Emperor Joseph I, not yet 33 years old, passed away on 17 April 1711, after only six years on the throne. His death was one of those rare events that dramatically altered the political landscape of Europe. Joseph had been a vigorous and determined ruler. Even as Crown Prince, he had shown strong opposition to […]
Joanna of Castile, known to history as “the Mad”, died on 12 April 1555. She was highly intelligent and well educated in languages, philosophy, mathematics, law, and the arts. As the daughter of the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, she married Philip, the son of Emperor Maximilian I. The […]
In Maria Theresa’s closest family circle, 7 April was a meaningful day of celebration for at least two reasons. First, in 1768, Maria Theresa chose this date for the wedding of her tenth daughter, Maria Karolina, to Ferdinand of Naples. The ceremony by proxy took place in Vienna but was legally binding, after which the […]
Empress Bianca Maria Sforza, daughter of the Duke of Milan, was born on 5 April 1472. The little girl was first married off by her relatives at the age of two and widowed at ten. The kings of Hungary and Scotland were later considered as her potential suitors before, in 1494, Maximilian — then King […]
The Emperor Ferdinand III died on 2 April 1657. He was the third but eldest surviving son of Ferdinand II and Maria Anna of Bavaria. As a sickly child, he grew up in a loving family circle and received a careful education in languages and sciences. From an early age, he was praised for his […]
Mary of Burgundy, the daughter of Charles the Bold, died on 27 March 1482. She was the sole heir to the wealthy, refined, and powerful Duchy of Burgundy. Descended from the kings of France, England, Portugal, and Aragon, Mary embodied the perfect prototype of a fairy-tale princess: young, beautiful, educated, cultured, and – last but […]
The Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I was born on 22 March 1459. He was the son of Emperor Frederick III and Eleanor of Portugal, whom I wrote about just a few days ago. Maximilian’s life and reign fell during the transitional period between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. His personality reflected the ambiguity of […]
Maria Josepha of Bavaria, the second wife of Joseph II, was born on 20 March 1739 in Munich. Through their grandfathers, Emperors Joseph I and Charles VI, they were second cousins. Maria Josepha was yet another tragic example of a life overshadowed by an unhappy marriage. The widowed Joseph fiercely opposed the idea of remarrying, […]
Emperor Frederick III and Eleanor of Portugal married on 16 March 1452. This was one of the most baffling unions among the Habsburgs. Frederick’s attitude towards women was extremely reserved, to put it mildly, and he avoided committing himself until the age of 37. His choice of Eleanor, 20 years his junior, as his bride […]
Empress Zita of Bourbon-Parma, wife of Charles I of Austria, passed away on 14 March 1989. Their reign, lasting ten days less than two years between 1916 and 1918, made them the shortest-reigning Imperial couple in the history of the dynasty. The newly proclaimed Republic of Austria legally banned the Habsburgs from entering the country, […]
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