18th Cent. Isabella Maria of Parma

Infanta Isabella Maria of Parma

by Jean-Marc Nattier

1749

Château de Versailles

Isabella Maria Luisa Antonietta Ferdinanda Giuseppina Saveria Dominica Giovanna was born on 31 December 1741, in Madrid, Spain. She was the daughter of Princess Marie Louise Élisabeth de France (14 August 1727 - 6 December 1759) and Prince Felipe of Spain (15 March 1720 - 18 July 1765). Her maternal grandparents were Maria Leszczyńska, Queen Consort of France and Navarre (23 June 1703 - 24 June 1768) and Louis XV, King of France and Navarre (15 February 1710 - 10 May 1774). Her paternal grandparents were Elisabeth Farnese, Queen Consort of Spain (25 October 1692 - 11 July 1766) and Felipe V, King of Spain (19 December 1683 - 9 July 1746). Isabella Maria's parents were married on 25 October 1739, in Alcala de Henares, Spain. Her siblings were: Ferdinando Maria of Parma (20 January 1751 - 9 October 1802) and Luisa Maria of Parma (9 December 1751 - 2 January 1819). 

Infanta Isabella Maria of Parma

by Jean-Marc Nattier

1749

Château de Versailles

In 1749, Isabella of Parma was painted by the artist, Jean-Marc Nattier. In 1760, a marriage was arranged for Isabella Maria of Parma to Archduke Joseph of Austria (13 March 1741 - 20 February 1790). He was the son of Maria Theresia, Holy Roman Empress (13 May 1717 - 29 November 1780) and Franz I, Holy Roman Emperor (8 December 1708 - 18 August 1765). They were married by proxy in the cathedral of Padua.

"One must tell him the truth in all things, and always meet him gently and tenderly."

Isabella Maria of Parma and Joseph of Austria were married on 16 October 1760, at the Church of the Augustine Friars, in Wien, Austria. Isabella Maria became a close friend of her sister-in-law, Maria Christina of Austria (1742-1798). Isabella Maria wrote to her, "I am writing you again, cruel sister, though I have only just left you. I cannot bear waiting to know my fate, and to learn whether you consider me a person worthy of your love, or whether you would like to throw me into the river... I can think of nothing but that I am deeply in love. If I only knew why this is so, for you are so without mercy that one should not love you, but I cannot help myself, that I love you madly, and I hope to kiss you well, also that I will be thrilled to see you, kiss you and be kissed by you!" Later she wrote,  "A Princess cannot, like the poorest woman in a hut, relax in the midst of her family. In the high society in which she is forced to live, she has neither acquaintances nor friends. It is for this that she has to leave her family, her home. And why? To belong to a man whose character she does not know, to enter into a family where she is received with jealousy." Isabella Maria gave birth to a daughter, Maria Theresia on 20 March 1762. Filled with sadness, she wrote, "Death is good. Never have I though of it more than now. Everything arouses in me the desire to die soon. God knows my wish to desert a life that insults Him every day. If it were permitted to kill one's self, I would have already done it." Later she wrote, "I can say that death speaks to me in a distinct secret voice. For three days I have heard this voice." Her sister-in-law, Maria Johanna died of smallpox on 12 December 1762. Early in 1763, she wrote to Maria Christina, "I will not survive the new year! I feel that my vital strength diminishes. My ailing body paralyses my mental health and my mental state undermines my physical condition." Six months pregnant, she fell ill with smallpox. She gave birth to a daughter, Christina on 22 November 1763, who died soon afterwards.

The Children of Isabella Maria of Parma and Joseph II:

Maria Theresia, Archduchess of Austria (20 March 1762 - 23 January 1770)

Christina, Archduchess of Austria (22 November 1763 - 22 November 1763)

Isabella Maria of Parma died aged 21, on 27 November 1763. To her father, Joseph wrote, "I have lost everything, my adored wife, my only friend is no more! Grief-stricken and downcast, I hardly know if I am still alive." Joseph married his second wife, Princess Maria Josepha of Bavaria(1739-1767) in January 1765. Maria Josepha died of smallpox on 28 May 1767. Her daughter, Maria Theresia died on 23 January 1770. Joseph II died on 20 February 1790, in Wien, Austria. He was interred in the Imperial Crypt. He was succeeded by his brother, as Leopold II.

17th Cent. Archduchess Maria Anna Josepha of Austria

 

Archduchess Maria Anna Josepha of Austria was born on 30 December 1654. She was the daughter of Eleonora Gonzaga (18 November 1630 - 6 December 1686) and Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor (13 July 1608 - 2 April 1657). Her maternal grandparents were Maria Gonzaga (29 July 1609 - 14 August 1660) and Charles II Gonzaga (1609-1631) Her paternal grandparents were Maria Anna of Bavaria (8 December 1574 - 8 March 1616) and Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor (9 July 1578 - 15 February 1637). Maria Anna Josepha's parents were married on 30 April 1651, in Wien, Austria. Her siblings were: Theresia Maria Josefa, Archduchess of Austira (1652-1653), Eleonora Maria Josefa, Archduchess of Austria (31 May 1653 - 1697) and Ferdinand of Austria (1657-1658). Her mother, Eleonora Gonzaga was the third wife of Ferdinand III. Maria Anna Josepha of Austria married Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine in 1678. He was the son of Landgravine Elisabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt and Philipp Wilhelm, Elector Palatine. Maria Anna Josepha of Austria gave birth to two boys. Sadly both of them died in infancy. Maria Anna Josepha of Austria died on 4 April 1689. Her husband, Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine then married his second wife, Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici.

18th Cent. Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour.

Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson

by Jean-Marc Nattier

1748

 

Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson was born on 29 December 1721, in Paris, France. She was the daughter of Madeleine de la Motte and Charles François Paul Le Normant de Tournehem. She had a brother, Marquis de Marigny. Beautiful and elegant, she was very talented and could act, dance, sing, and play the clavichord. Jeanne-Antoinette married Charles-Guillaume Le Normant d'Étiolles (8 May 1717 - 18 March 1799) in 1741. He was the son of Hervé-Guillaume Le Normant du Fort. The couple's first child, a son was born in 1741.

The Children of Jeanne-Antoinette and Charles-Guillaume:

Son (1741-1742)

Alexandrine-Jeanne Le Normant d'Étiolles (10 August 1744 - June 1754)

Jeanne-Antoinette was invited to a Royal masked ball on the night of 25 to 26 February 1745, at the Château de Versailles to celebrate the marriage of Louis, Dauphin de France (1729-1765) to Infanta Maria Teresa Antonia Rafaela of Spain (1726-1746). In the Grand Ballroom, eight costumed figures appeared, dressed as yew tree hedges, one of them was Louis XV, King of France and Navarre (15 February 1710 - 10 May 1774) in disguise. By March 1745, she was the mistress of King Louis XV, installed in an apartment at Versailles. Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson was awarded the title Marquise de Pompadour and King Louis XV offered her husband, Charles-Guillaume the position of Ambassador to Turkey, but he refused. The official separation between Jeanne-Antoinette and Charles-Guillaume was pronounced on 7 May 1745. In 1748, she was painted by the French artist Jean-Marc Nattier (1685-1766). Madame de Pompadour and Louis XV shared an interest in architecture and the decorative arts. Her brother, Marquis de Marigny was appointed director of the King's buildings and together with the King, they built Le Petit Trianon. In April 1745, at the urging of Madame de Pompadour, the King appointed Voltaire Royal historiographer. Her daughter, Alexandrine-Jeanne got ill on 4 June 1754, at the convent of the Assumption. Alexandrine-Jeanne died aged 9, in June 1754, from a stomach ailment.

 

 

Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour

by Maurice Quentin de La Tour

1755

Musée du Louvre

In 1755, Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson was painted by the artist, Maurice Quentin de La Tour. 

Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, Madame de Pompadour
by Francois Boucher

1759

Madame de Pompadour was painted several times by the artist, François Boucher. He also decorated her residences, the Châteaux of Bellevue and Crécy. In 1763, the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) was introduced to Madame de Pompadour. Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson died aged 42, on 15 April 1764, in Paris, France. It was a rainy day when her coffin left Versailles. King Louis XV said; "La Marquise n'aura pas beau temps pour son voyage." ("The Marquise won't have good weather for her journey.") King Louis XV died of smallpox on 10 May 1774, at Versailles, France. He was succeeded by his grandson, as Louis XVI with Marie Antoinette as his Queen Consort. Charles-Guillaume married Marie-Aimée Maltha. They lived at the Manoir de Baillon, near the Abbey de Royaumont. Charles-Guillaume died on 18 March 1799, at the Rue du Sentier.

18th Cent. Elizabeth I, Empress and Autocrat of All the Russias.

Elizabeth Petrovna was born on 29 December 1709, at Kolomenskoye, near Moscow, Russia. She was the daughter of Catherine I, Empress Consort of Russia (15 April 1684 - 17 May 1727) and Peter I the Great, Emperor of Russia (9 June 1672 - 8 February 1725). Her maternal grandparents were Elisabeth Moritz and Samuil Skavronsky. Her paternal grandparents were Natalia Kirillovna Naryshkina, Tsarina of Russia (1 September 1651 - 4 February 1694) and Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov, Tsar of Russia (9 March 1629 - 29 January 1676). Elizabeth's parents were secretly married in November 1707, in the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in St. Petersburg. Her siblings included: Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna (27 January 1708 - 4 March 1728), Grand Duchess Natalia Petrovna (20 March 1713 - 27 May 1715), Grand Duchess Margarita Petrovna (1714-1715), Grand Duke Pyotr Petrovich (1715-1719), Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich (1717-1717), Grand Duchess Natalia Petrovna (31 August 1718 - 15 March 1725), and Grand Duke Pyotr Petrovich (1723-1723). Elizabeth was proclaimed a Tsarevna on 6 March 1711. In February 1712, the marriage of Catherine and Peter I was made public. She was proclaimed a Tsesarevna on 23 December 1721. She had a French governess, and was fluent in Italian, German and French. Elizabeth was betrothed to Prince Karl Augustus of Holstein-Gottorp. A few days after the betrothal, Karl Augustus died. Her father, Peter I died on 28 January 1725. He was succeeded by her mother, as Catherine I. Her sister, Anna married Charles Frederick, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp (1700-1739) on 21 May 1725, in Trinity Church, St. Petersburg. When the young Ukranian peasant, Alexis Razumovsky was brought to St. Petersburg for a church choir, Elizabeth acquired him for her own choir. Her mother, Catherine I died on 17 May 1727, in St. Petersburg. She was buried at St. Peter and St. Paul Fortress. Peter Alexeievich Romanov was crowned Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russian on 25 February 1728. Anna Petrovna died on 4 March 1728, at Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein. She was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral. Peter II died of smallpox, on 30 January 1730, in Moscow. He was succeeded by Anna Ivanovna (1693-1740). Anna Ivanovna died on 28 October 1740. She was succeeded by her grandnephew, as Ivan VI. Elizabeth seized power on the night of 25 November 1741, with the help of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. Arriving at the regimental headquarters dressed in a metal breastplate over her dress and grasping a silver cross, Elizabeth said; "Who do you want to serve? Me, the natural sovereign, or those who have stolen my inheritance?" The troops marched to the Winter Palace where they arrested the infant Emperor, his parents and Count von Munnich. Elizabeth crowned herself Empress on 25 April 1742, in the Dormition Cathedral. In her proclamation as Empress Elizabeth I she said; "The Russian people have been groaning under the enemies of the Christian faith, but she has delivered them from the degrading foreign oppression." She placed Bestuzhev at the head of foreign affairs, and made Razumovsky a Prince and Field Marshal. He become known as "the Emperor of the Night". Negotiations between Russia and Sweden were opened on 23 January 1743, in Åbo. Sweden ceded to Russia on 7 August 1743, all the southern part of Finland east of the river Kymmene. Elizabeth I chose her nephew, Peter of Holstein-Gottorp as Heir. Peter was received into the Orthodox Church and proclaimed heir on 7 November 1742. Peter married Princess Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst (2 May 1729- 6 November 1796) on 21 August 1745. On her conversion to the Russian Orthodox Church, Sophie was given the name Catherine, in memory of Elizabeth's mother. Catherine and Peter had a son, Paul born on 20 September 1754. During the Seven Years War, Elizabeth was in alliance with France and Austria against Prussia. Elizabeth I fell ill on 19 September 1757, at Tsarskoe Selo. Elizabeth died aged 52, on 5 January 1762. She was interred on 3 February 1762, at the St. Peter and St. Paul Cathedral, in St.Petersburg. She was succeeded by her nephew, as Peter III, Emperor of Russia. Peter III died on 17 July 1762. He was succeeded by his wife as, Catherine II the Great, Empress of Russia.

18-19th Cent. Ballerina Marie-Madeleine Guimard

Marie-Madeleine Guimard

by Jean-Honoré Fragonard

1769

Musée du Louvre

Marie-Madeleine Guimard was born on 27 December 1743, in Paris, France. She was the daughter of Anne Bernard and Fabien Guimart. She was trained by the choreographer d'Harnoncourt. In 1758, she entered the corps de ballet of the Comédie-Française. Called Mademoiselle Guimard, she had an affair with the dancer Leger. In 1761, she was engaged at the Opéra. Mademoiselle Guimard had her debut, on 9 May 1762, as Terpsichoré in Les Fêtes grècques et Romaines. Marie-Madeleine Guimard had another affair with the composer Jean-Benjamin de La Borde. They had a daughter in April 1763. In 1769, Mademoiselle Guimard was painted by Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732-1806). In the early 1770s, she opened the Hôtel Guimard, in the Chaussée d'Antin. It was designed by Claude-Nicolas Ledoux and decorated with paintings by Jean-Honoré Fragonard. The hotel had a theater, Temple of Terpsichore. Mademoiselle Guimard appeared in ballets by Laval, Noverre, and Maximilien and Pierre Gardel, and in operas by Mozart, Rameau, and Gluck. She danced for the Court at Versailles and Fontainebleau. In 1789, she traveled to London. Mademoiselle Guimard performed at the King's Theatre and at Covent Garden, in London. In 1789, the ballerina retired from the ballet. Marie-Madeleine Guimard then married Jean-Étienne Despreaux (1748-1820). He was a dancer, song-writer and playwright. Marie-Madeleine Guimard died on 4 May 1816.

18-19th Cent. Camille Henri Melchior, Comte de Polignac.

Camille Henri Melchior de Polignac

by Marie-Élisabeth-Louise Vigée-Le Brun

Musée du Louvre

Camille Henri Melchior de Polignac was born on 27 December 1781, in Versailles, France. He was the son of Yolande Martine Gabrielle, Duchesse de Polignac (8 September 1749 - 9 December 1793) and Jules Francois Armand, Comte de Polignac (7 June 1745 - 21 September 1817). His maternal grandparents were Jeanne Charlotte Hérault and Jean François Gabriel, Comte de Polastron. His paternal grandparents were Diane Marie Adelaide Zephirine Mazzarini-Mancini (3 February 1726 - 27 June 1755) and Marquis Louis Heracle Melchior de Polignac (31 January 1717 - 1792). Camille's parents were married on 7 July 1767. His siblings were: Aglaé Louise de Polignac, Duchesse de Guiche (7 May 1768 - 30 March 1803), Armand Jules de Polignac, Duc de Polignac (11 January 1771 - 1 March 1847) and Jules Auguste de Polignac, Prince de Polignac (14 May 1780 - 30 March 1847). In the summer of 1775, his parents were presented at a formal reception to Marie Antoinette, Queen Consort of France and Navarre (1755-1793) and Louis XVI, King of France and Navarre (1754-1793). In 1780, his father was created a Duc. His sister, Aglaé Louise de Polignac married the Duc de Gramont et Guiche on 11 July 1780, at Versailles. In 1782, his mother was appointed Governess for the children of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI. After the Storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789, his family emigrated to Switzerland. His mother, Yolande Martine Gabrielle de Polastron died of cancer on 9 December 1793, in Wien, Austria. His sister, Aglaé Louise de Polignac died on 30 March 1803, in an fire in Edinburgh, Scotland. Camille Henri Melchior de Polignac married Marie Charlotte Calixte Alphonsine Le Vassor de la Touche de Beauregard (15 September 1781 - 22 June 1861) on 1 October 1810. Her stepfather was Charles Le Vassor Louise de La Touche de Beauregard. The couple had six children.

