Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor
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Emperor Charles VII Albert (Brussels August 6, 1697 – January 20, 1745 in Munich), a member of the Wittelsbach family, was Holy Roman Emperor from January 24, 1742 until his death in 1745.
Early life and career
He was the son of Maximilian II Emanuel, elector of Bavaria and Teresa Kunegunda Sobieska, and the grandson of Polish King John III Sobieski. His family was split during the War of the Spanish Succession and was for many years under house arrest in Austria. Only in 1715 did the family become re-united.On October 5, 1722, Charles married Marie Amalie, Archduchess of Austria. Marie Amalie was a daughter of Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor and his wife Wilhelmina Amalia of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Her maternal grandfather was John Frederick, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg.
In 1726 Charles Albert became elector of Bavaria. During his reign the Amalienburg, a splendid rococo pavillon in the park of Nymphenburg Palace was built.
Emperor
As son in law of Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor Charles Albert rejected the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 and claimed the German crown after the death of Charles VI in 1740. He invaded Upper Austria and Bohemia with allied French troops in 1741 and was crowned King of Bohemia (9 December 1741). His brother Klemens August of Bavaria, archbishop and elector (Kurfürst) of Cologne, who mostly sided with the Austria Habsburg-Lorraine side during the Habsburg successions, cast his vote for him and personally crowned him emperor at Frankfurt on 24 January 1742.Short after this election most of Charles Albert's territories were overrun by the Austrians and Bavaria was occupied by the troops of Maria Theresa. In October 1744 a new alliance forced Austria to leave Bavaria and Charles VII reobtained Munich. He returned only to die three months later. His brother Klemens August then again leaned toward Austria and also his son and successor Maximilian III Joseph made peace with Austria.
Children
He and his wife Marie Amalie, Archduchess of Austria were parents of seven children:
- Maximiliane, Princess of Bavaria (1723). Considered to have died young.
- Maria Antonia, Princess of Bavaria (July 18, 1724 - April 23, 1780). Married Frederick Christian, Elector of Saxony.
- Therese Benedikta, Princess of Bavaria (December 6, 1725 - March 29, 1734).
- Maximilian III, Elector of Bavaria (March 28, 1727 - December 30, 1777).
- Joseph Ludvig Leo, Prince of Bavaria (August 25, 1728 - December 2, 1733).
- Maria Anna, Princess of Bavaria (August 7, 1734 - May 7, 1776). Married Ludwig Georg Simpert, Margrave of Baden-Baden.
- Maria Josefa, Princess of Bavaria (March 13, 1741 - February 20, 1790). Married Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor.
See also
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