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) 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, 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
The House of Este ( , , ) is a European dynasty of North Italian origin whose members ruled parts of Italy and Germany for many centuries.
The original House of Este's elder branch, which is known as the House of Welf, included dukes of Bavaria ...
. He was thus made heir to his assassinated relative
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria (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 to Italy in 1860.
Family
Archduke Robert married
Princess Margherita of Savoy-Aosta
Margherita, Archduchess of Austria-Este ( Princess Margherita of Savoy-Aosta, 7 April 1930 – 10 January 2022) was an Italian princess, the first-born child of Amedeo, 3rd Duke of Aosta, and Princess Anne d'Orléans.
Biography
Margherita, bor ...
(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, 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 o ...
in
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
, 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, France,
Jean-Christophe, Prince Napoléon
Jean-Christophe, Prince Napoléon, Prince of Montfort (birth name: ''Jean-Christophe Louis Ferdinand Albéric Napoléon''; born 11 July 1986, France) is the head of the former Imperial House of France, and heir of Napoleon Bonaparte, the First ...
(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 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.
[Enache, Nicolas. ''La Descendance de Marie-Therese de Habsburg''. ICC, Paris, 1996. pp. 44–45,50. French][Genealogisches 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 ...
(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 (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
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 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