Austria's Royal Family: A Historical Overview

The House of Habsburg, also known as the House of Austria, was a German-Austrian royal family that ruled over Austria from 1282 to 1918, and controlled Hungary and Bohemia from 1526 to 1918. The family name is derived from the castle of Habsburg, or Habichtsburg (Hawk's Castle), built in the 1020s in what is now Switzerland. The family believed they were divinely ordained to rule, and their dynasty was one of the most prominent and important in European history.

The House of Habsburg, also known as the House of Austria

In 1273, Radbot's descendant, Rudolph of Habsburg, was elected King of the Romans. Rudolph took advantage of the extinction of the Babenbergs and his victory over Ottokar II of Bohemia at the Battle on the Marchfeld in 1278. He appointed his sons as Dukes of Austria and moved the family's power base to Vienna, where the Habsburg dynasty gained the name of "House of Austria" and ruled until 1918.

The Habsburgs expanded their influence through arranged marriages and by gaining political privileges. They frequently intermarried, even between distinct branches of the family. The family's custom was to vest the government of its hereditary domains not in individuals but in all male members of the family in common.

The Habsburgs produced numerous monarchs across Europe, including:

• Holy Roman Emperors (intermittently from 1273 until 1806) and Roman-German kings
• Rulers of Austria (as dukes from 1278 until 1453; as archdukes from 1453 and as emperors from 1804 until 1918)
• Kings of Bohemia (1306-1307, 1437-1439, 1453-1457, 1526-1918)
• Kings of Spain (1516-1700)
• Kings of Hungary and Croatia (1526-1918)
• King of England and Ireland (1554-1558)
• Kings of Portugal (1581-1640)
• Grand princes of Transylvania (1690-1867)
• Kings of Galicia and Lodomeria (1772-1918)
• Emperor of Mexico (1864-1867)

The Habsburg monarchy was a union of crowns, with only partial shared laws and institutions other than the Habsburg court itself. The territorial possessions of the monarchy were thus united only by virtue of a common monarch. The Habsburg realms were unified in 1804 with the formation of the Austrian Empire.

The Habsburg dynasty achieved its highest position when Charles V was elected Holy Roman Emperor in 1519. Charles V's reign was dedicated to the fight against Protestantism, which led to its eradication throughout vast areas under Habsburg control.

The Habsburgs sought to consolidate their power by frequent consanguineous marriages, resulting in a cumulatively deleterious effect on their gene pool. Numerous members of the family showed specific facial deformities, including an enlarged lower jaw with an extended chin known as the "Habsburg jaw". The gene pool eventually became so small that the last of the Spanish line, Charles II, possessed a genome comparable to that of a child born to a brother and sister.

The Habsburgs ruled as Holy Roman Emperors until 1806, when the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved. In anticipation of this loss, Emperor Francis I declared himself hereditary Emperor of Austria in 1804. The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 created a real union between the Kingdom of Hungary and the Empire of Austria, which were granted co-equality. This prevailed until the Habsburgs' deposition from both Austria and Hungary in 1918 following their defeat in World War I.

In 1919, the new Austrian republican government passed a law banishing the Habsburgs from Austrian territory until they renounced all intentions of regaining the throne. The Habsburgs did not formally abandon all hope of returning to power until 1961, when the eldest son of Charles I, Otto von Habsburg, renounced all claims to the throne.

The Habsburgs ruled from Vienna for six centuries

The House of Habsburg, also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most prominent and important dynasties in European history. The family name originates from the Habsburg Castle, a fortress built in the 1020s in Switzerland by Radbot of Klettgau. The first to take the fortress name as his own was Radbot's grandson, Otto II, who added "Count of Habsburg" to his title.

In 1273, Count Radbot's seventh-generation descendant, Rudolph of Habsburg, was elected King of the Romans. Rudolph appointed his sons as Dukes of Austria and moved the family's power base to Vienna, where the Habsburg dynasty gained the name of "House of Austria". The Habsburgs ruled from Vienna for six centuries, until 1918.

