Editing Maria Theresa (section)

===Dynastic marriage policy===
[[File:Mariatheresiaoldfamily.jpg|thumb|left|The dowager empress with family, 1776, by [[Heinrich Füger]]]]

Shortly after giving birth to the younger children, Maria Theresa was confronted with the task of marrying off the elder ones. She led the marriage negotiations along with the campaigns of her wars and the duties of state. She used them as pawns in dynastic games and sacrificed their happiness for the benefit of the state.{{sfn|Mahan|1932|p=271}} A devoted but self-conscious mother, she wrote to all of her children at least once a week and believed herself entitled to exercise authority over her children regardless of their age and rank.{{sfn|Beales|1987|p=194}}

In April 1770, Maria Theresa's youngest daughter, Maria Antonia, married [[Louis XVI|Louis]], [[Dauphin of France]], by [[proxy marriage|proxy]] in Vienna. Maria Antonia's education was neglected, and when the French showed an interest in her, her mother went about educating her as best she could about the [[Palace of Versailles|court of Versailles]] and the French. Maria Theresa kept up a fortnightly correspondence with Maria Antonia, now called [[Marie Antoinette]], in which she often reproached her for laziness and frivolity and scolded her for failing to conceive a child.{{sfn|Beales|1987|p=194}}

Maria Theresa was not just critical of Marie Antoinette. She disliked Leopold's reserve and often blamed him for being cold. She criticized Maria Carolina for her political activities, Ferdinand for his lack of organization, and Maria Amalia for her poor [[French language|French]] and haughtiness. The only child she did not constantly scold was Maria Christina, who enjoyed her mother's complete confidence, though she failed to please her mother in one aspect – she did not produce any surviving children.{{sfn|Beales|1987|p=194}}

One of Maria Theresa's greatest wishes was to have as many grandchildren as possible, but she had only about two dozen at the time of her death, of which all the eldest surviving daughters were named after her, with the exception of [[Princess Carolina of Parma]], her eldest granddaughter by Maria Amalia.{{sfn|Beales|1987|p=194}}{{efn|The eldest surviving daughters of Maria Theresa's children were [[Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria (1762–1770)|Maria Theresa of Austria]] (by Joseph), [[Maria Theresa of Austria (1767–1827)|Maria Theresa of Tuscany]] (by Leopold), [[Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily]] (by Maria Carolina), [[Maria Theresa of Austria-Este (1773–1832)|Maria Theresa of Austria-Este]] (by Ferdinand) and [[Marie Thérèse of France]] (by Marie Antoinette).}}