Early life Born on 6 June 1772 at the
Royal Palace of Naples, Maria Theresa Carolina Giuseppina was the eldest child of Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies and his wife Maria Carolina. She was her mother’s favorite child from birth, and was henceforth named after her maternal grandmother Empress
Maria Theresa. Princess Maria Theresa was taught French, mathematics, geography, theology, music, dancing, and drawing. In the February of 1790, Archduke
Francis’s wife, Archduchess
Elisabeth, died in childbirth, and it was announced that he would marry one of the princesses of Naples. Maria Theresa and her sister
Luisa were both considered for the match. In the end, though, Luisa was chosen to marry
Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Maria Theresa was to marry Francis. The marriage was in accordance with the traditional
House of Habsburg marriage policy.
Marriage On 15 September 1790, at the age of 18, Princess Maria Theresa married her double first cousin Archduke Francis. Francis would, in 1792, become
Holy Roman Emperor. Eventually, in 1804, he would become the first
Emperor of Austria. The marriage was described as a happy one based on mutual understanding, despite differences in personality. Francis was described as a melancholic character. He was shy and reserved, and was serious with a preference for a spartan lifestyle and duty. Maria Theresa, on the other hand, was described as a gracious blue-eyed blonde with a vivacious personality, a hot temper and a sensual nature. Despite these differences in personality, they were reported to have a good understanding of each other and had a very good relationship. Maria Theresa reportedly adapted well to her new home in
Vienna and did not suffer from homesickness. She participated with enthusiasm in court life, and it was noted that she enjoyed dancing and partaking in carnival balls—even while pregnant. She particularly enjoyed the
Waltz, which had been recently introduced as an innovation and became fashionable during her years in Vienna.
Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp described the view of Maria Theresa and the relationship between the couple in her famous diary during her visit to Vienna in 1798–99: The Empress is reputed to be so jealous that she does not allow him to take part in social life or meet other women. Vicious tongues accuse her of being so passionate that she exhausts her consort and never leaves him alone even for a moment. Although the people of Vienna cannot deny that she is gifted, charitable and carries herself beautifully, she is disliked for her intolerance and for forcing the Emperor to live isolated from everyone. She is also accused of interesting herself in unimportant matters and socializing exclusively with her lady-companions. With them she spends her evenings singing, acting out comedies and being applauded. On 12 December 1791, the firstborn child of Princess Maria Theresa and Archduke Francis was born:
Marie Louise. She was educated specifically in
French,
English,
Spanish,
Italian and
Latin, with the expectation of her native language
German. Marie Louise would soon marry Emperor
Napoleon, in an attempt to end the wars with France that were affecting her parents and grandparents.
Holy Roman Empress In 1792, Maria Theresa’s husband Francis ascended the throne as
King of Hungary,
Croatia and
Bohemia, and she became queen consort. In the same year, she would become Holy Roman Empress. The-then Empress Maria Theresa was interested in politics and came to play a certain role in state affairs due to her influence over her spouse, to whom she acted as an adviser. She was a conservative force and belonged to the critics of Napoleon, and was reported to have encouraged Francis in an anti-French position during the
Napoleonic Wars. She has also been pointed out for being partially responsible for the dismissal of Johann Baptist Freiherr von Schloissnigg and Graf Franz Colloredo. In February of 1799, her seeming indifference to the flight of her parents from Naples attracted some disfavour in Vienna. The urn containing her heart was placed in the
Heart Crypt and the urn with her entrails in the
Ducal Crypt. Empress Maria Theresa is one of the 41 people who received a "separate burial" with the body divided between all three traditional Viennese burial sites of the Habsburgs (Imperial Crypt, Heart Crypt, Duke Crypt). ==Issue==