 After much contemplation , she chose not to abdicate . Joseph himself often threatened to resign as co @-@ regent and emperor , but he , too , was induced not to do so . Her threats of abdication were rarely taken seriously ; Maria Theresa believed that her recovery from smallpox in 1767 was a sign that God wished her to reign until death . It was in Joseph 's interest that she remained sovereign , for he often blamed her for his failures and thus avoided taking on the responsibilities of a monarch . 
