Holy Roman Empire

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by An Ard Ri

The Holy Roman Empire never had an Empress Regnant or a Protestant Emperor elected even after Reformation.

Maria Theresa could not be elected Holy Roman Empress but her husband Francis was elected as Emperor.

Towards the end of the Empire, how many electors were Protestant? I never fully understood why the ruler of the Habsburg lands (or, in Maria Theresa's case, her husband) was always elected the Holy Roman Emperor. Could you explain?

[An Ard Ri]

The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince-elector

Imperial election


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_election

The Imperial Princes of the Holy Roman Empire

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince...y_Roman_Empire

[kbk]

Originally Posted by Mbruno

Towards the end of the Empire, how many electors were Protestant? I never fully understood why the ruler of the Habsburg lands (or, in Maria Theresa's case, her husband) was always elected the Holy Roman Emperor. Could you explain?

Not always the Habsburgs were elected emperors. For example, after the death of Charles VI and the extinction of the original house of Habsburg in male line, before Maria Theres'a husband, Francis of Lorraine, became emperor with the support of his wife, a Bavarian prince from the House of Wittelsbach, Elector-Duke Charles Albert of Bavaria, was elected. He contested the Habsburgs' heritage with Maria Theresa and her husband. He gained enough support among the electors of the time, three of whom, including himself, were Wittelsbachs. Additionally, the French persuaded the electors of Brandenburg (Hohenzollerns) and Saxony (Wettins) to support the Bavarian. Charles Albert's candidacy was even stronger considering he succeeded in opening a dispute with Maria Theresa over her rights to Bohemia, which was also an electorate (in December 1741, shortly before the election took place in Frankfurt in February 1742, Charles Albert was even crowned King of Bohemia after conquering the country). Maria Theresa thus could not be considered at the election as neither an eligible candidate nor elector as her Bohemian throne was temporarily lost and officially denied. In effect, the Bavarian was elected and crowned emperor. Charles VII, as became known, shortly afterwards eventually lost Bohemia and the Austrians took revenge in invading Bavaria. The Emperor died in 1745 and his son and successor, Maximilian III Joseph, quickly made peace with Maria Theresa, promising his support for the election of Francis.

[An Ard Ri]

Wouldn't the Habsburgs have had the most Emperors among all other Imperial candidates?

[Alison H]

In the early 16th century, Henry VIII and Francois I both wanted to be elected Holy Roman Emperor - if they were around today, they would definitely be the sort of young men who are always doing "mine's bigger than yours" by getting the flashiest sports cars and so on - but Charles V had a bigger purse than theirs and offered bigger bribes! After that, no-one else seems to have seriously challenged the Habsburgs, except in Maria Theresa's case when there wasn't a male heir. I suppose everyone was more interested in their own lands.

[JR76]

The Habsburgs were the premier family of both the Holy Roman Empire and of Catholic Europe for centuries. The only family that rivaled them were the Capetingians of France. Other families such as the houses of Wittelsbach and Brabant (Hessen) did not come close to their status and influence in spite of being more ancient and longer reigning. Their claim to the Imperial crown was founded both on tradition, their wealth and them being the most powerful family not only in the Empire but for a long time in Europe and the world.
In fact a large part of the claim of Charles VII lay in him being the grandson and son-in-law of Habsburg emperors. This coupled with a desire to divide the Habsburg lands and a disdain for the Pragmatic sanction led to the other great powers of Europe supporting him.

[An Ard Ri]

Originally Posted by Alison H

In the early 16th century, Henry VIII and Francois I both wanted to be elected Holy Roman Emperor

Louise de Savoie mother of Francois Ier almost bankrupted France in her attempts at working behind the scenes to have her son elected HRE .

Henry VIII going up against his nephew in law Charles V must have made interesting family politics!

[CyrilVladisla]

When Sigismund was Holy Roman Emperor from 1433 to 1437, there were two rival Popes, one in Italy and one in France. Eventually there was the emergence of a third Pope. As protector of the Church, Sigismund was instrumental in bringing about the Council of Constance. The Council resolved the question of papal legitimacy.

[B__ll]

Originally Posted by CyrilVladisla

Why did Holy Roman Emperor Rudolph II reverse his father Maximilian II's tolerant policy toward Protestantism?

At that time the two factions, the Protestants and Roman Catholics factions were destabilizing the political institutions

Therefore, by reversing his fathers policy of tolerance he sought to limit the influence of the Protestant nobles and representatives

Rudolf was unsuccessful and as a result the Habsburg archdukes had him entrust the matters of the empire to his brother Matthias. Of course, Matthias did not gain the Hungarian Crown until his brother's death in 1612

However, his support of the Catholic revival lead to further Protestant resistance and in 1618 the Bohemian Revolt became the first act that would mark the beginning of the Thirty Year's War

[CyrilVladisla]

On October 21, 1555 Holy Roman Emperor Charles V made Erard of Pallandt Earl of Culemborg.

