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The title of Archduke (feminine: Archduchess) (German: Erzherzog, feminine form: Erzherzogin) denotes a noble rank above Duke and below King, used only by princes of the Houses of Habsburg and Habsburg-Lorraine.

Territory ruled by an archduke or archduchess is called an archduchy.

Address[link]

As an archduke was a rank mostly reserved to the Habsburg imperial and royal family, the correct form of address was "Imperial and Royal Highness" but only after 1804 when the Austrian Empire was formed. This is usually considered a higher style than "Imperial Highness", a style reserved for descendants of an emperor and "Royal Highness", used to denote descent from a king. It is also, generally, the highest variation of the style "Highness".

Ruler style[link]

The English word is recorded only since 1530, derived from Middle - via Old French archeduc, from Merovingian Latin archidux, from arch(i)- (see arch- (adj.)) + dux 'duke' .

Archduke (in German Erzherzog) is a title distinct from Grand duke (in German Großherzog), used in some other German royal houses and still in sovereign Luxembourg.

First use was as the title of the rulers of Austrasia (c.750), one of the Merovingian (Frankish) realms resulting from the complex successions in the house of Clovis, roughly comprising Germany, Switzerland and the Low Countries.

In the Carolingian Empire, the title was awarded as a unique promotion to the duke of Lotharingia (much larger than Lorraine), which could be seen as successor to the former Carolingian kingdom of Lothringia which had been at par at least with West Francia (modern France) in the dynastic divisions under the early heirs of Charlemagne but ended up absorbed by East Francia (Greater Germany).

After the split (959) of the (arch)duchy into Upper - (German Oberlothringen, including modern Lorraine) and Lower Lothringia (German Niederlothringen, north of it, with seat at Cologne and originally vested in its prince-archbishop, but extending north all the way to Frisia) and the latter's further fragmentation, two of the 'succeeding' duchies in the Low Countries, Brabant (mainly in present Belgium) and Gelre (now in the Dutch kingdom and giving its name to the province of Gelderland), claimed the archducal rank but were never officially granted it by the Holy Roman Emperor. The Dutch form is Aartshertog.

The title Archduke of Austria, the only one to become generally notable, was invented in the Privilegium Maius, a 14th century forgery initiated by Duke Rudolf IV of Austria. Originally, it was meant to denote the ruler of the (thus 'Arch')duchy of Austria, in an effort to put that ruler on par with the Prince-electors, as Austria had been passed over in the Golden Bull of 1356, when the electorships had been assigned. Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV refused to recognize the title.

Duke Ernest the Iron and his descendants unilaterally assumed the title "archduke".

This title was only officially recognized in 1453 by Emperor Frederick III, when the Habsburgs had (permanently) gained control of the office of the Holy Roman Emperor. First it was granted to Frederick's younger brother, Albert VI of Austria (d. 1463), who used the title at least from 1458. In 1477, Frederick III granted the title archduke also to his first cousin, Sigismund of Austria, ruler of Further Austria. Frederick's son and heir, the future Emperor Maximilian I, started to use the title, but apparently only after the death of his wife Mary of Burgundy (d. 1482) as the title never appears in documents of joint Maximilian and Mary rule in the Low Countries (where Maximilian is still titled Duke of Austria). The title appears first in documents of joint Maximilian and Philip (his under-age son) rule in the Low Countries. Emperor Frederick III himself used just Duke of Austria, never Archduke, until his death in 1493. Ladislaus the Posthumous, Duke of Austria, who died in 1457, was never in his lifetime authorized to use it, and accordingly, not he nor anyone in his branch of the dynasty ever used the title.

Female children of the dynasty were not yet entitled to the title in the 15th century. It was used only by those dynasts who ruled a Habsburg territory, i.e., only by males and their consorts.

Other dynastic Habsburg use[link]

The heir to the Austrian throne Archduke Franz Ferdinand (right) with his family. Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914 in Sarajevo, which triggered World War I

Often imprecisely rendered as Grand Duke (actually a lower rank with which it should not be confused), Grand Prince (in German Großfürst) was used for the rulers of Lithuania (which in 1386 formed a personal union with the elective kingdom Poland) and Moscovia, the nucleus of later imperial Russia, until its ruler assumed the sovereign style Tsar of royal rank, and still later emperor in imperial Russia. "Archduke" was used for non-sovereign rulers as a titular rank for princes of the Austrian ruling house of Habsburg, in titulary chief of an Austrian homeland, but without becoming its hereditary ruler since all territories remained vested in the Austrian crown. Occasionally it might be combined with a separate gubernatorial mandate.

