Editing Anthony, King of Saxony (section)

==Early life==
With few chances to take part in the politics of the Electorate of Saxony or receive any land from his older brother Frederick Augustus III, Anton lived under the shadows. No Elector of Saxony after Johann Georg I gave appanages to his younger sons.

During the first years of the reign of his older brother as Elector, Anthony was the third in line, preceded only by his older brother Charles. The death of Charles (8 September 1781) made him the next in line to the Electorate as Electoral Prince (de: ''Kurprinz''); this was because all the pregnancies of the Electress Amalie, except for one daughter, ended in a stillbirth.

His aunt, the [[Maria Josepha of Saxony (1731–1767)|Dauphine of France]], had wanted to engage her daughter [[Princess Marie Zéphyrine of France|Marie Zéphyrine of France]] to Anthony; Marie Zéphyrine died in 1755 abandoning plans. Another French candidate was Marie Zéphyrine's sister [[Clotilde de France|Marie Clothilde]] (later [[Queen of Sardinia]]) but again nothing happened.

In [[Turin]] on 29 September 1781 (by proxy) and again in [[Dresden]] on 24 October 1781 (in person), Anthony married firstly with the [[Princess Maria Carolina of Savoy]], daughter of the King [[Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia]] and [[Maria Antonietta of Spain]]. Caroline died after only one year of marriage, on 28 December 1782 having succumbed to [[smallpox]]. They had no children.

In [[Florence]] on 8 September 1787 (by proxy) and again in [[Dresden]] on 18 October 1787 (in person), Anthony entered his second marriage, to the Archduchess [[Maria Theresa of Austria (1767–1827)|Maria Theresia of Austria]] (Maria Theresia Josephe Charlotte Johanna), daughter of the Grand Duke Leopold I of Tuscany, later [[Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor Leopold II]]. [[Mozart]]'s opera ''[[Don Giovanni]]'' was originally intended to be performed in honor of his bride for a visit to [[Prague]] on 14 October 1787, as she traveled between [[Vienna]] and Dresden for the in-person ceremony, and [[libretto]]s were printed with mention of the names of both Anton and the archduchess. The [[premiere]] could not be arranged in time, however, so the opera ''[[The Marriage of Figaro]]'' was substituted on the express orders of the bride's uncle, the Emperor [[Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor|Joseph II]]. The choice of ''The Marriage of Figaro'' was considered improper for a new bride by many observers, and the archduchess left the opera theater early without seeing the entire work performed. Mozart complained bitterly of the intrigues surrounding this incident in a letter to his friend Gottfried von Jacquin that was written in stages between 15 October and 25 October 1787. Anthony was present in Prague in September 1791 for the first performance of Mozart's opera ''[[La clemenza di Tito]]'', which was written as part of the coronation ceremonies of his father-in-law, the Emperor [[Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor|Leopold II]], as [[King of Bohemia]].<ref>Anthony's presence at performances of Mozart's music is detailed in [[Daniel E. Freeman]], ''Mozart in Prague'' (2021) {{ISBN|1950743500}}.</ref>

The couple had four children, but none survived to the age of two:
#Maria Ludovika Auguste Fredericka Therese Franziska Johanna Aloysia Nepomucena Ignatia Anna Josepha Xaveria Franziska de Paula Barbara (b. Dresden, 14 March 1795 – d. Dresden, 25 April 1796) died in infancy.
#Frederick Augustus (b. and d. Dresden, 5 April 1796) died at birth
#Maria Johanna Ludovica Anna Amalia Nepomucena Aloysia Ignatia Xaveria Josepha Franziska de Chantal Eva Apollonia Magdalena Crescentia Vincentia (b. Dresden, 5 April 1798 – d. Dresden, 30 October 1799) died in infancy.
#Maria Theresia (b. and d. Dresden, 15 October 1799) died at birth

Electress Amalie gave birth for last time in 1799 to another stillborn child. After this, it became apparent that Anthony would succeed to the Electorate of Saxony, which was raised to kingdom in 1806.