Maria Christine von Österreich (1742-1798)

Austrian Royalty. Born Marie Christine Johanna Josephe Antonie Erzherzogin von Österreich at Vienna, Austria the daughter of Franz I Stefan de Lorraine, Holy Roman Emperor and Maria Theresa Amalia Walburga Kaiserin von Österreich, the fifth of their sixteen children. She and her mother shared a birthday, and were extremely close throughout their lives, to the point where her siblings evidenced jealousy of her position as favorite. Although initially a political marriage with her cousin, Benedetto of Savoy, was proposed for her, after the death of her father, she apparently convinced her mother to allow her her own choice of spouse; the only one of the siblings allowed to do so, leading to greater estrangement from the sisters. She married Albrecht Casimir, a younger son of Friedrich II of Poland. He was made an Archduke, and they were appointed joint Viceroys of Hungary, and joint Stadtholders of the Netherlands in 1780. The couple was also given the duchy of Teschen. The marriage was described as happy, however, their only daughter died shortly after birth. They did adopt her nephew; her brother Leopold's son, Charles, after the early death of the boy's parents. She died at age 56 at Vienna, her husband commissioned the sculptor, Antonio Canova, to create a monument in her memory now in the Augustinian Church in Vienna.

Bio by: Iola