Robert, Archduke of Austria-Este (given names: ''Robert Karl Ludwig Maximilian Michael Maria Anton Franz Ferdinand Joseph Otto Hubert Georg Pius Johannes Marcus d'Aviano''; 8 February 1915 – 7 February 1996), was the second son of Karl I, (

beatified Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their nam ...

) last Emperor of Austria-Hungary, and Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma. He was also known as Robert Karl Erzherzog von Österreich.

Archduke of Austria-Este

On 16 April 1917, at the age of two, his father the Emperor ceded the title of Archduke of

Austria-Este The House of Habsburg-Este (), also known as the House of Austria-Este () and holder of the title of Archduke of Austria-Este (; ), is a cadet branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine and also descends from the House of Este in the cognatic line. ...

in Robert's favor. Archduke Robert was thereby chosen to preserve, in the form of a distinct

secundogeniture A secundogeniture (from la, secundus "following, second," and "born") was a dependent territory given to a younger son of a princely house and his descendants, creating a cadet branch. This was a special form of inheritance in which the second a ...

, the Habsburg-Lorraine representation of the once-sovereign

Duchy of Modena A duchy, also called a dukedom, is a medieval country, territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess, a ruler hierarchically second to the king or queen in Western European tradition. There once existed an important difference between ...

which had belonged to the House of Este. He was thus made heir to his assassinated relative

Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria Archduke Franz Ferdinand Carl Ludwig Joseph Maria of Austria, (18 December 1863 – 28 June 1914) was the heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary. His assassination in Sarajevo was the most immediate cause of World War I. Fr ...

(1863–1914), who had inherited in 1875 the Austria-Este designation and what had been salvaged of the Este fortune when the duchy was

annexed Annexation (Latin ''ad'', to, and ''nexus'', joining), in international law, is the forcible acquisition of one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. It is generally held to be an illegal act ...

to Italy in 1860.

Family

Archduke Robert married Princess Margherita of Savoy-Aosta (7 April 1930 – 10 January 2022, elder daughter of the late Amadeo, 3rd Duke of Aosta) on 28 December 1953 in

Bourg-en-Bresse Bourg-en-Bresse (; frp, Bôrg) is the prefecture of the Ain department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France. Located northeast of Lyon, it is the capital of the ancient province of Bresse ( frp, Brêsse, links=no). In 2018, ...

Ain Ain (, ; frp, En) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France. Named after the Ain river, it is bordered by the Saône and Rhône rivers. Ain is located on the country's eastern edge, on the Swiss border, where it ...

, France (civilly) and 29 December 1953, in Brou, Eure-et-Loir, France (religiously).
The couple had five children: * Archduchess Maria Beatrice (born 11 December 1954) married on 26 April 1980 in Chartres Count Riprand of Arco-Zinneberg, a great-grandson of the last Bavarian king,

Ludwig III Ludwig III (Ludwig Luitpold Josef Maria Aloys Alfried; 7 January 1845 – 18 October 1921) was the last King of Bavaria, reigning from 1913 to 1918. Initially he served in the Bavarian military as a lieutenant and went on to hold the rank of Oberl ...

and of Maria Theresia, Archduchess of Austria-Este. They have six daughters: ** Countess Anna Theresa von und zu Arco-Zinneberg (born 1981) married on 29 September 2018, at

Niederaltaich Abbey Niederaltaich Abbey (Abtei or Kloster Niederaltaich) is a house of the Benedictine Order founded in 741, situated in the village of Niederalteich on the Danube in Bavaria. Foundation and early history After its foundation in 741 by Duke Odilo ...

in Bavaria, Colin McKenzie (born 1976). They have two children. ** Countess Margherita von und zu Arco-Zinneberg (born 1983) married on 19 March 2022, in Moos, Bavaria, Charles Douglas Green (born 1981) ** Countess Olympia von und zu Arco-Zinneberg (born 1988) married on 17 October 2019, in

Neuilly-sur-Seine Neuilly-sur-Seine (; literally 'Neuilly on Seine'), also known simply as Neuilly, is a commune in the department of Hauts-de-Seine in France, just west of Paris. Immediately adjacent to the city, the area is composed of mostly select residential ...

