Love and defiance

Against all odds.

Secret marriages, unequal couples and personal choices: sixteen lives in which intimacy collided with house law, rank and dynastic expectations.

4 chapters
16 people
1557–1911

Begin the tour ↓

1 / 4

Secrecy and exception

Hidden marriages and one hard-won love match reveal how personal bonds could be recognized — or denied — under princely authority.

  1. Relationship

    Philippine Welser and Ferdinand II of Tyrol

    Married in secret in 1557 · publicly recognized in 1576

    1. Portrait of Philippine Welser
      Image credit

      Philippine Welser

      Unidentified painter

      File:Portrait of Philippine Welser (1527-1580).jpg · Public domain

      Resized for presentation; no other changes made.

      01 · 1557

      Philippine Welser

      Married Ferdinand in secret in 1557 and remained publicly hidden as his wife for almost two decades.

      Discover this person →

    2. Portrait of Ferdinand II.
      Image credit

      Jakob Seisenegger. Erzherzog Ferdinand II. (1529-1595) als Knabe, Landesfürst von Tirol

      Jakob Seisenegger

      File:Jakob Seisenegger. Erzherzog Ferdinand II. (1529-1595) als Knabe, Landesfürst von Tirol.jpg · Public domain

      Resized for presentation; no other changes made.

      02 · 1557

      Ferdinand II.

      Defied his father through the secret marriage; his children were initially kept outside the archducal house.

      Discover this person →

  2. Relationship

    Maria Christina of Austria and Albert Casimir of Saxony-Teschen

    Married in 1766 · a hard-won love match

    1. Portrait of Albert Kasimir von Sachsen-Teschen
      Image credit

      Albert of Saxony, Duke of Teschen

      Unidentified painter

      File:Albert of Saxony, Duke of Teschen.jpg · Public domain

      Resized for presentation; no other changes made.

      03 · 1766

      Albert Kasimir von Sachsen-Teschen

      Married Marie Christine after rival marriage plans were overcome and received a new political and material position.

      Discover this person →

    2. Portrait of Maria Christina von Österreich
      Image credit

      Portrait of Archduchess Maria Christina (1742-1798), Duchess of Teschen label QS:Len,"Portrait of Archduchess Maria Christina (1742-1798), Duchess of Teschen" label QS:Lde,"Erzherzogin Maria Christine (1742-1798)"

      Marcello Bacciarelli

      File:Bacciarelli Marie Christine 1766.jpg · Public domain

      Resized for presentation; no other changes made.

      04 · 1765

      Maria Christina von Österreich

      Pressed her choice of Albert against her father’s marriage plans and secured a rare dynastic exception.

      Discover this person →

2 / 4

Unequal families

In Parma and Styria, families formed beyond dynastic equality, at different costs to each partner.

  1. Relationship

    Marie Louise of Austria and Adam Albert von Neipperg

    Together from 1814 · married in secret in 1821

    1. Portrait of Marie-Louise von Österreich
      Image credit

      Ritratto della duchessa Maria Luigia d'Austria, raffigurata a mezza persona assisa in trono e con le insegne dell'Ordine Costantiniano di S. Giorgio

      Isacco Gioacchino Levi (1818-1908)

      File:Maria Luigia of Austria, duchess of Parma.jpg · Public domain

      Resized for presentation; no other changes made.

      05 · 1814

      Marie-Louise von Österreich

      Married Neipperg secretly and morganatically in 1821 while remaining sovereign Duchess of Parma.

      Discover this person →

    2. Portrait of Adam Albert von Neipperg
      Image credit

      Neipperg

      cloppj

      File:Neipperg.jpg · Public domain

      Resized for presentation; no other changes made.

      06 · 1814

      Adam Albert von Neipperg

      Became Marie Louise’s partner, husband and minister: politically powerful, but without equal dynastic rank.

      Discover this person →

  2. Relationship

    Archduke John of Austria and Anna Plochl

    Together from 1819 · married after a long wait in 1829

    1. Portrait of Johann von Österreich
      Image credit

      German: Erzherzog Johann von Österreich label QS:Lde,"Erzherzog Johann von Österreich"

      Franz Russ the Elder

      File:Franz Russ der Ältere - Erzherzog Johann von Österreich.jpg · Public domain

      Resized for presentation; no other changes made.

      07 · 1819

      Johann von Österreich

      Waited ten years with Anna Plochl for permission to marry unequally, yet retained his archducal rank.

      Discover this person →

    2. Portrait of Anna Plochl
      Image credit

      Anna Plochl1

      Unknown author Unknown author

      File:Anna Plochl1.jpg · Public domain

      Resized for presentation; no other changes made.

      08 · 1829

      Anna Plochl

      Endured years of waiting and social restrictions before her marriage and status gained gradual recognition.