The Children of Marie Charlotte Le Vassor de la Touche de Beauregard and Camille Henri Melchior de Polignac:

Jules Antoine Calixte Melchior de Polignac (1812-1856)

Melchior Jean Henri Alexandre de Polignac (1817-1845)

Armand Calixthe Agénor de Polignac (1818-1860)

Henri Armand Marie de Polignac (1821-1865)

Gabrielle Georgine Emilia Geneviève de Polignac (1822-1888)

Thomas Charles Marie Georges Étienne, Comte de Polignac (1824-1881)

His brother, Jules Auguste de Polignac married Barbara Campbell (1788-1819) on 6 July 1816, in London, England. Camille Henri Melchior de Polignac died on 2 February 1855, at Fontainebleau. His wife, Marie Charlotte Le Vassor de la Touche died on 22 June 1861, at Fontainebleau, Seine-et-Marne.

18-19th Cent. Julie Clary, Queen Consort of Naples and Sicily.

Marie Julie Clary was born on 26 December 1771, in Marseille, France. She was the daughter of Françoise Rose Somis and François Clary (24 January 1725 - 20 January 1794). Her maternal grandparents were Catherine Rose Soucheiron (11 January 1696 - 18 February 1776) and Joseph Ignace Somis (ca 1710 - 29 April 1750). Her paternal grandparents were Françoise-Agnès Ammoric (6 March 1705 - 21 December 1776) and Joseph Clary (22 November 1693 - 30 August 1748). Marie Julie's parents were married on 26 June 1759. Her siblings included: Nicholas Joseph Clary and Désirée Clary (8 November 1777 - 17 December 1860). Her father, François Clary died on 20 January 1794. Marie Julie Clary married Joseph Bonaparte (7 January 1768 - 28 July 1844) on 1 August 1794, in Cuges-les-Pins, France. He was the son of Maria Letizia Ramolino (24 August 1750 - 2 February 1836) and Carlo Maria Buonaparte (29 March 1746 - 24 February 1785). The brother of Napoléon Bonaparte (1769-1821). They had three daughters.

The Children of Julie Clary and Joseph Bonaparte:

Julie Joséphine Bonaparte (1796-1796)

Zénaïde Laetitia Julie Bonaparte (8 July 1801 - 1854) Married Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1822.

Charlotte Napoléone Bonaparte (31 October 1802 - 2 March 1839) Married Napoleon Louis in 1826.

Her sister, Désirée Clary married Jean Baptiste Jules Bernadotte on 16 August 1798, at Sceaux. Her husband, Joseph Bonaparte was made King of Naples and Sicily by Napoléon Bonaparte on 30 March 1806, with Julie as his Consort. Joseph had two daughters with his mistress, Maria Giulia, Countess of Atri: Giulio born in 1806 and Teresa born in 1808. Joseph Bonaparte abdicated the throne of Naples and Sicily on 6 June 1808. He was succeeded by Joachim Murat. Joseph Bonaparte was then made King of Spain by Napoléon Bonaparte on 8 June 1808, with Julie as his Consort. During his Reign, he ended the Spanish Inquisition. After defeat at the Battle of Vitoria, Joseph Bonaparte abdicated on 11 December 1813. In 1814, Julie Clary bought the Castle of Prangins, near Lehman Lake, in Switzerland. In 1817, Joseph Bonaparte traveled to United States. In 1818, Désirée Clary became Queen Consort of Sweden. Joseph Bonaparte purchased Point Breeze, an estate on the Delaware River, near Bordentown, New Jersey. While there Joseph Bonaparte had two daughters with his American mistress, Annette Savage: Pauline Anne and Caroline Charlotte (1822-1890). Her daughter, Zénaïde Bonaparte married Charles Lucien Bonaparte on 29 June 1822, in Brussels. In 1840, Joseph Bonaparte left USA and returned to his wife in Italy. Joseph Bonaparte died on 28 July 1844, in Florence, Italy. He was interred at Les Invalides, in Paris. Julie Clary died aged 74, on 7 April 1845, in Florence, Italy. She was buried in Santa Croce, Florence.

16-17th Cent. Margaret of Austria, Queen Consort of Spain and Portugal.

 

Margaret of Austria was born on 25 December 1584. She was the daughter of Maria Anna of Bavaria (21 March 1551 - 29 April 1608) and Charles II Francis, Archduke of Austria (3 June 1540 - 10 July 1590). Her maternal grandparents were Anna of Austria (1528-1590) and Albert V, Duke of Bavaria (1528-1579). Her paternal grandparents were Anna of Bohemia and Hungary (1503-1547) and Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor. Margaret's parents were married on 26 August 1571, in Wien, Austria. Her siblings were: Ferdinand (1572-1572), Anna (1573-1598), Maria Christierna (1574-1621), Katharina (1576-1595), Elisabeth (1577-1586), Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor (1578-1637), Karl (1579-1580), Gregoria (1581-1597), Eleonora (1582-1620), Maximilian (1583-1616), Leopold V (1586-1632), Constance of Austria (1588-1631), Maria Magdalena (1589-1631) and Karl (1590-1624). Margaret married Felipe III, King of Spain (14 April 1578 - 31 March 1621) on 18 April 1599. He was the son of Anna of Austria and Felipe II, King of Spain. Margaret and Felipe III had eight children.

The Children of Margaret of Austria and Felipe III:

Anna Maria Mauricia (22 September 1601 - 20 January 1666) Married Louis XIII, King of France in 1615. 
Maria (1 February 1603 - 2 February 1603)
Felipe IV, King of Spain (8 April 1605 - 17 September 1665) Married 1st: Elisabeth of Bourbon in 1615. Married 2nd: Mariana of Austria in 1649.
Maria Anna Margarita (18 August 1606 - 13 May 1646) Married Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor in 1631.
Carlos (14 September 1607 - 30 July 1632)
Ferdinand (16 May 1609 - 9 November 1641)
Margarita Francisca (24 May 1610 - 11 March 1617)
Alfonso Mauricio (22 September 1611 - 16 September 1612)

Her father, Charles died 10 July 1590, in Graz. Her mother, Maria Anna died on 29 April 1608, in Graz, Austria. Margaret of Austria died aged 26, on 3 October 1611. Her husband, Felipe III died on 31 March 1621, in Madrid, Spain. He was succeeded by their son, as Felipe IV.

19th Cent. Elisabeth, Empress Consort of Austria and Queen Consort of Hungary.