, France, Jean-Christophe, Prince Napoléon (born 1986) ** Countess Maximiliana von und zu Arco-Zinneberg (born 1990) is engaged in 2022 to Byron Houdayer (born 1986) ** Countess Marie Gabrielle von und zu Arco-Zinneberg (born 1992), who is a

mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C ...

opera singer ** Countess Giorgiana von und zu Arco-Zinneberg (born 1997) * Archduke Lorenz (born 16 December 1955) married on 22 September 1984 at Brussels,

Princess Astrid of Belgium Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (born 5 June 1962), is the second child and first daughter of King Albert II and Queen Paola, and the younger sister to the current Belgian monarch, King Philippe. She is married to Pri ...

(born 1962), daughter of King

Albert II of the Belgians , house = Belgium , father = Leopold III of Belgium , mother = Astrid of Sweden , birth_date = , birth_place = Stuyvenberg Castle, Laeken, Brussels, Belgium , death_date = , death_place = , signature = Albert II of Belgium Signatu ...

.Enache, Nicolas. ''La Descendance de Marie-Therese de Habsburg''. ICC, Paris, 1996. pp. 44–45,50. FrenchGenealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Furstlicher Hauser Bande XVI, C.A. Starke Verlag, ''Haus Osterreich'', Limburg, 2001, pp. 91–92. German They have three daughters and two sons: **

Prince Amedeo of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este Prince Amedeo of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este (Amedeo Marie Joseph Carl Pierre Philippe Paola Marcus d'Aviano; born 21 February 1986) is a grandson of King Albert II of Belgium, and thus a member of the Belgian royal family. He is also he ...

(born 1986) married Elisabetta Rosboch von Wolkenstein on 5 July 2014 in Rome, Italy.Prins Amedeo en Lili trouwen in de zon
/ref> They have two children. **

Princess Maria Laura of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (born 5 June 1962), is the second child and first daughter of King Albert II and Queen Paola, and the younger sister to the current Belgian monarch, King Philippe. She is married to Pri ...

(born 1988) married William Isvy (born 1991) on 10 September 2022 in Brussels, Belgium. **

Prince Joachim of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (born 5 June 1962), is the second child and first daughter of King Albert II and Queen Paola, and the younger sister to the current Belgian monarch, King Philippe. She is married to Pri ...

(born 1991) ** Princess Luisa Maria of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (born 1995) ** Princess Laetitia Maria of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (born 2003) * Archduke Gerhard (born 30 October 1957) married in 2015 Iris Jandrasits (born 1961). * Archduke Martin (born 21 December 1959) married in 2004 Princess Katharina of Isenburg, sister of Sophie, Princess of Prussia and Isabelle, Princess of Wied. They have three sons and a daughter: ** Archduke Bartholomaeus of Austria (2006) ** Archduke Emmanuel of Austria (2008) ** Archduchess Helene of Austria (2009) ** Archduke Luigi of Austria (2011) * Archduchess Isabella (born 2 March 1963) married in 1997 Count Andrea Czarnocki-Lucheschi. They have three sons and a daughter: ** Alvise Czarnocki-Lucheschi (1999) ** Carlo Amedeo Czarnocki-Lucheschi (2000) ** Maria Anna Czarnocki-Lucheschi (2002) ** Alessandro Czarnocki-Lucheschi (2004)

Ancestry

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robert of Austria-Este, Archduke Austria-Este House of Habsburg Knights of the Golden Fleece of Austria 1915 births 1996 deaths Austrian princes Sons of emperors Child pretenders Children of Charles I of Austria Sons of kings