      Discover this person →

3 / 4

House law and succession

In the late nineteenth century, family heads decided rank, career, belonging and the rights of future children.

  1. Relationship

    Archduke Heinrich Anton and Leopoldine Hofmann

    Married in 1868 · recognized retrospectively in 1872

    1. Portrait of Heinrich von Österreich
      Image credit

      1828 Heinrich

      Unidentified photographer

      File:1828 Heinrich.JPG · Public domain

      Resized for presentation; no other changes made.

      09 · 1868

      Heinrich von Österreich

      Temporarily lost his place in the house and his military career by marrying the singer Leopoldine Hofmann.

      Discover this person →

    2. Portrait of Leopoldine Hofmann von Waideck
      Image credit

      Leopoldine Hofmann

      Unknown author Unknown author

      File:Leopoldine Hofmann.png · Public domain

      Resized for presentation; no other changes made.

      10 · 1867

      Leopoldine Hofmann von Waideck

      Gave up her stage career, followed Heinrich into Swiss exile and received noble recognition only later.

      Discover this person →

  2. Relationship

    Johann Salvator and Ludmilla Stubel

    A documented bond · departure from the imperial house in 1889

    1. Portrait of Johann Salvator von Österreich-Toskana
      Image credit

      Erzherzog Johann Salvator von Österreich, 1878

      Unknown author Unknown author

      File:Erzherzog Johann Salvator von Österreich, 1878.jpg · Public domain

      Resized for presentation; no other changes made.

      11 · 1889

      Johann Salvator von Österreich-Toskana

      Left the imperial house as Johann Orth in 1889; conflict over Ludmilla Stubel formed a documented part of that break.

      Discover this person →

  3. Relationship

    Franz Ferdinand and Sophie Chotek

    Morganatically married in 1900 · their children excluded from the succession

    1. Portrait of Franz Ferdinand von Österreich-Este
      Image credit

      Ferdinand Schmutzer - Franz Ferdinand von Österreich-Este, um 1914

      Ferdinand Schmutzer

      File:Ferdinand Schmutzer - Franz Ferdinand von Österreich-Este, um 1914.jpg · Public domain

      Resized for presentation; no other changes made.

      12 · 1900

      Franz Ferdinand von Österreich-Este

      Secured his marriage to Sophie Chotek by renouncing succession rights for their children.

      Discover this person →

    2. Portrait of Sophie Chotek von Chotkowa
      Image credit

      Sophie Chotek, duchess of Hohenberg

      Unknown author Unknown author

      File:Sophie Chotek, duchess of Hohenberg.jpg · Public domain

      Resized for presentation; no other changes made.

      13 · 1900

      Sophie Chotek von Chotkowa

      Remained permanently lower in rank as the heir’s wife, while their children were excluded from the succession.

      Discover this person →

4 / 4

Lives beyond the court

Flight, divorce and new names opened other paths, but often cost family ties, status or claims.

  1. Relationship

    Luise: flight, divorce and remarriage

    Relationship with André Giron in 1902 · marriage to Enrico Toselli in 1907

    1. Portrait of Luise von Österreich-Toskana
      Image credit

      Luise von Toskana as Marie-Antoinette

      Unknown author Unknown author

      File:Luise von Toskana as Marie-Antoinette.jpg · Public domain

      Resized for presentation; no other changes made.

      14 · 1902

      Luise von Österreich-Toskana

      Left the Saxon court in 1902; divorce and separation from her children followed the conflict over her relationship.

      Discover this person →

  2. Relationship

    Leopold Ferdinand and Wilhelmine Adamovic

    Left the imperial house in 1902 · married in 1903

    1. Portrait of Leopold Wölfling
      Image credit

      Archduke Leopold Ferdinand of Austria

      Unknown author Unknown author

      File:Archduke Leopold Ferdinand of Austria.jpg · Public domain

      Resized for presentation; no other changes made.

      15 · 1902

      Leopold Wölfling

      Left the archducal house as Leopold Wölfling and renounced his claims in order to marry Wilhelmine Adamovic.

      Discover this person →

  3. Relationship

    Ferdinand Karl and Berta Czuber

    Married in secret in 1909 · lost his archducal rights in 1911

    1. Portrait of Ferdinand Karl von Österreich
      Image credit

      Ferdinand Karl Austria 1868 1915 BertaCzuber

      Unknown author Unknown author

      File:Ferdinand Karl Austria 1868 1915 BertaCzuber.jpg · Public domain

      Resized for presentation; no other changes made.

      16 · 1911

      Ferdinand Karl von Österreich

      Married Berta Czuber in secret and lost his archducal rights as Ferdinand Burg in 1911.

      Discover this person →