Archduchess Maria Elisabeth of Austria

Maria Elisabeth of Austria (German: Maria Elisabeth Josefa Johanna Antonia; 13 August 1743 – 22 September 1808) was an archduchess of Austria and princess of Tuscany, Bohemia, and Hungary as the daughter of Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Francis Stephen. She was an abbess of the Convent for Noble Ladies in Innsbruck in Innsbruck from 1780 until 1806. Early life Born on 13 August 1743, Maria Elisabeth Josefa Johanna Antonia was the sixth (fourth living) of the sixteen children of Maria Theresa, absolute ruler of the Habsburg monarchy, and Francis I Stephen, Holy Roman Emperor. She was given the customary education of an archduchess with a focus on religion, foreign languages, and etiquette, designed to make her a good consort. She was known as Elisabeth or Liesl in her family. As an infant, Elisabeth was small, frail, and sickly, worrying her family. Probably as a result of some gastrointestinal disease, she often failed to retain food and developed slowly. On the advice of the imperial doctors, she was moved to (later Archduke Rainer Palace, demolished in 1957) in Wieden; she was also prescribed chocolate drinks. Eventually, Elisabeth strengthened and grew into a lively child, who liked games and jokes, and teased her many siblings often. She was also very vain as a result of being considered the most beautiful among the archduchesses from an early age. In adolescence, Elisabeth was described as unstable and eccentric, without any particular interests. She was fun-loving and neglected her studies. She earned her mother's censure by liking gossip and mocking everyone, offending her siblings and attendants with ironic comments. Her staff changed often, as few could stand her. Elisabeth was a difficult child to raise, and five ayas were appointed in turn to educate her; even her confessor needed to be changed once. Her mother considered her childish and immature, calling her eine Kokette der Schönheit ('a pretty coquette'), observing: 'It mattered not if the look of admiration came from a prince or a Swiss guard, Elisabeth was satisfied.' She was active in court life: at the wedding of her brother Joseph in 1765, she played the part of Apollo in the operetta Il Parnaso confuso by Christoph Willibald Gluck.