Archduke Gottfried of Austria (German:Gottfried Maria Joseph Peter Ferdinand Hubert Anton Rupert Leopold Heinrich Ignaz Alfons, Erzherzog von Österreich, Prinz von Toskana; 14 March 1902 – 21 January 1984), also styled asGottfried Erzherzog von Österreich, was anArchduke of Austria and claimant to the defunct throne of theGrand Duchy of Tuscany.
On 20 December 1866, Goffredo's grandfather, Ferdinando IV, the last Grand Duke of Tuscany, and his children were readmitted to the imperial family. The House of Tuscany ceased to exist as a sovereign branch and merged with the Austrian imperial house. Ferdinand was able to maintain hisfons honorum vita natural durante, while his children became only imperial princes (archdukes of Austria) and no longer princes/princesses of Tuscany. The Grand Magistry of the Order of St Stephen died out with the death of Ferdinand IV. In fact, after the death of Grand Duke Ferdinand IV in 1908, Emperor Franz Joseph I forbade the acceptance of the title of Grand Duke or Prince or Princess of Tuscany: none of Ferdinand IV's children born after 1866 accepted the title of Prince or Grand Duke of Tuscany. They were also unable to legitimately take possession of the extinct dynastic orders, previously conferred by the Grand Dukes of Tuscany.[1][2][3]
While his grandfather had kept the title ofGrand Duke of Tuscany after the abolition of the dukedom in 1860, he had abdicated it in favor of the Austrian Emperor in 1870.[4] Peter Ferdinand, Goffredo's father, never claimed the title of Grand Duke of Tuscany.[5][6][7] The former Prime Minister of Saxony and later Imperial and Household MinisterBeust declared: "The Tuscan Grand Ducal family has lost its sovereign rights as a result of political events. This branch of the Austrian imperial family is therefore naturally subordinate to the rights and duties of all other members of the imperial family. The Grand Dukes Leopold and Ferdinand and their more famous brothers are therefore from now on to be considered only as Archdukes of Austria and to be treated in accordance with the Statute of the High Noble Family of 3 February 1839."[8][9]
Gottfried married Princess Dorothea of Bavaria, fifth child and fourth daughter ofPrince Franz of Bavaria and his wifePrincess Isabella Antonie of Croÿ, on 2 August 1938 civilly and religiously on 3 August 1938 inSárvár,Kingdom of Hungary. Around 1970, in violation of the decree of EmperorFranz Joseph I of 1866[12] and ignoring the abdication of his grandfather last Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinand IV signed inLindau on Lake Constance in 1870,[13][14][15] he assumed the title of Grand Duke of Tuscany without the permission of the head of the imperial and royal house.[16][17] Gottfried and Dorothea had issue:[18]
Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria, Princess of Tuscany (born 2 October 1939 inAchberg), married on 28 April 1965 inSalzburg, Friedrich Hubert Edler von Braun (born 26 December 1934 inRegensburg), son of Erich Edler von Braun and Baroness Elisabeth von Teuchert-Kauffmann und Traunsteinburg. They had three children:
Bernadette Edle von Braun (born 21 July 1966 inBad Godesberg), she has illegitimate son
Dominik Edler von Braun (born 21 September 1967 in Bad Godesberg), married on 25 August 1995 inNew York City, Countess Tatiana Angela von Nayhauss-Cormons (born 5 May 1968 inMunich), daughter of Count Mainhardt von Nayhauss-Cormons and Sabine Beirlein. They have three children:
Ludovic Edler von Braun (born 20 September 2005 in Bonn)
Edina Edler von Braun (born 15 November 2007 in Bonn)
Felix Edler von Braun (born 23 April 1970 inBad Ischl), married on 27 May 2006 inBerlin, Gabrielle Hinzmann (born 15 August 1972 in Berlin). They have one daughter:
Stella Edler von Braun (born in 2009)
Archduchess Alice of Austria, Princess of Tuscany (born 29 April 1941 inLeutstetten), married on 7 May 1970 in Salzburg, Baron Vittorio Manno (born 31 July 1938 inCuneo), son of Baron Antonio Manno and Bonile Maria Asinari di Rossillon. They had three children:
Leopoldo dei baroni Manno (19 February 1971 inThe Hague — 21 February 1971 in The Hague)
Baron Niccolò Manno (born 1 November 1977 inMaisons-Laffitte), married on 22 May 2004 inLondon, Manon Sybille Duflos. They had three sons:
Arturo dei baroni Manno (born 24 June 2009)
Paolo dei baroni Manno (born 18 April 2012)
Alessio dei baroni Manno (born 31 August 2014)
Domitilla dei baroni Manno (born 30 April 1974 inNeuilly-sur-Seine), married on 24 April 1999 in Salzburg, Pierre-Emmanuel Derriks (born 30 August 1973 inIxelles), son of Michel Derriks and Anne Mottard. They had four children:
Felicie Derriks (born 27 July 1998 in Salzburg)
Ombeline Derriks (born 29 February 2000 in Munich)
Fleur Derriks (born 28 March 2003)
Corentin Derriks (born 16 March 2005)
Archduke Leopold of Austria, Prince and later titular Grand Duke of Tuscany (born 25 October 1942 in Leutstetten - died 23 June 2021), married on 19 June 1965 inSt. Gilgen,Laetitia de Belzunce d'Arenberg (born 2 September 1941 inBrummana), daughter of Henry de Belzunce and Marie-Thérèse de la Poëze d'Harambure. They had two sons.
