Archduchess Maria Leopoldine of Austria-Este
Encyclopedia
Archduchess Maria Leopoldine of Austria-Este (December 10, 1776 – June 23, 1848) was the second wife of Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria
.
, the second eldest daughter of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Este
and of his wife, Princess Maria Beatrice Ricciarda d'Este
.
. She was described as terrorizing her spouse in front of the Bavarian court. She chose herself to make an alliance with the House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken in opposition to the alliance her husband had forged with her own Habsburg family. When her spouse was dying in 1799, she helped his heir Maximilian of Palatinate-Zweibrücken arrange for his succession and retired to the Castle of Berg
at Lake Starnberg
, where she was soon became known for a libertine lifestyle with permissive parties. She became pregnant and was exiled to Laibach
for some time. Later she became very wealthy through the management of her Bavarian manor in Stepperg.
On 14 November 14 1804 in Munich
, Maria Leopoldine married Count Ludwig Arco. They had three children:
In 1848, Maria Leopoldine was traveling by carriage from Munich to Vienna. Her carriage overturned near Wasserburg am Inn
and she was killed. She left a fortune of 15 million florins to her two sons.
Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria
Charles Theodore, Prince-Elector, Count Palatine and Duke of Bavaria reigned as Prince-Elector and Count palatine from 1742, as Duke of Jülich and Berg from 1742 and also as Prince-Elector and Duke of Bavaria from 1777, until his death...
.
Early life
Maria Leopoldine was born in MilanMilan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, the second eldest daughter of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Este
Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Este
Archduke Ferdinand Karl Anton Joseph Johann Stanislaus of Austria-Este was a son of Holy Roman Emperor Franz I and Maria Theresa of Austria. He was the founder of the House of Austria-Este and Governor of the Duchy of Milan between 1765 and 1796...
and of his wife, Princess Maria Beatrice Ricciarda d'Este
Maria Beatrice Ricciarda d'Este
Maria Beatrice d’Este was heiress of Modena and Reggio and Duchess of Massa and Carrara from 1790 until 1797 and from 1816 until her death in 1829.-Biography:...
.
Marriages and issue
Against her will, Maria Leopoldine was forced in August 1795 to marry Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria, who was 52 years older than Maria Leopoldine. The marriage was arranged with the hope that it would result in a son and heir for the senior line of the House of Wittelsbach, but Maria Leopoldine rejected sexual contact with her husband. Instead, she started to take lovers, among them Maximilian of Palatinate-Zweibrücken and Maximilian von MontgelasMaximilian von Montgelas
Maximilian Josef Garnerin, Count von Montgelas was a Bavarian statesman, from a noble family in Savoy. His father John Sigmund Garnerin, Baron Montgelas, entered the military service of Maximilian III, Elector of Bavaria, and married the Countess Ursula von Trauner...
. She was described as terrorizing her spouse in front of the Bavarian court. She chose herself to make an alliance with the House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken in opposition to the alliance her husband had forged with her own Habsburg family. When her spouse was dying in 1799, she helped his heir Maximilian of Palatinate-Zweibrücken arrange for his succession and retired to the Castle of Berg
Castle Berg (Lake Starnberg)
The Castle of Berg is situated at the east bank of Lake Starnberg in the village of Berg in Upper Bavaria.- History :The estate was acquired by Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria in 1676 who ordered the construction the Castle of Berg. It was the venue of numerous festivities also under his...
at Lake Starnberg
Lake Starnberg
Lake Starnberg , 25 kilometers southwest of Munich in southern Bavaria, is Germany's fifth largest freshwater lake and, due to its large average depth, the second richest in water...
, where she was soon became known for a libertine lifestyle with permissive parties. She became pregnant and was exiled to Laibach
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
for some time. Later she became very wealthy through the management of her Bavarian manor in Stepperg.
On 14 November 14 1804 in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Maria Leopoldine married Count Ludwig Arco. They had three children:
- Count Aloys Nikolaus Ambros von Arco (December 6, 1808 – September 10, 1891)
- Count Maximilian Joseph Bernhard von Arco-Zinneberg (December 13, 1811 – November 13, 1885)
- Countess Caroline von Arco (December 26, 1814 – January 18, 1815)
In 1848, Maria Leopoldine was traveling by carriage from Munich to Vienna. Her carriage overturned near Wasserburg am Inn
Wasserburg am Inn
Wasserburg am Inn is a town in the district Rosenheim in Upper Bavaria, Germany. The historic centre is a peninsula, formed by the meandering Inn River...
and she was killed. She left a fortune of 15 million florins to her two sons.