From the 16th century onward, Archduke and its female form, Archduchess, came to be used by all the members of the 'Royal and Imperial' House of Habsburg, similar to the title Prince (of the blood) in many other royal houses. For example, Queen Marie Antoinette of France was born Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria. After the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire this practice was maintained in the Austrian Empire (1804–1867) and the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1867–1918).

The official use of Austrian aristocratic titles such as archduke has been illegal in the Republic of Austria for Austrian citizens since the Law on the Abolition of Nobility (Gesetz vom 3. April 1919 über die Aufhebung des Adels, der weltlichen Ritter- und Damenorden und gewisser Titel und Würden). Thus, those members of the extended Habsburg family who are citizens of the Republic of Austria, are simply known by their respective first name and their surname, Habsburg-Lothringen. However, members of the family who are citizens of other countries such as Germany, where aristocratic titles have become part of the name, may use the title. Otto Habsburg-Lothringen (1912–2011) was an Austrian, Hungarian and German citizen. As he lived in Germany, he was known as Otto von Habsburg.

Insignia[link]

The insignia of the archduke of lower and upper Austria is the archducal hat, a crown which is kept in Klosterneuburg Monastery in perpetuity.

Fictional archdukes[link]

• Poggle the Lesser was the Archduke of Geonosis, a planet from the Star Wars universe.

• In the television series Angel, Archduke Sebassis is a hairless demon with long, antelope-like horns, pointed ears, yellow eyes and white skin. Sebassis is the latest in a long line of demonic royalty and commands over forty demonic legions.

• Archduke Chocula (a parody of Count Chocula) is a fictional archduke in Futurama.

• An Archduke Hadrian of Evallonia is mentioned in John Buchan's 1935 novel The House of the Four Winds.

• Archduke Armand Ecaz in the Dune Novels by Frank Herbert and Brian Herbert/Kevin Anderson.

Sources and references[link]

• EtymologyOnLine

See also[link]

Look up archduke in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• List of rulers of Austria
• List of consorts of Austria

Media related to Archducal coronets in art at Wikimedia Commons

References[link]

Gisela Louise Marie, Princess Imperial and Archduchess of Austria, Princess of Hungary and Bohemia, Princess of Bavaria (12 July 1856 – 27 July 1932) was the second daughter and eldest surviving child of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria and Empress Elisabeth. Her German title was Gisela Louise Marie, Erzherzogin von Österreich, Prinzessin von Bayern.

Archduchess Gisela of Austria Princess Gisela of Bavaria Spouse Prince Leopold of Bavaria Issue Princess Elisabeth Princess Auguste Prince Georg Prince Konrad House House of Habsburg-Lorraine Father Franz Joseph I of Austria Mother Elisabeth of Bavaria Born (1856-07-12)12 July 1856 Laxenburg, Austria Died 27 July 1932(1932-07-27) (aged 76) Munich, Bavaria

Austrian Royalty House of Habsburg-Lorraine Francis I (Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor) Children include    Archduchess Marie Louise    Ferdinand I    Archduchess Maria Leopoldina    Archduchess Clementina    Archduke Franz Karl Grandchildren include    Franz Joseph I    Archduke Maximilian    Archduke Karl Ludwig    Archduke Ludwig Viktor Great-grandchildren include    Archduke Franz Ferdinand    Archduke Otto Franz Ferdinand I Franz Joseph I Children    Archduchess Sophie    Archduchess Gisela    Crown Prince Rudolf    Archduchess Marie Valerie Grandchildren include    Archduchess Elisabeth Marie Charles I Children include    Crown Prince Otto    Archduke Robert    Archduke Felix    Archduke Karl Ludwig    Archduke Rudolf Grandchildren include    Archduchess Andrea    Archduchess Monika    Archduchess Michaela    Archduchess Gabriela    Archduchess Walburga    Archduke Karl    Archduke Georg    Archduke Lorenz Great-Grandchildren include    Archduke Ferdinand Zvonimir    Archduke Amedeo

Life[link]

Although christened Gisella (with a double L) she only ever wrote her name with one L. She was named after a 10th century Habsburg ancestress. Just like her older sister and her brother, Gisela was raised by her paternal grandmother, Archduchess Sophie of Austria. She had a very close relationship with her younger brother, Crown Prince Rudolf, whose apparent suicide hit her hard.