Elisabeth of Bavaria

Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie was born on 24 December 1837, in Munich. She was the daughter of Marie Ludovika Wilhelmine, Princess of Bavaria (30 August 1808 - 25 January 1892) and Maximilian Joseph, Duke in Bavaria (4 December 1808 - 15 November 1888). Her maternal grandparents were Friederike Karoline Wilhelmine of Baden (13 July 1776 - 13 November 1841) and Maximilian I Josef, King of Bavaria (27 May 1756 - 13 October 1825). Elisabeth's parents were married on 9 September 1828, in Tegernsee. Her siblings included: Ludwig Wilhelm, Duke in Bavaria (21 June 1831 - 6 November 1920), Wilhelm Karl, Duke in Bavaria (24 December 1832 - 13 February 1833), Helene Caroline Therese, Duchess in Bavaria (4 April 1834 - 16 May 1890), Karl Theodor (9 August 1839 - 30 November 1909), Maria Sophie Amalie, Duchess in Bavaria (4 October 1841 - 19 January 1925), Mathilde Ludovika, Duchess in Bavaria (30 September 1843 - 18 June 1925), Sophie Charlotte Augustine, Duchess in Bavaria (23 February 1847 - 4 May 1897) and Maximilian Emanuel, Duke in Bavaria (7 December 1849 - 12 June 1893). Called Sisi, she grew up in Munich and at Possenhofen, on Starnbergersee, Lake Starnberg. She was a close friend of her cousin, Ludwig of Bavaria (1846-1886). They both loved poetry, Elisabeth was nicknamed "the Seagull" and Ludwig "the Eagle". In 1853, Elisabeth, her elder sister, Helene and their mother, Marie Ludovika traveled to Bad Ischl to meet Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria (18 August 1830 - 21 November 1916). He was the son of Princess Sophie of Bavaria (27 January 1805 - 28 May 1872) and Archduke Franz Karl Joseph of Austria (17 December 1802 - 8 March 1878). It was hoped that Franz Joseph I would marry Helene, but he fell in love with Elisabeth instead. On Franz Joseph I's 23rd birthday, 18 August 1853, his mother asked if Elisabeth would marry him. Elisabeth of Bavaria and Franz Joseph I were married, on 24 April 1854, at the St. Augustine's Church, in Wien. Elisabeth thus became Empress Consort of Austria, Queen Consort of Hungary and Bohemia.

Elisabeth of Bavaria

by Amanda Bergstedt

1855

The couple's first child, a daughter, Sophie Friederike Dorothea was born on 5 March 1855, in Wien. They had another daughter, Gisela born on 15 July 1856. The children were installed in a nursery near their grandmother Sophie's apartments.

Elisabeth of Bavaria in Schönbrunn

In 1857, the children accompanied Elisabeth and Franz Joseph I on a state visit to Hungary. During this trip, both children fell ill. Gisela recovered, but Sophie became steadily weaker. Sophie died on 29 May 1857, in Budapest. Elisabeth never overcame the loss. Elisabeth gave birth to a son, Crown Prince Rudolf on 21 August 1858. When Elisabeth discovered that Franz Joseph I was unfaithful to her, she started spending time away from Wien. Her sister, Helene married Maximilian Anton Lamoral, Hereditary Prince of Thurn and Taxis on 24 August 1858, at Possenhofen. Her sister, Maria Sophie of Bavaria married Francis of the Two Sicilies (1836-1894) on 3 February 1859, in Bari. In 1867, the Austrian Empire was turned into the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary. Franz Joseph I and Elisabeth were crowned King and Queen Consort of Hungary on 8 June 1867. Their third daughter, Marie Valerie was born 22 April 1868, in Hungary.
 

The Children of Elisabeth of Bavaria and Franz Joseph I:

Sophie Friederike Dorothea Maria Josepha (5 March 1855 - 29 May 1857)

Gisela Louise Marie (15 July 1856 - 27 July 1932) Married Prince Leopold of Bavaria in 1837.

Rudolf Francis Charles Joseph (21 August 1858 - 30 January 1889) Married Princess Stephanie of Belgium in 1881.

Marie Valerie Mathilde Amalie (22 April 1868 - 6 September 1924) Married Archduke Franz Salvator of Austria-Tuscany in 1890.
 

Her sister, Sophie Charlotte married Ferdinand Philippe Marie, Duc d'Alençon (1844- 1910) on 28 September 1868, at Possenhofen Castle, near Starnberg. Her daughter, Gisela married Prince Leopold of Bavaria (9 February 1846 - 28 September 1930) in 1873. He was the son of Archduchess Augusta of Austria (1825-1864) and Prince regent Luitpold (1821-1912). They lived in the Palais Leopold in Schwabing. Her brother, Maximilian Emanuel married Princess Amalie of Saxe-Coburg-Kohary (1848-1894) on 20 September 1875, in Ebenthal. Her son, Rudolf of Austria married Princess Stéphanie of Belgium (21 May 1864 - 23 August 1945) on 10 May 1881, at the St. Augustine's Church, in Wien. She was the daughter of Marie Henriette of Austria, Queen Consort of Belgium (23 August 1836 - 19 September 1902) and Léopold II, King of Belgium. Her cousin, Ludwig II and Dr. von Gudden were found dead at 11:30 p.m. on 13 June 1886, in the water near Lake Starnberg. He was interred on 19 June 1886, in the crypt of St Michael's Church, in Munich. Her father, Maximilian Joseph died on 15 November 1888, in Munich. He was buried in the family crypt in Schloss Tegernsee. Her son, Rudolf and his mistress, Mary Vetsera were found shot dead on 30 January 1889, in his hunting lodge at Mayerling. Elisabeth was devastated and wore mourning black for the rest of her life. Her daughter, Marie Valerie married Franz Salvator, Archduke of Austria-Tuscany on 31 July 1890, in the parish church of Bad Ischl. He was the son of Princess Maria Immaculata of Bourbon-Two-Sicilies and Archduke Karl Salvator, Prince of Tuscany. Her mother, Marie Ludovika Wilhelmine died on 25 January 1892, in Munich. She was buried with her husband in the family crypt in Schloss Tegernsee. Her sister, Sophie died in a fire on 4 May 1897, at a charity bazaar, in Paris. In 1898, during an overnight stop in Geneva, her presence in the city was revealed in a newspaper. As she was walking from her hotel to the ship on 10 September 1898, for Montreux, Elisabeth was stabbed with a sharpened file by Luccheni. She made it to the ship, but shortly afterwards collapsed. The doctors could not save her. Her last words were; "What happened to me?" Elisabeth of Bavaria died, aged 60, on 10 September 1898, in Geneva. She was interred at the Imperial Crypt, in Wien. The murderer was sentenced to life in prison. Luccheni hanged himself in 1910. Franz Joseph I died on 21 November 1916, at Schönbrunn Palace.
 

"I have awoken in a dungeon, With fetters on my wrists. My longing grows ever stronger. And Freedom! Thou, turned away from me..." Elisabeth

18-19th Cent. Elena Pavlovna, Grand Duchess of Russia.

 

Elena Pavlovna was born on 24 December 1784, in St. Petersburg, the Russian Empire. She was the daughter of Maria Feodorovna, Empress Consort of Russia (25 October 1759 - 5 November 1828) and Paul I, Emperor of Russia (1 October 1754 - 23 March 1801). Her maternal grandparents were Friederike Dorothee Sophie of Brandenburg-Schwedt, Duchess of Württemberg (18 December 1736 - 9 March 1798) and Friedrich Eugen, Duke of Württemberg (21 January 1732 - 23 December 1797). Her paternal grandparents were Catherine II the Great, Empress of Russia (2 May 1729 - 6 November 1796) and Peter III, Emperor of Russia (21 February 1728 - 17 July 1762). Elena's parents were married on 7 October 1776. Her siblings were: Alexander I, Emperor of Russia (1777-1825), Konstantin Pavlovich, Grand Duke of Russia (1779-1831), Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia, (9 August 1783 - 16 March 1801), Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia (16 February 1786 - 23 June 1859), Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna of Russia (10 May 1788 - 9 January 1819), Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna of Russia (18 January 1795 - 1 March 1865), Nicholas I, Tsar of Russia (1796-1855) and Michael Pavlovich, Grand Duke of Russia (1798-1849). Her mother was her father's second wife. Paul I married first Grand Duchess Natalia Alexeievna of Russia (25 June 1755 - 15 April 1776) on 29 September 1773. Natalia died shortly after she delivered a still born daughter on 15 April 1776. The Grand Duchess was very beautiful so her grandmother, Catherine the Great named her after Helen of Troy. Elena was closest to her older sister, Alexandra. In the late 1790s, Elena Pavlovna was betrothed to Hereditary Prince Friedrich Ludwig of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1778-1819). He was the son of Luise, Duchess of Saxe-Gotha and Friedrich Franz I, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. At the same time her sister, Alexandra Pavlovna was engaged to Palatine Joseph of Hungary (1776-1847). Elena and Friedrich Ludwig were married on 23 October 1799, at the Gatchina Palace, in Gatchina. Elena moved with her husband to Schwerin. She gave birth to a son, Paul Friedrich in September 1800. Her sister, Alexandra Pavlovna died on 16 March 1801, in Buda after giving birth to a daughter, Alexandrine, who died a few days before. Her father, Paul I was assassinated on 23 March 1801, following a coup. Elena gave birth to a daughter, Marie Louise on 31 March 1803, named after her maternal grandmother, Maria Feodorovna.
 

