Why did Charles VII and Maria Amalia's marriage matter?

In 1722, Charles, Elector of Bavaria, married Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria, daughter of Emperor Joseph I and niece of Emperor Charles VI. This union connected the House of Wittelsbach with the Habsburg dynasty by both blood and marriage. Later, following the death of Charles VI, this marriage provided the basis for Charles to claim the Austrian lands and eventually become Holy Roman Emperor.

What we know

• Charles married Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria in 1722. [2]
• Maria Amalia was the daughter of Emperor Joseph I and the niece of Emperor Charles VI. [2, 4]
• The couple had seven children together, including future Elector Maximilian III Joseph. [2, 4]
• Charles used his connection to the Habsburgs through this marriage to claim the Archduchy of Austria after Charles VI died in 1740. [2]

Where to go next

• what caused itHow did Charles VII become Holy Roman Emperor?
• what followedWhat was the War of the Austrian Succession?
• whoWho was Maria Amalia of Austria?
• the bigger pictureWhat role did the House of Wittelsbach play in the empire?
• whenHow did the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 alter European succession?
• an unexpected connectionHow did a marriage alliance lead to the end of Habsburg imperial rule?Although Charles VII was related to the Habsburgs by marriage, his imperial reign temporarily ended three centuries of uninterrupted Habsburg control over the Holy Roman Empire.

Sources

• [1]Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor (Wikidata Q76736) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Maria of Austria, Holy Roman Empress · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Maria Amalia, Holy Roman Empress · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor · CC BY-SA 4.0