WI: Maria Antonia, Princess of the Asturias, has Surviving Daughters?

OTL, Maria Antonia of Austria, Princess of the Asturias in her own right, and Electress of Bavaria by marriage had three children who lived long enough to be named, and another three who weren't so fortunate. Miscarriages in 1687, 1688 and 1691, two shortlived sons (Leopold Ferdinand in 1689 and Anton in 1690) and the long-awaited compromise heir to Bavaria and the Spanish Empire, Josef Ferdinand Leopold in 1692, but who died in 1699.

So, WI, Maria Antonia still has only one surviving son (Josef Ferdinand Leopold), and Leopold Ferdinand and Anton are both born female, named Theresia Margarethe Christine "Titi" (b.1689) and Maria Antonia Luise "Toni" (b.1690). These girls survive and flourish, even. What sort of fate is in store for them? I imagine Titi might wind up married to Philippe d'Anjou? Or would she perhaps be considered for her late mother's half-brother, Karl?

PS: I toyed with the idea of Maria Antonia having two daughters instead of sons in my very first (very badly thought out) TL which involved JFL surviving, I shudder to think that it's still floating around on the site somewhere. There, JFL ended up married to Louisa Maria Therese Stuart (among other insanities :p).
 
OTL, Maria Antonia of Austria, Princess of the Asturias in her own right, and Electress of Bavaria by marriage had three children who lived long enough to be named, and another three who weren't so fortunate. Miscarriages in 1687, 1688 and 1691, two shortlived sons (Leopold Ferdinand in 1689 and Anton in 1690) and the long-awaited compromise heir to Bavaria and the Spanish Empire, Josef Ferdinand Leopold in 1692, but who died in 1699.

So, WI, Maria Antonia still has only one surviving son (Josef Ferdinand Leopold), and Leopold Ferdinand and Anton are both born female, named Theresia Margarethe Christine "Titi" (b.1689) and Maria Antonia Luise "Toni" (b.1690). These girls survive and flourish, even. What sort of fate is in store for them? I imagine Titi might wind up married to Philippe d'Anjou? Or would she perhaps be considered for her late mother's half-brother, Karl?

PS: I toyed with the idea of Maria Antonia having two daughters instead of sons in my very first (very badly thought out) TL which involved JFL surviving, I shudder to think that it's still floating around on the site somewhere. There, JFL ended up married to Louisa Maria Therese Stuart (among other insanities :p).

Trust me, if he is really really lucky Anjou will be able to marry Maria Antonia Luise while Theresia Margarethe Christine of Bavaria will be engaged to her mother half-brother Archduke Karl of Austria just some days after her birth (and the engagement contract will say who in case of Theresa's death her eventual younger sister will replace her). And naturally when her brother Josef will die Teresa will replace him as heiress of the whole empire of Spain
 
Trust me, if he is really really lucky Anjou will be able to marry Maria Antonia Luise while Theresia Margarethe Christine of Bavaria will be engaged to her mother half-brother Archduke Karl of Austria just some days after her birth (and the engagement contract will say who in case of Theresa's death her eventual younger sister will replace her). And naturally when her brother Josef will die Teresa will replace him as heiress of the whole empire of Spain

Why would Anjou need to be lucky? Max was not on good terms with his father-in-law after Antonia died IIRC. Plus, Anjou's the Bavarian girl's cousin, and it ties up the competing Spanish claims in a neat little bow. OTL, as pointed out repeatedly, the problem came when there was no longer a member of Margarita Teresa's line/compromise candidate. Leopold will be against said match with every fibre of his being, but a) he's got the rest of Europe which counts (France, England, the Netherlands) ranged against him. And Carlos did specify that Josef Ferdinand was to get the lot. Makes sense he'd stipulate that Joey's eldest sister must get it if Joe dies. Which brings us back to the question of why anyone would try and block a match between Anjou and his Bavarian cousin.
 
