The Fate of Maria Theresa 's Children

Maria Theresa married all of her children off to strengthen her empire. The alliances that could be formed by marrying her children off meant more to Maria Theresa than love - it did not matter whether her children loved their wives or husbands or not.

Joseph, Maria Theresa 's eldest son, was married to Isabella of Parma, the granddaughter of King Louis XV of France. They had a child, named Maria Theresa after her grandmother, who died when she was 8. Isabella was a depressed person. She died when she was 22 and Joseph married Maria Josepha of Bavaria, who died of smallpox in 1767.

Maria Josepha, Joseph's second wife, was hated by everyone. She was an ugly and dour girl. When Maria Josepha died of smallpox, Maria Theresa ordered one of her daughters, Maria Josepha (who by coincidence had the same name as Joseph's wife), to visit the tomb to show a sign of mourning. Sadly, Maria Josepha caught the smallpox from the tomb and died a few days later.

Maria Christina, Maria Theresa 's first daughter who lived past the age of three, married Albert of Saxe-Teschen Stattsholder of the Netherlands to strengthen Austrian ties with the Netherlands and Belgium.

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