Anna Plochl

Anna Maria Josephine Plochl (6/9 January 1804 – 4 August 1885) was the morganatic wife of Archduke John of Austria. She was given the title Baroness von Brandhofen and then Countess von Meran. She and her husband were the parents of Franz, Count von Meran. Biography She was born and grew up in Bad Aussee as the daughter of Jakob Plochl (Gorlinzendorf-bei-Pettau, 27 May 1774 - Bad Aussee, 25 April 1822), a postmaster, and wife Maria Anna Pilz (Bad Aussee, 15 May 1782 - Bad Aussee, 21 January 1821), paternal granddaughter of Jakob Plochl and wife Maria Lubschen and maternal granddaughter of Johann Pilz and wife Maria Ehrentrude Fürst. She met Archduke John in 1819, when a coach driver could not be procured to transport the archduke back to Vienna and she was disguised to look like a boy in order to fulfill the role. Archduke John, seeing through the ruse, was highly impressed by her vivaciousness and promised the girl, who disbelieved his claim to be the archduke, that he would return to see her and prove his credentials.