Archduke Sigismund Otto Maria Josef Gottfried Heinrich Erik Leopold Ferdinand of Austria, Prince and later Grand Duke of Tuscany, Ambassador of theSovereign Military Order of Malta toUruguay, (born Lausanne 21 Apr 1966); married London 11 September 1999 (divorced 2013, canonically annulled), Elyssa Edmonstone (born Glasgow 11 Sep 1973), daughter of Sir Archibald Bruce Edmondstone, of Duntreath, 7th Baronet and the former Juliet Elizabeth Deakin, with three children.
Archduke Leopold Amedeo Peter Ferdinand Archibald of Austria, Grand Prince of Tuscany (born 2001).
Archduchess Tatyana Maria Theresa Letitia Juliet of Austria, Princess of Tuscany (born 2003).
Archduke Stefano Sigismund William Bruce Erik Leopold of Austria, Prince of Tuscany (born 2004).
Archduke Guntram Maria Josef of Austria, Prince of Tuscany (born Montevideo 21 July 1967), married (non-dynastic) Cuernavaca, Mexico 13 April 1966 (religious) 19 May 1996 Deborah de Sola, Countess von Habsburg, and has two children.
Countess Anna Faustian von Hobsburg (born 2001).
Count Tiziano Leopold von Habsburg (born 2004).
Archduchess Maria Antoinette of Austria, Princess of Tuscany (born 16 September 1950 in St. Gilgen), married on 13 April 1974 in St. Gilgen, Baron Hans Walter von Proff zu Irnich (born 7 March 1938 in Munich), son of Oskar Natterman and Margarete Wutt, adopted by his stepfather Baron Max von Proff zu Irnich. They have two children:
Baron Maximilian von Proff zu Irnich (born 24 February 1976 in Munich), married on 29 May 2010, Baroness Sidonia von Ledebur (born 5 November 1978 inDarmstadt), daughter of Baron Ernst von Ledebur and Alix von Watzdorf. They have one son:
Baron Cornelius von Proff zu Irnich (born 11 August 2011)
Baroness Johanna von Proff zu Irnich (born 27 June 1979 in Munich), married on 1 October 2011 inStarnberg, Florian Prechtl. They have two children:
^Egbert Silva Tarouca: ‘’Genealogisches Handbuch des in Bayern immatrikulierten Adels, volume IV, Franz-Josef Fürst zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, Neustadt ad Aisch, Verlag Degener & Co. In: ‘’Adler‘ 1° (XV.), 1947/4, p. 53
^Andrea Borella (ed.):Annuario della Nobiltà italiana (2015-2020), XXXIII edition, volume 1, pp. CCCXXXIX-CCCLXIII, Teglio, March 2021, ISBN 978-88-942861-0-6
^Benedikt, Heinrich, ‘’Kaiseradler über dem Apennin. Die Österreicher in Italien 1700 bis 1866‘’. Herold Verlag, Vienna 1964
^Bernd Braun:Das Ende der Regionalmonarchien in Italien. Abdankungen im Zuge des Risorgimento. In: Susan Richter, Dirk Dirbach (Hrsg.): Thronverzicht. Die Abdankung in Monarchien vom Mittelalter bis in die Neuzeit. Böhlau Verlag, Köln, Weimar, Wien 2010, pp. 251-266
^Rivista Araldica, anno 1913, volume 11, pagina 381, Roma, Collegio Araldico: "Da informazione ufficiale assunta a Vienna togliamo quanto segue «A Sua Altezza I. R. il defunto Granduca Ferdinando IV di Toscana era stato permesso dall'Impero austro-ungarico e dagli Stati dell'Impero germanico, di conferire i tre Ordini toscani, inerenti alla Sovranità, che anche spodestato, rimase all'Augusto principe fino alla sua morte. Il titolo di Principe di Toscana fu solo autorizzato ai membri della famiglia granducale nati prima del 1866. Dopo la morte del Granduca (1908) tutti gli augusti figli del defunto dovettero solennemente rinunciare ad ogni qualsiasi diritto di cui personalmente ed eccezionalmente godeva il padre. Quindi il Gran Magistero dell'Ordine di S. Stefano per volontà di S. M. l'Imperatore e Re è terminato col defunto granduca, né più sarebbe accettato dagli augusti principi lorenesi" (in Italian)
