Maria Theresa of Austria, Queen of Saxony
- Princess Maria Ludovika
- Prince Frederick Augustus
- Princess Maria Johanna
- Princess Maria Theresa
Names | |
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Maria Theresia Josepha Charlotte Johanna |
Wettin (by marriage)
Maria Theresa of Austria (Maria Theresia Josepha Charlotte Johanna; 14 January 1767 – 7 November 1827) was born an Archduchess of Austria and a Princess of Tuscany. She was later Queen of Saxony as the second wife and consort of King Anthony of Saxony.
Early life
Maria Theresa was born in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the eldest child of Grand Duke Peter Leopold of Tuscany (later Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor) and his wife Maria Luisa of Spain. As such, she was also the eldest grandchild of Charles III of Spain. Like all the eldest daughters of the children of her paternal grandparents, she was named after her grandmother, the Habsburg ruler Maria Theresa.
Maria Theresa and her siblings were given a somewhat different upbringing than was usual for royal children at the time: they were actually raised by their parents rather than a retinue of servants, were largely kept apart from any ceremonial court life and were taught to live simply and modestly.[1]
Marriage
On 8 September 1787, Maria Theresa was married to Prince Anthony of Saxony by proxy in Florence;[2] the couple later married in person in Dresden on 18 October 1787. Anthony had previously been married to Maria Carolina of Savoy, who died of smallpox in 1782. Mozart's opera Don Giovanni was originally intended to be performed in honor of Maria Theresa and Anthony Clement for their visit to Prague on 14 October 1787, as they traveled between Dresden and Vienna, and librettos were printed with dedication to them.
The premiere could not be arranged in time, however, so the opera The Marriage of Figaro was substituted on the express orders of Maria Theresa's uncle, Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II. The choice of The Marriage of Figaro was considered improper for a new bride by many observers, and the couple left the opera theater early without seeing the entire work performed. Mozart complained bitterly of the intrigues surrounding this incident in a letter to his friend Gottfried von Jacquin that was written in stages between 15 October and 25 October 1787. She was also present in Prague in September 1791 for the premiere of Mozart's opera La clemenza di Tito, which was written as part of the celebrations there in honor of the coronation of her father as King of Bohemia.[3]
Maria Theresa was described as a simple and homely character devoted to a private family life, and she was reportedly relieved to marry a spouse who was, at the time of their marriage, not expected to succeed to a throne.[4] Her four children all died as infants. However, at the death of her cousin and sister-in-law, Princess Carolina of Parma, she and her other sister-in-law, Amalie of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, shared the responsibility of raising the former's children, something they are said to have done very strictly.[5]
Later life
Maria Theresa assisted her father, by then Holy Roman Emperor, to arrange the meeting between Austria, Prussia and the French émigrées in Saxony, which resulted in the Declaration of Pillnitz 25 August 1791.[6]
In 1806, she and her family fled Saxony for Prague during the war against Napoleon I. They were able to return in 1813. She was able to enjoy the title queen of Saxony for only a few months after the death of her brother-in-law Frederick Augustus I in May 1827. The latter's alliance with Napoleon led to significant losses of territory for Saxony at the Congress of Vienna.
Maria Theresa died at Leipzig in 1827.
Issue
Maria Theresa and Anthony were parents to four children, all of whom were born and died in Dresden; none survived to the age of two:
- Maria Ludovika Auguste Fredericka Therese Franziska Johanna Aloysia Nepomucena Ignatia Anna Josepha Xaveria Franziska de Paula Barbara (14 March 1795 – 25 April 1796).
- Frederick Augustus (b. and d. 5 April 1796).
- Maria Johanna Ludovica Anna Amalia Nepomucena Aloysia Ignatia Xaveria Josepha Franziska de Chantal Eva Apollonia Magdalena Crescentia Vincentia (5 April 1798 – 30 October 1799).
- Maria Theresia (b. and d. 15 October 1799).
Ancestry
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References
- ^ Justin C. Vovk: In Destiny's Hands: Five Tragic Rulers, Children of Maria Theresa (2010)
- ^ Justin C. Vovk: In Destiny's Hands: Five Tragic Rulers, Children of Maria Theresa (2010)
- ^ Maria Theresa's connections with Mozart, additional biographical information, and additional bibliographic references are found in Daniel E. Freeman, Mozart in Prague (2021) ISBN 1950743500.
- ^ Justin C. Vovk: In Destiny's Hands: Five Tragic Rulers, Children of Maria Theresa (2010)
- ^ Justin C. Vovk: In Destiny's Hands: Five Tragic Rulers, Children of Maria Theresa (2010)
- ^ Justin C. Vovk: In Destiny's Hands: Five Tragic Rulers, Children of Maria Theresa (2010)
- ^ Genealogie ascendante jusqu'au quatrieme degre inclusivement de tous les Rois et Princes de maisons souveraines de l'Europe actuellement vivans [Genealogy up to the fourth degree inclusive of all the Kings and Princes of sovereign houses of Europe currently living] (in French). Bourdeaux: Frederic Guillaume Birnstiel. 1768. p. 109.
