13 September – A Bourbon mother-in-law

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 […]
12 September – A Habsburg–Wasa Bloodline

Archduchess Cecilia Renata and King Władysław IV Vasa were married on 12 September 1637. Since the last decades of the 16th century, the Habsburgs had striven for closer ties with the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, hoping to secure themselves against the rising Ottoman threat as well as against ever-rebellious Hungary. A generation earlier, the sisters Anna and […]
10 September – Dead while still alive; alive when already dead

Empress Elisabeth died on 10 September 1898 in Geneva at the hand of an assassin.In the last years of her life, Elisabeth was, in a sense, already dead to the world. Her legendary beauty had faded, her long and unhappy marriage, together with the loss of her only son Crown Prince Rudolf, had shattered her […]
8 September – Napoleon’s irreconcilable enemy

Maria Karolina, Queen of Naples and Sicily, passed away on 8 September 1814. She was the last surviving child of Maria Theresa and was said to have closely resembled her mother in political talent. There was little to envy in Maria Karolina’s life. After a happy childhood in Vienna, she was married off to King […]
6 September – A true old-school archduchess

Archduchess Marie Valerie, the youngest child of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth (Sisi), passed away on 6 September 1924. Marie Valerie was the Empress’s favourite child, the sole object of her overwhelming motherly love. On some occasions this granted her great advantages – for instance, she was spared a dynastic marriage and was able […]
3 September – Great expectations of an Empress

Empress Eleanor of Portugal, wife of Emperor Frederick III, passed away on 3 September 1467. Raised in the vibrant and splendid Renaissance court of Portugal, she felt like an outcast amid the austere conditions of Wiener Neustadt, the Imperial residence, and alongside her phlegmatic, surly husband — nearly twenty years her senior. Little wonder, then, […]
2 September – A Social Democratic Archduchess

Archduchess Elisabeth Marie was born on 2 September 1883 as the only child of Crown Prince Rudolf and Princess Stéphanie of Belgium. When her father died by suicide at Mayerling, she was just five years old. One might wonder whether there was ever any true harmony in this princess’s life. Her grandmother, the eccentric Empress […]
30 August – Three drops of British blood

Archduke Joseph, son of Emperor Leopold II and Maria Luisa of Spain, seemed to have chosen August as his preferred month for tying the knot. On 30 August 1815, he married Hermine of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym. Only two weeks later, on 17 September, his brother Archduke Charles married Hermine’s niece Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg. Unfortunately, Joseph’s marital bliss […]
28 August – A classic blonde beauty

The Holy Roman Empress Elisabeth Christine was born on 28 August 1691. In the annals of history, only the fact that she was Maria Theresa’s mother has spared her from complete obscurity. Born to the Protestant Duke of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel, she was chosen to wed Catholic Archduke Charles, future Emperor Charles VI. Surprisingly, it took the […]
26 August – A colleague of Margaret of Austria

Archduchess Maria Elisabeth, the daughter of Emperor Leopold I and long-time governess of the Austrian Netherlands, died on 26 August 1741. With her, the dynasty lost a talented political leader and administrator. In 1715, after the defeat in the War of the Spanish Succession, Austria received the Spanish Netherlands as compensation. Due to widespread hostility […]