Archduchess Marie Caroline of Austria
Archduchess Marie Caroline of Austria was born on 8 April 1801 at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna. She was the daughter of Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor (who became Francis I of Austria), and Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily. Named after an older sister who died in infancy, she had a strict upbringing but was talented at drawing, with several sketches preserved.
On 7 October 1819 she married Frederick Augustus, Crown Prince of Saxony (who would later become Frederick Augustus II) in Dresden. The marriage produced no children and was unhappy. Marie Caroline suffered from epilepsy, with frequent seizures that made it hard for her to fulfill her royal duties and affected her marriage. Frederick Augustus was unfaithful, having an illegitimate son, Theodor Uhlig, from one of his affairs.
Marie Caroline died on 22 May 1832 at Pillnitz Castle near Dresden from an epileptic attack, at the age of 31. She was buried in the Catholic Church of Dresden.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 15:01 (CET).