Four wives of Emperor Franz II (I)

[Eric_Lowe]

Yes. Very rare. I have not seen it before as well.

[Trianon]

Found this wonderful portrait of Elisabeth von Württemberg by Johann-Baptist Lampi:



Shes looking so beautiful, love her dress and her smile totally

[Eric_Lowe]

She did look wonderful. :-)

[Trianon]

Yes its so sad that they didn't have a lot of time together and that she never became empress, I bet she would have been a good landsmother.
Did someone know a book where I can read more about her life? German would be good, but I'll take also an english one...

[MarieCharlotte]

Seems to be a idealized one.

Have we already talked about Elisabth's close relationship to Joseph II.?

[Eric_Lowe]

I think so. When she died, Joseph II was more heartbroken than Franz II.

[Rani]

Franz and Karoline

[Eric_Lowe]

I wrote an article for the old RD in Ticehurst about Karoline.

[Hector]

Read how Emperor Joseph II wanted to break the strong alliance between Catherine the Great with Prussia. That's why Grand Duke Paul and his wife's came to visit Vienna along with Princess Elisabeth of Württemberg  and Prince Ferdinand of Württemberg when Princess Elisabeth was brought to finish her education in Vienna as part of her betrothal to the Austrian Emperor's nephew and heir.

Recall that Grand Duke Paul's first wife was a sister of the wife of the heir to the Prussian throne and she was recommended by Frederick the Great to Catherine II so Emperor Joseph II was repeating that pattern with Grand Duke Pau's second wife.

Elisabeth also appears very briefly in a scene in the 1985 Academy Award Best Motion Picture winner, Amadeus. 

[Eric_Lowe]

I think she died young.

[Trianon]

Paintings of Caroline Auguste:

around 1808


around 1818


The imperial family in 1826
from left: Caroline Auguste, Franz II./I., Duke of Reichstadt, Marie Louise, Sophie, Ferdinand, Franz Karl

[Maria_Pavlovna]

I really think Caroline Auguste was pretty, maybe not for that time but by her portaits, i think shes lovely.

[Trianon]

I agree, she is pretty on her portraits, but I think that they aren't too realistic. She had the smallpocks and unfortunatley after she had pockmarks in her face. But I like her very much, I think she was the best choice as the Emperors wife. May she rest in peace...

[guinevere]

Franz and Karoline

... to me this looks like Ferdinand I of Austria ( the son of Franz I )  with his wife Anna of Sardinia... but of course I can be wrong

[Marc]

Found this wonderful portrait of Elisabeth von Württemberg by Johann-Baptist Lampi:



Shes looking so beautiful, love her dress and her smile totally

Unfortunately,I must say that this portrait has been mislabeled...The person in the portrait is Elisabeth's sister Friederike,Duchess von Oldenburg.This same portrait can be found in many versions in Eutin Castle,once owned by Holstein-Gottorp(Oldenburg) family...