Archduchess Maria Elisabeth, daughter of Emperor Leopold I, was born on 13 December 1680. She was the child of Leopold I and his third wife, Eleonore Magdalena of Pfalz-Neuburg, and the sister of the future emperors Joseph I and Charles VI. One of her sisters later became Queen of Portugal.
From an early age, Maria Elisabeth demonstrated remarkable intelligence and a strong inclination toward learning. She spoke five languages, was interested in history, and composed a chronology of the Habsburg dynasty in Latin. She remained unmarried and lived in Vienna.
In her early thirties, her brother Charles VI appointed her administrator of Tyrol. Maria Elisabeth must have acquitted herself well in that role, for in 1725 the Emperor nominated her for the far more responsible position of governor of the Austrian Netherlands, roughly corresponding to modern-day Belgium. This is the role for which she is chiefly remembered in historical accounts. Thus, she belongs to the small but remarkable group of Habsburg archduchesses who were active in politics and state affairs.
In the office of governess, Maria Elisabeth stepped into the shoes of her illustrious predecessor, Prince Eugene of Savoy. She fulfilled the role with great success, at times acting rather too independently in the Emperor’s eyes, yet she remained consistently respected by — and popular among — her subjects.
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