Maria Antonia von Österreich

Marie-Antonie-Thérèse-Josèphe of Austria was born on January 18, 1669, at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna and died there on December 24, 1692. She was the daughter of Emperor Leopold I and Margaret Theresa of Austria, and the first wife of Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria. Her only surviving son, Joseph Ferdinand of Bavaria, later became an important figure in European politics surrounding the Spanish succession. Marie-Antoinette was the only child of Leopold I and Margaret Theresa to survive early childhood. Her two siblings had died in infancy. Through her father, she was a granddaughter of Emperor Ferdinand III and Maria Anna of Austria; through her mother, she descended from King Philip IV of Spain and Maria Anna of Austria. Because her mother, a sister of Charles II of Spain, died when Marie-Antoinette was only four years old, the archduchess became the sole surviving heir of the Spanish Habsburg line. Her family background was shaped by generations of close intermarriage within the House of Habsburg. Her father was both his wife's maternal uncle and her paternal first cousin. Her maternal grandparents were also closely related. As a result, Marie-Antoinette had far fewer ancestors than was usual. Despite this difficult dynastic background, she was regarded as intelligent and well educated. Like her parents, she was especially interested in music and was close to her father, who saw in her his last connection to his first wife. From an early age, a politically advantageous marriage was considered for her. Her grandmother, Maria Anna of Austria, wanted her to marry Charles II of Spain, who was also her maternal uncle. The plan did not succeed because of political circumstances. A proposal by her aunt, Queen Maria Theresa of France, to marry Marie-Antoinette to her son also failed. Louis XIV instead arranged for the Grand Dauphin to marry Maria Anna of Bavaria. Emperor Leopold also did not wish to form an alliance with France. A political match was eventually found with Maximilian II Emanuel of Bavaria. In 1684, the Bavarian elector asked for the emperor's daughter's hand and promised not to ally himself with France and to continue supporting the emperor in the struggle against the Ottomans. Leopold agreed. Marie-Antoinette and Maximilian married in Vienna on July 15, 1685. The marriage soon proved unhappy. The couple had very different personalities: Maximilian was lively and sociable, while Marie-Antoinette was reserved and serious. She was particularly distressed by his constant infidelity. Their relationship deteriorated so badly that they eventually felt open dislike for one another. Her husband paid her little attention, and the couple did not have their first child until four years into the marriage. Their son, born on May 22, 1689, died after only three days. Another son, Anton, was born on November 28, 1690, but died at birth. The couple grew increasingly distant. In the summer of 1691, Marie-Antoinette traveled to her father's court in Vienna. No one then suspected that she would never leave the city again. Shortly afterward, King Charles II appointed Maximilian governor of the Spanish Netherlands, and he settled in Brussels. He did return to the imperial court on January 18, 1692, for Marie-Antoinette's birthday. On that occasion, their relationship temporarily improved, and they resumed their marital relations. Soon afterward, Marie-Antoinette was delighted to discover that she was pregnant. She remained in Vienna throughout her pregnancy while Maximilian took over the administration of the Spanish Netherlands. Emperor Leopold was outraged that his son-in-law was living with his mistress, Countess Canozza. When Leopold urged him to leave her, Maximilian rejected any interference in his private life. At the same time, however, he tried to present himself favorably to his wife's Spanish family, writing to her grandmother about Marie-Antoinette's good health and his hope for a safe delivery. On October 28, 1692, Marie-Antoinette gave birth in Vienna to the long-awaited heir, Joseph Ferdinand. The news was received with great enthusiasm at the Spanish court, where the child was seen as a possible future ruler of Spain. The queen dowager there apparently knew nothing of the poor treatment Marie-Antoinette had suffered at her husband's hands. The joy over the birth was short-lived. Marie-Antoinette became seriously ill with puerperal fever and at the same time fell into a deep depression. She died in Vienna on December 24, 1692. She was buried in the Imperial Crypt beside her mother, who had also died prematurely. Her heart was given a separate burial in the Habsburg Heart Crypt in the Loreto Chapel of Vienna's Augustinian Church, while her entrails were interred in the Ducal Crypt of St. Stephen's Cathedral. In her will, Marie-Antoinette completely disinherited her unfaithful husband and left her property to her son Joseph Ferdinand. If he too were to die prematurely, her father and other relatives were to inherit. Marie-Antoinette's dynastic importance continued to grow after her death. Since Charles II of Spain was childless, her son could claim the Spanish crown as a descendant of his sister Margaret Theresa. In September 1696, Charles II declared Joseph Ferdinand his heir. The young prince died on February 6, 1699, before the Spanish king. His death contributed to the dispute over the Spanish succession developing into the War of the Spanish Succession. In the end, Philip V, a grandson of Louis XIV and Maria Theresa of Austria, ascended the Spanish throne.