Élisabeth I of Lorraine

Élisabeth I Françoise (Élisabeth Françoise Louise; 16th July 1690 - 4th November 1759) was Queen of Lorraine and Burgundy from the death of her younger half-brother, Léopold III in 1717, until her own death in 1759. This makes her one of the longest reigning Lorrainer monarchs, reigning for a long fourty-two years. She came to the throne following the death of her then-childless half-brother, King Léopold III, though her succession was quickly called into dispute with the discovery that Léopold's widow, Princess Sophie Charlotte of Bavaria, was pregnant. The birth of a daughter to Sophie Charlotte discredited the child's claim, as the nobility of Lorraine preferred an adult Queen to an infant one. Élisabeth's long reign has been mainly known for its stability, though she engaged in numerous European wars to promote Lorrainer interests.

Élisabeth herself was known for her piety and general good-nature, though she was also capable of being commanding and authoritative. She was also known for her independence, refusing to name her husband as her co-monarch, despite previous tradition with female Lorrainer monarchs, such as Marie II. Despite being challenged over her authority by some nobles of her kingdom, she made great strides in continuing her father's work of centralising the kingdom around the power of the crown. She was married to her cousin of a cadet branch, Louis-Philippe de Lorraine-Montbéliard, in order to keep the House of Lorraine alive after her. Despite her husband being a member of the Montbéliard branch, their children were simply members of the senior House of Lorraine. Nonetheless, her reign was wracked with economic turmoil caused by the massive spending of her half-brother, Léopold III, as well as the expenses of the many wars she engaged in across her reign. These debts and economic hardships would continue after her death.

Birth and Events
Princesse Élisabeth Françoise Louise de Lorraine was born on December 16th, 1690, at the Chateau de Commercy, to the reigning King Charles III and his first wife, Queen Marie Antoinette d'Autriche. She was born alongside a younger twin sister, Princesse Thérèse Léopoldine. Their births were extremely difficult on the Queen, with the labour lasting an excruciating 27 hours, before Élisabeth was finally born first. The atmosphere in the birthing chamber turned to shock when the physicians announced that there was to be another child. Thérèse Léopoldine was born seven minutes after Élisabeth, with the court still present. It was the birth of Léopoldine which would kill the Queen, for she was born in such a way that led to massive bleeding. This bleeding would kill their mother, though neither Elisabeth nor King Charles III would hold any resentment.

There was little to no celebration for the births of the Princesses, due to the death of their mother as well as the gender of the children. Instead, there was a more sombre dinner held in celebration of the birth of the twins, which was held after the mourning period and funeral of the Queen.

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Early Years
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Education
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Marriage and Family
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Reign of Léopold III
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Ascension
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War of the Lorrainer Succession (1717 - 1722)
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Restoration of Peace
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Court Life
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War of the Austrian Succession (1740 - 1748)
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Economic Reforms
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Assassination Attempts
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Seven Years' War (1756 - Present)
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Death and Legacy
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Personality
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Appearance
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Issue
With her husband Louis-Philippe, Prince des Vosges, she had eight livebirth children, as well as two stillborn children and two miscarriages. Five of her children would live to adulthood, and two currently live:
 * Léopold Charles de Lorraine, Prince de Vaudémont (10th June 1706 - 19th September 1721)
 * Marie Charlotte de Lorraine, Duchesse de Parme (2nd March 1709 - 11th December 1736)
 * Marie Élisabeth de Lorraine, Duchesse de Guise (28th May 1712 - Present)
 * Stillborn son (13th October 1714)
 * Auguste Gabriel de Lorraine, Prince de Vaudémont (5th January 1716 - 18th August 1753)
 * Charlotte Louise, Princesse de Lorraine (5th January 1716 - 7th January 1716)
 * Miscarriage (9th September 1718)
 * Miscarriage (2nd November 1719)
 * Henri Charles de Lorraine, Duc de Metz (23rd October 1721 - Present)
 * Louise Augustine de Lorraine, Dauphine de Viennois (26th March 1722 - 31st July 1765)
 * Frédéric Louis de Lorraine, Comte de Thionville (17th August 1725 - 29th January 1766)
 * Stillborn son (16th February 1728)

Titles and Styles

 * 16th December 1690 - 12th February 1717: Son Altesse Royale, Princesse Elisabeth
 * 12th February 1717 - 4th November 1759: Sa Majeste Plus Royale, la Reine

Honours

 * Grand Cross of the Order of the Virgin Mary
 * Grand Cross of the Order of the Golden Star
 * Grand Cross of the Order of the Maid of Arc