It is rare for the death of a young child to shift the balance of European power and trigger a full-scale war. Yet that is precisely what happened when six-year-old Joseph Ferdinand of Bavaria died on 6 February 1699. By the late 1690s, it was clear that Charles II would be the last Spanish Habsburg […]
Archduchess Johanna Gabriela of Habsburg-Lorraine, the eighth daughter of Maria Theresa and Francis Stephan, was born on 4 February 1750. As she died at the age of 12, little is known about her life. She was closest to her sister Maria Josepha, who was only a year younger. The two girls were raised and educated […]
On 2 February 1622, Emperor Ferdinand II married his second wife, Eleonora of Gonzaga (1598–1655). In addition to both being grandchildren of Emperor Ferdinand I, her future husband—20 years her senior—was also her godfather. As a result, a double dispensation from the Holy See was required for their marriage. Eleonora became a loving stepmother to […]
Archduke Charles Joseph, the second son of Maria Theresa and Francis Stephen, was born on 1 February 1745. Owing to his short life, Charles Joseph’s biography is necessarily sparse, and only a few basic details recur consistently in historical accounts. Foremost among these is the unanimous praise for his bright, friendly nature and charming manner, […]
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