--- title: Marriage-go-round description: Marriage-go-round image: https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/77F28F3A-78AC-4BB7-AA3F-A2407A1707DB-225x300-1.jpeg --- # [Vita Brevis A resource for family history from AmericanAncestors.org](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/) This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. # Marriage-go-round [November 08, 2021](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/2021/11/marriage-go-round) [Critical Analysis](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/critical-analysis), [Royal Lines](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/royal-lines), [International genealogical research](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/international-genealogical-research), [Genealogical Writing](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/genealogical-writing), [Serendipity](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/serendipity), [A Genealogist's Diary](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/a-genealogists-diary), [Family stories](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/family-stories), [Road Trips](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/road-trips), [Royal](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/royal) [Scott C. Steward](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/author/ssteward) [![](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/77F28F3A-78AC-4BB7-AA3F-A2407A1707DB-225x300-1.jpeg?width=225&height=300&name=77F28F3A-78AC-4BB7-AA3F-A2407A1707DB-225x300-1.jpeg)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/77F28F3A-78AC-4BB7-AA3F-A2407A1707DB-1.jpeg) Anna of Bohemia, Queen of Hungary. Courtesy of Wikipedia.org Sometimes – as [Chris Child](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/author/cchild/) and [Jeff Record](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/2021/10/miss-winters-drawing-room/) know – one gets drawn back to the same subject matter only to find new patterns. (I would venture to say many other genealogists know this dynamic well.) For me, in this example, it is an interest in matrilineal lines, a favorite subject of my colleague Julie Helen Otto; lately, this interest has taken shape around the progeny of [Anna of Bohemia, Queen of Hungary](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_of_Bohemia_and_Hungary), whose husband later succeeded as Holy Roman Emperor. To look at her daughters’ daughters (and daughters’ sons) is to enter a thicket of queens and kings, empresses and princes. Famously, both [Queen Victoria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Victoria) and [Catherine the Great](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_the_Great) descend from Anna through the female line – a subject for another post, perhaps? Today, though, I want to focus on the curious fact that an unbroken series of Queens of France (and the wives of the Dauphin, or Crown Prince, known as Dauphines) were matrilineal descendants of Anna of Bohemia, which means that, with the exception of [Henri IV](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_IV_of_France), the Kings and Dauphins of France in this line were Anna’s matrilineal descendants as well. What can it have meant, that[ Marie de Medici](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_de%27_Medici), her daughter-in-law [Anne of Austria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_of_Austria), *her* daughter-in-law (and niece) [Marie Therese of Spain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Theresa_of_Spain), *her* daughter-in-law [Marie Anne Victoire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Anna_Victoria_of_Bavaria) of Bavaria, and *her* daughter-in-law [Marie Adelaide of Savoy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Ad%C3%A9la%C3%AFde_of_Savoy) (as well as Marie Adelaide’s prospective daughter-in-law,[ Marianne Victoire of Spain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariana_Victoria_of_Spain)) all descended in the female line from this Queen of Hungary? While each bride offered inducements to the French kings – Marie Therese was the eventual heiress of Spain – these princesses belonged to the rare caste of woman eligible to marry a King of France. And, yet, there were other brides of equal eligibility, so it seems extraordinary that Henri IV, [Louis XIII](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XIII), [Louis XIV](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XIV), and Louis XIV’s [son](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis,_Dauphin_of_France_(1661%E2%80%931711)), [grandson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis,_Duke_of_Burgundy), and great-grandson (later [Louis XV](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XV)) married (or became engaged to) women from the same ancestral stock. Another way of looking at it: Henri IV and Marie de Medici were a patrilineal couple in the ancestry of their son Louis XIII and his successors, but they were also a matrilineal couple in the ancestry of Marie Therese of Spain (Louis XIV’s first wife), Marie Anne Victoire of Bavaria (wife of the Grand Dauphin), and Marie Adelaide of Savoy (wife of the Duke of Burgundy, later the second Dauphin of Louis XIV, and the parents of Louis XV). [![](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/AC663B3E-6C83-47BF-8F72-F20F1C5406C7-1.jpeg?width=1182&height=814&name=AC663B3E-6C83-47BF-8F72-F20F1C5406C7-1.jpeg)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/AC663B3E-6C83-47BF-8F72-F20F1C5406C7-1.jpeg) Click on image to expand it. Seeing it in chart form helps. Louis XIII and his sister [Elisabeth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisabeth_of_France_(1602%E2%80%931644)) married their second cousins (from France’s most important near neighbor); Louis XIV and his brother [Philippe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippe_I,_Duke_of_Orl%C3%A9ans) married their first cousins; and the Grand Dauphin and the younger Dauphin married second cousins – more to the point, King Louis XIV was well aware of the Electress of Bavaria (his first cousin) and the Duchess of Savoy (Marie Adelaide’s mother), his niece. So these were important marriages, dynastically and politically, but they were within comparatively close family connections, no matter how distant the bride’s home country. Finally, in the engagement of the child King Louis XV and his first cousin, daughter of his late father’s brother [King Felipe V](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_V_of_Spain), there was a brief attempt at keeping this important alliance to the fore. Instead, Louis XV married the Princess of Poland, [Marie Lescynska](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Leszczy%C5%84ska). Of course, a generation later Louis XV’s son, the [Dauphin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis,_Dauphin_of_France_(1729%E2%80%931765)) of the day, married Mariana Victoria’s [younger sister](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Teresa_Rafaela_of_Spain), another matrilineal descendant of Anna of Bohemia – but, really, it’s all too much! ### Share this: - [mailto:?body=https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/2021/11/marriage-go-round](mailto:?body=https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/2021/11/marriage-go-round) - - - More - - ![Scott C. Steward](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/hubfs/Imported%20images/f0ca00236a2eb95f2a42a6692ce1ee9c%3Fs=96%26d=identicon%26r=g.jpeg) ## About Scott C. Steward Scott C. Steward has been NEHGS’ Editor-in-Chief since 2013. He is the author, co-author, or editor of genealogies of the Ayer, Le Roy, Lowell, Saltonstall, Thorndike, and Winthrop families. His articles have appeared in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, NEXUS, New England Ancestors, American Ancestors, and The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine, and he has written book reviews for the Register, The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, and the National Genealogical Society Quarterly.