The Habsburg Monarchy and Dynasty

[Mapple]

Originally Posted by Warren

...

When the timing was right in 1848 and the revolutionary fervour had settled, the simpleton Emperor Ferdinand IV was eased out gracefully by Metternich, and Franz Josef took the throne in a smooth and accepted transition of power. This, after one of the authors had stated that Metternich and the Habsburg family were sticklers for traditional succession (which is why they allowed Ferdinand to take the throne although he was obviously unfit). But the "usurpation" of his own father's rights by Franz Josef passes without comment. Sorry, no idea!
.

I see... It seems that Franz Karl was totally uninterested in becoming emperor, otherwise there would have been some erm... disturbance.

I've thought that it was Schwarzenberg who engineered the abdication of Ferdinand and ascencion of Franz Joseph, Metternich having been pressurised into resigning by then.

[Warren]

Originally Posted by Mapple

I see... It seems that Franz Karl was totally uninterested in becoming emperor, otherwise there would have been some erm... disturbance.

I've thought that it was Schwarzenberg who engineered the abdication of Ferdinand and ascencion of Franz Joseph, Metternich having been pressurised into resigning by then.

You are correct. The abdication/succession plan was smoothly executed by Prince Schwarzenberg, with assistance from Archduchess Sophia.

"Windischgraetz, Jellacic, Schwarzenberg, all the Ministers, assembled in a great half-circle round poor Emperor Ferdinand and his devoted Marianna. Ferdinand announced his abdication. Then Schwarzenburg, his voice trembling, read Karl's statement, renouncing the throne, explaining that at this juncture a younger force was needed. Then they gave their homage to Franz Josef, and after that Ferdinand and Marianna went upstairs to pack."

The Fall of the House of Habsburg, Edward Crankshaw
..

[Layla1971]

This may not be important, but since this is a von Habsburg thread I thought I would post it here.

A map of the von Habsburg territories as of 1547.
Courtesy of Wikipedia.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...g_Map_1547.jpg

[Jil]

What happened to the children of Archduke Franz Ferdinand after he and his wife were killed? Who raised them? Did they remain in Austria? I hope they were able to grow up and have happy lives later on.

[Lady Jennifer]

Originally Posted by Jil

What happened to the children of Archduke Franz Ferdinand after he and his wife were killed? Who raised them? Did they remain in Austria? I hope they were able to grow up and have happy lives later on.

Got info from here- this is where you can find out what happened to them
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Ferdinand_of_Austria
Sophie von Hohenberg- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_von_Hohenberg
Maximilian von Hohenberg- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximilian_von_Hohenberg
Ernst von Hohenberg- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_von_Hohenberg

[Jil]

Thanks Lady jennifer for the info! It is sad that all of the children of Franz Ferdinand ended up in a concertraction camp!

[Danielane]

Originally Posted by Jil

Thanks Lady jennifer for the info! It is sad that all of the children of Franz Ferdinand ended up in a concertraction camp!

They didn't die in the concentration camp, actually.

[ladybelline]

The wife of Archduke Otto of Habsburg, Princess Regina of Sachsen-Meiningen, was hospitalised in Nancy, France (link from LeMonde):

http://www.lemonde.fr/web/depeches/0...46@7-37,0.html

[Marengo]

According to the German-Austrian Royals MB the Archduchess stayed in hospital for observatio this weekend and afterwards was planed to be released.

[fanletizia]

Image of the couple leaving the Hospital

from anp

[paul-louis1998]

http://newscom.com

[Toledo]

This is another Habsburg link I wanted to share, the Hapbsburg-Tuscany branch with photos from past and present: http://www.royaltyguide.nl/families/...hbltuscany.htm

some more must-read links on the House Habsburg-Lothringen
Genealogy of the Imperial and Royal Family of Austria-Hungary

The current head of the Hapsburg-Toscana branch:
Dinastia Gran Ducale Di Toscana

The Hapsburg-Iturbide Imperial family

and Mexico's Imperial Coat of Arms during the Hapsburgs' period.

the Mexican Hapsburgs' Chapultepec Castle

[branchg]

Originally Posted by Marengo

I ahve a queston about the acceptance of Fransesca in the Hasburg family. I know some brothers of Archduke Otto did not approve of the marriage and considered it morganatic. Has the family accepted Fransesca now, or are there still doubts? Which archdukes did not approve of the wedding (or did not attend it?)

