesuits. As queen of Poland and electress of Saxony, she divided her time between the two nations and she learned to speak Polish, and was often present during the assemblies of the Polish parliament. She shared an interest of music, art and hunting with her spouse and she was devoted to Catholicism and especially worshipped saint Francis Xavier, and was actively involved in the building of the Catholic Hofkirche in Dresden. Her personal confessor, the Jesuit Fr, despite her personal strict moral, she was reportedly not a prude and got along quite nicely with the illegitimate half siblings of her spouse. She was rivalled in her influence over her spouse by Heinrich von Brühl, Queen Maria Josepha was politically active and, though not formally proclaimed regent during the absence of her spouse, she informally acted as his representative. It was known and acknowledged by the court that she participated in the affairs of state, and she also managed a large diplomatic correspondence. Maria Josepha was reportedly not on terms with her eldest son Frederick Christian. During the War of the Austrian Succession in 1740, she claimed the throne on behalf of her spouse and she relinquished her claim in favor of her sister, Maria Amalias spouse, and in 1742 made an alliance with Austria. During the seven years war, Maria Josepha stayed behind in Dresden with Frederick Christian and his spouse Maria Antonia and she remained in Dresden when the city was taken by the Prussian army. She, as well as Frederick Christian and his spouse Maria Antonia, were all placed under house arrest at the palace of Dresden guarded by a Prussian commandant, on 4 April 1757, her Mistress of the Chamber, Countess Ogilvy, was arrested. Her last letter of 6 September was sent to the Austrian empress through her son, in which she also mentions that this would be her last
Maria Josepha of Austria
–
Maria Josepha of Austria
Maria Josepha of Austria
–
Maria Josepha
Maria Josepha of Austria
–
Maria Josepha as Queen of Poland, by
Louis de Silvestre
36.
Maximilian, Crown Prince of Saxony
–
Prince Maximilian of Saxony was a German prince and a member of the House of Wettin. He was the sixth but third and youngest surviving son of Frederick Christian, Elector of Saxony, since he was the youngest son of the family, Maximilian initially had little chance to inherit the Electorate of Saxony. After the creation of the Kingdom of Saxony in 1806, Maximilian became a Prince of Saxony, after the death of Frederick Augustus in 1827, Anthony succeeded him as King. Maximilian became first in line to the Saxon throne as Hereditary Prince, however, three years later, on 1 September 1830, during the Autumn Disturbances, he renounced his rights of succession in favour of his eldest son, Frederick Augustus. He died eight years later, aged seventy-nine, Frederick Augustus II Albert Maria Clemens Joseph Vincenz Aloys Nepomuk Johann Baptista Nikolaus Raphael Peter Xavier Franz de Paula Venantius Felix, King of Saxony. Klemens Maria Joseph Nepomuk Aloys Vincenz Xavier Franz de Paula Franz de Valois Joachim Benno Philipp Jakob, Johann I Nepomuk Maria Joseph Anton Xaver Vincenz Aloys Franz de Paula Stanislaus Bernhard Paul Felix Damasus, King of Saxony. In Lucca on 15 October 1825 and again in Dresden on 7 November 1825, Maximilian married Princess Luise of Bourbon, daughter of the King Louis of Etruria and she was forty-three years younger than her husband
Maximilian, Crown Prince of Saxony
–
Prince Maximilian
37.
Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor
–
Charles VII was the prince-elector of Bavaria from 1726 and Holy Roman Emperor from 24 January 1742 until his death, in 1745. Charles Albert was born in Brussels, the son of Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria and Theresa Kunegunda Sobieska and his family was split during the War of the Spanish Succession and was for many years under house arrest in Austria. Only in 1715 was the family reunited, after attaining his majority in August 1715, he undertook an educational tour of Italy from 3 December 1715 until 24 August 1716. In 1717, he served with Bavarian auxiliaries in the Austro-Turkish War of 1716–18, on 5 October 1722, Charles Albert married Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria, whom he had met at the imperial court in Vienna. She was the daughter of the late Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor and his consort Wilhelmine Amalia of Brunswick-Lüneburg, daughter of John Frederick. In 1725 Charles Albert visited Versailles for the wedding of Louis XV of France, in 1726, when his father died, Charles Albert became Duke of Bavaria and a Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire. He maintained good relations both with his Habsburg relatives and with France, continuing his fathers policies, in 1729 he instituted the knightly Order of St George. That year, he started building the Rothenberg Fortress. In continuance of the policy of his father, Charles Albert aspired to a higher rank. With the treaty of Nymphenburg concluded in July 1741, Charles Albert allied with France, so Charles Albert was crowned King of Bohemia in Prague when the Habsburgs were not yet defeated. He was unanimously elected King of the Romans on 24 January 1742, also with the vote of George II, Charles VII was the second Wittelsbach Emperor after Louis IV and the first Wittelsbach King of the Romans since the reign of Rupert of Germany. Shortly after the coronation most of Charles Alberts territories were overrun by the Austrians, the emperor fled Munich and resided for almost three years in the Palais Barckhaus in Frankfurt. Most of Bohemia was lost in December 1742 when the Austrians allowed the French under the Duc de Belle-Isle, a popular Latin saying about him was et Caesar et nihil, meaning both Emperor and nothing, a word-play on aut Caesar aut nihil, either Emperor or nothing. Charles Alberts general Ignaz Felix, Count of Törring-Jettenbach was compared to a drum, Charles Eugene, Duke of Württemberg was declared to be of full age ahead of time in 1744. The new commander of the Bavarian army, Friedrich Heinrich von Seckendorff, in 1743 his troops and their allies took Bavaria and Charles VII was able to return to Munich in April for some time. After the allied French had to retreat after defeats to the Rhine, the new campaign of Frederick II of Prussia during the Second Silesian War finally forced the Austrian army to leave Bavaria and to retreat back into Bohemia. In October 1744 Charles VII regained Munich and returned, suffering severely from gout, Charles died in January 1745. His brother Klemens August then again leaned toward Austria, and his son, with the Treaty of Füssen Austria recognized the legitimacy of Charles VIIs election as Holy Roman Emperor
Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor
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Portrait by
Georg Desmarées
Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor
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Allegorical depiction of Charles's coronation as Holy Roman Emperor (1742)
Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor
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Thaler coin of Charles VII, dated 1743
Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor
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Emperor Charles's residence Palais Barckhaus in
Zeil, Frankfurt, which he used in exile
38.