[CyrilVladisla]

On December 25, 800 Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne Holy Roman Emperor.
On December 25, 1046 Pope Clement VI crowned Henry III as Holy Roman Emperor.

[SirGyamfi1]

I wonder what would have happened if Francis II hadn’t disbanded the Holy Roman Empire when Napoleon was invading?

[CyrilVladisla]

A number of electors were opposed to the election of Leopold I as Holy Roman Emperor.
The traditional Habsburg claim to the emperorship was challenged by France.

[An Ard Ri]

Originally Posted by CyrilVladisla

A number of electors were opposed to the election of Leopold I as Holy Roman Emperor.
The traditional Habsburg claim to the emperorship was challenged by France.

And in the end he was the second longest-ruling Holy Roman Emperor with a reign of over 46 Years.
18 July 1658 – 5 May 1705

His reign saw the major gains against the Ottomans in Europe.

[Blog Real]

The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans during the Middle Ages, and also known as the German-Roman Emperor since the early modern period, was the ruler and head of state of the Holy Roman Empire. The title was held in conjunction with the title of king of Italy (Rex Italiae) from the 8th to the 16th century, and, almost without interruption, with the title of king of Germany (Rex Teutonicorum, lit. “King of the Teutons”) throughout the 12th to 18th centuries.

King of the Romans (Latin: Rex Romanorum; German: König der Römer) was the title used by the king of Germany following his election by the princes from the reign of Henry II (1002–1024) onward.

The title originally referred to any German king between his election until his being crowned Emperor by the Pope.