Why would Anjou need to be lucky? Max was not on good terms with his father-in-law after Antonia died IIRC. Plus, Anjou's the Bavarian girl's cousin, and it ties up the competing Spanish claims in a neat little bow. OTL, as pointed out repeatedly, the problem came when there was no longer a member of Margarita Teresa's line/compromise candidate. Leopold will be against said match with every fibre of his being, but a) he's got the rest of Europe which counts (France, England, the Netherlands) ranged against him. And Carlos did specify that Josef Ferdinand was to get the lot. Makes sense he'd stipulate that Joey's eldest sister must get it if Joe dies. Which brings us back to the question of why anyone would try and block a match between Anjou and his Bavarian cousin.
Because at least the eldest girl will be engaged to ArchDuke Karl and consigned to her father-in-law to be while Antonia was still alive... Leopold is not stupid and the girls can not inhereit anything from their father and if Antonia is angry enough with her husband her second daughter also will be in Wien before her death and if Leopold has his granddaughters in his custody you can be sure he will keep them until he will feel secure enough to sent them to his sister (and their great-grandmother) Mariana with the welders already married to Karl.
Plus Anjou was choised by Carlos II as heir practically in his last days as ArchDuke Karl was named as heir after Josef’s death...
Remember who Antonia do not loved much the husband who do not cared much for her and humiliated her with his mistresses... Their son was also the heir of Bavaria but the girls were potential heiresses only for Spain and Antonia’s sending them in Wien is possible as her relationship with her father was not so bad
 

Vitruvius

Donor
I think their father would pull a page out of Charles the Bold's playbook, dangling a marriage to multiple parties as a diplomatic tool. Ultimately he'd probably want to keep them unmarried for as long as possible since, if one ascends the Spanish throne as minors, he could carve out a role for himself in an regency. But as soon as she marries he'd likely be forced out by her new husband. And JonasResende is right, Max really hated Leopold, though it didn't really come to the fore until after his son died. Max apparently harbored suspicion that Leopold had young Joseph Ferdinand poisoned to get him out of the way to clear the path for Leopold's son Charles to claim the Spanish throne. That was why he went over to France in the War of the Spanish Succession.

So while Leopold would be eager for a match with his son he's not likely to get it. Britain would be fine with a Bavarian girl getting Spain as long as Max plays his cards close to his vest and doesn't betray and pro-French leanings. Carlos dies and names the elder daughter his heir, Max sees her seated in Madrid but faces war with Austria who have their own claim. This drives him into the French camp. I could easily see him making a double match with his daughters to Anjou and Berry in exchange for which he's given certain rights and territories in the Spanish Netherlands. It's hard to make a better claim than the union of two living descendents of Philip IV but Britain Austria et al would try if there were facing the prospect of a Bourbon on the Spanish throne.

Max's other option might be to throw France a bone with only the younger daughter to Anjou with Naples as Dowery, essentially validating the partition Treaty. It forces France to Duke it out with Austria for Italy giving him room to breath while they fight each other. It also maybe gets him British support as they were behind the Partition Treaty or at least keeps them from joining with Austria against him. He keeps his eldest daughter, now Queen of Spain unmarried to keep his options open and preserve his own power as Regent. Eventually he settles on a minor prince that the major powers wouldn't find objectionable and whom Max can dominate, maybe a younger Braganza or a scion of a lesser Italian or German house. I think that's the smart option.
 
I think their father would pull a page out of Charles the Bold's playbook, dangling a marriage to multiple parties as a diplomatic tool. Ultimately he'd probably want to keep them unmarried for as long as possible since, if one ascends the Spanish throne as minors, he could carve out a role for himself in an regency. But as soon as she marries he'd likely be forced out by her new husband. And JonasResende is right, Max really hated Leopold, though it didn't really come to the fore until after his son died. Max apparently harbored suspicion that Leopold had young Joseph Ferdinand poisoned to get him out of the way to clear the path for Leopold's son Charles to claim the Spanish throne. That was why he went over to France in the War of the Spanish Succession.