^Bernd Braun:Das Ende der Regionalmonarchien in Italien. Abdankungen im Zuge des Risorgimento. In: Susan Richter, Dirk Dirbach (Hrsg.): Thronverzicht. Die Abdankung in Monarchien vom Mittelalter bis in die Neuzeit. Böhlau Verlag, Köln, Weimar, Wien 2010, pp. 251-266
^Georg Frölichsthal: Fürstenrechtliche Überlegungen zur Eigenständigkeit des Hauses Toscana, Heraldisch-Genealogische Gesellschaft ADLER, ZSA 32 (XLVI), 2024, Seite 227–238
^Annuario della Nobiltà Italiana, XXXIII., 2015-2020, Part I, p. CCCXL, quoted: List, Joachim: ‘Beiträge zur Stellung und Aufgabe der Erzherzoge unter Kaiser Franz Josef I’, Dissertation, unpublished, vol. 1, Vienna, p. 225.
^Georg Frölichsthal: Fürstenrechtliche Überlegungen zur Eigenständigkeit des Hauses Toscana, Heraldisch-Genealogische Gesellschaft ADLER, ZSA 32 (XLVI), 2024, page 227 to 238
^Gothaisches Genealogisches Handbuch der fürstlichen Häuser, Band 3. (2021) Deutsche Adelsarchiv, Marburg
^Gothaisches Genealogisches Handbuch der fürstlichen Häuser, Band 3. (2021) Deutsche Adelsarchiv, Marburg
^ Andrea Borella (a cura di): Annuario della Nobiltà italiana, XXXIII edizione, 2015-2020, parte I, Teglio, marzo 2021, ISBN 978-88-942861-0-6
^Bernd Braun:Das Ende der Regionalmonarchien in Italien. Abdankungen im Zuge des Risorgimento. In: Susan Richter, Dirk Dirbach (Hrsg.): Thronverzicht. Die Abdankung in Monarchien vom Mittelalter bis in die Neuzeit. Böhlau Verlag, Köln, Weimar, Wien 2010, pp. 251-266
^Benedikt, Heinrich, Kaiseradler über dem Apennin. Die Österreicher in Italien 1700 bis 1866. Vienna: Herold Verlag, 1964, page 410 "Ferdinand IV Salvatore never took office, but he continued to refuse to give up the throne. When the political situation between Austria and Italy calmed down and better relations were established, Emperor Franz Joseph sent his advisor for Italian affairs, the chamberlain of Archduke Rainer, the court advisor Baron Giannelia, to Lindau on Lake Constance, Ferdinand's summer residence, to finally obtain the grand duke's renunciation. When Baron Giannelia entered the grand duke's study, he received him at his desk with the words: "I know why you are here. Don't bother, I won't sign”. According to a widely-known anecdote of the time, the court counselor is said to have looked with great interest out of the window at the small port where the ships built by the Grand Duke himself were moored. Ferdinand IV asked him what he was looking at on the water. “His Imperial Highness' fleet.” The Grand Duke signed the renunciation declaration."
^Karl Vocelka, Lynne Heller: Die private Welt der Habsburger: Leben und Alltag einer Familie, Styria, 1998, page 253, column I
^Georg Frölichsthal: Fürstenrechtliche Überlegungen zur Eigenständigkeit des Hauses Toscana, Heraldisch-Genealogische Gesellschaft ADLER, ZSA 32 (XLVI), 2024, page 227-238
^Gothaisches Genealogisches Handbuch der fürstlichen Häuser, Band 3. (2021) Deutsche Adelsarchiv, Marburg
^Gothaisches Genealogisches Handbuch der fürstlichen Häuser, Band 3. (2021) Deutsche Adelsarchiv, Marburg
Generations are numbered by male-line descent from the first archdukes. Later generations are included although Austrian titles of nobility were abolished in 1919.
Generations are numbered from the children ofFrancesco de' Medici, firstGrand Duke of Tuscany. Later generations are included but the grand duchy was abolished in 1860.
