The Royal Link: Charles Vi & Maria Theresa's Kinship

Maria Theresa (1717-1780) was the eldest daughter of Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, and Elizabeth of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Charles VI was the ruler of the Austrian Habsburg monarchy from 1711 until his death in 1740, when he was succeeded by his daughter, Maria Theresa.

Maria Theresa was the eldest daughter of Charles VI

Charles VI spent his entire reign securing his daughter's succession through international diplomacy. He established a reasonably unified order of succession for all the lands under Habsburg rule (the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713) and made broad concessions to foreign powers to secure recognition of this act.

Maria Theresa became ruler of the Habsburg monarchy in 1740, when her father died. She was the only woman to hold the position suo jure (in her own right). She was also archduchess of Austria, queen of Hungary and Bohemia, and, by marriage, Duchess of Lorraine, Grand Duchess of Tuscany, and Holy Roman Empress.

Charles VI was Holy Roman Emperor and ruler of the Austrian Habsburg monarchy

Charles VI was born on 1 October 1685 and was Holy Roman Emperor from 1711 until his death on 20 October 1740. He was the son of Leopold I and succeeded his elder brother, Joseph I, as ruler of the Austrian Habsburg monarchy. In 1708, he married Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, with whom he had four children: Leopold Johann, Maria Theresa, Maria Anna, and Maria Amalia. Leopold Johann and Maria Amalia died in infancy.

Faced with a lack of male heirs, Charles VI provided for a male-line succession failure with the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713. This established a reasonably unified order of succession for all the lands under Habsburg rule and paved the way for his daughter Maria Theresa's accession. Charles VI spent his entire reign securing this through international diplomacy, making broad concessions to foreign powers and to the diets of the crown lands.

Maria Theresa was born on 13 May 1717 and was the eldest daughter of Charles VI and Elizabeth of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. She was ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 1740 until her death in 1780, and was sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Transylvania, and many other territories. By marriage, she was Duchess of Lorraine, Grand Duchess of Tuscany, and Holy Roman Empress.

Maria Theresa was the only woman to hold the position of ruler of the Habsburg monarchy

Maria Theresa (1717-1780) was the only woman to hold the position of ruler of the Habsburg monarchy. She was the daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, who was himself ruler of the Austrian Habsburg monarchy from 1711 until his death in 1740. Charles VI had no male heirs, so he paved the way for his daughter's accession with the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713, spending his entire reign securing it through international diplomacy.

Maria Theresa was the eldest daughter of Charles VI and Elizabeth of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. She was married to Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor, and was the mother of Joseph II, who also became Holy Roman Emperor. Maria Theresa was sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Transylvania, Slavonia, Mantua, Milan, Moravia, Galicia and Lodomeria, Dalmatia, the Austrian Netherlands, Carinthia, Carniola, Gorizia and Gradisca, Lusatia, Styria and Parma. She was also Duchess of Lorraine and Grand Duchess of Tuscany.

Maria Theresa's accession was challenged by the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-48), which was followed by the Seven Years' War (1756-63) and the War of the Bavarian Succession (1778-79), which further checked Austrian power.

Charles VI's wife was Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

Charles VI was Holy Roman Emperor and ruler of the Austrian Habsburg monarchy from 1711 until his death in 1740. He was succeeded by his daughter, Maria Theresa, who became ruler of the Habsburg monarchy and sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Transylvania, Slavonia, Mantua, Milan, Moravia, Galicia and Lodomeria, Dalmatia, the Austrian Netherlands, Carinthia, Carniola, Gorizia and Gradisca, Lusatia, Styria and Parma. Maria Theresa was the only woman to hold the position suo jure (in her own right).

Charles VI had no surviving male heirs, which posed a problem for the succession. In 1713, he issued the Pragmatic Sanction, which established a reasonably unified order of succession for all the lands under Habsburg rule. He spent the rest of his reign securing recognition of this act through international diplomacy.

Maria Theresa was the wife of Holy Roman Emperor Francis I

Charles VI was Holy Roman Emperor and ruler of the Austrian Habsburg monarchy from 1711 until his death in 1740. He was the father of Maria Theresa, who was born in 1717. In 1740, Maria Theresa became ruler of the Habsburg monarchy, and was the only woman to hold the position suo jure (in her own right). She was sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Transylvania, Slavonia, Mantua, Milan, Moravia, Galicia and Lodomeria, Dalmatia, the Austrian Netherlands, Carinthia, Carniola, Gorizia and Gradisca, Lusatia, Styria and Parma.

Maria Theresa's husband, Francis I, was Holy Roman Emperor from 1745-65. He was also Duke of Lorraine and Grand Duke of Tuscany. Maria Theresa was Holy Roman Empress by marriage.

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