Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor

Charles VII Albert

Portrait by Georg Desmarées
Holy Roman Emperor
Reign 24 January 1742 –
20 January 1745
Coronation 12 February 1742, Frankfurt
Predecessor Charles VI
Successor Francis I
King of Bohemia
Reign 19 December 1741 –
12 May 1743
Coronation 19 December 1741, Prague
Predecessor Maria Theresa
Successor Maria Theresa
Elector of Bavaria
Reign 26 February 1726 –
20 January 1745
Predecessor Maximilian II Emanuel
Successor Maximilian III Joseph
Born (1697-08-06)6 August 1697
Brussels, Netherlands
Died 20 January 1745(1745-01-20) (aged 47)
Munich, Bavaria
Burial Theatine Church, Munich
Spouse Maria Amalia of Austria
Issue Maria Antonia, Electress of Saxony
Theresa Benedicta
Maximilian III Joseph
Maria Anna Josepha, Margravine of Baden-Baden
Maria Josepha, Holy Roman Empress
House Wittelsbach
Father Maximilian II Emanuel
Mother Theresa Sobieska
Religion Roman Catholicism

Charles VII (6 August 1697 – 20 January 1745) was the prince-elector of Bavaria from 1726 and Holy Roman Emperor from 24 January 1742 until his death, in 1745. A member of the House of Wittelsbach, Charles was notably the only person not born of the House of Habsburg to become emperor in over three centuries (although he was descended from the Habsburg Philip I of Castile by 27 different ways).

Early life and career

He was born in Brussels as the son of Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria and Theresa Kunegunda Sobieska, and the grandson of Polish King John III Sobieski.

His family was split during the War of the Spanish Succession and was for many years under house arrest in Austria. Only in 1715 was the family reunited. After attaining his majority in August 1715, he undertook an educational tour of Italy from 3 December 1715 until 24 August 1716. In 1717, with Bavarian auxiliaries, he joined the war of the Habsburgs against the Turks.

On 5 October 1722, Charles married Maria Amalia, Archduchess of Austria, whom he had met while staying at the imperial court in Vienna. She was the younger daughter of the late Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor and his consort Wilhelmine Amalia of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Her maternal grandfather was John Frederick, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. In 1725 Charles Albert visited Versailles for the wedding of Louis XV and established firm contacts with the French court.

In 1726, when his father died, Charles Albert became Duke of Bavaria and a Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire. He succeeded in maintaining good relations both with his Habsburg relatives and with France, continuing his father's purposeful policies. In 1729 he instituted the knightly Order of St George. This year he also initiated to build the Rothenberg Fortress.

Holy Roman Emperor

Allegorical depiction of Charles's coronation as Holy Roman Emperor (1742)
Thaler coin of Charles VII, dated 1743

In continuance of the policy of his father, Charles Albert aspired to an even higher rank. As son-in-law of Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor, Charles Albert rejected the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 and claimed the German territories of the Habsburg dynasty after the death of emperor Charles VI in 1740. With the treaty of Nymphenburg concluded in July 1741, Charles Albert allied with France and Spain against Austria.

During the War of the Austrian Succession Charles Albert invaded Upper Austria in 1741 and planned to conquer Vienna, but his allied French troops under the Duc de Belle-Isle were redirected to Bohemia instead and Prague was conquered in November 1741. So Charles Albert was crowned King of Bohemia in Prague (19 December 1741) when the Habsburgs were not yet defeated. He was unanimously elected "King of the Romans" on 24 January 1742, also with the vote of George II, and took the title "Holy Roman Emperor" upon his coronation on 12 February 1742. His brother Klemens August of Bavaria, archbishop and elector (Kurfürst) of Cologne, who generally sided with the Austria Habsburg-Lorraine faction in the disputes over the Habsburg succession, cast his vote for him and personally crowned him emperor at Frankfurt. Charles VII was the second Wittelsbach Emperor after Louis IV and the first Wittelsbach King of the Romans since the reign of Rupert of Germany.

Shortly after the coronation most of Charles Albert's territories were overrun by the Austrians, and Bavaria was occupied by the troops of Maria Theresa. The emperor fled Munich and resided for almost three years in the Palais Barckhaus in Frankfurt. Most of Bohemia was lost in December 1742 when the Austrians allowed the French under the Duc de Belle-Isle and the Duc de Broglie an honourable capitulation. Charles Albert was mocked as an emperor who neither controlled his own realm, nor was in effective control of the empire itself, though the institution of the Holy Roman Emperor had largely become symbolic in nature and powerless by that time. A popular Latin saying about him was et Caesar et nihil, meaning "both Emperor and nothing", a word-play on aut Caesar aut nihil, "either Emperor or nothing". Charles Albert's general Ignaz Felix, Count of Törring-Jettenbach was compared to a drum, as people heard about him only when he was beaten.

