Archduke Otto (1865-1906) and Archduchess Maria Josefa, parents of Emperor Karl I

[MarieCharlotte]

Princess Maria Anna as a young mother with her children Mathilde and baby Friedrich August.

In my opinion Maria Anna was quite nice to look at as a younger woman, but in her thirties her looks changed a lot. She became quite fat and her face had something like an unhappy, sad and tired expression. There are similarities between Maria Anna and her daughters Mathilde and Maria Josepha, don't you think?

[grandduchessella]

[britt.25]

Nice portraits, even if must already have been a bit older there. I have never seen them before. Can you tell where they come from? Thanks

[Eric_Lowe]

Yes I wanna know ! 

Also she did put on the pounds as she grew older...too much rich Viennese food ? 

[MarieCharlotte]

Also she did put on the pounds as she grew older...too much rich Viennese food ? 

Just like her mother Maria Anna. Maybe the female line of this family had weight problems? 

[Eric_Lowe]

I think Maria Anna died too young to be sure, but her sister Antonia (mother-in-law of Missy) wasn't fat at all. 

[MarieCharlotte]

I think Maria Anna died too young to be sure, but her sister Antonia (mother-in-law of Missy) wasn't fat at all. 

I only thought of Anna and her daughters Mathilde and Maria Josepha (Franz Joseph called her Marie Josepha, by the way!) who became quite fat with the years.

[Eric_Lowe]

Yes however Antonia did not became fat and remained quite good in figure. Guess Queen Maria II 's fat genes went to Marie Anna...

[Gretchen]

Yes however Antonia did not became fat and remained quite good in figure. Guess Queen Maria II 's fat genes went to Marie Anna...

No one will get slimmer after having 11 (Gloria) or 8 (M. Anna) children, it doesn´t have anything to do with "fat genes" at all. And M. Josepha maybe took some comfort in sweets because of her problematic marriage to Otto, which is also quite comprehensible in a way.

[MarieCharlotte]

Well, I think that this does have to do something with the genes of a woman. Marie Therese Queen of Bavaria had 13 children, Archduchess Marie Valérie had 10 children and they have never grown fat. 

But I think that there are definitely more interesting topics than the weight problems of some royal ladies ... So let's stop here.

[Eric_Lowe]

Yes...That is a fasinating subject by itself !

Indeed ! Maria Josefa 's life wasn't easy. Wonder how she cope. 

[paola]

Not much is written about his illegitimate descendants, but  some weeks ago, one of them was news,  his illegitimate grandaughter Elisabeth cause some sensation with this  amazing revelations

http://www.kurier.at/freizeitundgesundheit/304784.php

[paola]

Sorry for  if the link for the article is in German.

The revelation is that Elisabeth Hortenau, the illegitimate grandaughter of Otto had an affair with John F. Kennedy (later President) and a son was born in 1945

[RomanovsFan4Ever]

Archduke Otto Franz of Austria, photo taken in 1899.

[Carolath Habsburg]

i think that is from this same period of time