Why was the election of Charles VII as Holy Roman emperor a setback for Maria Theresa?

The election of Charles VII (Charles Albert of Bavaria) as Holy Roman emperor in 1742 was a significant setback for Maria Theresa because it represented a direct rejection of her husband, Francis Stephen, and challenged the legitimacy of her own succession to the Habsburg dominions.12

This event occurred during the War of the Austrian Succession, a conflict triggered by the death of Maria Theresa’s father, Charles VI. Despite the Pragmatic Sanction—a decree intended to ensure the integrity of the Habsburg inheritance—Charles Albert contested her right to rule and joined an anti-Austrian coalition with France, Prussia, and Spain.3214

By electing Charles VII, the imperial electors signaled their support for this coalition, which aimed to dismember the Habsburg monarchy. His election was a symbolic and political blow, as he became the only non-Habsburg to hold the imperial title between 1438 and 1806. Ultimately, the setback was mitigated by the fact that Charles VII’s reign was largely ineffective, and Maria Theresa’s husband was eventually recognized as emperor in 1745.324