Seven Sisters

A spirited, poignant history of the seven daughters of the great Empress Maria Theresia—including Queen Marie Antoinette of France—bringing their stories to life as they balanced dynastic duty and personal defiance in a time of revolutionary turmoil

“Others make war; you, happy Austria, marry.”

This unofficial dictum had kept the Habsburgs at the peak of power for centuries, but by 1764, the dynasty was in a precarious position. After a difficult accession and two lengthy wars, the Empress Maria Theresia faced enormous debts, restive subjects, and shaken political ties. True to Habsburg tradition, she sought the remedy in marriage alliances, and her arsenal was full: her seven daughters Marianna, Marie Christine, Elisabeth, Amalie, Josepha, Carolina, and Antonia were to serve as her pawns in the ruthless game of eighteenth-century dynastic politicking.  

Delivered to the grandest or dingiest courts in Europe, they made their difficult and even dangerous ways: Marianna the seeker; the grande dame Marie Christine; Elisabeth, the malicious, disfigured beauty; fractious and wayward Amalie of Parma; the tragic bride Josepha; Caroline of Naples, Napoleon’s relentless enemy; and Antonia, youngest of the seven, sacrificial offering to the gods of revolution, and better known to history as Marie Antoinette.

Meticulously researched and animated by the sisters’ own memoirs and diaries and the almost daily letters traversing the continent, Seven Sisters reveals the drama and comedy in these exceptional yet all too human lives. It is a vivid portrait of a brilliant world collapsing in a fearful time.

Author Biography

Veronica Buckley is the author of two previous historical biographies, Christina, Queen of Sweden and The Secret Wife of Louis XIV. She has also written on art, theater, and travel; stories for children; and, with her husband Philipp Blom, a photographic history of the Russian Empire and a personal response to one of Europe’s great museum collections. Her books are published in many languages, and she has translated work for stage, radio, TV, and print media. She was born in New Zealand, has lived in many cities around the world, and now makes her home in Vienna. She herself is one of seven sisters.