Biography of Anna Maria Franziska
Anna Maria Franziska of Saxe-Lauenburg (13 June 1672 – 15 October 1741) was the legal Duchess of Saxe-Lauenburg in the eyes of the Holy Roman Emperor and the overlord of Saxe-Lauenburg, from 1689 until 1728; however, because her distant cousin George William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, conquered the duchy by force in 1689, she exercised no control over the territory, instead living in her manors in Bohemia. She was Grand Duchess of Tuscany as the wife of the last Medici Grand Duke, Gian Gastone.
Anna Maria Franziska was the elder surviving daughter of Julius Franz, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg, and Maria Hedwig of the Palatinate-Sulzbach. She married Philipp Wilhelm August of the Palatinate in 1690, with whom she had her only child, Maria Anna, in 1691. She was widowed in 1693. Four years later, she married Gian Gastone de' Medici, a Prince of Tuscany, son of Cosimo III de'Medici. With her brother-in-law Ferdinando de' Medici's death in 1713, her husband became Tuscany's heir-apparent. She became Grand Duchess of Tuscany upon her father-in-law's death in 1723. She was Grand Duchess for fourteen years before being widowed again in 1737.
Cosimo III de' Medici had coaxed his son into marrying Anna Maria Franziska for dynastic purposes: she was very wealthy and brought a possible claim to the Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg through her father. The Medici family needed an heir as Gian Gastone's older brother, Ferdinando, had not produced a child. Gian Gastone and Anna Maria Franziska were married on 2 July 1697 by the Bishop of Osnabruck at Düsseldorf, but they lived in the Kingdom of Bohemia at chateaux of Ploskovice
The new Princess of Tuscany had sprawling estates in the region. At the time of their marriage, contemporaries described the princess as "appalling and immensely fat". Anna Maria Franziska dominated her weak husband, driving him into the arms of alcohol. He deplored her behavior as "capriciousness, peevish faces and sharp words". Gian Gastone stayed with his wife for a mere ten months before fleeing to Prague. The princess refused to leave Reichstadt despite her husband's constant protestations. She believed that the Medici were in the habit of murdering their consorts.
Cosimo III attempted to force his daughter-in-law to move back to Tuscany with Gian Gastone. He asked the Pope, Clement XI, to send the Archbishop of Prague to reproach her and convince her to fulfill her wifely obligations. She replied that there was no point because Gian Gastone was "absolutely impotent". He left without her in 1708. Ferdinando, the heir to the collapsing grand duchy, died in 1713, at which point she became the Grand Princess of Tuscany. Cosimo III continued his reign for another ten years.
Gian Gastone became Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1723 and Anna Maria Franziska became the Grand Duchess. Her husband continued to live in Florence and never saw his wife again. Gian Gastone lived a frivolous life there, staying up all night and waking up in the afternoon. As Grand Duchess, Anna Maria Franziska kept to her life of solitude at her castle, where she talked to the horses in the stables. Gian Gastone died in 1737. As the Medici had no male heir, Francesco Stefano of Lorraine (later Holy Roman Emperor) ascended the grand ducal throne. (See The Succession.) Anna Maria Franziska died in 1741.
Anna Maria Franziska was the elder surviving daughter of Julius Franz, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg, and Maria Hedwig of the Palatinate-Sulzbach. She married Philipp Wilhelm August of the Palatinate in 1690, with whom she had her only child, Maria Anna, in 1691. She was widowed in 1693. Four years later, she married Gian Gastone de' Medici, a Prince of Tuscany, son of Cosimo III de'Medici. With her brother-in-law Ferdinando de' Medici's death in 1713, her husband became Tuscany's heir-apparent. She became Grand Duchess of Tuscany upon her father-in-law's death in 1723. She was Grand Duchess for fourteen years before being widowed again in 1737.
Cosimo III de' Medici had coaxed his son into marrying Anna Maria Franziska for dynastic purposes: she was very wealthy and brought a possible claim to the Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg through her father. The Medici family needed an heir as Gian Gastone's older brother, Ferdinando, had not produced a child. Gian Gastone and Anna Maria Franziska were married on 2 July 1697 by the Bishop of Osnabruck at Düsseldorf, but they lived in the Kingdom of Bohemia at chateaux of Ploskovice
The new Princess of Tuscany had sprawling estates in the region. At the time of their marriage, contemporaries described the princess as "appalling and immensely fat". Anna Maria Franziska dominated her weak husband, driving him into the arms of alcohol. He deplored her behavior as "capriciousness, peevish faces and sharp words". Gian Gastone stayed with his wife for a mere ten months before fleeing to Prague. The princess refused to leave Reichstadt despite her husband's constant protestations. She believed that the Medici were in the habit of murdering their consorts.
Cosimo III attempted to force his daughter-in-law to move back to Tuscany with Gian Gastone. He asked the Pope, Clement XI, to send the Archbishop of Prague to reproach her and convince her to fulfill her wifely obligations. She replied that there was no point because Gian Gastone was "absolutely impotent". He left without her in 1708. Ferdinando, the heir to the collapsing grand duchy, died in 1713, at which point she became the Grand Princess of Tuscany. Cosimo III continued his reign for another ten years.
Gian Gastone became Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1723 and Anna Maria Franziska became the Grand Duchess. Her husband continued to live in Florence and never saw his wife again. Gian Gastone lived a frivolous life there, staying up all night and waking up in the afternoon. As Grand Duchess, Anna Maria Franziska kept to her life of solitude at her castle, where she talked to the horses in the stables. Gian Gastone died in 1737. As the Medici had no male heir, Francesco Stefano of Lorraine (later Holy Roman Emperor) ascended the grand ducal throne. (See The Succession.) Anna Maria Franziska died in 1741.