Her father collected some the family's personal items, such as the first pair of shoes worn by each of his children. Among these keepsakes was a poem written for him by a young Gisela one Christmas - the poem was said to be the most treasured item among this collection. Archduchess Gisela was also known to paint in her later years.

Marriage and family[link]

On 20 April 1873 she was married to Prince Leopold of Bavaria in Vienna, a son of Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria and Auguste Ferdinande of Austria and second cousin to Gisela.

According to a letter to his mother written in 1872, Emperor Franz Josef wanted the match between his daughter and Prince Leopold as there were so few Catholics princes available at that time and they had to secure the only one to whom they could give Gisela (whom he called "our darling girl" during the wedding rites) with confidence. A year later she gave a birth to her first child Elisabeth Marie and had four children in total. She was made welcome in Munich by her husband's family and lived in the Palais Leopold in Schwabing where the street opposite the Palais was named Giselastraße in her honour in 1873.

Issue[link]

Gisela and Prince Leopold of Bavaria had four children:

• Princess Elisabeth Marie of Bavaria (1874–1957), who married Otto Ludwig Philipp Graf von Seefried auf Buttenheim
• Princess Auguste Maria of Bavaria (1875–1964), who married Joseph August, Archduke of Austria
• Prince Georg of Bavaria (1880–1943), who married Archduchess Isabella of Austria
• Prince Konrad of Bavaria (1883–1969), who married Princess Bona Margherita of Savoy-Genoa

Charity works and World War I[link]

She was deeply involved in a variety of social and political issues and founded charities to support the poor, blind and deaf people where she took an active role herself.

During World War I she ran a military hospital in her Palais while her husband was a field marshal on the eastern front. When the Revolution broke out in 1918, all of her family fled the city, but Gisela remained and took part in the 1919 elections for the Weimar National Assembly where women above the age of 20 were allowed to vote for the first time.

Such was the esteem in which she was held that she was commonly known as the Good Angel from Vienna and unsurprisingly, she became patron for a number of institutions, such as the Giselabahn (a train running from Salzburg to Tirol), the still active paddle steamer Gisela on the Traunsee and the Gisela Gymnasium in Munich.

Widowhood & Death[link]

Gisela and her husband celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1923. Her husband died in 1930 and Gisela only survived him by two years and died aged 76 in Munich on 27 July 1932 and is buried next to Prince Leopold at the Colombarium in the St.Michaelskirche, Munich.

Among her notable relatives was her uncle, Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico, who was her father's brother.

Ancestry[link]

References[link]

• Leopold Prinz von Bayern: Lebenserinnerungen
• Martha Schad: Kaiserin Elisabeth und ihre Töchter, Piper 2006
• Friedrich Weissensteiner: Liebeshimmel und Ehehöllen, Heyne 2000
• [1]
• [2]
• [3]

Archduchess Marie Valerie Archduchess and Princess Marie Valerie of Austria; Princess Marie Valerie of Hungary, Bohemia, and Tuscany Photograph taken in 1890 Spouse Archduke Franz Salvator Issue Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska Archduke Franz Karl Archduke Hubert Salvator Archduchess Hedwig Archduke Theodor Salvator Archduchess Gertrud Archduchess Maria Elisabeth Archduke Clemens Salvator Archduchess Mathilde Archduchess Agnes Full name German: Marie Valerie Mathilde Amalie Father Francis Joseph I of Austria Mother Elisabeth of Bavaria Born (1868-04-22)22 April 1868 Ofen (Buda), Hungary Died 6 September 1924(1924-09-06) (aged 56) Vienna, Austria