1. Charlemagne (Charles I) (800-814) m. 1.Desiderata 2.Hildegard of Vinzgouw 3.Fastrada 4.Luitgard
2. Louis the Pious (813-840) m. 1.Ermengarde of Hesbaye 2.Judith of Bavaria
3. Lothair I (823-855) m. Ermengarde of Tours
4. Louis II (855-875) m. Engelberga
5. Charles II, the Bald (875-877) m. 1.Ermentrude of Orleans 2.Richilde of Provence
6. Charles III, the Fat (881-888) m. Richardis of Swabia
7. Guy III of Spoleto (891-894) m. Ageltrude
8. Lambert (891-898)
9. Arnulph (896-899) m. 1.Ota 2.Oda of West Francia 3.Vinburge
10. Louis III, the Blind (901-905) m. 1.Anna of Constantinople 2.Adelaide
11. Berengar I (915-924) m. 1.Bertila of Spoleto 2. Anna of Provence
12. Otto I (936-973) m. 1.Eadgyth of England 2.Adelaide of Italy
13. Otto II (973-983) m. Theophanu
14. Otto III (983-1002)
15. Henry II (1002-1024) m. Cunigunde of Luxembourg
16. Conrad II (1024-1039) m. Gisela of Swabia
17. Henry III (1028-1056) m. 1Gunhilda of Denmark 2.Agnes of Poitou
18. Henry IV (1054-1106) m. 1.Bertha of Savoy 2.Eupraxia of Kiev
19. Conrad (III) (Roman King 1087–1098) m. Maximilla (Matilda)
20. Henry V (1099-1125) m. Matilda of England
21. Lothair II (1125-1137) m. Richenza of Northeim
22. Henry Berengar (Roman King 1147-1150)
23. Friedrich I (1155-1190) (Roman King 1152) m. 1.Adelheid of Vohburg 2.Beatrice I, Countess of Burgundy
24. Heinrich VI (1191-1197) (Roman King 1169; King of Sicily 1194) m. Constance I of Sicily
25. Philipp (1198-1208) (Duke of Swabia; Roman King) m. Irene Angelina
26. Otto IV (1209 -1218) (Roman King 1198) m. 1.Beatrice of Hohenstaufen 2.Maria of Brabant
27. Friedrich II (1220-1250) (King of Sicily 1197; Roman King 1212) m. 1.Constance of Aragon 2.Isabella II of Jerusalem 3.Isabella of England
28. Henry (VII) (Roman King 1220–1235) m. Margaret of Austria
29. Conrad IV (1237-1254) (Roman King; King of Sicily 1250) m. Elisabeth of Bavaria
30. Wilhelm (1254-1256) (Count of Holland; Roman King) m. Elisabeth of Brunswick-Lüneburg
31. Richard (1256-1272) (Earl of Cornwall; Roman King) m. 1.Isabel Marshal 2.Sanchia of Provence ​3.Beatrice of Falkenburg
32. Rudolf I (1273-1291) (Count of Hapsburg 1240; Roman King) m. 1.Gertrude of Hohenberg 2.Isabella of Burgundy
33. Adolf (1292-1298) (Count of Nassau 1276; Roman King) m. Imagina of Isenburg-Limburg
34. Albrecht I (1298-1308) (Duke of Austria 1282; Roman King) m. Elizabeth of Carinthia
35. Heinrich VII (1308-1313) (Count of Luxemburg 1288) m. Margaret of Brabant
36. Friedrich (III) (1314-1330) (Duke of Austria 1308; Roman King) m. Isabella of Aragon
37. Ludwig IV (1314-1347) (Duke of Bavaria) m. 1.Beatrix of Świdnica 2.Margaret II, Countess of Holland
38. Karl IV (1355-1378) (Roman King & King of Bohemia 1346) m. 1.Blanche of Valois 2.Anne of Bavaria 3.Anna von Schweidnitz 4.Elizabeth of Pomerania
39. Wenzel (IV) (1376-1400) (Roman King; King of Bohemia 1378) m. 1.Joanna of Bavaria 2.Sophia of Bavaria
40. Rupert (Roman King 1400-1410) m. Elisabeth of Hohenzollern
41. Jobst of Moravia (Roman King 1410-1411) m. 1.Elisabeth of Opole 2.Agnes of Opole
42. Sigismund (1433-1437) (King of Hungary 1387; Roman King 1411; King of Bohemia 1419) m. 1.Mary, Queen of Hungary 2.Barbara of Celje
43. Albrecht II (1438-1439) (King of Bohemia & Hungary 1437; Roman King) m. Elizabeth of Luxembourg
44. Friedrich III (1440-1493) (Archduke of Austria 1458) m. Eleanor of Portugal
45. Maximilian I (1493-1519) (Roman King 1486) m. 1.Mary, Duchess of Burgundy 2.Anne, Duchess of Brittany 3.Bianca Maria Sforza
46. Karl V (1519-1556) (King {as Carlos I} of Spain 1516; Roman King 1519) m. Isabella of Portugal
47. Ferdinand I (1556-1564) (King of Bohemia & Hungary 1526) m. Anne of Bohemia and Hungary
48. Maximilian II (1564-1576) m. Maria of Austria
49. Rudolf II (1576-1612)
50. Matthias (1612-1619) (King of Hungary 1608; King of Bohemia 1611) m. Anna of Tyrol
51. Ferdinand II (1619-1637) m. 1.Maria Anna of Bavaria 2.Eleonora Gonzaga
52. Ferdinand III (1637-1657) m. 1.Maria Anna of Austria 2.Maria Leopoldine of Austria 3.Eleonora Gonzaga
53. Ferdinand IV (1653-1654) (King of Bohemia 1646; Roman King)
54. Leopold I (1657-1705) m. 1.Margaret Theresa of Austria 2.Claudia Felicitas of Austria 3.Eleonore Magdalene of Neuburg
55. Joseph I (1705-1711) (King of Bohemia 1690) m. Wilhelmine Amalie of Brunswick
56. Karl VI (1711-1740) m. Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick
57. Karl VII (1742-1745) (Elector of Bavaria 1726) m. Maria Amalia of Austria
58. Maria Theresa (1745-1780) (Queen of Bohemia & Hungary) m. Francis III Stephen, Duke of Lorraine
59. Franz I (1745-1765) (Duke of Lorraine 1729) m. Maria Theresa of Austria
60. Joseph II (1765-1790) m. 1.Princess Isabella of Parma 2.Maria Josepha of Bavaria
61. Leopold II (1790-1792) (Grand Duke of Tuscany 1765) m. Maria Luisa of Spain
62. Franz II/I (1792-1806) (Emperor of Austria 1804; abdicated as Holy Roman Emperor 1806) m. 1.Elisabeth of Württemberg 2.Maria Teresa of Naples and Sicily 3.Maria Ludovika Beatrix of Modena 4.Caroline Augusta of Bavaria

[CyrilVladisla]

It is interesting to note that Ferdinand IV had a coronation in Ratisbon in 1653 but did not live to succeed his father.

[An Ard Ri]

Originally Posted by CyrilVladisla

It is interesting to note that Ferdinand IV had a coronation in Ratisbon in 1653 but did not live to succeed his father.

Ferdinand was crowned King of the Romans as the Imperial heir and not Holy Roman Emperor.

[CyrilVladisla]

In 1508 Maximilian I took the title Elected Holy Roman Emperor. He had the assent of Pope Julius II. This was suppose to end the custom that the Holy Roman Emperor had to be crowned by the Pope.