Furthermore I would like to know if Archduchess Eilika converted to catholisism prior of during her marriage?

Fransesca was accepted by Archduke Otto largely because of her father's immense fortune. There is no way the marriage of a German industrialist's daughter with a Hungarian barony style would be considered an equal marriage to the Hapsburg Imperial House. But once Archduke Otto approved it, that was the end of that.

[kelly9480]

Eilika remains Lutheran, though their children are Catholic.

[thequeenofcastile]

Hello Everyone!

I am brand new here and stumbled across this board very recently and I must say the structure and setting is quite impressive. I have just graduated from university with a degree in history, however my hobby for years has been the Royal Families of Europe. Some time ago, it was suggested to me that I should write a book and I have chosen such a topic.

I wanted to look at the consequences of a marriage with the Habsburgs, both Spanish and Austrian. I have narrowed it down to roughly 30 different marriages which ended up making a significant impact on history. I will also be focusing on the poor girls, whose marriages were used purely for political gain.

If there are any books, articles or respectable websites that anyone knows about, could I please be pointed in the right direction.

Although I expect this project to take quite some time, I do have some spare time at the moment and could use a good distraction.

Cheers thequeenofcastile

[Toledo]

Welcome Queen of Castille! Nice to meet you. :)
You choose a facsinating subject, History to Major in, and I wish you the best now that you are out of college.

On the Hapsburgs, I read in Hola that one of the still around Spanish Hapbsburgs, Catalina de Hasburgo wrote a book on the family that just came out. I don't know if it's in english. But it has a lot of facts and dismisses the myths like Empress Elizabeth of Austria, who was never called Sissi. She also wrote that the so called suicide pact between the lovers was made up, it was a political murder covered up by politicians who did not wanted to start WW I decades before. Rudolph, according to his own relative, was killed and everyone in the family knew it even though the history books converted his end into a Romeo and Juliet love story.

I'll see if I can find a link for the book for you.

In the meantime here is something you can use for future reference, is the PDF work of an exaustive study in genealogy for all royals that do include the illegitimate kids, morganic weddings etc. It's a researcher's jewel of a site and even though is in Spanish you can make up the names easily since it's one detailed and well organized family tree after another one.

The Spanish Hapsburgs: http://www.homar.org/genealog/pagina.asp?pag=ibe22

The Spanish Royals until 1975
http://www.homar.org/genealog/pagina.asp?pag=ibe27

The main section with all the PDF genealogical trees on Spain
http://www.homar.org/genealog/pais.asp?pais=ibe

And he, the author, just finished his research on the Byzantine family trees too http://www.homar.org/genealog/pais.asp?pais=biz

Happy reading! Now I'll see if I can track down that Habsburg book for you :)

[Toledo]

Found it:
the book is named Las Austrias (the women of the House of Austria)

here is a review http://www.esferalibros.com/libros/l...SBN=8497342690

an interview on her life as a spanish Hapbsburg and her work as an historical writer:
http://www.colpisa.com/motor/motor.p...354&seccion=48

