Princess Marie Victoire d'Arenberg

Marie Victoire was born in Brussels the eldest daughter of Léopold Philippe, Duke of Arenberg. Her mother was Maria Lodovica Francesca Pignatelli, Duchess of Bisaccia (1696-1766), a grand-daughter of Ottone Enrico del Carretto, who 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 was a childhood friend of Empress Maria Theresa. She 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. She was one of only six women outside Imperial family who were admitted to the Order of the Starry Cross during the 18th century.

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 Margrave Louis George of Baden-Baden.

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.[1]