[1] Maria Anna Victoria was the niece of Prince Eugene of Savoy, the great general and statesman of imperial Austria, a patron of the arts whom she had never met.

[2] Upon Prince Eugene's sudden death in 1736, without a will or testament, Maria Anna Victoria as his closest relative inherited his immense possessions in Austria, which she then proceeded to quickly sell off at cut rate prices.

His mansions, vast art collections (with an estimated 400 pictures), antique furniture, old masters, statues, even his wartime medals, the sword given to him by Anne, Queen of Great Britain, for his part in the War of the Spanish Succession and the portrait given to him by Emperor Joseph were sold; nothing was spared.

[3] Only his library and his favourite palace, the Belvedere were purchased by the Emperor,[4] while Schloss Hof and the Stadtpalais went to Maria Theresa.

[3] The bitterness of every Austrian against Maria Anna Victoria as she proceeded with the liquidation was expressed in a couplet which was pinned on her door:[3] Est-il possible que du prince Eugene la gloire Soit ternie par une si vilaine VictoireIs it possible, that Prince Eugene’s glory Be tarnished by such a bad VictoriaEmbellished with her fantastic dowry, fifty-two-year-old Princess Maria Anna Victoria married on 17 April 1738 German officer and Feldzeugmeister of the Imperial Army Prince Joseph of Saxe-Hildburghausen, who was sixteen years younger than her, and led a life of lavish parties.