and a bio on her:
Catalina de Habsburgo, archiduquesa de Austria, descendiente directa de Carlos V y nieta del último emperador de Austria, ha analizado la vida de nueve reinas y princesas de la rama española de su dinastía, desde el excepcional punto de vista que le concede el hecho de pertenecer a su misma estirpe. Además, nos descubre el lado más humano de estas mujeres que, a pesar de haber nacido en una época en la que sus matrimonios eran una pieza del ajedrez jugado por los hombres, demostraron tener valor propio, gracias a la fuerza de sus convicciones morales o la sabiduría de sus acciones de gobierno.
Catalina de Habsburgo-Lorena, archiduquesa de Austria, es nieta del emperador beato Carlos I de Austria y de la princesa Zita de Borbón-Parma. Licenciada en Ciencias Políticas, con especialización en Derecho, por la Universidad de Lovaina (Bélgica), es autora de una obra sobre la realpolitik en Napoleón, Bismarck y Margaret Thatcher, en comparación con Franco.


English translation on the above two paragraphs by me (sorry if I missed anything, I added extra content inside parenthesis to round up the meaning of the article better than just translating it verbatum word by word):

Catherine of Hapsburg, archduchess of Austria, direct descendant of Charles V and granddaugther of the last Austrian emperor, has analyzed the life of nine queens and princesses belonging to the spanish branch of her dinasty, from the exceptional point of view that she is entitled to on the fact she belongs to the same lineage (family). Also, she uncovers the most humane side of these women that, even thought they were born in a time where the weddings were just a chess game controlled by men, they showed to have their own courage thanks to their own moral convictions or to the knowledge (and understanding ) on the actions of the government (means the ladies knew the reasoning of the political chess game and their duty as political chess pieces/players themselves).

Catherine of Hapsburg-Lotringen, archduchess of Austria, is the grand daugther of beatified Emperor/Kaiser Charles I and Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma. She has a degree in political sciences specializing in Law from the Lovaina University (Belgium) and she is the author of a book on Realpolitik about Napoleon, Bismarck and Margaret Tatcher in comparison to Franco.

[Warren]

Originally Posted by Toledo

The main section with all the PDF genealogical trees on Spain
http://www.homar.org/genealog/pais.asp?pais=ibe

Wow, these PDF files are among the best genealogical charts I have seen, for any dynasty. Thanks!

I would suggest you post these links somewhere in the Spanish Forums (if in doubt as to where, check with the Spanish Moderators: Ennyllorac, Anna_R, Elsa M. ).
I'm sure many of the Spanish Forum regulars would be very interested and appreciative. :)

W

[Toledo]

They are a treasure!

Let me share my secret way to find these things. When I'm looking for unusual data, I add the word PDF right after the thing I want and it pops out not the websites but articles and school works available on line that gives you an extraordinary amount of information you can't find by standard searches.

Some things I find by pure coincidence too. For example, one day I wanted to read a bio on San Martin, the freedom figther from Argentina during the Napoleonic times and stumbled not just with his bio but with data I've never knew on the attempts of Carlota de Borbon, sister of the King of Spain, who attempted in the early 19th century to separate Argentina from Spain and declare herself the ruler to protect the colonies from Napoleon. I think she escaped to Brazil with the portuguese court when Napoleon invaded Spain and Portugal. This so called Projecto Carlotista (the Charlotte Project) was done a few years before San Martin, who also wanted to install a South American monarchy.

[jacadenasso]

Originally Posted by Toledo

... one day I wanted to read a bio on San Martin, the freedom figther from Argentina during the Napoleonic times and stumbled not just with his bio but with data I've never knew on the attempts of Carlota de Borbon, sister of the King of Spain, who attempted in the early 19th century to separate Argentina from Spain and declare herself the ruler to protect the colonies from Napoleon. I think she escaped to Brazil with the portuguese court when Napoleon invaded Spain and Portugal. This so called Projecto Carlotista (the Charlotte Project) was done a few years before San Martin, who also wanted to install a South American monarchy.

San Martin was offered the government of Chile, but he refused so the elite offered it to Bernardo O'Higgins. O'Higgins was against monarchy and nobility, so he declared the Republic of Chile and abolished the few noble titles that existed in my country by then. Today some families have "revived" their titles in Spain but they do not use them here.