The Children of Elena Pavlovna and Friedrich Ludwig of Mecklenburg-Schwerin:
Paul Friedrich, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (15 September 1800 - 7 March 1842)
Marie Luise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (31 March 1803 - 26 October 1862) Married Georg, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg.

Elena Pavlovna died aged 18, on 24 September 1803. She was interred at the Helena Pavlovna Mausoleum, in Ludwigslust, which was named in her memory. Her husband, Friedrich Ludwig remarried in 1810. He lost his second wife in 1816. Friedrich Ludwig married his third wife, a Princess of Hesse in 1818. Friedrich Ludwig died in 1819.

17th Cent. Mariana of Austria, Queen Consort of Spain and Portugal.

Mariana of Austria was born on 24 December 1634, in Wien, Austria. She was the daughter of Infanta Maria Anna of Spain (18 August 1606 - 13 May 1646) and Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor (13 July 1608 - 2 April 1657). Her maternal grandparents were Margaret of Austria and Felipe III, King of Spain. Her paternal grandparents were Maria Anna of Bavaria and Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor. Mariana's parents were married on 20 February 1631. Her siblings were: Ferdinand IV of Hungary (8 September 1633 - 9 July 1654), Philip August, Archduke of Austria (1637-1639), Maximilian Thomas, Archduke of Austria (1638-1639), Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor (9 June 1640 - 5 May 1705) and Maria of Austria (1646). Her mother, Maria Anna died on 13 May 1646, in Wien. She was pregnant at the time, the child died after being born by cesarean section. She was interred with her child. Mariana of Austria married Felipe IV, King of Spain and Portugal (8 April 1605 - 17 September 1665) in 1649. The couple had five children.

The Children of Mariana of Austria and Felipe IV:

Margaret Theresa of Spain (12 July 1651 - 12 March 1673) Married Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor.

Infanta Maria Abrosia de la Concepción of Spain (1655)

Felipe Prospero of Spain (1657-1661)

Infante Thomas Charles of Spain (1658-1659)

Carlos II, King of Spain (6 November 1661 - 1 November 1700)

Her husband, Felipe IV died on 17 September 1665. He was succeeded by their son, as Carlos II with Mariana as Regent. Her daughter, Margaret Theresa of Spain married Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor on 12 December 1666, in Wien. Margaret Theresa died on 12 March 1673, at the Hofburg Palace, in Wien. She was interred at the Imperial Crypt, in Wien. Her son, Carlos II married Marie Louise d'Orléans (26 March 1662 - 12 February 1689) on 19 November 1679, in Quintanapalla, near Burgos, Spain. She was the daughter of Princess Henrietta Anne of England, Duchess of Orléans (26 June 1644 - 10 September 1669) and Philippe de France, Duc d'Orléans (21 September 1640 - 9 June 1701). Their marriage remained childless. Marie Louise died on 12 February 1689, in Madrid, Spain. Carlos II married his second wife, Maria Anna of the Palatinate-Neuburg (28 October 1667 - 16 July 1740) on 14 May 1690, in San Diego, near Valladolid. She was the daughter of Elisabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt (20 March 1635 - 4 August 1709) and Philip Wilhelm of Neuburg, Elector Palatine (24 November 1615 - 2 September 1690). This second marriage was also childless. Mariana of Austria died of breast cancer on the night of 16 May 1696, in Madrid, Spain.

"Two suns cannot live in the same sky". Mariana of Austria

18th Cent. Jean-Étienne Liotard

Jean-Étienne Liotard was born on 22 December 1702, in Geneva. He began his studies under Professor Gardelle and Petitot. He first trained as a miniature painter in Geneva. In 1725, Liotard went to Paris, studying under J. B. Masse and F. le Moyne. In 1735, he was in Rome, painting the portraits of Pope Clement XII and several cardinals. In 1738, he accompanied Lord Duncannon to Constantinople. In 1742, he went to Wien to paint the portraits of the Imperial family. His adoption of oriental costumes gave him the nickname "the Turkish painter." In 1744, he returned to Paris. He then visited England. In 1753, he painted the Princess of Wales. In 1756, Liotard went to Holland. Jean-Étienne Liotard married Marie Fargues in 1757, in Holland. In the 1760s, he painted Maria Theresia, Holy Roman Empress (1717-1780) and her children, including Marie Antoinette, Queen Consort of France and Navarre (1755-1793) in Wien, Austria. In 1772, he visited England again. In 1776, he returned to Geneva. Jean-Étienne Liotard died on 12 June 1789, in Geneva. Jean-Étienne Liotard wrote a Treatise on the Art of Painting. You can see the portraits he did of Maria Theresia and her family along with some of his other works, at the Habsburg's summer and winter recidences, Hapsburg Palace and Schönbrunn Palace, in Wien, Austria.

19th Cent. Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Duchess Consort of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

Princess Louise Dorothea Pauline Charlotte Fredericka Auguste was born on 21 December 1800, in Gotha. She was the daughter of Duchess Louise Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (19 November 1779 - 4 January 1801) and Augustus, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (23 November 1772 - 27 May 1822). Her maternal grandparents were Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (1756-1808) and Frederick Francis I, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg (10 December 1756 - 1 February 1837). Her paternal grandparents were Charlotte of Saxe-Meiningen and Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (30 January 1745 - 20 April 1804). Louise married Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (2 January 1784 - 29 January 1844) on 31 July 1817 in Gotha. He was the son of Countess Augusta Caroline Reuss of Ebersdorf (19 January 1757 - 16 November 1831) and Franz Frederick Anton, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (15 July 1750 - 9 December 1806).

The Children of Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha:

Ernest II Augustus Charles John Leopold Alexander Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (21 June 1818 - 22 August 1893) Married Alexandrine of Baden in 1842.

Francis Augustus Charles Albert Emmanuel (26 August 1819 - 14 December 1861) Married Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom.

The marriage was unhappy and they were separated in 1824. Louise was forced to leave her two sons behind when she moved to St. Wendel, in the Principality of Lichtenberg. Louise and Ernst were officially divorced on 31 March 1826. Louise secretly married Baron Alexander von Hanstein on 18 October 1826. In February 1831, the secret marriage was discovered and she lost her children permanently. Louise died of cancer aged 30, on 30 August 1831, in Paris, France. She was buried at the Ducal Family Mausoleum, Glockenburg Cemetery, in Coburg.