- Justin C. Vovk: In Destiny's Hands: Five Tragic Rulers, Children of Maria Theresa (2010)
Maria Theresa of Austria, Queen of Saxony Cadet branch of the House of Lorraine Born: 30 January 1757 Died: 7 November 1827 | ||
German royalty | ||
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Preceded by | Queen consort of Saxony 5 May 1827 – 7 November 1827 | Vacant Title next held by Maria Anna of Bavaria |
- v
- t
- e
- Eleanor, Queen of Portugal and France*
- Isabella, Queen of Denmark and Norway*
- Maria, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia*
- Catherine, Queen of Portugal*
- Isabella Clara Eugenia, Co-sovereign of the Habsburg Netherlands**
- Catalina Micaela, Duchess of Savoy**
- Anna, Queen of Spain
- Elisabeth, Queen of France
- Margaret (1567–1633)
- Maria (1584–1649)
- Anna, Holy Roman Empress
- Anna, Queen of Poland
- Maria Christina, Princess of Transylvania
- Catherine Renata
- Gregoria Maximiliana
- Eleanor (1582–1620)
- Margaret, Queen of Spain
- Constance, Queen of Poland
- Maria Maddalena, Grand Duchess of Tuscany
- Anna, Queen of France**
- María**
- Maria Anna, Holy Roman Empress**
- Margarita**
- Maria Anna, Electress of Bavaria
- Cecilia Renata, Queen of Poland
- Isabella Clara, Duchess of Mantua
- Maria Leopoldine, Holy Roman Empress
- Maria Antonia, Electress of Bavaria
- Maria Elisabeth
- Maria Anna, Queen of Portugal
- Maria Theresa
- Maria Josepha
- Maria Magdalena
- Maria Josepha, Queen of Poland
- Maria Amalia, Holy Roman Empress
- Maria Theresa
- Princess Maria Anna of Lorraine
- Maria Elisabeth^
- Maria Anna^
- Maria Carolina^
- Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen^
- Maria Elisabeth^
- Maria Amalia, Duchess of Parma^
- Johanna^
- Maria Josepha^
- Maria Carolina, Queen of Naples^
- Maria Antonia, Queen of France^
- Maria Theresa
- Maria Theresia, Queen of Saxony^
- Maria Anna^
- Maria Clementina, Duchess of Calabria^
- Maria Amalia^
- Maria Theresa, Queen of Sardinia#
- Maria Leopoldine, Electress of Bavaria#
- Maria Ludovika, Empress of Austria#
- Marie Louise, Empress of the French
- Maria Leopoldina, Empress of Brazil
- Clementina, Princess of Salerno
- Marie Caroline, Crown Princess of Saxony
- Maria Anna
- Maria Luisa^
- Maria Theresa, Queen of Sardinia^
- Maria Theresa, Queen of the Two Sicilies
- Maria Caroline
- Hermine
- Elisabeth Franziska
- Marie Henriette, Queen of the Belgians
- Adelaide, Queen of Sardinia
- Maria Theresa, Countess of Chambord#
- Maria Beatrix, Countess of Montizón#
- Sophie
- Princess Gisela of Bavaria
- Marie Valerie
- Margarete Sophie, Duchess of Württemberg
- Maria Annunciata
- Princess Elisabeth of Liechtenstein
- Maria Antonietta^
- Luise, Crown Princess of Saxony^
- Maria Theresa^
- Princess Karoline Marie of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha^
- Princess Maria Christina of Salm-Salm
- Princess Maria Anna of Bourbon Parma
- Maria Henrietta, Princess of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst
- Princess Isabella of Bavaria
- Eleonora
- Renata, Princess Radziwill
- Mechthildis, Princess Czartoryski
- Elisabeth Marie, Princess of Windisch-Graetz
- Helena, Duchess of Württemberg^
- Rosa, Duchess of Württemberg^
- Dolores^
- Maria Inmaculata^
- Margarita, Marchioness Taliani di Marchio^
- Princess Maria Antonia^
- Assunta^
- Elisabeth, Countess of Waldburg-Zeil^
- Hedwig, Countess of Stolberg-Stolberg^
- Margaret, Princess of Monteleone
- Ilona, Duchess of Mecklenburg
- Adelheid
- Charlotte, Duchess of Mecklenburg
- Princess Elisabeth of Liechtenstein
- * also an infanta of Spain
- ** also an infanta of Spain and Portugal
- ^ also a princess of Tuscany
- # also a princess of Modena