Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria

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Marie Valerie, Archduchess of Austria (April 22, 1868 - September 6, 1924) was the fourth and last child of Franz Josef, Emperor of Austria-Hungary and Elisabeth, Duchess in Bavaria ("Sissi"). Her given name was Marie Valerie Mathilde.

Princess Marie Valerie was born at Ofen (Buda) in Hungary. The Empress Elisabeth was especially attached to Marie Valerie, who had been born ten years after the imperial couple's third child and whom she was allowed to raise herself in contrast to her first three children who were raised by the Emperor's mother, Archduess Sophie. This suggested to some minds that Marie Valerie was not the emperor's daughter; however, she physically resembled Franz Joseph more than any of her siblings. She was Elisabeth's favorite child by far, and was acidly referred to by some courtiers as "Die Einzige" (the Only Child).

In 1890, Marie Valerie married her close cousin Franz Salvator, Archduke of Austria-Tuscany. When it came time to marry, Marie Valerie chose love over a dynastic marriage; it was hoped that she would marry someone like the Crown Prince of Saxony or the Duke of Braganza, but she flatly refused; she chose Franz Salvator, and Elisabeth supported her favorite daughter. This caused a large rift between her and her brother Crown Prince Rudolf.

Marie Valerie and Franz Salvator had 10 children:

• Elisabeth (1892-1930), who married Count Georg of Waldburg-Zeil
• Franz (1893-1918)
• Hubert Salvator (1894-1971), who married Princess Rosemary of Salm-Salm
• Hedwig (1896-1970), who married Count Bernard of Stolberg-Stolberg
• Theodor Salvator (1899-1978), who married Countess Maria Theresa of Waldburg-Zeil-Trauchburg
• Gertrud (1900-1962), who married Count Georg of Waldburg-Zeil-Trauchburg (her sister Elisabeth's widower)
• Maria Elisabeth (1901-1936)
• Clemens Salvator (1904-1979), who married Countess Elisabeth Rességuier de Miremont, and who took the title Prince of Altenburg
• Mathilde (1906-1991), who married Ernst Hefel
• Agnes, who was born and died on the same day in 1911

Marie Valerie died in 1924 at Schloss Wallsee, and is buried nearby in the cemetery at Sindelburg, Austria.