Austrian Royalty House of Habsburg-Lorraine Francis I (Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor) Children include    Archduchess Marie Louise    Ferdinand I    Archduchess Maria Leopoldina    Archduchess Clementina    Archduke Franz Karl Grandchildren include    Franz Joseph I    Archduke Maximilian    Archduke Karl Ludwig    Archduke Ludwig Viktor Great-grandchildren include    Archduke Franz Ferdinand    Archduke Otto Franz Ferdinand I Franz Joseph I Children    Archduchess Sophie    Archduchess Gisela    Crown Prince Rudolf    Archduchess Marie Valerie Grandchildren include    Archduchess Elisabeth Marie Charles I Children include    Crown Prince Otto    Archduke Robert    Archduke Felix    Archduke Karl Ludwig    Archduke Rudolf Grandchildren include    Archduchess Andrea    Archduchess Monika    Archduchess Michaela    Archduchess Gabriela    Archduchess Walburga    Archduke Karl    Archduke Georg    Archduke Lorenz Great-Grandchildren include    Archduke Ferdinand Zvonimir    Archduke Amedeo

Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria (22 April 1868 – 6 September 1924) was the fourth and last child of Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria and Elisabeth of Bavaria ("Sisi"). Her given name was Marie Valerie Mathilde Amalie, but she was usually called Valerie.

Early life[link]

Princess Marie Valerie was born at Ofen (Buda) in Hungary. The Empress Elisabeth was especially attached to Valerie, who was born ten years after the imperial couple's third child, and whom she was allowed to raise herself in contrast to her first three children who were taken from her in infancy and raised by the Emperor's mother, Archduchess Sophie. Sophie herself wrote to Elisabeth's mother Ludovika, "Sisi is completely absorbed by her love and care for this irresistible little angel."

She was Elisabeth's favorite child by far, and was acidly referred to by some courtiers as "Die Einzige" ("The Only Child") because Elisabeth paid so much more attention to her than her siblings. Valerie loved her mother, but according to her diaries, often felt embarrassed and overwhelmed by Elisabeth's concentration on her, particularly as she herself was of a modest and practical nature.

Another of Valerie's nicknames was "The Hungarian Child" because her birth had been a concession by Elisabeth, who disliked physical intimacy and pregnancy, in exchange for Franz Joseph's conciliation with Hungary, her most favored part of the Empire. This process culminated in their joint coronation in Budapest on 8 June 1867, as King and Queen of Hungary. Valerie was born just over nine months later.

Elisabeth deliberately chose Hungary as her child's birthplace; no royal child had been born in Hungary for centuries. Had Valerie been a boy, she would have been named Stephan after Hungary's canonized king and patron saint. According to historian Brigitte Hamann, a boy born to the Queen of Hungary in the castle at Budapest would have raised the possibility of his someday becoming its king, separating Hungary from the Austrian empire, and there was universal relief at the Viennese court that Valerie was a girl.

Malicious rumors intimated that Valerie was actually the daughter of Elisabeth's friend and admirer Gyula Andrassy, the Hungarian prime minister. These persisted into Valerie's childhood, hurting her deeply. However, she physically resembled Franz Joseph more than any of her siblings, even more so as she grew older, and eventually the rumors died away. Due to the atmosphere they created, however, Valerie developed a lifelong antipathy toward anything to do with Hungary, exacerbated by Elisabeth's insistence on speaking to her only in Hungarian. She was joyful when she was given permission to speak German with her father, whom she worshiped. In addition, she spoke English, French, and Italian fluently, loved to write plays and poems, and was a talented amateur artist who particularly enjoyed painting flowers. She was a great supporter of the Burgtheater in Vienna, and attended its productions as often as possible.

Marriage[link]

Franz Salvator and Marie Valerie

In Ischl on 31 July 1890, Valerie married her close cousin Archduke Franz Salvator. They had met in 1886 at a ball, but Valerie waited several years to be sure that her feelings toward Franz Salvator were strong enough to make a successful marriage. It was hoped by many at court that she would marry someone like the Crown Prince of Saxony or the Duke of Braganza, and she was also courted by Prince Alfons of Bavaria. Elisabeth, however, declared that Valerie would be allowed to marry even a chimney sweep if her heart were set on it (in contrast to her other children, who had both had to make dynastic marriages). Valerie chose for love Franz-Salvator, a relatively minor prince from the Tuscan branch of the Austrian imperial family who had no great wealth to offer, and Elisabeth, as promised, supported her favorite daughter. This caused a deep rift between Valerie and her sister and brother Crown Prince Rudolf for a time, but eventually Rudolf became reconciled to the marriage when Valerie and Franz became engaged at Christmas 1888.

