Regina of Saxe-Meiningen would have been Empress of Austria if the Austro-Hungarian Empire hadn’t been dissolved in 1918. She was born 6 January 1925 in Würzburg, the daughter of Georg, Prince of Saxe-Meiningen and Countess Klara Marie von Korff genannt Schmissing-Kerssenbrock. Her father was the titular Duke of Saxe-Meiningen as the duchy’s last Duke had [read more]
When Elisabeth married her first cousin Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria, her trousseau could hardly be considered worthy of her rank. Nevertheless, her trousseau, consisting of 25 trunks, arrived ahead of the bride in Vienna. Although the jewellery listed was worth at least 100,000 guldens, most of it was gifts from her future husband and [read more]
Read part three here. The death of Francis meant that Maria Theresa had to rebuild her world. In the months following his death, she remained in deep mourning. In her prayer book, she recorded the exact length of his life, to the hour: “Emperor Francis, my husband, lived 56 years, 8 months, 10 days and [read more]
Read part two here. On 4 February 1750, Maria Theresa gave birth to another daughter, Maria Johanna. But a family tragedy was to come later that year. With her health destroyed by the many “fertility treatments,” Maria Theresa’s mother, Elisabeth Christine, died on 21 December 1750 at the age of 59. Her heart and entrails [read more]
Eleonora Gonzaga, known as the Elder to distinguish her from her great-niece and namesake, was born on 23 September 1598 as the daughter of Vincenzo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua and Monferrato, and his wife Eleonora de’ Medici. She was the youngest of six siblings. Eleonora would grow up in one of the most splendid courts [read more]
On 13 February 1457, Mary of Burgundy was born as the daughter of Charles the Bold, future Duke of Burgundy, and his second wife, Isabella of Bourbon, at Coudenberg Palace in Brussels. Family tensions had created an awkward situation surrounding her birth. Charles had gone hunting as soon as the labour began, and his father, [read more]
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