Maria Antonia Walpurgis of Bavaria
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She was also the Regent of Saxony in 1763-1768. Baptised Maria Antonia Walpurgis Symphorosa, she was known as Maria Antonia, Maria Antonia was born at Nymphenburg Palace in Munich to Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria and to Elector Karl Albert of Bavaria. Throughout her life she received an education, particularly in the arts. She was the fourth of seven children of the Elector and his wife, with her marriage, she moved to Dresden. She had nine children with Friedrich Christian, seven of whom survived infancy, joseph Maria Ludwig Johann Nepomuck Aloys Gonzaga Franz Xavier Januar Anton de Padua Polycarp. Anthony of Saxony, successor of his brother as King of Saxony. Maximilian, Crown Prince of Saxony, the father of King Frederick Augustus II of Saxony, theresia Maria Josepha Magdalena Anna Antonia Walburga Ignatia Xaveria Augustina Aloysia Fortunata, known as Maria Anna. She left Dresden during the Seven Years War and took refuge in Prague and Münich and her spouse died ten weeks later, and her son succeeded him. Her son being a minor, she served as joint Regent with her brother-in-law Franz Xaver until her son reached legal majority in 1768, during her regency, she opposed her co-regents act to give up her sons claim on the Polish throne in 1765. She also founded a factory and a brewery. While in Munich, Maria Antonia studied music with renowned opera composers Giovanni Battista Ferrandini and Giovanni Porta, after moving to Dresden she continued her studies with Nicola Porpora and Johann Adolph Hasse. Indeed, opera played a part throughout Maria Antonia’s life. The court of Munich celebrated her birth with a performance of the opera Amadis de Grecia and her betrothal to Friedrich Christian was likewise celebrated with opera performances, including Hasse’s La Spartana generosa, sets by Bibiena, and Gluck’s opera Le nozze d’Ercole e d’Ebe. Shortly after moving to Dresden, she penned the libretto for Hasse’s oratorio, La conversione di Sant’Agostino and her own compositional style shows a strong affinity for that of Hasse, especially his conception of opera seria. She also performed actively as a singer and keyboard player in court performances, in addition to her two operas, a number of arias, a pastorale, intermezzos, meditations and motets are attributed to her. Several operas took on the subject matter over the next century, with Maria Antonia crafting her own libretto. The plot centers on Talestris’ relationship with a Scythian ruler, Orontes, ultimately, the plot ends happily, with each couple united and war averted, as the Scythians and Amazons manage to peacefully co-exist. The depiction of the benevolent, thoughtful ruler Talestris coming-of-age as a political leader suggests the possibility that the opera is a rendering of Maria Antonia herself
Maria Antonia Walpurgis of Bavaria
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Maria Antonia Walpurgis by an unknown artist
Maria Antonia Walpurgis of Bavaria
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By Pietro Antonio Rotari
39.