The Habsburgs expanded their influence through arranged marriages and by gaining political privileges. They frequently intermarried, and consistently added to their territories, often profiting from the extinction of other noble families. The throne of the Holy Roman Empire was continuously occupied by the Habsburgs from 1440 until their extinction in the male line in 1740. The dynasty also produced rulers of Bohemia, Hungary, Croatia, Spain, Portugal, and many other kingdoms and principalities.

The Habsburgs believed they were divinely ordained to rule, and their lavish apartments and rich treasury are now open to the public. The Habsburgs' luxurious palaces and ornate skyline of Vienna stand as a testament to their centuries of rule.

The dynasty was ended by World War I

The Habsburg dynasty was ended by World War I. The family ruled the Habsburg Empire for six centuries from Vienna, believing they were divinely ordained to rule. However, this notion was ended by World War I.

The monarchy began to fracture in the face of inevitable defeat during the final years of the war. Ultimately, it was disbanded with the proclamation of the Republic of German-Austria and the First Hungarian Republic in late 1918. Charles I of Austria, the last Habsburg ruler, issued a proclamation recognising Austria's right to determine the future of the state and renouncing any role in state affairs. He issued a separate proclamation for Hungary two days later. These proclamations marked the end of the dynasty.

In 1919, a law was introduced that abolished all Austrian and Hungarian noble, royal and imperial titles. The anti-Habsburg laws, which stripped the family of their sovereign rights and banished all Habsburgs from Austrian territory, were made mandatory international and constitutional components of the Austrian State Treaty.

The family name comes from the castle of Habsburg

The House of Habsburg, also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most prominent and important dynasties in European history. The family name comes from the castle of Habsburg, a fortress built in the 1020s in present-day Switzerland. The castle was built by Radbot of Klettgau, who named the fortress Habsburg. The name is derived from the High German 'Habichtsburg', meaning hawk castle. However, some believe the name comes from the Middle High German word 'hab/hap', meaning 'ford', as there is a river with a ford nearby.

The first to take the fortress name as his own was Radbot's grandson, Otto II, who added 'Count of Habsburg' to his title. In 1273, Radbot's seventh-generation descendant, Rudolph of Habsburg, was elected King of the Romans. He appointed his sons as Dukes of Austria and moved the family's power base to Vienna, where the dynasty became known as the House of Austria.

The origins of the castle's name are uncertain, and there is disagreement over whether it comes from the High German word for 'hawk castle' or the Middle High German word for 'ford'. The first documented use of the name by the dynasty has been traced to the year 1108.

The last ruler of the Habsburgs was Charles I

The House of Habsburg, also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most prominent and important dynasties in European history. The family ruled the Habsburg Empire for six centuries from Vienna, believing they were divinely ordained to rule, until World War I ended that notion. The last ruler of the Habsburgs was Charles I, who was also known as Karl Franz Josef Ludwig Hubert Georg Otto Maria. He was the Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and ruler of the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from November 1916 until the monarchy was abolished in April 1919.

Charles I was born on 17 August 1887, in the Castle of Persenbeug, in Lower Austria. His parents were Archduke Otto Franz of Austria and Princess Maria Josepha of Saxony. Charles became heir presumptive of Emperor Franz Joseph when his uncle, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, was assassinated in 1914. Charles married Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma in 1911, and they had eight children together.

Charles succeeded to the thrones in November 1916 following the death of his great-uncle, Franz Joseph. He attempted to secretly negotiate with the Allies to end World War I, but was unsuccessful. Despite his efforts to preserve the empire, Austria-Hungary hurtled into disintegration, with Czechoslovakia and the State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs being proclaimed, and Hungary breaking monarchic ties with Austria. Following the Armistice of 11 November 1918, Charles renounced any participation in government affairs but did not formally abdicate. However, the Republic of German-Austria was proclaimed the following day, and in April 1919, the National Assembly formally dethroned the Habsburgs and banished Charles from German-Austria for life.

Charles spent the early part of his exile in Switzerland and later made two unsuccessful attempts to reclaim the Hungarian throne in 1921. He was then exiled to the Portuguese island of Madeira, where he fell ill and died of respiratory failure in 1922 at the age of 34. Charles's remains, except for his heart, are still on the island, resting in a chapel devoted to him in the Portuguese Church of Our Lady of the Mount. His heart and the heart of his wife are entombed in Muri Abbey, Switzerland.

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