Franciszka Corvin-Krasińska

Franciszka Corvin-Krasińska
Born 1742
Maleszowa
Died 30 April 1796 (aged 53)
Dresden
Spouse Charles of Saxony, Duke of Courland
Issue Maria Christina, Princess of Carignan
House House of Wettin
Father Stanisław Corvin-Krasiński
Mother Aniela Humiecka
Religion Roman Catholicism

Franciszka Corvin-Krasińska (1742 in Maleszowa – 30 April 1796 in Dresden), was a Polish noblewoman and the morganatic wife of Charles of Saxony, Duke of Courland, the son of King Augustus III of Poland.

Life

She was the daughter of the Polish nobleman Stanisław Corvin-Krasiński (1717–1762) and Aniela Humiecka.

Franciszka was born at Maleszowa castle, but the family attended the royal court in Warsaw, where she would meet her future husband, Charles of Saxony, Duke of Courland. Franciszka and Charles reportedly fell mutually in love with each other, and in 1757, the asked her family to support their plan to marry. Her father and her uncle by marriage, Antoni Lubomirski, both supported their wish, as in particular as Charles became Duke of Courland in 1758.[1] Her paternal aunt Zofia Lubomirska, commented that her brother "... are convinced that his daughter will rule... I suffer from what he write",[2] as she did not believe in the honest feelings of Charles, predicted that his family would not allow such a marriage and that he would abandon her niece.[3]

Morganatic marriage

On 20 March 1760 Franciszka Corvin-Krasińska finally married Charles of Saxony. As Franciszka was noble, but did not belong to a reigning or immediate dynasty, she married Charles secretly and never shared his dynastic title.

Her aunt Zofia Lubomirski, in alliance with August Czartoryski, demanded of Charles that he officially recognize Franciszka as his legal wife.[4] After the death of Franciszka's compliant father in 1762, Zofia's husband became the guardian of her officially unmarried niece, and Zofia Lubomirski was in a position to have more influence upon Charles in the issue.[5] In January 1764, during the Interregnum, the marriage was recognized by Charles, and Zofia Lubomirski tried to negotiate with Charles to have announce his candidacy to the Polish throne, which would have made Franciszka queen.[6]

Franciszka Corvin-Krasińska often lived with her aunt; it is noted that she visited Warsaw with her aunt during the Radom Confederation and followed her from there to her dominions in Opole, where she reunited with Charles in 1775. In June 1775, in response to the persistence of Charles and advocates at the Saxon royal court, the marriage was recognized, though only as morganatic, and Franciszka was given the title of princess by Emperor Joseph II, heritable by her children.

The couple had two daughters:[7] Maria Theresia (born and died 1767) and Maria Christina (1770–1851), who became the grandmother of Victor Emmanuel II in 1861.

Franciszka likely died of breast cancer.

In fiction

Franciszka has been the subject of a novel by Klementyna Hoffmanowa.

References

  1. ↑ Biogram został opublikowany w 1972 r. w XVII tomie Polskiego Słownika Biograficznego
  2. ↑ Biogram został opublikowany w 1972 r. w XVII tomie Polskiego Słownika Biograficznego
  3. ↑ Biogram został opublikowany w 1972 r. w XVII tomie Polskiego Słownika Biograficznego
  4. ↑ Biogram został opublikowany w 1972 r. w XVII tomie Polskiego Słownika Biograficznego
  5. ↑ Biogram został opublikowany w 1972 r. w XVII tomie Polskiego Słownika Biograficznego
  6. ↑ Biogram został opublikowany w 1972 r. w XVII tomie Polskiego Słownika Biograficznego
  7. ↑ Charles of Saxony, duke of Courland and Semigallia in: geneall.net [retrieved 21 September 2015].
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