Maria Amalia of Austria
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Maria Amalia of Austria was Holy Roman Empress, Queen of the Germans, Queen of Bohemia, Electress and Duchess of Bavaria etc. as the spouse of Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor. By birth, she was an Archduchess of Austria as the daughter of Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor, Maria Amalia had seven children with her husband Charles, only four of whom lived through to adulthood. Her son became Maximilian III, Elector of Bavaria and her youngest daughter Maria Josepha married the eldest son and heir of Maria Theresa, Emperor Joseph II, but died, childless, of smallpox after two years. Another daughter, Maria Antonia, married her first cousin, Frederick Christian and her middle surviving daughter Maria Anna Josepha Augusta became Margravine of Baden-Baden. Maria Amalia was born an Austrian Archduchess in Hofburg Palace, Vienna, about eleven weeks after the death of her infant brother Leopold Joseph, Maria Amalias father had a long line of mistresses, both servants and nobles, and several illegitimate children. Her mother Wilhelmine Amalia of Brunswick-Lüneburg was the sister of the Duchess of Modena, when Maria Amalia was nine years old, her father died of smallpox and was succeeded as Holy Roman Emperor by his brother Charles VI. Charles ignored a decree signed during the reign of their grandfather Leopold I that gave her and her sister precedence in succession as the daughters of Leopolds eldest son. Instead, he promulgated the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713, which replaced Maria Amalia, the displaced archduchesses were not allowed to marry until they renounced their rights to the Austrian succession. Maria Amalia was proposed as a bride for the Italian Prince of Piedmont, heir to the Kingdom of Sicily, the union was supposed to create better relations between Savoy and Austria, but the plan was ignored by the Duke of Savoy. The younger Victor Amadeus subsequently died of smallpox, unmarried, in 1715, in 1717, Maria Amalia met her future spouse, Charles of Bavaria, who visited Vienna on his way to participate in the war against the Ottoman Empire in Belgrade. He used the time to become acquainted with the Imperial family and they met a second time in 1718. Charles initially asked to marry her elder sister Maria Josepha, having agreed to recognize the Pragmatic Sanction, Maria Amalia married Prince-Elector Charles of Bavaria on 5 October 1722 in Vienna. The opera I veri amici by Tomaso Albinoni was performed at the wedding and they lived at Nymphenburg Palace in Munich and had seven children. At the birth of the heir in May 1727, Maria Amalia was given her own residence, the Fuerstenried Palace as a gift, similar to her mother, she was forced to accept the infidelity of her spouse, her husband also had six illegitimate children. However, their relationship is described as a happy one, as they had similar personalities. Like Charles, she enjoyed court life, pomp and parties and she protected churches and convents and had a close relationship with her sister-in-law Maria Anna, who as a member of the Poor Clares in München. She liked the opera and her apartments at the royal Münich residence is regarded as a example of the rococo. Despite the fact that she had renounced her claims to the Austrian lands upon her marriage, after an agreement with the spouse of her elder sister Maria Josepha, who would otherwise have a stronger claim than her, Charles invaded Bohemia
Maria Amalia of Austria
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Maria Amalia of Austria
Maria Amalia of Austria
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Maria Antonia Walpurgis Electress of Saxony
Maria Amalia of Austria
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Theresa Benedicta Princess of Bavaria
Maria Amalia of Austria
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Maximilian III Joseph Elector of Bavaria
40.
Philip, Duke of Parma
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Philip of Spain was Duke of Parma from 1748 to 1765. He founded the House of Bourbon-Parma, a line of the Spanish branch of the dynasty. He was a son-in-law of Louis XV, born at the Royal Alcazar in Madrid, he was the third child and second son of Philip V of Spain and his wife, Elisabeth Farnese. He was raised in Madrid and as a child showed more interest in art than in politics and his mother came from the family of Farnese, which had ruled the Duchy of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla for many generations. The duchy had been ruled between 1731 and 1736 by his elder brother Charles, but was exchanged with Austria for The Two Sicilies after the War of Polish Succession. Twelve years later, in the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, Austria lost the duchy and Philip became the new duke, the Duchy of Parma was ruined by many years of warfare, and in 1759 Philip named the able Frenchman Guillaume du Tillot as his minister to restore the economy. Philip was a ruler who stimulated education and philosophy, attracting personalities like Étienne Bonnot de Condillac. Philip married his first cousin once removed Princess Louise Élisabeth of France in Alcalá de Henares and they had the following children, Isabella Luisa Antonietta Ferdinanda Giuseppina Saveria Dominica Giovanna of Parma – she married Marie Antoinettes older brother, the Austrian emperor, Joseph II. She had issue, but all her children died in childhood, Luisa Maria Teresa Ana of Parma – she was known as Maria Luisa. She married her cousin, the Infante Carlos of Spain, and their marriage was an unhappy one, and Louise Elisabeth died of smallpox at the age of 32 in 1759. Philip died unexpectedly on 18 July 1765 in Alessandria, Italy, after having accompanied his daughter Maria Luisa on her way to Genoa, where she sailed for Spain to marry Infante Charles. Through Philips daughter Maria Luisa, he is an ancestor of the Bourbons of Spain, the Bourbons of the Two Sicilies, and the House of Orléans. 15 March 1720 –1749 His Royal Highness Don Felipe, Infante of Spain 1749 –18 July 1765 His Royal Highness the Duke of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla
Philip, Duke of Parma
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Philip I
41.
