Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen

Duchess of Teschen

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Austria rank#186

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Fame58.0
Momentum5.1
Austria rank#186
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Lived 1742–1798, aged 56Austria

Austria Historical Figures

Wikipedia
35 languages
Cross-language footprint
Rank in Austria
#186
Historical Figures
Era
1742–1798
Aged 56
Awards
2
recognised works

Summary

Updated 2026-06-09

The favorite daughter of Maria Theresa, given what her siblings never got: a love match, a duchy, and the Austrian Netherlands to govern. She ruled twice and fled twice.

Biography

About

Maria Christina was born 13 May 1742, fifth child of Maria Theresa of Austria and Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor. In 1766 she married Prince Albert of Saxony — a rare privilege in a family where marriages were currency, not choice. The couple received the Duchy of Teschen as a wedding gift. In 1781 Maria Theresa appointed her and Albert joint Governors of the Austrian Netherlands, a post they held until 1789 when revolution forced them out. They returned in 1791, only to be expelled again in 1792. She spent her final years in Vienna with Albert, dying there on 24 June 1798.

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