The sibling closest to Marianne was Amalia. Born in 1746, there was a remarkable difference in age between her and her elder and younger sisters and thus she was educated as an only child. Due to this, Amalia grew up somewhat lonely and withdrawn. Contrary to her siblings, she developed a great love of animals and liked to roam around in nature.
Amalia bore strong resemblance to Marianne in her lively, curious and clever character, yet unlike her, she was stubborn, challenging and strong-willed – traits the Empress looked on with disfavour. The sisters’ relationships with their other family members were similarly full of tension and, for both of them, maternal love was rather limited. Years later, Amalia had to subordinate herself to dynastic politics and, despite her fierce opposition, had to accept a marriage bond she detested. The harsh pressure from the Empress and Joseph, the co-ruler, irreversibly spoilt her relationship with them. On the other hand, after becoming Duchess of Parma, she gained a new independence, becoming the only Imperial daughter the Empress was not able to dominate.
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