Ferdinand, Duke of Parma
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He was a member of the Spanish House of Bourbon. As a grandson in the line of King Philip V of Spain. As a grandson of King Louis, Ferdinand was also a descendant of Englands William the Conqueror. As the heir to one of the largest collection of sovereign duchies, probable candidates included the heiress Princess Maria Beatrice Ricciarda of Modena, daughter of Ercole III of Modena and an in law of Marie Antoinette. Another candidate was Louise Marie Thérèse Bathilde dOrléans who offered a large dowry, she was the only surviving daughter of Louis Philippe I. She was the sister of Philippe Égalité and this never occurred and, as a result, an alliance with the Austrian Empire was used to cement the two nations. Guillaume du Tillot was again used during Ferdinands reign when he lost his father in 1765 aged 14, Maria Amalia had a marriage by proxy in Vienna on 27 June and left her home on 1 July. The future duchess would meet her husband at Mantua on 16 July and his wife was with her brother Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor and Ferdinand with members of the Sforza family. On 19 July there was a ceremony for all at the Ducal Palace of Colorno where Ferdinand had been born. During many festivities, the made their official entrance to Parma on 24 July. They had nine children in just under twenty years, Ferdinand ceded the Duchy of Parma to France in the Treaty of Aranjuez. The Treaty of Aranjuez was signed on 21 March 1801 between France and Spain, the overall accord confirmed the terms presented in the Treaty of San Ildefonso. Moreover, Ferdinand agreed to surrender the Duchy of Parma to France, Ferdinands son Louis received the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, which became the Kingdom of Etruria. Ferdinand III, the Habsburg Grand Duke of Tuscany, was compensated with the territories of the Archbishop of Salzburg. He died in Parma at age 51, suspected to be poisoned although French authorities cited another reason for his death, and was buried in the church of Fontevivo Abbey. On his deathbed, however, he named a regency council with his wife Maria Amalia as its head, the regency lasted only for days and the Duchy of Parma was annexed to France. Princess Carolina Maria Teresa Giuseppa of Parma, married Prince Maximilian of Saxony Prince Louis Francis Philibert of Parma, married his cousin born Maria Luisa Josefa Antonietta Vicentia of Spain and had issue, was the first of only two Kings of Etruria. Princess Maria Antonia Giuseppa Walburga Anna Luisa Vicenza Margherita Caterina of Parma, Princess Carlotta Maria of Parma, who became a prioress
Ferdinand, Duke of Parma
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Ferdinand
Ferdinand, Duke of Parma
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His father
Ferdinand, Duke of Parma
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Princess
Louise Élisabeth of France (his mother) by
Louis-Michel van Loo
Ferdinand, Duke of Parma
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(L-R) Ferdinand;
Maria Luisa; Princess
Mother;
Father and Isabella is to the right
42.
Princess Caroline of Parma
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Carolina Maria Teresa Giuseppa of Parma was a Princess of Parma by birth, and Princess of Saxony by marriage to Prince Maximilian of Saxony. Carolina was the eldest child of Ferdinand, Duke of Parma and her full baptismal name was Carolina Maria Teresa Giuseppa. She was named after her godparents, her paternal great-uncle Charles III of Spain, Carolina was the eldest of nine children born to Ferdinand, Duke of Parma by his wife Maria Amalia of Austria. By the time of the visit of her maternal aunt Maria Christina in Parma in 1774, she was described as a beautiful, Carolina and her brother Luigi were the favorites of their parents. They were personally instructed in religion by their father, despite the fact that their children was actually more interested in the subject than they were. In 1778, her brother Luigi hit his head on a table while playing with Carolina. The mother of Carolina preferred her to marry a German prince, reportedly, however, her marriage was not arranged. Consequently, she was described as eager to marry him, the marriage and life of Carolina in Saxony are described as happy and harmonious. When her mother moved to Prague in 1804, she was able to have contact with her. Princess Carolina died of fever on March 1,1804 in Dresden, more than two decades after, her husband married her niece Princess Maria Luisa Carlota of Parma. On 22 April 1792 in Parma and on 9 May 1792, Carolina married Maximilian of Saxony, fifth and they had seven children, Maria Amalia Friederike Augusta Karolina Ludovica Josepha Aloysia Anna Nepomucena Philippina Vincentia Franziska de Paula Franziska de Chantal, known as Amalia. Frederick Augustus II Albert Maria Clemens Joseph Vincenz Aloys Nepomuk Johann Baptista Nikolaus Raphael Peter Xavier Franz de Paula Venantius Felix, Klemens Maria Joseph Nepomuk Aloys Vincenz Xavier Franz de Paula Franz de Valois Joachim Benno Philipp Jakob, known as Klemens. Johann I Nepomuk Maria Joseph Anton Xaver Vincenz Aloys Franz de Paula Stanislaus Bernhard Paul Felix Damasus,22 November 1770 –22 April 1792 Her Royal Highness Princess Carolina of Parma 22 April 1792 –1 March 1804 Her Royal Highness Princess Carolina of Saxony
Princess Caroline of Parma
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Carolina of Parma
43.
Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria
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Maria Amalia of Austria was the Duchess of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla by marriage. Maria Amalia was a daughter of Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Francis I and she was thus younger sister to Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor and older sister to Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor, Maria Carolina, Queen of Naples and Marie Antoinette, Queen of France. She was the child of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria and Emperor Francis I. Born at the Hofburg Imperial Palace, she was raised in the Habsburg Viennese court in winter and at Schönbrunn, as her siblings, she was regularly interviewed by her mother. Maria Amalia, as her sisters, was raised to be an ideal consort and taught the arts and how to be obedient, dutiful. Because of her age and the fact that the siblings were raised separated by gender and she did not have a good relationship with her mother, in fact, of all her daughters, Maria Theresa was said to have the worse relationship with Amalia. When she debuted as an adult in the society life in Vienna, one of her paintings, St. Therese and the child Jesus, still exists today in a private collection. Against her will, Amalia was married to Ferdinand of Parma, the marriage was supported by the future Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II, whose first beloved wife had been Ferdinands sister, Princess Isabella of Parma. The Archduchesss marriage to the Duke of Parma was part of a series of contracts that married off Maria Theresas daughters to the King of Naples and Sicily. All three sons-in-law were members of the House of Bourbon, Maria Theresa, however, forbade this and forced her to enter an arranged marriage. This caused a permanent conflict between the Empress and Maria Amalia, who never forgave her mother, Maria Amalia left Austria on 1 July 1769, accompanied by her brother, Joseph II, and married Ferdinand on 19 July, at the Ducal Palace of Colorno. The Duchy of Parma was by this time ruled more or less as a French puppet state by minister Guillaume du Tillot, Du Tillot kept Ferdinand out of politics, and was favored by the maternal grandfather of Duke Ferdinand, Louis XV of France. The marriage had been arranged by Austria and Spain to end the policy in Parma and replace it with an Austrian. Upon her arrival, Maria Amalia was expected to submit to the wishes of Du Tillot, who regarded her with suspicion, which immediately caused a conflict. In 1772, the year after, Maria Amalia fired Jose del Llano and replaced him with an Italian prime minister, after her dismissal of Jose del Llano in 1772, Maria Amalia secured that Parma would not become a Spanish puppet state. In 1773, her mother Empress Maria Theresa appointed count Rosenberg her ambassador in Parma with the task to act as Maria Amalias adviser. Maria Amalia, however, freed Parma also from Austrian influence as she had from French and Spanish, after this, the diplomatic ties with Austria and Spain was cut. As the ruler of Parma, Maria Amalia was referred to by the public as La Signora, from the beginning of her stay in Parma, Maria Amalia caused a scandal with her personal lifestyle
Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria
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Maria Amalia by
Martin van Meytens
Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria
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Maria Amalia with her sisters, Liesl(1743–1808), Josepha and Charlotte.
Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria
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Maria Amalia, by
Alexander Roslin
Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria
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Maria Amalia and her husband
44.
Archduke
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Archduke was the title borne from 1358 by the Habsburg rulers of the Archduchy of Austria, and later by all senior members of that dynasty. It denotes a rank within the former Holy Roman Empire, which was below that of Emperor and King and above that of a Grand Duke, Duke, the territory ruled by an Archduke or Archduchess was called an Archduchy. All remaining Archduchies ceased to exist in 1918, in the Carolingian Empire, the title Archduke was awarded not as rank of nobility, but as a unique honorary title to the Duke of Lotharingia. Lotharingia was eventually absorbed by East Francia, becoming part of the Holy Roman Empire rather than a fully independent Kingdom, the later extended fragmentation of both territories created two succeeding Duchies in the Low Countries, Brabant and Geldre. Both claimed archducal status but were never recognised as such by the Holy Roman Emperor. Archduke of Austria, the archducal title to re-emerge, was invented in the Privilegium Maius in the 14th century by Duke Rudolf IV of Austria. Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV refused to recognise the title, as did all the ruling dynasties of the member countries of the Empire. But Duke Ernest the Iron and his descendants assumed the title of Archduke. Emperor Frederick III himself simply used the title Duke of Austria, never Archduke, the title was first granted to Fredericks younger brother, Albert VI of Austria, who used it at least from 1458. In 1477, Frederick III also granted the title of Archduke to his first cousin, Sigismund of Austria, the title appears first in documents issued under the joint rule of Maximilian and his son Philip in the Low Countries. Archduke was initially borne by those dynasts who ruled a Habsburg territory—i. e, only by males and their consorts, appanages being commonly distributed to cadets. But these junior archdukes did not thereby become sovereign hereditary rulers, occasionally a territory might be combined with a separate gubernatorial mandate ruled by an archducal cadet. From the 16th century onward, Archduke and its form, Archduchess. After the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire this usage was retained in the Austrian Empire, thus those members of the Habsburg family who are residents of the Republic of Austria are simply known by their first name and their surname Habsburg-Lothringen. However, members of the family who reside in other countries may or may not use the title, in accordance with laws, for example, Otto Habsburg-Lothringen, the eldest son of the last Habsburg Emperor, was an Austrian, Hungarian and German citizen. Hence, no member of the family other than the King bears the title of Archduke. The insignia of the Archduke of Lower and Upper Austria was the archducal hat, List of rulers of Austria List of Austrian consorts
Archduke
–
Archducal hat, the coronet of an archduke
Archduke
–
Bust of
Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria
Archduke
–
The heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne,
Archduke Franz Ferdinand (right) with his family. Ferdinand, along with his wife, was assassinated at Sarajevo in 1914, which sparked World War I
45.