Charles VII tried to emphasise his government in Frankfurt with numerous acts of law, such as the grant of imperial privilege to the University of Erlangen in 1743 and the creation of several new imperial nobles. Charles Eugene, Duke of Württemberg was declared to be of full age ahead of time in 1744. Alexander Ferdinand, 3rd Prince of Thurn and Taxis served as Principal Commissioner for Charles VII at the Perpetual Imperial Diet in Frankfurt am Main and in 1744 the Thurn und Taxis dynasty were appointed hereditary Postmasters General of the Imperial Reichspost.

The new commander of the Bavarian army, Friedrich Heinrich von Seckendorff, fought Austria in a series of battles in 1743 and 1744. In 1743 his troops and their allies took Bavaria and Charles VII was able to return to Munich in April for some time. After the allied French had to retreat after defeats to the Rhine, he lost Bavaria again. The new alliance with Frederick II of Prussia during the Second Silesian War finally forced the Austrian army to leave Bavaria and to retreat back into Bohemia. In October 1744 Charles VII regained Munich. Suffering severely from gout, he returned, but died three months later. His brother Klemens August then again leaned toward Austria, and his son and successor Maximilian III Joseph made peace with Austria. With the Treaty of Füssen Austria recognized the legitimacy of Charles VII's election as Holy Roman Emperor.

Charles Albert is buried in the crypt of the Theatinerkirche in Munich.

Cultural legacy

Emperor Charles's residence Palais Barckhaus in Zeil, Frankfurt, which he used in exile
Coat of arms of Charles VII Albert

Charles Albert's reign was the height of the Bavarian rococo era. François de Cuvilliés was appointed chief architect of the court and constructed the Amalienburg in Munich. The Nymphenburg Palace was completed during Charles' reign: the grand circle (Schlossrondell) of baroque mansions was intended as a starting point for a new city (Carlstadt) but this was not achieved. For the Munich Residence, Charles Albert ordered the building of the Ancestral Gallery and the Ornate Rooms. He also ordered Cuvilliés to construct the Palais Holnstein for one of his mistresses, the Countess Holnstein.

Among the most gifted Bavarian artists of his time were Johann Michael Fischer, Cosmas Damian Asam and Egid Quirin Asam, Johann Michael Feuchtmayer, Matthäus Günther, Johann Baptist Straub and Johann Baptist Zimmermann.

Children

Charles and his wife Maria Amalia, Archduchess of Austria were parents of seven children:

NamePortraitBirthDeathNotes
Maximiliane Maria
Princess of Bavaria
1723 Died in infancy.
Maria Antonia Walpurgis
Electress of Saxony
18 July 1724 23 April 1780 Married in 1747 Frederick Christian of Saxony, had issue.
Theresa Benedicta
Princess of Bavaria
6 December 1725 29 March 1743 Died young and unmarried.
Maximilian III Joseph
Elector of Bavaria
28 March 1727 30 December 1777 Married in 1747 Maria Anna Sophia of Saxony, no issue.
Joseph Ludwig Leo
Prince of Bavaria
25 August 1728 2 December 1733 Died in infancy.
Maria Anna Josepha
Margravine of Baden-Baden
7 August 1734 7 May 1776 Married in 1755 Louis George, Margrave of Baden-Baden, no issue.
Maria Josepha
Holy Roman Empress
30 March 1739 28 May 1767 Married in 1765 Joseph, King of the Romans, no issue.

Illegitimate children

Charles Albert and his mistress Sophie Caroline von Ingelheim had a son:

Titles

Charles VII, by the grace of God elected Holy Roman Emperor, forever August, King in Germany and of Bohemia, Duke in the Upper and Lower Bavaria as well as the Upper Palatinate, Count-Palatine of the Rhine, Archduke of Austria, Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, Landgrave of Leuchtenberg, etc. etc.

Ancestors

See also

References

  1. "GeneAll.net - France". Geneall.net. Retrieved 2012-05-28.

External links

Media related to Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor at Wikimedia Commons

Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor
Born: 6 August 1697 Died: 20 January 1745
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Maximilian II Emanuel
Elector of Bavaria
26 February 1726 – 20 January 1745
Succeeded by
Maximilian III Joseph
Preceded by
Maria Theresa
King of Bohemia
19 December 1741 – 12 May 1743
Succeeded by
Maria Theresa
Preceded by
Charles VI
Holy Roman Emperor
King in Germany

24 January 1742 – 20 January 1745
Succeeded by
Francis I
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