The 18th of January 1761 was another sad day for the Imperial family. Archduke Charles Joseph, the second-eldest son of Maria Theresa and Francis Stephan, died shortly before his 17th birthday.
Due to his young age, Charles Joseph’s biography is rather sparse, and only a few basic details are consistently repeated across history books. These include praise for his bright, friendly nature and charming behaviour, which made him everyone’s favourite; his rivalry with his elder brother, Joseph, whose character was quite the opposite; his intended role as the ruler of Tuscany and his planned marriage to a Spanish infanta, arranged by Maria Theresa; and, finally, his unexpected death, which ended all these promising prospects.
Although he had previously survived smallpox—a disease often lethal in those times—he succumbed to a sudden feverish attack.
The young Archduke was deeply mourned. Charles Joseph’s death marked the beginning of a difficult period for the Imperial family, as over the next few years, a fatal disease afflicted another six of its members of the family, four of whom did not survive.
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