Maria of Dagmar and Atlantis

## Empress Holy Roman EmpressQueen of the Romans

Portrait by Georg von Bothmann, 1829

Beatrice Mavrikievna, Grand Duchess of Dagmar, Atlantis and Russia, Queen of Italy
Augusta Mikhailovna, Queen of Modena and Reggio
Leopoldine Mikhailovna, Electress & Queen Mother of Bavaria
Tatiana Mikhailovna, Duchess of Schaumburg-Lippe
Diana Mikhailovna, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine
Bathildis Mikhailovna, Grand Duchess of Dagmar, Atlantis and Russia, Queen of Nassau
Vera Mikhailovna, Grand Duchess of Dagmar and Atlantis, Queen Mother of Irene-Ascania
Constantine Mikhailovna, Grand Duchess of Dagmar and Atlantis, Dowager Empress of Konstantinovich
Gloria Mikhailovna, Grand Duchess of Dagmar and Atlantis, Queen Mother of the United Kingdom
Wilhelm Mikhalovich, Grand Duke of Dagmar and Atlantis, High King of Massa and Carrara
Phillipe Mikhailovna, Grand Duchess of Dagmar and Atlantis, High Queen of Massa and Carrara
Maria Mikhailovna, Grand Duchess of Dagmar and Atlantis, High Queen Mother of Massa and Carrara
Catherine Mikhailovna, Grand Duchess of Dagmar and Atlantis, High Queen Mother of Massa and Carrara
Olga Mikhailovna, Grand Duchess of Dagmar and Atlantis, High Queen Mother of Praskovia
Yelisaveta Mikhailovna, Grand Duchess of Dagmar and Atlantis, High Empress of Palatine Zweibrücken
Elizaveta Mikhailovna, Grand Duchess of Dagmar and Atlantis, Princess Mother of Wittelsbach
Amalia Mikhailovna, Grand Duchess of Dagmar and Atlantis, Princess-Abbess of Quedlinburg and Queen of Hanover
Albertina Mikhailovna, Grand Duchess of Dagmar and Atlantis, Princess-Abbess of Quedlinburg and Queen of Hanover
Gabriella Mikhailovna, Grand Duchess of Dagmar and Atlantis, Princess-Abbess of Fulda
Bertrada Mikhailovna, Grand Duchess of Dagmar and Atlantis, Princess-Abbess of Prüm, Electress of Trier
Coraline Mikhailovna, Grand Duchess of Dagmar and Atlantis, The Right Honorable Reverend Mother of the Princely Abbey of Corvey
Jeanne Mikhailovna, Grand Duchess of Dagmar, Atlantis and Russia, Princess Alexandrovna of Russia
Helene Mikhailovna, Grand Duchess of Dagmar and Atlantis, Princess Mother of Saxe-Altenburg

### Signature

**Reita II** (18 August [O.S. 6 August] 1819 – 21 February 1876) was the first foreign-born non-European royal to become Holy Roman Empress and Empress of Austria-Normandy held in personal union with the crown. The first wife of Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor from their marriage on 29 October 1839 until her death in 21 February 1876, which spiraled him into despair, Francis would remarry to Princess Maria Josepha of Saxony but was so unhappy being married to her and unsatisfied with their eldest child and only son, Archduke Charles of Austria, that he started living apart from Maria Josepha and disowned his son, declaring him to be "no son of mine". Years prior, Reita had produced two children; Archduke Otto Maximillian Francis and Archduchess Margaret Elizabeth of Austria, whom he loved deeply and without any equal. Before they had started living apart, Maria Josepha discovered that she was pregnant once more, later giving birth to Archduke Maximilian Eugen of Austria. Maximilian Eugen was disowned like his older brother had been, which insulted his mother. Eventually he chose the sole older sister of Reita [his first wife], Grand Duchess Victoria Mikhailovna of Dagmar as his third wife; the Grand Duchess agreed to the marriage and the two royals were happy together. Originally **Grand Duchess Maria Mikhailovna of Dagmar** by birth, she renounced her birth name and succession rights in order to marry the Holy Roman Emperor, Francis II.

## Appearance and personality

Maria was noted as the "most beautiful princess of Dagmar" and even Grand Duchess Alexandra Feodorovna [wife of her youngest brother, Philip I] deemed her as such. Her husband the Holy Roman Emperor, Francis II praised her as "a most lovely bride, with eyes that are greatly welcoming and gentle, the most softest smile and the most delicate, porcelain-like hands that seemly warm up my heart and make feel warm. She is truly a treasure to me, more precious than silver or gold, or even the Holy Roman Emperor. She was the first thing that I could truly consider to be truly and fully mine." Her older sister Grand Duchess Victoria Mikhailovna described her as "quite tall... and delicately shaped, with sharp angular shoulders, sharp, intelligent flashing eyes and a stern aura of authority and power that simply ran off her in waves. Her black hair, cropped close to her scalp lent her a more gentler look. Her complexion was clear and as rosy as a little child's. The Empress, my younger sister's eyes had a harsh and cold glimmer to them - evident of her harshness and coldness when dealing with my bullies in our shared youth."