Kunigunde of Austria
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Kunigunde of Austria was an Austrian Archduchess member of the House of Habsburg and by marriage Duchess of Bavaria-Munich and since 1503 over all Bavaria. She was the daughter of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor and his wife Eleanor of Portugal, born in Wiener Neustadt, Kunigunde was the fourth of five children born to the Imperial couple, however, only she and her older brother Maximilian survived to adulthood. She grew up in an informal and open atmosphere, without rigid court etiquette, contrary to former practice, she learned not only to read, write, and embroider, but also received instruction in riding and hunting, astronomy and mathematics. Like most daughters of families, since her early years Kunigunde was involved in the political intrigues of her time. In 1470 King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary requested her hand, however, at the age of fifteen, in 1480, Kunigunde made her formal presentation in Vienna during the visit of George, Duke of Bavaria, called the Rich to Frederick IIIs court. Kunigunde married Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria-Munich in 1487 against the will of her own father, in spite of her resignation from court life, she tried to influence the politics of the state as she acted in favour of the rights of her younger sons. She was in contact with her brother, Emperor Maximilian I. With Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria-Munich she had Seven children, betrothed to Louis V, Elector Palatine, she died before the wedding took place. Sibylle, married in 1511 to Louis V, Elector Palatine, sabina, married in 1511 to Duke Ulrich I of Württemberg. Ernest, an official in Passau, Archbishop in Salzburg. Susanna, married firstly in 1518 to Margrave Casimir of Brandenburg and secondly in 1529 to Otto Henry, Count Palatine of Neuburg, after the death of Albert in 1508 she later joined the Convent of Püttrich which she favoured and lived there until her death in 1520. Women in power Cloister of Püttrich Biography Article in the Biographische Lexikon des Kaiserthums Österreich
Kunigunde of Austria
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Kunigunde of Austria
Kunigunde of Austria
46.
Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Savoy
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Archduchess Margaret of Austria, Princess of Asturias and Duchess of Savoy by her two marriages, was Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands from 1507 to 1515 and again from 1519 to 1530. Margaret was born on 10 January 1480, as the child and only daughter of Maximilian of Austria and Mary of Burgundy. She was named after her stepgrandmother, Margaret of York, Dowager Duchess of Burgundy, who was especially close to Duchess Mary. In 1482, Margarets mother died and her brother, Philip the Handsome. In 1482, her father and the King Louis XI of France signed the Treaty of Arras, the engagement took place in 1483. Margaret, with Franche-Comté and Artois as her dowry, was transferred to the guardianship of King Louis XI of France and she was educated at the French royal court and prepared for her future role as queen of France. She was raised as a fille de France by Madame de Segré, under the supervision of her fiancés sister and regent, several French noble children had their education overseen by Anne as well, amongst which Louise of Savoy, with whom she would later negotiate peace. Margaret developed genuine affection for Charles, however, in the autumn of 1491, he renounced the treaty and married Margarets stepmother Anne, Duchess of Brittany, for political reasons. The French court had ceased treating Margaret as queen early in 1491, the Duchess of Brittany had been married to Margarets father by proxy but their marriage was annulled. Margaret was not returned to her stepgrandmothers court until June 1493, Margaret was hurt by Charless action and was left with a feeling of enduring resentment towards France. Margaret left the Netherlands for Spain late in 1496, the marriage took place in 1497. John died after six months, on 4 October. Margaret was left pregnant, but on 2 April 1498 she gave birth to a stillborn daughter. The Dowager Princess of Asturias returned to the Netherlands early in 1500, in 1501, Margaret married Philibert II, Duke of Savoy. This marriage was childless as well, and he died three years. A grief-stricken Margaret threw herself out of a window, but was saved, after being persuaded to bury her husband, she had his heart enbalmed so she could keep it with her forever. She vowed never to marry again and her court historian and poet Jean Lemaire de Belges gave her the title Dame de deuil. During a remarkably successful career lasting from 1506 until her death in 1530, after the early death of her brother Philip of Spain, in November 1506 she became the only woman elected as its ruler by the representative assembly of Franche-Comté
Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Savoy
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Portrait of Margaret as a widow painted by
Bernard van Orley
Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Savoy
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Portrait of Margaret aged ten by
Jean Hey, c 1490
Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Savoy
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Pieter van Coninxloo, Philip the Handsome and Margaret of Austria, c 1493-5. Betrothal
diptych, Oil on oak panels, each 23.8cm x 16.5cm.
National Gallery, London.
Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Savoy
–
Engraving of Margaret of Austria
47.
