If Maria Theresia Marries Fritz; What of Maria Anna?

So, I was looking through @Fehérvári's thread on the subject of Maria Theresia marrying Frederick the Great, and it (along with most other Maria Theresia-Fritz threads) doesn't seem to take note of MT's sister, Maria Anna. OTL she married Charles Alexandre of Lorraine (after her dad's death, since Karl VI didn't want the marriage). But would Maria Anna simply take MT's place as duchess of Lorraine (by marrying François Étienne)? Or would she be wed wherever she can find more advantage? Maria Anna would be heiress until such time as either MT pushes out a child/son or Karl VI sires one, which means her marriage is going to be important.

Fritz and Maria Theresia would likely marry in the early-mid 1730s. And this makes it unlikely that Maria Anna will still be single ten years later. Fritz's younger brothers are likewise too young for Anna (and I doubt Friedrich Wilhelm will allow more than one son of his to convert), so where would she go? Lorraine? (If MT still has no issue at the time of the marriage, I could see France likewise taking exception that idea). I had this random idea once of her marrying a surviving George William (middle son of George II and Karoline of Ansbach, who died in infancy), while the duke of Cumberland wedded Anne Leopoldovna (who married a Welf anyway, just from a different branch of the family). However, I don't think that would be likely.
 
So, I was looking through @Fehérvári's thread on the subject of Maria Theresia marrying Frederick the Great, and it (along with most other Maria Theresia-Fritz threads) doesn't seem to take note of MT's sister, Maria Anna. OTL she married Charles Alexandre of Lorraine (after her dad's death, since Karl VI didn't want the marriage). But would Maria Anna simply take MT's place as duchess of Lorraine (by marrying François Étienne)? Or would she be wed wherever she can find more advantage? Maria Anna would be heiress until such time as either MT pushes out a child/son or Karl VI sires one, which means her marriage is going to be important.

Fritz and Maria Theresia would likely marry in the early-mid 1730s. And this makes it unlikely that Maria Anna will still be single ten years later. Fritz's younger brothers are likewise too young for Anna (and I doubt Friedrich Wilhelm will allow more than one son of his to convert), so where would she go? Lorraine? (If MT still has no issue at the time of the marriage, I could see France likewise taking exception that idea). I had this random idea once of her marrying a surviving George William (middle son of George II and Karoline of Ansbach, who died in infancy), while the duke of Cumberland wedded Anne Leopoldovna (who married a Welf anyway, just from a different branch of the family). However, I don't think that would be likely.
No way Maria Anna will marry in England (as that would need her conversion), maybe here she would marry Charles of Naples, instead of Maria Amalia of Saxony (who was choised because she was daughter of an Archduchess after Karl VI refuted a match with one of his daughters)...
 
No way Maria Anna will marry in England (as that would need her conversion), maybe here she would marry Charles of Naples, instead of Maria Amalia of Saxony (who was choised because she was daughter of an Archduchess after Karl VI refuted a match with one of his daughters)...

Actually, the idea I had was that no conversion would be needed - Karl VI would insist on it (no conversion for Anna), and if George William survives, marrying a Catholic (or even converting) takes him out of the British succession. A surviving George William would step into the role of dad's favourite (much like Cumberland did OTL). George II would see it as a way of "legally" splitting the British and Hannoverian crowns. (He tried this stunt OTL with Cumberland by looking at matches for him in Savoy and Modena IIRC, but Cumberland's actions at Culloden made Catholics leery of marrying him). Likewise, no messy England-Holy Roman Empire personal union even should MT have no issue.

It's a crazy idea.
But the only other German candidates - I could see Karl wanting an advantageous son-in-law but not one that's powerful enough to make a threat for his eldest daughter - are the erbprinz of Württemberg's son (who died in infancy) surviving; one of Karl III of the Palatinate's eldest grandsons surviving; or perhaps the duke of Savoy having a son old enough to wed Anna.

As to the possibility of a Naples-Austrian match, I think that that idea was dead as soon as Carlos seized the Neapolitan throne. Either that, or Karl VI is going to insist that the Spanish must accept Naples as his daughter's dowry (Karl VI is stupid enough to insist on something like that IMO).
 
I think who after Maria Theresa had a couple of children a wedding between Maria Anna and Charles of Naples would be acceptable... And I think who for Charles and his parents receiving from the Emperor all his right on Naples and Sicily as part of Maria Anna’s dowry would be acceptable (specially for Charles as that would settle Naples on his sons, depriving his younger brother of the chance of receive Naples if Charles ever inhereited Spain)....
Marrying Charles to one of his second cousin (Elisabeth/Isabel Farnese’s mother was a younger sister of Karl VI’s mother) was a big objective of Philip V so...
 
I thought the idea dynastically was to subsume Lorraine into Habsburg. That could not be done with Hohenzollern or Bourbon.

But say the dynastic survival of the name Habsburg is less important to Karl than geopolitical power.

How do MT and Frederick get together? Perhaps Prussia tips the scales in the War of Polish Succession and a grateful Karl awards the hand of MT as a payoff.

Is Fred to relinquish the succession of Prussia to become the future Emperor? If so does he gain territory elsewhere? Where? Tuscany?

If Francis Stephen retains Lorraine, will he marry Maria Anna? Or is that too close for comfort for France?

Will MA marry Charles of Naples? As mentioned in other posts, it is possible if MT has a couple of kids. It could be a way of neutralizing Spain in any upcoming war with France and also to reassert some control in Naples.
 
