Elisabeth Charlotte d’Orleans, Duchess of Lorraine and Commercy, was born on September 13, 1676. Being the daughter of Philippe d’Orleans made her the niece of Louis XIV. Her mother was famous Liselotte of the Palatinate, known in history annals for her tough character, sharp tongue and extended correspondence.
As a descendant of the kings of France, Spain, and England, Elisabeth Charlotte had every reason to expect a prestigious marriage. Politics, however, intervened. In order to secure the Treaty of Rijswijk signed by France and the Grand Alliance (the Dutch Republic, England, Spain and the Holy Roman Empire), Elisabeth Charlotte had to accept marriage to the ‘mere’ Duke of Lorraine. For the House of Lorraine, this was a brilliant match, but her own family considered it a mesalliance.
Despite this unpromising start, the relationship proved generally peaceful and mutually understanding. Within 16 years, Elisabeth Charlotte bore 14 children to whom she was a loving mother. Admittedly, 10 of them died at a young age. However, the marriages of the surviving children must have afforded some consolation to the Duchess. Through the marriages of her two sons, Francis Stephan and Charles Alexander, she became the mother-in-law of Maria Theresa and her sister Maria Anna. One of her daughters married the King of Sardinia.
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