Eleanor of Austria
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She also held the Duchy of Touraine as dower. She is called Leonor in Spanish and Portuguese and Eléonore or Aliénor in French, Eleanor was born in Louvain as the eldest child of Philip of Austria and Joanna of Castile, who would later become co-sovereigns of Castile. Her siblings were Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I, Queen Isabella of Denmark, Queen Mary of Hungary, when she was young, Eleanors relatives tried to marry her to the future King of England, Henry VIII, to whom she was betrothed. However, when Henrys father died and he became King, Henry decided to marry Eleanors aunt, Catherine of Aragon, who was the widow of King Henrys older brother, Arthur, Prince of Wales. Her relatives also tried to marry her to the French Kings Louis XII or Francis I or to the Polish King Sigismund I, Eleanor was also proposed as a marriage candidate for Antoine, Duke of Lorraine, in 1510. In 1517 Eleanor may have had an affair with Frederick II. Her brother Emperor Charles once discovered her reading a letter from Frederick. Charles forced Eleanor and Frederick to swear in front of an attorney that they were not secretly married and she followed her brother to Spain in 1517. Eleanor married her uncle by marriage, King Manuel I of Portugal, after a marriage with her cousin the Crown Prince. Her brother Charles arranged the marriage between Eleanor and the King of Portugal to avoid the possibility of Portuguese assistance for any rebellion in Castile, Manuel had previously been married to two of Eleanors maternal aunts. Manuel and Eleanor married on 16 July 1518 and they had two children, the Infante Charles and the Infanta Maria. She became a widow on 13 December 1521, when Manuel died of the plague, as Queen Dowager of Portugal, Eleanor returned to the court of Charles in Spain. Eleanors sister Catherine later married Eleanors stepson, King John III of Portugal, in July 1523, Eleanor was engaged to Charles III, Duke of Bourbon, in an alliance between Charles and Bourbon against France, but the marriage never took place. In 1526, Eleanor was engaged to King Francis I of France during his captivity in Spain, in 1529, by the treaty called La Paz de las Damas, it was stipulated that the marriage should take place. She was married to Francis on 4 July 1530, Eleanor left Spain in the company of her future stepsons, who were now to be released having been held hostage by her brother. The group met Francis at the border, where Eleanor and Francis were married, Eleanor was crowned Queen of France in Saint-Denis on 31 May 1531. She was dressed in purple velvet at her coronation, Eleanor was ignored by Francis, who seldom performed his marital obligations and preferred his lover Anne de Pisseleu dHeilly. At the official entrance of Eleanor to Paris, Francis displayed himself openly to the public in a window with his lover Anne for a period of two hours
Eleanor of Austria
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Eleanor of Austria
48.
Isabella of Austria
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Isabella of Austria, also known as Elizabeth, Archduchess of Austria and Infanta of Castile and Aragon, was Queen of Denmark, Sweden and Norway as the wife of King Christian II. She was the daughter of King Philip I and Queen Joanna of Castile and she served as regent of Denmark in 1520. Isabella spent her childhood in the Netherlands under the tutorage of the regent of the Netherlands and her fortune, her succession rights, and her connections made her a valuable pawn in the royal marriage market. Therefore, Isabella was selected for the Danish king, on 11 July 1514, one week short of her 13th birthday, Isabella was married by proxy to King Christian II of Denmark with Emperor Maximilian I, her grandfather, standing in for the king. She remained in the Netherlands, but is said to have fallen in love with her spouse at the sight of his painting, a year after the wedding, the Archbishop of Nidaros was sent to escort her to Copenhagen. The marriage was ratified on 12 August 1515, the Kings Dutch mistress, Dyveke Sigbritsdatter, had been with him since 1507, and he was not about to give her up for a teenager. Dyvekes mother, Sigbrit Willoms, was influential at court. From 1516, Anne Meinstrup was head lady-in-waiting of her court, in 1520, Christian took the throne of Sweden, thereby making Isabella Queen of Sweden. After taking Stockholm, he asked the Swedish representatives to turn it, Isabella served as the regent of Denmark during Christians stay in Sweden. Her husband was deposed as king of Sweden the following year, when King Christian was deposed in 1523 by disloyal noblemen supporting his uncle Duke Frederick, the new king wanted to be on good terms with Isabellas family. He wrote her a letter in her native German, offering her a dowager queens pension. But Isabella wrote back to Duke Frederick in Latin, stating that, ubi rex meus, ibi regnum meum, Isabella left Denmark with her husband and their children after her husband was deposed in 1523 and travelled to the Netherlands. Isabella and Christian travelled around Germany in an attempt to help for Christians restoration to the throne. Isabella made her own negotiations with her relatives, and also accompanied her husband on his travels and they visited Saxony in 1523 and Berlin in 1523–1524. In Berlin, Isabella became interested in the teachings of Luther, the former queen died at the castle of Zwijnaarde near Ghent aged twenty-four. She received both Protestant and Catholic communion, but the Habsburgs declared that she had died a convinced Catholic and her religious sympathies, and whether she was a Protestant or a Catholic after 1524, have been debated. At her deathbed, she gave the cause of her husbands restoration to her aunt and her 15xgreat-granddaughter Princess Isabella of Denmark was named after her
Isabella of Austria
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Portrait by the
Master of the Legend of the Magdalen (
c. 1515)
Czartoryski Museum,
Kraków
Isabella of Austria
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Elizabeth's gravstone in
Odense Cathedral.
Isabella of Austria
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Portrait of Isabella, age 2. Isabella is on the right. She is pictured with her brother
Charles and her sister
Eleanor.
49.