So while Leopold would be eager for a match with his son he's not likely to get it. Britain would be fine with a Bavarian girl getting Spain as long as Max plays his cards close to his vest and doesn't betray and pro-French leanings. Carlos dies and names the elder daughter his heir, Max sees her seated in Madrid but faces war with Austria who have their own claim. This drives him into the French camp. I could easily see him making a double match with his daughters to Anjou and Berry in exchange for which he's given certain rights and territories in the Spanish Netherlands. It's hard to make a better claim than the union of two living descendents of Philip IV but Britain Austria et al would try if there were facing the prospect of a Bourbon on the Spanish throne.

Max's other option might be to throw France a bone with only the younger daughter to Anjou with Naples as Dowery, essentially validating the partition Treaty. It forces France to Duke it out with Austria for Italy giving him room to breath while they fight each other. It also maybe gets him British support as they were behind the Partition Treaty or at least keeps them from joining with Austria against him. He keeps his eldest daughter, now Queen of Spain unmarried to keep his options open and preserve his own power as Regent. Eventually he settles on a minor prince that the major powers wouldn't find objectionable and whom Max can dominate, maybe a younger Braganza or a scion of a lesser Italian or German house. I think that's the smart option.
That will need Max having the girls in his hands... Is likely who Leopold will be able to get them from Antonia before her death (and the same for an engagement between Karl and the eldest girl not breakable by Max)
 
Remember who Antonia do not loved much the husband who do not cared much for her and humiliated her with his mistresses... Their son was also the heir of Bavaria but the girls were potential heiresses only for Spain and Antonia’s sending them in Wien is possible as her relationship with her father was not so bad

As far as custody battles go, Leopold doesn't really have a leg to stand on. Antonia can surrender the girls to his custody, but if her husband doesn't agree - whether she likes him or not matters not a fig - they leave Vienna with Max AFAIK. Max isn't stupid - although his track record would suggest otherwise - and he knows that these girls are a reed's width from the Spanish throne. So, he'd probably not be overly interested in them while their brother is alive (he wasn't overly close to his only daughter OTL IIRC), but once Josef dies, they're gonna be Max's golden ticket - and it's kinda hard to cash that in when you don't have it. He might nod and smile at Leopold's suggestion of the elder for Karl, but he knows that he's holding the cards here. He might overplay his hand - but he doesn't have long to wait between the death of his son and Leopold's own demise.
Not to mention that the pope is pro-French, which means he'll stall any dispensation for an (half)uncle-niece marriage - he persuaded Carlos II (who admittedly didn't need much convincing) to name Anjou as heir to all of it OTL -if Louis gives him the right incentive.

I think their father would pull a page out of Charles the Bold's playbook, dangling a marriage to multiple parties as a diplomatic tool. Ultimately he'd probably want to keep them unmarried for as long as possible since, if one ascends the Spanish throne as minors, he could carve out a role for himself in an regency. But as soon as she marries he'd likely be forced out by her new husband. And JonasResende is right, Max really hated Leopold, though it didn't really come to the fore until after his son died. Max apparently harbored suspicion that Leopold had young Joseph Ferdinand poisoned to get him out of the way to clear the path for Leopold's son Charles to claim the Spanish throne. That was why he went over to France in the War of the Spanish Succession.

So while Leopold would be eager for a match with his son he's not likely to get it. Britain would be fine with a Bavarian girl getting Spain as long as Max plays his cards close to his vest and doesn't betray and pro-French leanings. Carlos dies and names the elder daughter his heir, Max sees her seated in Madrid but faces war with Austria who have their own claim. This drives him into the French camp. I could easily see him making a double match with his daughters to Anjou and Berry in exchange for which he's given certain rights and territories in the Spanish Netherlands. It's hard to make a better claim than the union of two living descendents of Philip IV but Britain Austria et al would try if there were facing the prospect of a Bourbon on the Spanish throne.

