Faces on Cards 1: Piatnik Rococo Quiz

Answer: Maria Theresa

Maria Theresa ruled Austria for 40 years and was that empire's only female ruler. As a matter of fact, her accession precipitated the War of the Austrian Succession, which involved most of the powers of Europe, lasted eight years, and included six other conflicts fought from America to India.

Of her 16 offspring, which numbered eleven daughters and five sons, ten survived to adulthood. Her oldest son and successor, Joseph II, ruled the empire from 1765 to 1780.

All eleven daughters of Maria Theresa were given the first name Maria, such as Maria Anna (oldest of the surviving children), Maria Christina (the empress' favorite daughter), Maria Amalie (married off to Duke Ferdinand of Parma), and Maria Karolina (who would become Queen of Naples and Sicily and would give birth to 18 children, outdoing her mother).

Answer: Frederick the Great

Frederick reigned from 1740 to 1786 and made Prussia a leading military power in Europe. He is known by the German people as "Der alte Fritz" ("Old Fritz"). His greatest military success came in the Seven Years' War when, allied only with Britain and three small German kingdoms, Prussia defeated the alliance of Austria, France, Russia, Saxony, and Sweden.

Born eleven years after the death of Frederick, William I brought the German states together with the help of Otto von Bismarck and created the German Empire in 1871. Alfred was the only King of England to be called "the Great," ruling as King of Wessex from 871 to 899. Charles the Great, better known as Charlemagne, was crowned Emperor of the Romans in AD 800.

Answer: the Duke of Marlborough

The First Duke of Marborough was the title of John Churchill, the son of Sir Winston Churchill (not THAT Winston Churchill!), and was born in 1650. His military ability accounted for his rise to power, but his standing probably did not suffer due to his wife's being a close friend of Queen Anne. He eventually rose to be First Lord of the Treasury, occupying that position from 1702 to 1710.

His long career included several periods going from disgrace to highest honors. In addition to his titles in the British Empire, he held rank in the Holy Roman Empire, bearing the title, His Serene Highness, The Prince of Mindelheim, Count Nellenburg, Prince of the Holy Roman Empire.

Answer: Marie Antoinette

Of course, Marie Antoinette and her husband, King Louis XVI, were executed in the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution, in spite of the fact that she did not actually say, "Let them eat cake."

Marie Antoinette was named Maria Antonia at birth and would adopt the French form of Marie Antoinette at her marriage.

Empress Elizabeth of Austria was born Elizabeth of Bavaria before marrying the last truly Habsburg Austrian Emperor, Franz Joseph I, who would rule from 1848 to 1916. (Yes, I know he was succeeded by his grandnephew Charles, but he only ruled from 1916 to 1918 during World War I before he "renounced participation" in state affairs without actually abdicating. Please, no correction notices!) Known as "Sissi," the empress was famous for her tiny waist and long hair. Sadly, she was assassinated by an anarchist in 1898.

Another Elizabeth of Austria became Queen of France in 1570, when she married Charles IX.

Henrietta Maria was the wife of England's Charles I, and produced for him his two successors, Charles II and James II.

Charlotte Amalie is the capital of the U.S. Virgin Islands and its largest city. It is located on the island of St. Thomas.

Answer: Joseph II

Joseph, son of Maria Theresa and brother of Marie Antoinette, was played superbly by Jeffrey Jones in the 1984 film, "Amadeus." For his role Jones was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor (remember "...too many notes"?)

Franz Ferdinand was the heir to the Austrian throne who was assassinated in Sarajevo in 1914. Holy Roman Emperor Charles V was the Habsburg ruler of both Spain and Austria, as well as their empires, from 1516 to 1556. Friedrich (or Frederick) Barbarossa was Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 to 1190.

Answer: Axel von Fersen

Axel von Fersen the Younger was very close to Marie Antoinette, so much so, that it was rumored they were lovers. After failing to help the royal couple escape from France, von Fersen himself was forced to flee, and he traveled widely seeking help against France's revolutionaries.

Prior to the French Revolution, von Fersen served in Virginia under Rochameau and George Washington as the American Revolution was coming to an end.

Later, back in Paris, von Fersen took part in the 1789 meeting of the Estates-General, as well as serving as an envoy from the Swedish throne to the court of Louis XVI.

Gustavus Adolphus was King of Sweden from 1611 to 1632. Prince Klemens von Metternich was State Chancellor of the Austrian Empire and leader of the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Harald Hardrada, or Harald III, or Harald Sigurdsson, was King of Norway from 1046 to 1066.

Answer: Louis XIV

His reign began when he was 4 years old, but he first began actual rule at 20. Up until then the affairs of state were handled, first by his mother Queen Anne as regent, and then later by Minister of France Cardinal Mazarin. Through the last 50 years of his reign he established himself as the quintessential absolute monarch.

Charlemagne was King of the Franks, and then elevated to Emperor of the Romans in 800 by Pope Leo III. Also referred to as the "Father of Europe," the French see him as French and the Germans see him as German. Louis IX ruled France from 1226 to 1270. He was canonized in 1297. Philip the Fair ruled France as Philip IV (also called the "Iron King") from 1285 to 1314.

Answer: Madame de Pompadour

Madame de Pompadour was born Jeanne Antoinette Poisson. Her marriage at age 19 had no ill effect on her relationship with Louis XV, including her influence with the court in general, effectively playing the role of prime minister.

Josephine de Beauharnais was the first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. Nell Gwyn was the mistress of King Charles II of England. Gabrielle d'Estrées was the mistress and advisor to Henry IV of France. It was she, and not his wife (Margaret of Valois), who bore Henry three children

Answer: Karl XII (Charles XII)

The House of Palatine-Zweibrücken which ruled Sweden encompassed only three kings: Charles XII and his father and grandfather, Charles XI and Charles X. Charles XII spent so much of his reign fighting wars that he never married and had no children. He was succeeded by his sister, Ulrica Eleanor, who was the last of the line.

The death of Charles XII is mysterious because no one is sure whose bullet killed him. He was hit in the head while inspecting the defenses of a Norwegian fortress that his army was besieging, and the shooter is still unknown.

Alexander Nevsky was the ruler of Novgorod and Kiev in the thirteenth century. Erik Menved was King of Denmark from 1286 to 1319. Carolus Magnus is the Latin form of Charlemagne's name.

Answer: Catherine the Great

Although Catherine's father was a prince, the real wealth and power in the family was through her mother's relatives, and two of her cousins would become kings of Sweden.

Born a Lutheran, Catherine converted to the Russian Orthodox Church before marrying the heir to the Russian throne, and when confirmed, took the Russian name Catherine Alekseyevna. She then married Peter of Holstein-Gottorp in 1745.

In 1762, Peter ascended to the throne as Peter III. Just six months later, he was seized in a coup that put Catherine on the throne. Although not a Romanov, she was descended from the Rurik Dynasty, which ruled Russia before the Romanovs. She reigned as sole ruler for the next 34 years.