Charles August of Zweibrucken

I have read that he remained bitter against Austria for the Maria Amalia episode. I also would like anyone that can to post an image of Charles...

I agree...and he did not even got Caroline too...Poor man. He must have been good looking...

I have read that he remained bitter against Austria for the Maria Amalia episode. I also would like anyone that can to post an image of Charles...

Mari, from what I have read in one of the biographies of Empress Maria Theresia, his proposal for the hand of Archduchess Maria Amalia was not only turned down but was even sneered at by Kaunitz. He called it 'comical, yes, absurd' and went further on to call his uncle's duchy as an insignificant realm and as such, Charles was only a little more than a 'private man' and therefore no match for an archduchess    So even if he fell for another lady (this Caroline) later on or went back to her (as we don't know yet the timeframe of his affair with her) , it would be hard to forget such insults, I think.

I cannot find any pictures of Charles as a young man, sorry.  There are a couple posted at the Maria Amalia, Duchess of Parma thread if you haven't seen them yet. But he seems a bit older there. 

I would like to see a picture of him as a young man, too.

That chancellor lived to eat his words when Karl became King of Bavaria. Yes I am sure one of him as young man must exist somewhere...

Sorry Eric,

Karl never became King. He died before his cousin elector Karl Theodor of Bavaria. His younger brother Maximilian became elector Max IV Josef
and in 1806 King Max I.

Did he became elector ?

No, Karl August was DUKE of Pfalz-Birkenfeld-Zweibrücken.

Regards

M.

But isn't he became powerful enough to be a thorn to Austria ?

But isn't he became powerful enough to be a thorn to Austria ?

Well, he fought against Austria in the war of the Bavarian Succession, but as it was about his right to succeed the Bavarian Elector Karl Theodore, he could hardly do otherwise.  It was the Prussians and the Saxons who swung it for Bavarian independence - the Austrians clearly didn't care about Karl August at all, and certainly weren't afraid of anything he might do in the military or political line.  Moreover, it was Maria Anna of Saxony, the widow of Maximillian II Josef, who was instrumental in forging an alliance between Bavaria, Saxony and Prussia, which forced the Austrians to back off - not Karl August.  Alas, no Austrian in his lifetime ever gnashed their teeth and cried "If only we hadn't been nasty to Karl August!" or thought wistfully that they should have let him marry Maria Amalia.

I wonder if they still corresponded after their marriages...

Hi Eric,

here is a map of Germany at the time of 1789.

http://www.pantel-web.de/bw_mirror/maps/d1789.jpg

If you are looking for Zweibrücken.

1. Enlarge the map
2. Look for "Frankreich"  (France)
3. Look for Lothringen (Lorraine) and "Luneville"
4. Go north-east over the frontier to Germany
5. There is irregular dark green spot in which you can read: "FSM Zweibrücken" (Princedom Zweibrücken)

Very smal indeed?

A part of the Habsburgs a countries is shown in the far South and east of the map.

A Duke of Zweibrücken was no military much for the Habsburg-emperator.

Yes...I don't think Parma was bigger...

CountessKate- thanks very much for the clarification above.

Mischa-thanks so much for that map.  It's a big help.

Eric- yes, Parma doesn't look any bigger. I may be wrong but it seems even smaller than Parma, at least judging from present day sizes of both their capitals.

I've looking and looking for a picture of Karl as a young man but I only found one as a small boy.... (sigh)

http://www.royaltyguide.nl/images-families/wittelsbach/pfalzbirkenfeld/1746%20Karl.JPG

Here are the links on the portraits of his sisters:

Maria Amalie (born 1752): http://www.royaltyguide.nl/images-families/wittelsbach/pfalzbirkenfeld/1752%20M.Anna-Amalie.jpg

Maria Anna (born 1753):  http://www.royaltyguide.nl/images-families/wittelsbach/pfalzbirkenfeld/1753%20Maria%20Anna.JPG

I wonder if he resembled his sisters......they look pretty in the portraits, IMHO, especially Maria Amalie (who married into the Saxon family).  I don't see much resemblance between him and younger brother Maximilian as adults. I also cannot find any portraits of his wife Maria Amelia of Saxony.  He seems to have a lot of Amalie's in his life 


Also, here is a link on the palaces in Zweibrucken.....

http://groups.msn.com/PalaceWittelsbach/pfalzzweibruckenresidences.msnw

It seems that he built a magnificent palace, Karlsberg; but how could he have afforded it? 

The portrait of Maria Anna was used as the sister of Max I , who was the great grandmother of Sisi being the mother of Duke Pius in Bavaria, father of Duke Max in Bavaria...

Yes...I don't think Parma was bigger...

Actually I believe Parma was much bigger than Zweibrucken and more importantly Parma was ruled by the Bourbon duke Ferdinand (grandson of both Philip V and Louis XV) and it promoted the Italy policy of Maria Theresa who already "controlled" Naples and Sicily (via Maria Caroline), Tuscany (via Leopold), Modena (via Archduke Ferdinand and his fiancee Maria Beatrice Ricciarda d'Este) and Milan (part of the Hapsburg lands).  The marriage of Archduchess Maria Amalia to Ferdinand of Parma fit the Austrian arrangement of control of Italy by marriage and treaty.

Thumbnail Map of Italy 1796, Click for larger:


If you use Switzerland as a guide you can see that the Duchy of Parma is bigger than Zweibrucken.   

-Duke of NJ