I thought the idea dynastically was to subsume Lorraine into Habsburg. That could not be done with Hohenzollern or Bourbon.

But say the dynastic survival of the name Habsburg is less important to Karl than geopolitical power.

How do MT and Frederick get together? Perhaps Prussia tips the scales in the War of Polish Succession and a grateful Karl awards the hand of MT as a payoff.

Is Fred to relinquish the succession of Prussia to become the future Emperor? If so does he gain territory elsewhere? Where? Tuscany?

If Francis Stephen retains Lorraine, will he marry Maria Anna? Or is that too close for comfort for France?

Will MA marry Charles of Naples? As mentioned in other posts, it is possible if MT has a couple of kids. It could be a way of neutralizing Spain in any upcoming war with France and also to reassert some control in Naples.
Frederick and Maria Theresa will likely have something like the usual kind of arranged marriage plus a political partnership. Frederick will likely keep his place in Prussian succession but is possible and likely who Brandeburg-Prussia will be inhereited by his second son (or missing that a second grandson or a younger brother o nephew).

Francis Stephen will have a lot of trouble in keeping Lorraine (and will surely refute to sign the renounce of his lands without the hand of the heiress of Karl VI as compensation) so a wedding to Maria Anna is out of question (maybe a French princess as condition for keeping his lands?)

A wedding between Maria Anna and Charles of Naples is possible if Karl VI can find reasons for being interested in said match as one of his daughters was the top choice for the other side
 
Wettins, that gives me an idea... Saxon kings had converted to Catholicism to be able to become Polish kings while Saxons were allowed to stay Protestant, going against "cuius regio, eius religio".

Long story short: What about Wettin Saxony being absorbed by the Habsburg realm?
 
Wettins, that gives me an idea... Saxon kings had converted to Catholicism to be able to become Polish kings while Saxons were allowed to stay Protestant, going against "cuius regio, eius religio".

Long story short: What about Wettin Saxony being absorbed by the Habsburg realm?
Pretty unlikely... and at that time the religion of the various states was pretty much established and indipendent from that of their rulers (so changes of religion in the rulers were not reflected on the population)
 
Wettins, that gives me an idea... Saxon kings had converted to Catholicism to be able to become Polish kings while Saxons were allowed to stay Protestant, going against "cuius regio, eius religio".

Long story short: What about Wettin Saxony being absorbed by the Habsburg realm?
A swap of Saxony and Upper Silesia is possible.
 
What do you mean, has this ever been suggested? Saxony had silver mines at that time, Upper Silesia only has coal.

So or so, it wouldn't be the absorption I had in mind.
The Saxons originally want to acquire Silesia to connect Saxony to Poland and the Habsburgs gave parts of Upper Silesia to Vasas and Wettins..So a land swap is not unthinkable.
 
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@Vanity 6 I don't get why Fritz would have to give up Brandenburg-Prussia. It would be advantageous for the Habsburgs to annex the the Hohenzollern realms to Austria and I can't see the Emperor being all that thrilled to see his son-in-law renounce his inheritance. More likely the Emperor insists on a union of the Crowns, which would see the beginnings of a pan-German state and heavily strengthen the Habsburg dynasty by adding German lands. And if Friedrich Wilhelm tries to force his son to renounce the throne (something legally debatable at best sense altering the succession of an Electorate would require the accent of the Emperor and, I believe, the Diet), it could cause a war of the Prussian Succession when the Elector dies, with Friedrich having Austrian backing to claim his throne. So I think a full Austro-Prussian union is very likely to occur if the two marry. Plus the dynasty would simply be Habsburg-Hohenzollern, not that hard.

@JonasResende , to possible bridegrooms for Maria Anna, harder to say. She was still single when Charles VI died (which in itself is quite odd sense she was twenty-two) and didn't seem to have any suggested marital prospects, though she could have dug her heels in behind the scenes due to her relationship with Charles Alexandre. Though then again none of the Habsburg marriage policies under Charles made much sense (he focused on finding Maria Theresa a consort instead of a husband strong enough to defend her inheritance, yet trained her to be Queen Consort). However, I have to dismiss a British bridegroom out of hand. Again, the succession of an Electorate was regulated by the Emperor and Imperial Law (all Electorates had to follow Primogeniture; just like Friedrich Wilhelm couldn't cut Friedrich from the succession, so too was George II legally unable to leave Hanover to his favorite son), and it wouldn't matter whom George William's father-in-law was, he wouldn't be the heir. You would have to marry Maria Anna to Frederick; that cuts him out of Britain and leaves him with Hanover, while George William becomes the next heir to the British throne.

I think an Italian match would work well for the Habsburgs at this point. So we could see her marry Carlo VII of Naples (like you suggested); after all, Maria Anna was Isabel Farnese's first choice as a daughter-in-law, though considering that Carlo had conquered Naples and Sicily from the Emperor, I find that choice unlikely. Then there's Vittorio Amadeo III. Sardinia-Piedtmont sat on an influential axis between France, Spain and the Empire, so it would be in Vienna's best interest to swing Turin back towards them; the only issue is Maria Anna being two years older than the future King. Those are the main candidates I can think of. Of course, you could go farther out, like using François III of Lorraine (the OTL Emperor Franz I), Maximilian III of Bavaria (if the Austrian succession war doesn't happen), Friedrich Christian of Saxony or even Infante Manuel of Portugal (in the event that he successfully gains the Polish crown). It really depends on which direction you go in.
 
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