Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (August 28 1691, Brunswick, Germany ; December 21 1750, Vienna, Austria) Princess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Holy Roman Empress by her marriage to Emperor Charles VI. She was renowned for her delicate beauty and also for being the mother of Empress Maria Theresa.

Elisabeth Christine was the eldest daughter of Louis Rudolph, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and his wife Princess Christine Louise of Oettingen-Oettingen.

At age 13 Elisabeth Christine became engaged to the future Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor through negotiations between her ambitious grandfather, Anthony Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Charles' sister-in-law, Empress Wilhelmina Amalia, whose father was John Frederick, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and thus belonged to another branch of the Guelph dynasty.

However, the Protestant bride opposed the marriage at first, since it involved her switching to Catholicism, but finally she gave in and on 1 May 1707, was converted in Bamberg.

At the time of the wedding, Charles was fighting for his rights to the Spanish throne against the French-born King Philip V of Spain, so he was living in Barcelona. Elisabeth Christine arrived in Spain on July 1708 and married Charles on 1 August 1708 in Barcelona. Later, they had two children who survived infancy, Empress Maria Teresa and Archduchess Maria Anna. Elisabeth Christine died in Vienna.

Children

• Leopold Johann (April 13 1716 - November 4 1716), Archduke of Austria
• Maria Teresa (May 13 1717 - November 29 1780), Archduchess of Austria, married Francis III Stephen, Duke of Lorraine (later Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor)
• Maria Anna (September 26 1718 - December 16 1744), Archduchess of Austria, married Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine
• Maria Amalia (April 5 1724 - April 19 1730), Archduchess of Austria

Ancestry

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External links

• Biographical sketch at findagrave.com