Marianne’s relationship with her brother Joseph (born 1741) had been full of veiled tension since their childhood. As the eldest Imperial son and daughter, they were both smart and studious, though with her higher intelligence and brilliant memory, Marianne outperformed her brother in school lessons. Both were ambitious and somewhat arrogant, especially Joseph, who, as the heir to the throne, had been overpoured with attention since the day he was born. Quite to the contrary of Marianne, who emerged as a disappointment to the Imperial Court, especially the Empress, and gradually evolved to be the most ‘invisible’ of the Imperial daughters.
It does not take a psychologist to notice the good grounds for mutual bitterness between Marianne and Joseph. A complicated rivalry, rooted in her intellectual superiority, which Joseph could not accept, and her crucial need to fight for their mother’s recognition and approval.
Years later, after the death of Empress, when Joseph became the sole ruler, the poor relations between brother and sister drove Marianne’s decision to leave Vienna for Klagenfurt, where she spent the rest of her life.
Access to the Metatext via placing an order for an augmented product. See Terms of Use