18-19th Cent. Anne Vallayer-Coster

Still Life with Seashells and Coral

1769

Musée du Louvre

The Attributes of The Arts

1769
Musée du Louvre

The Attributes of Music 
1770 
Musée du Louvre

Anne Vallayer-Coster was born on 21 December 1744, at the Bièvre, Seine River, in France. She was the daughter of Joseph Vallayer. She had three sisters. In 1754, the family moved to Paris. She received her training from her father, Madeleine Basseport and Joseph Vernet. In 1755, she painted Portrait of an Elderly Woman with her Daughter. In 1767, Still Life with Ham, Bottles and Radishes. In 1769, Still Life with Seashells and Coral. After submitting her still life painting, The Attributes of Music in 1770, Anne Vallayer-Coster was invited into the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture in Paris. In 1775, Vallayer-Coster exhibited her first still lifes with flowers. In 1776, she painted Bouquet of Flowers in a Blue Porcelain Vase. In 1779, she began to enjoy the patronage of Marie Antoinette, Queen Consort of France and Navarre (1755-1793). In 1780, Louis XVI, King of France and Navarre commissioned Anne Vallayer-Coster to be the Court painter. Marie Antoinette signed the marriage contract for Anne Vallayer-Coster and her fiancé, Jean-Pierre Silvestre Coster in 1781. Anne Vallayer-Coster and Jean-Pierre Silvestre Coster were married at Versailles. In 1783, she was painted by Alexander Roslin. During the French Revolution, Vallayer-Coster kept hidden. In 1804, Joséphine de Beauharnais acquired two works from her. In 1817, she painted Still Life with Lobster. In 1817, she displayed paintings that belonged to Louis XVIII in her last exhibition at the Louvre. Anne Vallayer-Coster died on 28 February 1818, in Paris, France.

20th Cent. Édith Piaf

Édith Giovanna Gassion was born on 19 December 1915, in Belleville, Paris, France. She was the daughter of Annetta Giovanna Maillard (1895-1945) and Louis-Alphonse Gassion (1881-1944). Her mother was a café singer, known as Line Marsa. Her father was a street acrobat. According to legend she was born under a lamp-post on the pavement of Rue de Belleville 72, but her birth certificate states she was born at Hôpital Tenon, at the 20th arrondissement. She was named Édith after the World War I British nurse Edith Cavell, who was executed for helping French soldiers escape from German captivity. Abandoned by her parents, she lived for a short time with her maternal grandmother, Emma or Aïcha Saïd ben Mohammed (1876-1930). In 1916, before enlisting with the French Army in World War I, her father took Édith to his mother, who ran a Normandy brothel. From the age of 3 to 7, Édith was allegedly blind as a result of keratitis. She recovered her sight after a pilgrimage honoring Sainte Thérèse de Lisieux. In 1929, she joined her father in his acrobatic street performances all over France. In 1930, she left her father. She took a room at Grand Hôtel de Clermont, 18 rue Veron, Paris 18ème. She became a street singer in Pigalle, Ménilmontant, and the Paris suburbs. She sang and her friend, Simone Berteaut passed the hat round. In 1932, she fell in love with Louis Dupont, a delivery boy known as P'tit Louis. She gave birth to a daughter, Marcelle in 1933. She was devastated when Marcelle died of meningitis just after her second birthday. She returned to the streets, singing in Belleville and Pigalle. She said; "Tell me what you'd like to hear me sing. I'll sing whatever you like, after which I'll take up a collection, if you don't mind." And; "People say that I could sing the phone book and make it sound good." For a while, she was involved with the pimp, Albert who took a commission from the money she made singing. Édith was performing her act on a street corner in Pigalle when Louis Leplée, the director of the cabaret Le Gerny, at the Champs Elysées walked by. Leplée offered her a job on the spot. He gave her the nickname, La Môme Piaf (little sparrow). Leplée was murdered on 6 April 1936.

"I've always wanted to sing, just as I've always known that one day I would have my own niche in the annals of song. It was a feeling I had."

Raymond Asso commissioned Marguerite Monnot to write songs that reflected to Édith's previous life on the streets. Together they wrote Mon Légionnaire. In 1937, she abandoned her old stage name, La Môme Piaf, and started billing herself as Édith Piaf. Later in 1937, Piaf appeared in Jean Limur's film, La Garçonne.

"I'd like to see one person - just one - who would own up to having been a coward."

In 1940, Édith Piaf met and fell in love with the French actor Paul Meurisse. In 1940, Piaf and Meurisse appeared in Le Bel Indifférent. Following their success in the Paris theatre world, Piaf and Meurisse starred in Georges Lacombe's film Montmartre sur Scène, alongside Jean Louis Barrault. Piaf ended her relationship with Meurisse and embarked upon a new love affair with Henri Contet. During World War II, Piaf employed Jewish musicians to accompany her on tour. In the summer of 1944, Piaf discovered the young singer Yves Montand, from Marseille in Paris. She fell in love with him and persuaded Henri Contet to write new material for Montand. In 1945, Piaf and Montand formed a double act in Marcel Blistène's film Etoile sans Lumière. Later in 1945, Piaf composed La Vie en Rose. In 1946, she decided to perform her own composition at a concert and La Vie en Rose became an instant hit. Also in 1946, Piaf recorded a single with Les Compagnons de la Chanson, Les Trois Cloches. In 1947, Piaf invited Les Compagnons de la Chanson to accompany her on her first American tour. According to Édith Piaf; "To be successful in my native France, where people speak the same language and understand me, is nothing." She continued; "I want to make people cry even when they don't understand my words." And; "If God has allowed me to earn so much money, it is because He knows I give it all away." Marcel Cerdan was a married, middleweight world champion. He became the love of her life. Marcel Cerdan died in a plane crash in October 1949, in the Azores.

"I think you have to pay for love with bitter tears."

In the early 1950s, Piaf helped to launch the career of Charles Aznavour. In 1951, Piaf was seriously injured in a car crash along with Aznavour. Édith Piaf married the singer, Jacques Pills in 1952. Her matron of honour was Marlene Dietrich. In 1954, she starred in Royal Affairs in Versailles opposite Claudette Colbert (1903-1996) and Orson Welles. In 1956, Piaf appeared at the Carnegie Hall. Piaf and Pills were divorced in 1956. In 1958, Piaf premiered La Foule and Mon Manège à Moi, at L'Olympia. Later in 1958, she began a love affair with the French singer and songwriter Georges Moustaki. According to Piaf; "As far as I'm concerned, love means fighting, big fat lies, and a couple of slaps across the face." In September 1958, Piaf and Moustaki were involved in a car crash. A few months after the accident, Piaf collapsed halfway through a concert in New York and had to be rushed to hospital for an emergency operation. She still refused to abandon her singing career.

"I've been thinking about Jesus. Don't you find it a bit strange that, since He was living with His family and all, He up and left them just when they needed him most?"

In 1960, Piaf began working with the French songwriter Charles Dumont. He offered her the most famous song of her entire career, Non, Je ne Regrette Rien. She premiered the song at the L'Olympia. 

"Money? How did I lose it? I never did lose it. I just never knew where it went."

In June 1961, Piaf was awarded the Prix du disque de l'Académie Charles-Cros. In the summer of 1961, she met the young Greek singer Theophanis Lamboukas. She called him "Sarapo", being Greek for "I love you". Piaf was a special guest star at the international premiere of the film The Longest Day on 25 September 1962. Appearing on a stage erected on the top floor of the Eiffel Tower, she sang her greatest hits to a massive audience. Édith Piaf married Théo Sarapo on 9 October 1962, in a private orthodox ceremony. In February 1963, the couple performed their duo, A Quoi ça Sert l'amour? at the Bobino. In April 1963, Piaf recorded her last song, L'homme de Berlin. Once she said; "I don't want to die an old lady." And; "Death does not exist." She spent the last months of her life in her villa in Plascassier, near Cannes. She said; "Death is the beginning of something." And; "I wouldn't mind at all coming back to earth after my death."  Édith Piaf died of liver cancer on 10 October 1963, at Plascassier, on the French Riviera. On her funeral procession on 14 October 1963, several thousands of mourners followed her coffin to its final resting-place in the Père Lachaise Cemetery. In 1982, the astronomer Lyudmila Georgievna Karachkina discovered a minor planet named 3772 Piaf, after Édith Piaf. In 1998, La vie en Rose was voted a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.

"For me, singing is a way of escaping. It's another world. I'm no longer on earth." Édith Piaf

19th Cent. Maria Antonia of the Two Sicilies, Grand Duchess of Tuscany.

