Maria Theresa's Legacy: A Large Family, A Lasting Impact

Maria Theresa of Austria (1717-1780) was one of the most important monarchs in the history of the country, and is well-known for giving birth to sixteen children. She was Archduchess of Austria, Holy Roman Empress, and Queen of Hungary and Bohemia. She was married to Francis I, Duke of Lorraine, and had eleven daughters and five sons, ten of whom survived into adulthood.

Maria Theresa gave birth to 16 children

Maria Theresa of Austria gave birth to 16 children. She was married to Francis I, Duke of Lorraine, and had 11 daughters and five sons. Ten of her daughters were given the first name 'Maria'.

Maria Theresa was Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, and Holy Roman Empress. She was the only woman ruler in the 650-year history of the Habsburg dynasty. She was also one of the most successful Habsburg rulers, male or female.

Maria Theresa gave birth to her children between 1738 and 1756. Her first child, a daughter named Maria Elisabeth, died while still a young child. Her eldest surviving child was Maria Anna, who developed strong intellectual interests and was very similar in character to her father. Maria Anna was afflicted by a deformation of the ribcage, which meant she was not considered marriageable. She remained with her mother until the latter's death in 1780, and then spent the rest of her life as abbess of the St Elizabeth convent in Klagenfurt.

Maria Theresa's last child, Maximilian Francis, was born when she was 39 years old, during the Seven Years' War. She asserted that, had she not been almost always pregnant, she would have gone into battle herself. Four of her children died before reaching adolescence.

She had 11 daughters

Maria Theresa of Austria gave birth to 16 children, 11 of whom were daughters. Ten of her daughters had the first name "Maria". Her first child, a daughter named Maria Elisabeth, died while still a young child. Maria Anna, her eldest surviving child, developed strong intellectual interests and was very similar in character to her father. She was afflicted by a deformation of the ribcage, which meant she was not considered marriageable. Maria Anna remained with her mother until the latter's death in 1780, after which she spent her remaining years as abbess of the St Elizabeth convent in Klagenfurt.

Maria Theresa was married to Francis I, Duke of Lorraine. She loved her husband dearly and passionately. She gave birth to her 16 children between 1738 and 1756. Four of her children died before reaching adolescence. Maria Theresa was the only woman ruler in the 650-year history of the Habsburg dynasty. She was also one of the most successful Habsburg rulers, male or female.

Five of her children were sons

Maria Theresa of Austria gave birth to 16 children between 1738 and 1756. Five of her children were sons. Maria Theresa was married to Francis I, Duke of Lorraine, and she loved him dearly. She was one of the few people in her age who married for love. She gave birth to 11 daughters, ten of whom had the first name "Maria". Four of Maria Theresa's children died before reaching adolescence. Her eldest daughter Maria Elisabeth died from stomach cramps at the age of three. Her third child, the first of three daughters named Maria Carolina, died shortly after her first birthday.

Ten of her daughters were named Maria

Maria Theresa of Austria gave birth to sixteen children, eleven of whom were daughters. Ten of her daughters were named Maria. The eldest daughter, Maria Elisabeth, died from stomach cramps at the age of three. Maria Theresa's third child, the first of three daughters named Maria Carolina, died shortly after her first birthday. Maria Theresa's other daughters included Maria Anna, Maria Johanna, Maria Josepha, and Maria Antonia.

Four of her children died before reaching adolescence

Maria Theresa of Austria gave birth to sixteen children, eleven daughters and five sons. Of these, ten survived into adulthood. Four of her children died before reaching adolescence. Her eldest daughter, Maria Elisabeth, died from stomach cramps at the age of three. Her third child, the first of three daughters named Maria Carolina, died shortly after her first birthday. Maria Theresa's first child, another daughter named Maria Elisabeth, died while still a young child. The eldest of the surviving children was Maria Anna, who developed strong intellectual interests and was very similar in character to her father. Afflicted by a deformation of the ribcage, she was not considered marriageable and remained with her mother until the latter's death in 1780.

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