According to the Prussian Ambassador, admittedly of course a biased source, Maria Theresia did wish she could have led her troops into battle to defend her inheritance, but that just wasn't possible. As it was, she found ways to use what everyone thought was her greatest disadvantage - being a woman - to her advantage.
Franz Stephan, her husband, wasn't perfect - he did cheat on her, as unfortunately per the custom for most royal husbands of the era - but he always supported her 100% and put up with a lot of ridicule for his acceptance of her as the ruler and his interest in trade. He once wrote to one of their sons, Leopold, apropos the later getting married that the secret of a good marriage was to put yourself in the other's shoes every now and then and being able to step back instead of insisting on being right all the time. And she really loved that man. After her death, this note in her own handwriting was found in her prayer book: "emperor franciscus my husband has lived 56 years eight months ten days, has died on August 18th 1765 on half past ten in the evenig. Has lived 680 months, 2958 weeks, 20778 days, 496992 hours. My happy marriage lasted 29 years, six months, six days, and at the same hour I gave him my hand, also on a Sunday, he was taken from me. In sum 29 years, 335 months, 1540 weeks, 10781 days, 258744 hours.
Comment on Five Ways in which Frederick the Great and Maria Theresia did not meet
Selena on Chapter 2 Tue 31 Dec 2019 10:26AM UTC
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keerawa on Chapter 2 Tue 31 Dec 2019 10:33AM UTC
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