Maria Theresa

Maria Theresa is known as the Empress who ruled the Holy Roman Empire and was the de facto ruler of much of Europe throughout her lifetime. As the eldest surviving child of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, Maria was not originally expected to ever inherit her father's throne. But when her father failed to produce any male children, Maria was formally trained in statecraft and the arts of governance. When her prospective groom, Leopold Clement, died from an illness, she eventually married his younger brother. After Maria's father died, several neighboring kings took the opportunity to invade her lands. Although she started off with a depleted treasury and limited leadership experience, Maria Theresa soon proved her mettle by doubling the empire's income and raising a large standing army. After a series of disastrous wars destroyed half of Europe, Maria found that her empire had emerged relatively unscathed. Using her intellect and education, Maria initiated a renaissance in her empire and implemented several important educational and judicial reforms. After successfully marrying off her surviving children to the royal houses of Europe, Maria Theresa died peacefully in her bed, one of the most powerful female monarchs of the early modern era.