 

Maria Antonia Giuseppa Anna was born on 19 December 1814, in Palermo. She was the daughter of Maria Isabella of Spain, Queen Consort of the Two Sicilies (6 July 1789 - 13 September 1848) and Francis I, King of the Two Sicilies (14 August 1777 - 8 November 1830). Her maternal grandparents were Maria Luisa of Parma, Queen Consort of Spain (9 December 1751 - 2 January 1819) and Carlos IV, King of Spain (11 November 1748 - 20 January 1819). Her paternal grandparents were Maria Carolina, Queen Consort of Naples and Sicily (13 August 1752 - 7 September 1814) and Ferdinand I, King of the Two Sicilies (12 January 1751 - 4 January 1825). Her grandmother, Maria Carolina was the daughter of Maria Theresia, Holy Roman Empress (13 May 1717 - 29 November 1780) and Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor (8 December 1708 - 18 August 1765), and the favourite sister of Marie Antoinette, Queen Consort of France and Navarre (2 November 1755 - 16 October 1793). Maria Antonia's parents were married by proxy on 6 July 1802, in Barcelona. Her siblings were: Luisa Carlotta (1804-1844), Maria Christina (1806-1878), Ferdinand II (1810-1859), Carlo Ferdinando (1811-1862), Leopoldo (1813-1860), Antonio (1816-1843), Maria Amalia (1818-1857), Maria Carolina (1820-1861), Teresa (1822-1889), Luigi (1824-1897) and Francesco (1827-1892). Her father had been married to Archduchess Maria Clementina of Austria (24 April 1777 - 11 March 1801). She was the daughter of Maria Luisa of Spain (24 November 1745 - 15 May 1792) and Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor (5 May 1747 - 1 March 1792). They had two children: Maria Carolina (1798-1870) and Ferdinando (1800-1801). Maria Clementina died on 11 March 1801. She was baptised Maria Antonia in honor of Marie Antoinette. Her sister, Maria Christina married Ferdinand VII, King of Spain (1784-1833) on 11 December 1829, in Madrid. Maria Antonia married Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany (3 October 1797 - 29 January 1870) on 7 June 1833, in Naples. He was the son of Maria Luisa of the Two Sicilies ( 27 July 1773 - 19 September 1802) and Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany (6 May 1769 - 18 June 1824). This was Leopold's second marriage. Leopold II married his first wife, Princess Maria Anna of Saxony (15 November 1799 - 24 March 1832) on 16 November 1817, in Florence. She was the daughter of Caroline of Bourbon-Parma and Maximilian, Prince of Saxony. They had three children: Archduchess Maria Carolina Augusta (19 November 1822 - 5 October 1841), Archduchess Augusta (1 April 1825 - 26 April 1864), Archduchess Maria Maximiliana Tecla (9 January 1827 - 18 May 1834). Maria Anna died on 24 April 1832, in Pisa. Maria Antonia and Leopold had ten children.

The Children of Maria Antonia and Leopold II:

Archduchess Maria Isabella, Princess of Tuscany (21 May 1834 - 14 July 1901) Married Prince Francis, Count of Trapani.
Ferdinand IV, Grand Duke of Tuscany (10 June 1835 - 17 January 1908)
Archduchess Maria Theresa, Princess of Tuscany (29 June 1836 - 5 August 1838)
Archduchess Maria Christina, Princess of Tuscany (5 February 1838 - 1 September 1849)
Archduke Karl Salvator, Prince of Tuscany (30 April 1839 - 18 January 1892) Married Princess Maria Immaculata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.
Archduchess Maria Anna, Princess of Tuscany (9 June 1840 - 13 August 1841)
Archduke Rainer, Prince of Tuscany (1 May 1842 - 14 August 1844)
Archduchess Maria Louisa, Princess of Tuscany (31 October 1845 - 27 August 1917) Married Karl, Prince of Isenburg.
Archduke Louis Salvator, Prince of Tuscany (4 August 1847 - 12 October 1915)
Archduke Johann Salvator, Prince of Tuscany (25 November 1852 - 1890)

Her sister, Maria Christina secretly married her second husband, Augustin Fernández Muñoz, Duke of Riansares (1808-1873) on 28 December 1833. The Grand Ducal family left Palazzo Pitti on 27 April 1859, heading toward Bologna. Leopold II abdicated in favour of his son, as Ferdinand IV on 21 July 1859. Ferdinand IV issued a protest on 26 March 1860, from Dresden. Her husband, Leopold died on 29 January 1870, in Rome. Maria Antonia died aged 83, on 7 November 1898, in Gmunden.

18-19th Cent. Elizabeth Davers, Countess of Bristol.

Elizabeth Davers was the daughter of Margaretta Green and Sir Jermyn Davers 4th Bt. The great-granddaughter of Thomas Jermyn, 2nd Baron Jermyn. She had a brother, Sir Charles Davers, 5th Baronet (c. 1730-1763). Elizabeth Davers married Frederick Augustus Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol (1 August 1730 - 8 July 1803) on 10 August 1752, at Rushbrooke, Suffolk, England. He was the son of Mary Lepell (26 September 1706 - 2 September 1768) and John Hervey, 2nd Baron Hervey of Ickworth. His maternal grandparents were Mary Brooke and Nicholas Lepell. His paternal grandparents were Elizabeth Felton and John Hervey, 1st Earl of Bristol. His parents were married on 21 April 1720. Elizabeth Davers was styled, Countess of Bristol on 23 September 1779. They couple had four sons and three daughters.

The Children of Elizabeth Davers and Frederick Hervey:

Mary Caroline (1753-1842) Married John Creichton, 1st Earl Erne.
George (1755-1765)
John Augustus (1757-1796)
Elizabeth Christiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (13 May 1759 - 30 March 1824) Married William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire.
Son (1761-1761)
Louisa (1767-1821) Married Robert Banks Jenkinson, Lord Hawkesbury and 2nd Earl of Liverpool.
Frederick, Lord Hervey (1769-1859)

Her son, George died in 1765, in Spa, Belgium. In May 1782, her daughter Bess met Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (1757-1806) and William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire (1748-1811) in Bath. Lady Georgiana died on 30 March 1806. Her daughter, Elizabeth married William Cavendish in 1809. Elizabeth died on 19 December 1800, in Ickworth, Suffolk, England. She was buried on 27 December 1800.

18-19th Cent. Marie Thérèse Charlotte, Duchesse d'Angoulême.