Mary of Hungary (governor of the Netherlands)
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Mary of Austria, also known as Mary of Hungary, was queen consort of Hungary and Bohemia as the wife of King Louis II, and was later Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands. The daughter of Queen Joanna and King Philip I of Castile, Mary married King Louis II of Hungary and their marriage was happy but short and childless. Upon her husbands death following the Battle of Mohács in 1526, Queen Mary governed Hungary as regent in the name of the new king, her brother, as governor of the Netherlands, Mary faced riots and a difficult relationship with the Emperor. Throughout her tenure she continuously attempted to ensure peace between the Emperor and the King of France, after her final resignation, the frail Queen moved to Castile, where she died. Having inherited the Habsburg lip and not very feminine looks, Mary was not considered physically attractive and her portraits, letters, and comments by her contemporaries do not assign her the easy Burgundian charm possessed by her grandmother, Duchess Mary of Burgundy, and her aunt Margaret. Nevertheless, she proved to be a determined and skillful politician, as well as a patron of literature, music. Born in Brussels on 15 September 1505, between ten and eleven in the morning, Archduchess Mary of Austria was the child of King Philip I. Her birth was difficult, the Queens life was in danger. On 20 September, she was baptized by Nicolas Le Ruistre, Bishop of Arras, and named after her grandmother, Mary of Burgundy. Her godfather was her grandfather, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I. On 17 March 1506, Emperor Maximilian promised to marry her to the first son born to King Vladislaus II of Hungary, at the same time, the two monarchs decided that a brother of Mary would marry Vladislaus daughter Anne. Three months later, Vladislaus wife, Anne of Foix-Candale, gave birth to a son, Queen Anne died in childbirth and the royal physicians made great efforts to keep the sickly Louis alive. After the death of Marys father in September 1506, her mothers health began to deteriorate. Mary, Isabella, and Eleanor were educated together at their aunts court in Mechelen and their music teacher was Henry Bredemers. Mary was summoned to the court of her grandfather Maximilian in 1514, on 22 July 1515, Mary and Louis were married in St. Stephens Cathedral, Vienna. At the same time, Louis sister Anne was betrothed to an as yet unspecified brother of Mary, due to their age, it was decided that the newly married couple would not live together for a few more years. Anne eventually married Marys brother Ferdinand and came to Vienna, where the double sisters-in-law were educated together until 1516 and that year, Marys father-in-law died, making Louis and Mary king and queen of Hungary and Bohemia. Mary moved to Innsbruck, where she was educated until 1521, Maximilian encouraged her interest in hunting, while childhood lessons prompted an interest in music
Mary of Hungary (governor of the Netherlands)
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Portrait by
Jan Cornelisz Vermeyen
Mary of Hungary (governor of the Netherlands)
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The six children of Joanna and Philip: Ferdinand, Charles, Isabella, Eleanor, Catherine and Mary; woodcut by Jan van Nieulandt, 1520s
Mary of Hungary (governor of the Netherlands)
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Queen Mary, by
Hans Maler zu Schwaz, 1520
Mary of Hungary (governor of the Netherlands)
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A portrait of Dowager Queen Mary in 1531, by the
Master of the Legend of the Magdalen
50.
Catherine of Austria, Queen of Portugal
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Catherine of Austria was Queen of Portugal as wife of King John III, and regent during the minority of her grandson, King Sebastian, from 1557 until 1562. An Infanta of Castile and Archduchess of Austria, Catherine was the daughter of King Philip I by Queen Joanna of Castile. Catherine was born in Torquemada and named in honor of her maternal aunt and she remained with her mentally unstable mother until her eldest siblings, Eleanor and the future Emperor Charles V, arrived at Spain, coming from Flanders. All of her five siblings, except Ferdinand, were born in the Low Countries and had been put into the care of their aunt Margaret of Austria. Catherine actually stayed with her mother during imprisonment at Tordesillas during her grandfather Ferdinand of Aragons time as regent, when the time came for her to marry, Catherine was released from the custody that her mother was to endure until her death. On 10 February 1525, Catherine married her first cousin, King John III of Portugal and they had nine children, but only two survived early childhood. After the death of her husband in 1557, she was challenged by her daughter-in-law and niece, Joan of Austria, over the role of regent for her grandchild, the infant King Sebastian. Mediation by Charles V resolved the issue in favour of his sister Catherine over his daughter Joan and she then served as the regent of Portugal from 1557 until 1562. In 1562, she turned over the regency to Henry of Portugal, Catherine had one of the earliest and finest Chinese porcelain collections in Europe due to her position as both the youngest sister of Emperor Charles V and the Queen of Portugal. Her collection became the first kunstkammer on the Iberian Peninsula and she was following a tradition established earlier by the Portuguese King Manuel I of Portugal who had purchased porcelain for his wife, Maria of Castile, who was Catherines aunt. Catherine has no descendants today, as both her grandchildren died childless and her line of descent became extinct within six months of her death, as the only descendant of hers that survived her, King Sebastian of Portugal, died in August 1578
Catherine of Austria, Queen of Portugal
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Catherine of Portugal;
Anthonis Mor, 1552.
Catherine of Austria, Queen of Portugal
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Altarpiece by
Cristóvão Lopes in the Convent of Madre de Deus in
Lisbon depicting Catherine of Austria with her
namesake,
St. Catherine of Alexandria. Currently on display in the
National Museum of Ancient Art in Lisbon.
Media related to Archduchess Auguste Ferdinande of Austria at Wikimedia Commons
