12 February – Wedding of the 18th century

Drumroll for the wedding of the 18^th century, please! Maria Theresa of Austria and Francis Stephan of Lorraine were married on 12 February 1736.

As Heinz Rieder charmingly notes in his book “Maria Theresa: Schicksalstunde des Habsburgs,” at first glance and from the perspective of the Empire, the marriage did not seem to promise anything more than a happy archduchess. Maria Theresa was only an heir presumptive, and her parents had not completely given up hope of producing a son. The most realistic prospect for the newlyweds was to ascend the throne of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany one day. Many years later, Maria Theresa admitted that if it had been God’s will, she would have happily remained a “simple” Grand Duchess.

However, the long-term consequences of that union are well-known. A progressive model of family life (for the standards of that time) secured the dynasty, and their offspring directed European politics through the centuries until the onset of the First World War. True, these ends did not prove easy achievements as the birth of the long-awaited heir was delayed for several years, and the general acceptance of Maria Theresa as the rightful ruler of the Habsburg domain became possible only after a series of devastating wars.

Fortunately, in 1736, all these troubles were hidden behind the horizon, and the young couple were afforded a few carefree years full of love and joy.