Max's other option might be to throw France a bone with only the younger daughter to Anjou with Naples as Dowery, essentially validating the partition Treaty. It forces France to Duke it out with Austria for Italy giving him room to breath while they fight each other. It also maybe gets him British support as they were behind the Partition Treaty or at least keeps them from joining with Austria against him. He keeps his eldest daughter, now Queen of Spain unmarried to keep his options open and preserve his own power as Regent. Eventually he settles on a minor prince that the major powers wouldn't find objectionable and whom Max can dominate, maybe a younger Braganza or a scion of a lesser Italian or German house. I think that's the smart option.

In my TL I had Carlos II summon the Bavarian prince to Spain shortly before his mother dies. But Carlos (whoever was running the show) makes it clear that he wants only Joseph. Unfortunately, Max isn't going to give it up that easy, and tags along with his daughters and pregnant Polish wife - and Max winds up getting arrested for his carryings-on in Spain. However, I like the option of having a Bragança younger son marry one of the daughters.
 
That will need Max having the girls in his hands... Is likely who Leopold will be able to get them from Antonia before her death (and the same for an engagement between Karl and the eldest girl not breakable by Max)

To marry, Karl and the elder daughter need a papal dispensation. Innocent XII was pro-French IIRC, but ICR what Clement XI was (although the goings on with the Habsburgs in Italy OTL would probably mean that he was in a neutral/sympathetic to France frame of mind)...
 
Just had an idea. WI while Maria Antonia is having these girls, Anne Marie d'Orléans, duchess of Savoy, gives birth to a son instead of a daughter (say OTL Adélaïde or Luisa Maria is born a boy. Adélaïde for maximum butterflies).

Titi or Toni is engaged to the prince of Piedmont - because while the Emperor doesn't like the idea of a Savoyard Spain any more than a French one, Savoy is less threatening (even if it gets Spain). And then Leopold comes up with a slightly altered plan of marriage reversi that he played with Louis OTL:
Maria Elisabeth or Maria Anna of Austria for Louis, duc de Bourgogne (if Adélaïde de Savoie is born male)
One of Max's daughters (preferably the younger) for Anjou
Maria Luisa of Savoy for Karl VI (or Adélaïde if Maria Luisa is born male)
Max's elder daughter (the Princess de los Asturias) to the prince of Piedmont.

Vittorio Amadeo II proved OTL that he wasn't as much of a French puppet as everyone wanted him to be. And if Leopold dangled enough of a carrot in front of him (OTL there was talk of Vittorio's son and heir wedding Josef's daughter) - forget the crown of Lombardy, if Vittorio can see his line in Spain (the Savoyard pipedream since Catalina Miiguela of Spain popped out her first son) - I think he'd grab it with both hands.
 
I've been thinking some more about this, and I was wondering about the possibility of one of Max's daughters marrying the duke of Beja? OTL Beja was proposed for a double match with Maria Magdalene of Austria (younger sister of the queen of Portugal), but it never took off after his dad died. Also, found out that when Max was appointed Governor of the Low Countries, and opted to take his mistress, Countess Canozza with him, a pregnant Maria Antonia left for Vienna.
Their marriage was very unhappy, as the extroverted Maximilian and the introverted and serious Maria Antonia had little in common. Maria Antonia was reportedly offended by Maximilian’s constant infidelity, and when he was appointed governor of the Spanish Netherlands, and left for Brussels in the company of his mistress Countess Canozza, Maria Antonia left for her father in Vienna to give birth, and it was widely assumed that she did not intend to return to him... Maria Antonia would not witness her youngest son’s death. She died depressed and exhausted at the young age of 22 on Christmas Eve 1692, less than three months after Joseph Ferdinand’s birth.

Also, some pics I found of Maria Antonia - don't know who the actress is or where they're from
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