Polish historiography has written remarkably little about Maria Josepha of Habsburg – the last of the Polish queens. As if she had never existed or played any role in our country’s history. By examining her biography, we will discover that her name has been unjustly overlooked. What was this queen known for? What was her life like?
The Unwanted Daughter
Maria Josepha of Habsburg was born on December 8, 1699. Her father, Joseph I of Habsburg, was not pleased with her birth. He would have preferred to welcome a son into the world, one who would continue the dynasty. Maria’s mother was Wilhelmina Amalia of Brunswick, who could not forgive her husband for preferring to amuse himself with mistresses rather than caring for his family.
Maria Josepha of Habsburg spent her childhood under the watchful eye of her mother and grandmother, Eleonora Magdalena. Joseph I’s mother instilled in the girl a love of the Catholic religion, absolute obedience to the emperor, and a sense of family solidarity. As a result, Maria Josepha had a very high sense of her own dignity and position, stemming from her belonging to the Habsburg dynasty.
Although Maria was not blessed with beauty, she was very intelligent. In her adult life, she proved more than once that a person’s worth is not determined by their appearance, but by their mind, which when properly utilized brings desired results.
The Lavish Wedding
Many prominent candidates sought Maria Josepha’s hand. For many years, Augustus II the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, courted the daughter of Joseph for his son, Frederick Augustus. His efforts ultimately succeeded. Frederick’s engagement to Maria was announced in 1719. A few years before this event, Frederick had converted from Lutheranism to Catholicism, despite his mother Christina Eberhardine’s unsuccessful attempts to dissuade him.
The young couple’s wedding took place on August 20, 1719, in Vienna. The wedding celebration, however, was held in Dresden, where the newlyweds sailed down the Elbe on a ship resembling a Venetian doge’s boat.
The wedding festivities lasted several weeks. There was no end to the balls, various theatrical performances, festivals, and hunts. Augustus II the Strong, wanting to show himself in the best light, had prepared for this event for two years, spending the astronomical sum of four million thalers on it. European courts long remembered the wedding of the Saxon to the Habsburg. Voices often arose that the Dresden celebration was one of the most magnificent organized in the Baroque era.
The Loving Couple
Maria Josepha and Frederick Augustus created an exceptionally successful union. Unlike his father, Augustus II the Strong, who surrounded himself with mistresses changed like gloves, Frederick was faithful to his wife, whom he sincerely loved. He never betrayed her once, though opportunities were not lacking. Life alongside mistresses did not interest him at all. Instead, he preferred to eat well, which resulted in significant weight gain.
It was said that pregnancy was Maria Josepha’s permanent state. The queen blessed her husband with as many as 14 children. She loved all her offspring dearly, though she clearly favored Francis Xavier. Frederick Augustus, in turn, particularly favored Charles Christian and devoted the most attention and care to him.
The royal couple were good parents. Maria Josepha, while using the help of nannies – which was understandable with such numerous offspring – tried to personally oversee their work. She adjusted her entire daily rhythm to child-rearing. Always after 10 p.m., when life in Dresden was just getting started, she would slip away from feasts and spectacles with her husband, going to their children, who were their whole world.
The Polish Queen and High Politics
If not for Maria Josepha and her persistence, her husband certainly would not have been elected King of Poland as Augustus III in 1733. The solemn royal coronation of the spouses took place in Cracow on January 17, 1735.
The queen visited Poland quite rarely, though she often accompanied her husband on his visits to our country. However, neither of them learned the Polish language, which was poorly received by their subjects.
See also: The Third Queen of Poland – The Wife of Bolesław the Generous
Through Maria Josepha’s influence, many Polish magnates lost their positions. She literally wrapped her husband around her finger, as he was completely obedient to her. It was through her that Minister Alexander Skałkowski lost his office – he had wanted to force a mistress into Augustus III’s bedchamber to dissuade him from further procreating with the queen. When Maria Josepha learned of the royal minister’s actions, she could not contain her anger and forced her husband to remove the inconvenient minister and his entire family from their positions.
Maria Josepha’s dream was to secure succession in Poland for one of her sons and to seize the Austrian throne. To achieve this, she began actively participating in the political life of Poland and Saxony. As some historians indicate, it was precisely because of the proud queen that Augustus III the Saxon became involved in wars with the empire and Prussia.
The Queen’s Religiosity
Maria Josepha was a very religious and pious woman. In matters of faith, she could not find common ground with her father-in-law, whose behavior disgusted her. The situation was different with the queen’s husband, whom she strengthened in the Catholic faith.
Maria Josepha, like few others, cared for religious matters. In Saxony, she supported actions aimed at converting as many Protestants as possible to Catholicism. She did not prevent Catholics from marrying Protestants, but at the same time ensured that children born from these marriages were raised in Catholicism. All Saxons who converted enjoyed special favor with the queen.
Maria could feel at home in Poland. Whenever she came there with her husband, groups of devout Poles would greet her. She could spend long hours with them in prayer during the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on Good Friday.
The queen donated numerous precious objects to monasteries and churches in the form of votive offerings. She generously endowed, among others, the Pauline monastery at Jasna Góra, to which she gave a beautiful Renaissance cross. Maria also did not spare money for the poor, who were not lacking in 18th-century Poland or Saxony. The queen’s achievements and commitment were recognized by Pope Clement, who presented her with the Golden Rose.
See also: Saint Kinga: The Princess Who Became a Nun
Premature Death
In 1756, the Seven Years’ War broke out, during which Prussian forces attacked Saxony. The King of Prussia, Frederick II, had no equal at the time and literally crushed the Saxons, who were disoriented by the development of the situation. King Augustus III the Saxon retreated to Poland with his sons, while Maria Josepha remained in Dresden, which she decided to bravely defend. Her stubbornness, however, was to no avail, and Dresden found itself under Hohenzollern occupation.
Maria Josepha did not have an easy life in the occupied city, and the victorious Prussian king showed his superiority over her at almost every step. She was so affected by her fate and separation from her husband and children that she fell ill with anorexia. Her health deteriorated daily. She ate very little. At most, she would take water with milk to her lips.
See also: Pereyasłava – Mother of the Masovian Piasts
As if that were not enough, the queen suffered an injury during an argument with the Prussians, who wanted to forcibly take the keys to the archives. This incident caused Maria Josepha to suffer an apoplectic stroke. She died in isolation on November 17, 1757. She lived 58 years.
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Author: Mariusz Samp