 Marie Thérèse Charlotte de France

Marie Thérèse Charlotte de France was born on 19 Decmber 1778, at the Château de Versailles, in Versailles, France. She was the daughter and first child of Marie Antoinette, Queen Consort of France and Navarre (2 November 1755 - 16 October 1793) and Louis XVI, King of France and Navarre (23 August 1754 - 21 January 1793). Her maternal grandparents were Maria Theresia, Holy Roman Empress (13 May 1717 - 29 November 1780) and Franz I, Holy Roman Emperor (8 December 1708 - 18 August 1765). Her paternal grandparents were Marie Josèphe of Saxony, Dauphine de France (4 November 1731 - 13 March 1767) and Louis, Dauphin de France (4 September 1729 - 20 December 1765). Marie Thérèse Charlotte's parents were married on 16 May 1770, in the Chapel Royal, at the Château de Versailles. Her siblings were: Louis Joseph, Dauphin de France (22 October 1781 - 4 June 1789), Louis Charles de France (27 March 1785 - 8 June 1795) and Marie Sophie Hélène Béatrix de France (9 July 1786 - 19 June 1787). Born in front of the Court, as the eldest daughter of the King, she was referred to as Madame Royale. According to the Memoirs of Madame Vigée Le Brun by Marie-Élisabeth-Louise Vigée-Le Brun (1755-1842), "The Queen neglected nothing to impart to her children the courteous and gracious manners which endeared her so to all her surroundings. I once saw her make her six-year-old daughter dine with a little peasant girl and attend to her wants. The Queen saw to it that the little visitor was served first, saying to her daughter, "You must do the honours." Her brother, Louis Joseph de France died on 4 June 1789, at the Château de Meudon. He was interred in the Basilica of St. Denis. In July 1789, the French Revolution broke out. The Royal family was forcibly moved to the Tuileries Palace, in Paris. During June 1791, the family attempted to escape from France. They were caught at Varennes and brought back to Paris. According to the Mémoires de Madame Royale, Duchesse d'Angoulême by Marie Thérèse Charlotte, Duchesse d'Angoulême, "The King my father, and his family, reached the Temple at seven o'clock in the evening of the 13th August, 1792. The gunners wanted to take him alone to the Tower, and to leave us in the Palace of the Temple, but Manuel had by the way received an order to shut us all up in the Tower. Petion appeased the anger of the gunners, and the order was executed. Petion went away, but Manuel remained, and the municipal officers would not let the King out of their sight: he supped with his family. My brother was dying with sleep. At eleven o'clock Madame de Tourzel took him to the tower, which was positively to be the common lodging of all. About one o'clock in the morning, my father and the rest of the family were conducted thither; there was nothing ready for our reception. My aunt slept in the kitchen, and it was said that Manuel himself was ashamed at showing her the way to such a bedchamber." Her father, Louis XVI was executed on 21 January 1793.

Marie Thérèse Charlotte and her aunt, Élisabeth de France farewell to her mother, Marie Antoinette

2nd August 1793

Her mother, Marie Antoinette was transferred on 2 August 1793, to the Conciergerie. "The company of my aunt, whom I loved so tenderly, was a great consolation to me; but, alas! all that I loved was perishing around me, and I was soon to lose her also. In the beginning of November I had an illness caused solely by my anxiety about my mother; I never heard a drum beat that I did not expect another 3d of September." Madame Royale was ordered to go downstairs on 8 October 1793, "My aunt, who was greatly affected, would have followed, but they stopped her. She asked whether I should be permitted to come up again; Chaumette assured her that I should. 'You may trust,' said he, 'the word of an honest republican. She shall return.' I soon found myself in my brother's room, whom I embraced tenderly; but we were torn asunder, and I was obliged to go into another room. Chaumette then questioned me about a thousand shocking things of which they accused my mother and aunt; I was so indignant at hearing such horrors that, terrified as I was, I could not help exclaiming that they were infamous falsehoods. But in spite of my tears they still pressed their questions. There were some things which I did not comprehend, but of which I understood enough to make me weep with indignation and horror... They then asked me about Varennes, and other things. I answered as well as I could without implicating anybody. I had always heard my parents say that it were better to die than to implicate anybody." Marie Antoinette was executed on 16 October 1793. "We could not persuade ourselves that she was dead. A hope, so natural to the unfortunate, persuaded us that she must have been saved. For eighteen months I remained in this cruel suspense. We learnt also by the cries of the newsman the death of the Duc d'Orleans. It was the only piece of news that reached us during the whole winter." As Madame Royale and Madame Élisabeth were going to bed on 9 May 1794, a loud knocking was heard. Madame Royale recalled, "When my aunt was dressed, she opened the door, and they said to her,"

"Citoyenne, come down."
"And my niece?"
"We shall take care of her afterwards.""She embraced me, and to calm my agitation promised to return."

"No, citoyenne, bring your bonnet; you shall not return."
 

"They overwhelmed her with abuse, but she bore it patiently, embracing me, and exhorting me to trust in Heaven, and never to forget the last commands of my father and mother."  Marie Thérèse Charlotte and her brother, Louis Charles remained in the Temple Prison. Her brother, Louis Charles died on 8 June 1795, in the Temple Prison. Marie Thérèse Charlotte was released from prison at midnight on her birthday, 19 December 1795. Marie Thérèse Charlotte took with her a dog named Coco, which had belonged to her father, Louis XVI. As Madame Royale crossed the frontier she said; "I leave France with regret, for I shall never cease to consider it my country." She arrived on 9 January 1796, in Wien. According to Madame Royale, "I was sent for to the Emperor's cabinet, where I found the imperial family assembled. The ministers and chief imperial counsellors were also present... When the Emperor invited me to express my opinion, I answered that to be able to treat fittingly of such interests I thought, I ought to be surrounded not only by my mother's relatives, but also by those of my father... Besides, I said, I was above all things French, and in entire subjection to the laws of France, which had rendered me alternately the subject of the King my father, the King my brother, and the King my uncle, and that I would yield obedience to the latter, whatever might be his commands. This declaration appeared very much to dissatisfy all who were present, and when they observed that I was not to be shaken, they declared that my right being independent of my will, my resistance would not be the slightest obstacle to the measures they might deem it necessary to adopt for the preservation of my interests." In May 1799, Madame Royale was allowed to leave Wien. She joined her Bourbon relatives at Mittau, in Lithuania. Marie Thérèse Charlotte de France married Louis-Antoine, Duke de Angoulême on 10 June 1799, at Mittau, in Kurland. He was the son of Princess Marie Thérèse of Savoy (31 January 1756 - 2 June 1805) and Charles Philippe de France, Comte d'Artois (9 October 1757 - 6 November 1836). According to Madame Vigée Le Brun, "Of the Duchess d'Angoulême I would not venture to speak. What could I say that would not fall short of the truth? The merits of this Princess are known to the whole world, and I fear I should but weaken the future verdict of history. It is equally well known that fate united her with a Prince whose high soul worthily appreciated her." She returned on 24 April 1814, to France. According to Marie Thérèse Charlotte's proclamation to French people in regard to Napoléon Bonaparte's attempt to return from Elba, "If the voice of your legitimate King has not yet reached you, I now make you hear it. It is in his name; in virtue of the powers he has confided to me, that I address you. Faithful Frenchmen join the daughter of your Kings. She does not bring you war; she speaks to you only of peace and union. She laments the frightful calamities brought upon you by treason and perjury; she cannot look without terror to those of which war may still render you the victims. Frenchmen, in the name of the country, of your families, of all that you hold most dear and sacred upon earth, rise all, join yourselves to me to secure the triumph of the paternal views of the best of Kings. Frenchmen, time is precious, victorious armies advance; let a truly national movement, and the expression of our fidelity to our King, at once put an end to a war, not undertaken from ambition and the love of conquest, but from necessity of saving France and Europe. Frenchmen, raise the standard of fidelity, and you shall see me in the midst of you." Marie Thérèse Charlotte, Her Royal Highness the Duchess D'Angouleme, London, June 26, 1815. 

 Marie Thérèse Charlotte, Duchesse d'Angoulême

Detail by Antoine-Jean Gros

1816

 Marie Thérèse Charlotte, Duchesse d'Angoulême

by Antoine-Jean Gros

1816

In 1830, King Charles X abdicated and the Royal family was forced once again into exile. Her husband, Louis-Antoine died on 3 June 1844, in Görtz, Austria. He was interred in the Church of the Annunciation of Our Lady of Kostanjevica, in Görtz. The couple had no children. Marie Thérèse Charlotte de France died of pneumonia aged 71, on 19 October 1851, at the Castle of Frosdorf, in Gorz. In her will, Marie Thérèse Charlotte wrote, "Thank all Frenchmen who have remained attached to my family and to me, for the proofs of devotion that they have given us and for the sufferings they have endured for our sakes. I pray God to shower his blessings upon France that I have always loved, even in the time of my bitterest afflictions." She was interred in the Church of the Annunciation of Our Lady, Castagnavizza, in Nova Gorica, Slovenia.

Excerpts and Sources: Mémoires de Madame Royale, Duchesse d'Angoulême by Marie Thérèse Charlotte, Duchess D'Angouleme and Memoirs of Madame Vigée Le Brun by Marie-Élisabeth-Louise Vigée-Le Brun.