Countess Maria Wilhelmina von Neipperg (later Princess of Auersperg) (30 April 1738 - 21 October 1775) was the mistress of Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor

Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor

Francis I was Holy Roman Emperor and Grand Duke of Tuscany, though his wife effectively executed the real power of those positions. With his wife, Maria Theresa, he was the founder of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty...

.

She was the daughter of Count Wilhelm Reinhard von Neipperg

Wilhelm Reinhard von Neipperg

Count Wilhelm Reinhard von Neipperg was an Austrian general.Born in Schwaigern, he descended from an ancient comital family from Swabia, his father Count Eberhard Friedrich von Neipperg having been an Imperial field marshal. He spent his boyhood in Vienna and in 1702 joined the Imperial service...

 and Countess Maria Franziska Theresia von Khevenhüller

Khevenhüller

Khevenhüller is the name of a Carinthian noble family documented there since 1356 which originally came from the Upper Palatinate in Franconia and which later had their prinicipal seat on Landskron Castle. In the 16th century the family split into the two branches of ...

-Frankenburg. Her father was the teacher and friend of Emperor Francis I. She appeared at the Imperial

Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...

 court

Royal court

Royal court, as distinguished from a court of law, may refer to:* The Royal Court , Timbaland's production company*Court , the household and entourage of a monarch or other ruler, the princely court...

 in 1755. The Emperor soon became infatuated with the Countess. His consort

Consort

Consort may refer to:Titles:* Queen consort, wife of a reigning king* Prince consort, husband of a reigning queen* King consort, rarely used alternative title for husband of a reigning queen...

, Maria Theresa of Austria, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, had born him 16 children by then and he began losing interest in her.

In April 1756, she married Johann Adam Joseph, Prince von Auersperg

Principality of Auersperg

Auersperg was an Austrian princely family, which held estates in Austria and Thengen...

, but remained in a liaison with the Emperor until his death in 1765. The Prince and Princess of Auersperg had no children. Joachim Wilhelm von Brawe

Joachim Wilhelm von Brawe

Joachim Wilhelm von Brawe was a German poet from Weißenfels.- Biography :From 1755 to 1758, Brawe studied law at the University of Leipzig...

dedicated a tragedy to her.