Princess Marie Victoire d'Arenberg

Princess Marie Victoire
File:Marie Victoire d'Arenberg margravine of Baden-Baden.jpg Painting of Marie Victoire by Johann Wolfgang Hauwiller, ca. 1770
Margravine consort of Baden-Baden
Consort	22 October 1761 – 21 October 1771
Born	(1714-10-26)26 October 1714 Brussels, Belgium
Died	Strasbourg
Burial	Stiftskirche, Baden-Baden
Spouse	Augustus George, Margrave of Baden-Baden
House	House of Arenberg (by birth) House of Zähringen (by marriage)
Father	Léopold Philippe, Duke of Arenberg
Mother	Maria Lodovica Francesca Pignatelli

Princess Marie Victoire of Arenberg (Marie Victoire Pauline; 26 October 1714 – 13 April 1793) was a member of the House of Arenberg and later the Margravine of Baden-Baden as consort of Augustus George of Baden-Baden. She is credited for her charitable nature setting up various religious orders in her adopted Baden-Baden where she was known as Maria Viktoria.

Biography

Marie Victoire was born in Brussels the eldest daughter of Léopold Philippe, Duke of Arenberg. Her mother was Maria Lodovica Francesca Pignatelli, a grand daughter of Ottone Enrico del Carretto was an Imperial Army commander like her own father. As a member of the House of Arenberg, she was allowed the style of Serene Highness reflecting the Arenbergs status as Princes of the Holy Roman Empire.

She was one of six children, her only surviving brother being Charles Marie Raymond, Duke of Arenberg, another distinguished member of the imperial army. She was a childhood friend of the future Empress Maria Theresa.

She was a cousin of Maria Henriette de La Tour d'Auvergne, wife of Count Palatine John Christian and mother of the last Wittelsbach Elector of Bavaria.

Marie Victoire received a strict Roman Catholic education and in later life, spent much of her larger personal fortune on charitable foundations related to the Catholic Church. She was also active in the care of children and Catholic education of young women. She also had a good education in music and the arts.

On 7 December 1735 she married Margrave Augustus George of Baden-Baden, youngest son of Louis William of Baden-Baden and Sibylle of Saxe-Lauenburg. Originally destined for the church, he left his ecclesiastical career in 1735. He was the brother of the ruling Margarve Louis George of Baden-Baden.

The marriage remained childless. At the death of her brother in law Louis George in 1761, her husband succeeded as margrave making Marie Victoire, known as Maria Viktoria in Germany, the most important female at the court of Baden-Baden displacing Louis Georges widow Maria Anna Josepha of Bavaria, sister of Maximilian III Joseph, Elector of Bavaria.

While Margravine, she set up an Augustinian choir for the women of Rastatt, the main seat of the rulers of Baden-Baden. Her husband died in 1771 leaving no heirs of his own and thus Baden-Baden went to Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden, leaving the defunct Maria Viktoria without a home.

She moved from Rastatt and took up residence in Ottersweier where she set up a convent. In the convent school girls learned all the skills which they would need as future mothers and teachers. In 1767 she bequeathed most of her property of a foundation to preserve the school beyond their death.

She died in Strasbourg aged 78. She was buried at the Stiftskirche in Baden-Baden beside her husband.

Ancestry

Family of Princess Marie Victoire d'Arenberg

16. Philippe-Charles, 3rd Count of Arenberg               8. Charles Eugene d'Arenberg, Duke of Arenberg                       17. Countess Maria Cleopha of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen               4. Philippe Charles d'Arenberg, Duke of Arenberg                             18. Claude François de Cusance               9. Marie Henriette de Cusance et de Vergy                       19. Ernestine de Witthem, Countess of Walhain               2. Léopold Philippe d'Arenberg, Duke of Arenberg                                   20. Francesco del Carretto, Marquis of Grana, Count of Millesimo               10. Ottone Enrico del Carretto, Marchese of Savona and Grana                       21. Countess Margarethe Fugger von Nordendorf               5. Maria Enrietta del Carretto, Marchesa of Savona and Grana                             22. Count Johann Maximilian of Herberstein               11. Countess Maria Theresia of Herberstein                       23. Baroness Eleonora Katharina Breunner               1. Marie Victoire of Arenberg                                         24. Franceso Pignatelli, Duke of Bisaccia               12. Carlo Pignatelli, Duke of Bisaccia                       25. Vittoria di Capua               6. Niccolo Pignatelli, Duke of Bisaccia                             26. Nicola del Giudice, Prince of Cellamare, Duke of Giovenazzo               13. Chiara del Giudice                       27. Ippolita Pelagnano               3. Maria Francesca Pignatelli, Duchess of Bisaccia, Countess of Egmond                                   28. Louis, Count of Egmond               14. Philip Louis, Count of Egmond                       29. Marie Marguerite de Berlaymont               7. Maria Clara Angelica van Egmond                             30. Charles Philippe de Croÿ, Marquis of Renty, Duke of Havré               15. Maria Ferdinanda de Croÿ                       31. Marie Claire de Croÿ, Duchess of Havré

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

• 26 October 1714 – 7 December 1735 Her Serene Highness Princess Marie Victoire of Arenberg
• 7 December 1735 – 22 October 1761 Her Serene Highness Margravine Augustus George of Baden-Baden
• 22 October 1761 – 21 October 1771 Her Serene Highness The Margravine of Baden-Baden
• 21 October 1771 – 13 April 1793 Her Serene Highness The Dowager Margravine of Baden-Baden

References

Princess Marie Victoire d'Arenberg House of Arenberg Born: 26 October 1714 Died: 13 April 1793
Royal titles
Preceded by Maria Anna Josepha of Bavaria	Margravine consort of Baden-Baden 22 October 1761–21 October 1771	Succeeded by Caroline Louise of Hesse-Darmstadt