Valerie's solemn renunciation of her rights to the Austrian throne, which was necessary for the marriage to proceed, took place on 16 July 1890 at the Hermesvilla.^[1] The young couple's festive wedding followed in the parish church of Bad Ischl on 31 July. The ceremony was conducted by the Bishop of Linz, Franz Maria Doppelbauer. Afterwards, Valerie and Franz honeymooned in Italy, Switzerland, and Bavaria.

Children[link]

Marie Valerie and Franz Salvator had 10 children:

Later life[link]

At first, Valerie and Franz lived at Schloss Lichtenegg (Lichtenegg Palace). On 11 June 1895, the couple purchased Schloss Wallsee (Wallsee Palace) on the Danube River from its then owner, Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and completely renovated it. When the renovation was finished, a ceremony marking their moving into the new palace was held on 4 September 1897. There was great celebration of the event in Wallsee due to Valerie's popularity.

She was known and loved for her generous involvement in local charitable endeavors. In 1900, she became a patron of the Red Cross, for which she founded hospitals and raised considerable sums of money; she was also patron of seven other charities. During World War I, she created a hospital barracks in the castle itself and helped care for the wounded. She was a devout Catholic who also spent much time supporting religious charities and was known to the people as the "Angel of Waldsee". She was also a Dame of the Star Cross Order.^[2]

Valerie was greatly affected by the suicide of her brother Rudolf on 30 January 1889, and the assassination of her mother Elisabeth in September 1898. She and her sister Gisela were a great support to their father in the aftermath of these tragedies.

While the marriage of Valerie and Franz was harmonious at first, it became less so with time. Franz had many affairs, including one with Princess Stephanie von Hohenlohe (1891–1972), who was later known as "Hitler's Spy Princess" for her espionage activities before and during World War II. In 1914, she gave birth to a son by him, Franz Joseph, whom he acknowledged as his while Valerie was still alive. Valerie faced these blows stoically, confiding only in her journal.

After the end of World War I, Valerie officially recognized the end of the Habsburg monarchy and signed documents renouncing all rights toward the same for herself and her descendants. The renunciation allowed her to keep her home and possessions.

Death[link]

Valerie died in Schloss Wallsee on 6 September 1924 of lymphoma. Shortly before her death, her sister Gisela wrote in a letter, "I must add that I have seen Valerie - fully conscious, completely aware of her condition, and so devoutly accepting, even joyfully anticipating her impending departure, that I believe an unexpected recovery would actually disappoint her." She is buried in a crypt behind the high altar at the parish church in Sindelburg, Austria. Several thousand people followed her coffin to its resting place.

On 28 April 1934, ten years after Valerie's death, Franz married a second time, to Freiin (a title corresponding to "Baroness") Melanie von Riesenfels (20 September 1898 – 10 November 1984). This was a morganatic marriage; the wedding took place in Vienna. The pair had met after Valerie's death at Melanie's home, Seisenegg Palace, where she lived with her sisters Maria Anna and Johanna. After their wedding, the couple lived at Seisenegg.

Franz Salvator died on 20 April 1939 in Vienna.

The Mária Valéria bridge joining Esztergom in Hungary and Štúrovo in Slovakia, across the River Danube opened in 1895 is named after Marie Valerie.

Titles and styles[link]

• 22 April 1868 – 31 July 1890: Her Imperial and Royal Highness Archduchess and Princess Imperial Marie Valerie of Austria, Princess of Hungary and Bohemia
• 31 July 1890 – 6 September 1924: Her Imperial and Royal Highness Archduchess and Princess Imperial Marie Valerie of Austria, Princess of Hungary and Bohemia, Princess of Tuscany

References[link]

• Habsburg 9 at genealogy.euweb.cz

Ancestry[link]