Infanta Maria Theresa of Portugal, The Uncrowned First Lady of Austria

A portrait of Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria by Heinrich von Angeli.

Doña Maria Teresa da Imaculada Conceição Fernanda Eulália Leopoldina Adelaide Isabel Carolina Micaela Rafaela Gabriela Francisca de Assis e de Paula Gonzaga Inês Sofia Bartolomea dos Anjos de Bragança was born on August 24, 1855 at the Löwenstein Castle in Kleinheubach, Kingdom of Bavaria, the second daughter and third of seven children of Miguel I of Portugal and his wife Princess Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg.

Her father and his entire progeny were banished from Portugal by the Portuguese Cortes in December of 1834. Miguel, who would spend the rest of his life in exile, went on to marry Adelaide, settling in at the former Cistercian monastery of Bronnbach with their seven children, thus Maria Theresa was raised in a German-speaking household despite her Portuguese titles.

At that time, Maria Theresa was considered as one of the most beautiful women in Europe. With this, her mother brokered her betrothal  to Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria, the younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph.   Karl Ludwig was previously married to, first Princess Margarete of Saxony, and secondly to Princess Maria Annunziata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. His first marriage was childless, while with Princess Maria Annunziata, they had four children: Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Archduke Otto, Archduke Ferdinand Karl and Archduchess Margarete.

Infanta Maria Theresa of Portugal in her wedding gown, 1873. Image from Wikimedia Commons

Maria Theresa married and became the third wife of Archduke Karl Ludwig at Kleinheubach on July 23, 1873. The union produced two daughters: Archduchess Maria Annunziata and Archduchess Elisabeth Amalie.

Maria Theresa endured an unhappy marriage. She was a victim of her husband’s physical and mental abuses.  Nevertheless, she stood as stepmother to her husband’s four children with his second wife. Her enduring character and grace under pressure proved her advantage as she eventually wielded considerable influence at the Austrian court.  After the death of Crown Prince Rudolf in 1889,  Archduchess Maria Teresa stood in for Empress Elisabeth (after the latter had withdrawn from society) and carried out honours at the Hofburg Imperial Palace .  She remained at the court's forefront until the death of Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria in 1916. She remained an influential personality even after her retirement that not a word was heard when rumors spread that she was to marry Count Cavriani, her household master.

A constant source of strength within her own family, Maria Theresa firmly supported her stepson Franz Ferdinand in his desire to marry Countess Sophie Chotek, despite the opposition of rest of the family, especially Archduchess Isabella of Austria, whose desire to have one of her daughters marry the heir to the throne was thwarted when the Franz Ferdinand married Isabella’s lady-in-waiting.

Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria with Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria . Image from Wikimedia Commons

Maria Theresa traveled to a convent in Prague and personally fetched Sophie, pleading with Emperor Franz Joseph in the lady’s behalf. After the emperor acquiesced, she made all the wedding arrangements and insisted to have the ceremony at her own private chapel.

After the tragic assassination of Franz Ferdinand and Sophie in June 1914 in Saravejo, it was Maria Theresa who had to break the unfortunate news to their children. As most of Franz Ferdinand’s fortune went to his nephew, Archduke Charles, he ensured the financial security of the children, urging the emperor to grant them a yearly income or she would resign her allowance as a widow in their favor.

Archduchess Maria Teresa with Archduke Ferdinand and Archduchess Margareta, her husband’s two youngest children by his second wife Maria Annunziata. Image from Wikimedia Commons

Following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after its defeat in the First World War, Maria Theresa accompanied the new emperor, Karl I, and his wife Zita into exile in Madeira, though they eventually returned to Vienna, where Maria Theresa would spend the remainder of her life. With the demise of her imperial income, Maria Theresa arranged for the sale of her Napoleon Diamond Necklace, which she inherited from her husband. The piece was originally valued at $450,000, but economic depression had everyone believing that it would not sell for its full value.  She was nearly scammed by her grand nephew, Archduke Leopold of Austria, Prince of Tuscany, and two agents named Col. Townsend and Princess Baronti, who were able to sell the necklace to David Michel of New York for $60,000. Leopold and his two accomplices then took 90% ($54,000) of the sale price as expenses. When Maria Theresa learned of the fraud, she appealed to the United State courts, and was able to recover the precious piece. While the two agents ran off, Archduke Leopold was imprisoned in a New York jail.

After surviving her husband by 48 years, Maria Theresa died during the Second World War in Vienna on February 12, 1944. She was 88 years old. She was buried in the Imperial Crypt of Capuchin Church in Innere Stadt, Vienna, Austria.