Holy Roman Empress

A quarter century ago I had the exhilirating experience of Vienna. One of the many highlights of the time spent there was a visit to Schoenbrunn Palace. This magnificent structure is interesting from an architectural and artistic viewpoint, but my greatest interest was in Habsburg history, particularly that period during which Maria Theresa was Empress.

Schoenbrunn was but one of many royal residential palaces. Maria Theresa herself was born and died in the Hofburg Palace.
Maria Theresa was born 13 May 1717 and died 29 November 1780. She was mother to sixteen children by Holy Roman Emperor Francis I, among which were two Holy Roman Emperors, a Queen of France, a Queen of Naples and a Duchess of Parma.

Maria Theresa was Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Hungary and Queen of Bohemia for forty years. She was Holy Roman Empress for thirty-five of those years. She spent most of this time bearing children, arranging marriages of children, and fighting wars. On this date in 1743, Maria Theresa was crowned King of Bohemia.

At the time of her death, her title was Maria Theresa, by the Grace of God, Dowager Empress of the Romans, Queen of Hungary, of Bohemia, of Dalmatia, of Croatia, of Slavonia, of Galicia, of Lodomeria, etc.; Archduchess of Austria; Duchess of Burgundy, of Styria, of Carinthia and of Carniola; Grand Princess of Transylvania; Margravine of Moravia; Duchess of Brabant, of Limburg, of Luxemburg, of Guelders, of Württemberg, of Upper and Lower Silesia, of Milan, of Mantua, of Parma, of Piacenza, of Guastalla, of Auschwitz and of Zator; Princess of Swabia; Princely Countess of Habsburg, of Flanders, of Tyrol, of Hennegau, of Kyburg, of Gorizia and of Gradisca; Margravine of Burgau, of Upper and Lower Lusatia; Countess of Namur; Lady of the Wendish Mark and of Mechlin; Dowager Duchess of Lorraine and Bar, Dowager Grand Duchess of Tuscany.

Irreverent as it may be,this springs to mind: "Sticky Sticky Stombo..."

Portrait: Maria Theresa, by Moeller