Editing Klemens von Metternich (section)

==Marriage and the Congress of Rastatt==
[[Image:Eleonora_z_Kounic-Metternichu.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Countess Eleonore of Kaunitz-Rietberg (1775–1825), Metternich's first wife]]

In England, he met King [[George III]] on several occasions and dined with a number of influential British politicians, including [[William Pitt the Younger|William Pitt]], [[Charles James Fox]] and [[Edmund Burke]]. He also dined with the renowned composer [[Joseph Haydn]] and his impresario [[Johann Peter Salomon]] after seeing several of their concerts at [[Hanover Square, Westminster|Hanover Square]]. It was at one of these concerts where he recognized his one-time teacher, [[Andreas Joseph Hofmann|Andreas Hofmann]] in the audience who went to spy on England for the French.<ref>{{harvnb|Cecil|1947|p=76}}</ref> Metternich was nominated the new [[Minister Plenipotentiary]] to the [[Austrian Netherlands]] and left England in September 1794. On arrival, he found an exiled and powerless government in a headlong retreat from the latest French advance.<ref name="palmer22"/> In October a revitalised French army swept into Germany and annexed all of the Metternich estates except Königswart. Disappointed, and affected by strong criticism of his father's policies, he joined his parents in Vienna in November.<ref name="palmer25">{{harvnb|Palmer|1972|pp=25–27}}</ref> On 27 September 1795 he married Countess Eleonore von {{ill|Kaunitz-Rietberg|de|Kaunitz (Adelsgeschlecht)}} (1775–1825), daughter of Ernst Christoph, Fürst von Kaunitz-Rietberg (1737–1797) and Princess Maria Leopoldine zu [[County of Oettingen|Oettingen-Spielberg]] (1741–1795), a granddaughter of former Austrian chancellor [[Wenzel Anton, Prince of Kaunitz-Rietberg]].<ref name="cecil78">{{harvnb|Cecil|1947|pp=78–79}}</ref><ref>[https://www.mza.cz/actapublica/matrika/detail/1959?image=216000010-000253-003378-000000-013137-000000-FM-B11023-00060.jp2&lang=en Marriage record]</ref> The marriage was arranged by Metternich's mother and introduced him to Viennese society. This was undoubtedly part of the motivation for Metternich, who demonstrated less affection for her than she for him. Two conditions were imposed by the father of the bride, Prince Kaunitz: first, the still youthful Eleonore was to continue to live at home; and second, Metternich was forbidden from serving as a diplomat as long as the Prince was still alive.<ref name="palmer25"/> Their daughter Maria was born in January 1797.<ref name="palmer27">{{harvnb|Palmer|1972|pp=27–31}}</ref>

After Metternich's studies in Vienna, the Prince's death in September 1797 allowed Metternich to participate in the [[Second Congress of Rastatt|Congress of Rastatt]].<ref name="palmer31"/> Initially his father, who headed the imperial delegation, took him as a secretary while ensuring that, when proceedings officially started in December 1797, he was named the representative of the Catholic Bench of the College of the Counts of Westphalia.<ref name="cecil78"/> A bored Metternich remained at [[Rastatt]] in this role until 1799 when the congress was finally wound down.<ref name="palmer27"/> During this period Eleonore had chosen to live with Metternich at Rastatt: and gave birth to sons Francis (February 1798) and, shortly after the end of the Congress, Klemens (June 1799). Much to Metternich's anguish, Klemens died after only a few days, and Francis soon contracted a lung infection from which he would never recover.<ref name="palmer31">{{harvnb|Palmer|1972|pp=31–37}}</ref>