• 13/04/2022
• By wizewebsite
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What was the marriage of Maria Theresa and Francis: Tough fight on both sides<

Outwardly, the relationship certainly seemed idyllic. There was a relatively strict etiquette at the Austrian court, and it would certainly not be appropriate for the royal couple to throw their plates at each other in anger. They both had a very decent upbringing and had been polite to each other all their lives. František Štěpán addressed his wife in the letters "my angel's bride" and in small domestic disputes he allegedly used to be the one who always backed down.

He gave up Lorraine because of his love

There is no doubt that marriages have been taken. It was not usual for royal families, but it was Maria Theresa who wished her luck. Father Charles VI. he was looking for a groom for her who would not mind foreign allies. Since it was already known at the time that he would not be left behind by a male successor and the Austrian lands would be inherited by his daughter according to pragmatic sanctions, the heiress's groom should not be too powerful not to expand too much in Europe and make Austria a dangerous giant. František Štěpán met this condition very well, as he inherited only Lorraine. Thus, only France, which made its own claims on Lorraine, did not agree with the marriage.

Marie Terezie, circa 1736-1740Source: Gabriello Mattei / CREATIVE COMMONS / CC0, Public domain, https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/

František Štěpán therefore gave up his inheritance, which could be explained as proof of infinite love, but for himself he was not such a victim. He never behaved like a typical ambitious aristocrat. He hated formalities, preferred comfortable clothing, and retained a natural appearance that was not worn among the starched nobility. Through his marriage to Maria Theresa, he gained a better position than he would have achieved in a post in Lorraine, while still being able to retain a piece of personal freedom. He was just a co-ruler in Austria and could hide a little behind his wife. How clever!

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Wisely divided roles

However, some historians believe that it could not have been easy for František Štěpán to stand in the shadow of his reigning wife. Maybe it wasn't. However, right after five years of her reign, he certainly made up for it because he became emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. However, his wife negotiated the necessary votes for the election. In the end, she was in power again.

If František was upset, he could succeed thanks to his officially recognized position. However, he was not so drawn by politics and had no prince or talent. On the other hand, he discovered business talent and set up manufactories in Austria. He was doing so well that he could lend Maria Theresa money to pay for holes in the state budget. But there weren't many of them then.

František Štěpán LotrinskýSource: Unknown Painter / CREATIVE COMMONS / CC0, Public domain, https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/

The imperial couple was therefore well-coordinated and complemented each other perfectly. 16 newborns testify to the fact that it did not go out even in intimate life. Maria Theresa was essentially constantly pregnant for the first twenty years of her marriage.

However, František Štěpán had a strong sap and did not hesitate to look for other women. The Empress did not miss it, but she learned to forgive him. Tolerated infidelity was a relatively normal phenomenon among the aristocracy at the time, and everyone wanted to avoid a public scandal. It's hard to guess what the couple was saying between four eyes when all the doors closed. As historian Ivo Cerman stated for Czech Radio, "you never know publicly known people".

Sources: www.irozhlas.cz, www.stoplusjednicka.cz, cs.wikipedia.org