[View all posts by Scott C. Steward →](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/author/ssteward) [← A slave in Vermont](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/2021/11/a-slave-in-vermont) [The Donner party →](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/2021/11/the-donner-party) This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. ### Recent Posts [Sailor Bill and His Forgotten Wife](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/sailor-bill-and-his-forgotten-wife) [Professor X](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/professor-x) [Part I: Malaga Island, Maine](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/part-i-malaga-island-maine) [The Norwegian folge](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/the-norwegian-folge) [Research…in a Miniskirt? A ‘Style Guide’ to a Genealogist’s Wardrobe](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/research-in-a-miniskirt-a-style-guide-to-a-genealogists-wardrobe) ### Archives - [October 2014 (27)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2014/10) - [December 2015 (24)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2015/12) - [July 2020 (24)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2020/07) - [April 2014 (23)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2014/04) - [July 2014 (23)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2014/07) - [December 2014 (23)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2014/12) - [July 2015 (23)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2015/07) - [March 2017 (23)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2017/03) - [May 2017 (23)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2017/05) - [August 2017 (23)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2017/08) - [January 2018 (23)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2018/01) - [March 2014 (22)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2014/03) - [August 2014 (22)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2014/08) - [April 2015 (22)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2015/04) - [September 2015 (22)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2015/09) - [October 2015 (22)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2015/10) - [March 2016 (22)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2016/03) - [June 2016 (22)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2016/06) - [August 2016 (22)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2016/08) - [September 2016 (22)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2016/09) - [November 2016 (22)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2016/11) - [December 2016 (22)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2016/12) - [January 2017 (22)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2017/01) - [June 2017 (22)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2017/06) - [November 2017 (22)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2017/11) ### Categories - [Family stories (1260)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/family-stories) - [American History (1137)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/american-history) - [Critical Analysis (1126)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/critical-analysis) - [Research Methods (881)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/research-methods) - [Brick Walls (674)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/brick-walls) - [Object Lessons (617)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/object-lessons) - [Spotlight (617)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/spotlight) - [Genealogical Writing (554)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/genealogical-writing) - [Research tips (510)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/research-tips) - [Serendipity (479)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/serendipity) - [Road Trips (393)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/road-trips) ### Recent Posts [Sailor Bill and His Forgotten Wife](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/sailor-bill-and-his-forgotten-wife) [Professor X](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/professor-x) [Part I: Malaga Island, Maine](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/part-i-malaga-island-maine) [The Norwegian folge](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/the-norwegian-folge) [Research…in a Miniskirt? A ‘Style Guide’ to a Genealogist’s Wardrobe](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/research-in-a-miniskirt-a-style-guide-to-a-genealogists-wardrobe) ### Meta - [Log in](https://vita-brevis.org/wp-login.php) - [Entries RSS](https://vita-brevis.org/feed/) - [Comments RSS](https://vita-brevis.org/comments/feed/) - [WordPress.org](https://wordpress.org/) ### Subscribe to Blog via Email Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. ### Archives - [October 2014 (27)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2014/10) - [December 2015 (24)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2015/12) - [July 2020 (24)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2020/07) - [April 2014 (23)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2014/04) - [July 2014 (23)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2014/07) - [December 2014 (23)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2014/12) - [July 2015 (23)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2015/07) - [March 2017 (23)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2017/03) - [May 2017 (23)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2017/05) - [August 2017 (23)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2017/08) - [January 2018 (23)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2018/01) - [March 2014 (22)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2014/03) - [August 2014 (22)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2014/08) - [April 2015 (22)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2015/04) - [September 2015 (22)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2015/09) - [October 2015 (22)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2015/10) - [March 2016 (22)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2016/03) - [June 2016 (22)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2016/06) - [August 2016 (22)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2016/08) - [September 2016 (22)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2016/09) - [November 2016 (22)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2016/11) - [December 2016 (22)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2016/12) - [January 2017 (22)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2017/01) - [June 2017 (22)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2017/06) - [November 2017 (22)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/archive/2017/11)