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| Archduke Otto Franz Joseph | |||||
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| Born | (1865-04-21)21 April 1865 Graz,Austrian Empire | ||||
| Died | 1 November 1906(1906-11-01) (aged 41) Vienna,Austria-Hungary | ||||
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| Spouse | |||||
| Issue | Charles I of Austria Archduke Maximilian Eugen | ||||
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| House | Habsburg-Lorraine | ||||
| Father | Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria | ||||
| Mother | Princess Maria Annunziata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies | ||||
Archduke Otto Franz Joseph Karl Ludwig Maria of Austria (21 April 1865 – 1 November 1906) was the second son ofArchduke Karl Ludwig of Austria (younger brother of EmperorFranz Joseph I of Austria) and his second wife,Princess Maria Annunziata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. He was the father ofCharles I of Austria, the finalEmperor of Austria.
Otto was a son ofArchduke Karl Ludwig of Austria and his wife,Princess Maria Annunziata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Otto's father, Karl Ludwig, was a younger brother of EmperorFranz Joseph I of Austria; and Karl Ludwig becameheir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne when his nephewCrown Prince Rudolf committed suicide in 1889. Although a newspaper account claimed that Karl Ludwig renounced his rights to the throne that same year (1889) in favour of his eldest son,Franz Ferdinand, that story is not certain.
On the death of Karl Ludwig in May 1896, Otto's brother Franz Ferdinand did indeed become heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne. At the time of their father's death, Franz Ferdinand had been ill withtuberculosis and there was speculation that Franz Ferdinand would renounce his rights, which would have made his brother, Otto, heir presumptive. However, this did not happen, and Otto was never first in line to the throne.
In 1914, Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by theSerbian nationalistterroristGavrilo Princip inSarajevo, and Otto's sonCharles became heir presumptive. Charles inherited the throne two years later.
| Monarchical styles of Archduke Otto Franz of Austria | |
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| Reference style | His Imperial and Royal Highness |
| Spoken style | Your Imperial and Royal Highness |
Otto's mother died when he was six years old. Otto and his elder brother Franz Ferdinand were taught byAlfred Ludwig, Baron of Degenfeld. Otto was not interested in learning and often played pranks on his teachers. Nevertheless, his teachers preferred the cheerful Otto more than his grumpy and irascible older brother. He was also his father's favourite, which led to a challenging relationship with his brother.[1]: p. 58–61
Otto had a reputation as a loafer and was often involved in scandals. In one instance, he was known to have jumped nude from a private dining room in theHotel Sacher in front of a visitingBritishpeeress.[2] He is also widely remembered for the widely circulated story that he had been spotted in a hallway at the same hotel, about to enter a lady's room, wearing nothing else but a sword. He was gradually alienated from the imperial court, and eventually even his wife distanced herself from him.
Around 1900, he contractedsyphilis. This caused him agonizing pain for the last two years of his life. He withdrew from public life and spent a year inEgypt, where he found temporary reprieve. He returned to Austria, where he fell ill again. The last few months of his life, he lived in a villa in the Viennese suburbWähring. He was forced to replace his nose with a rubberprosthetic due tofacial deformity.[2] He was seriously ill, and was nursed by his last mistress, Louise Robinson, using the pseudonymSister Martha, and by his stepmotherInfanta Maria Theresa of Portugal. He died on 1 November 1906, in the presence of his spiritual adviser, Godfried Marschall(de), theauxiliary bishop ofVienna.[3]
After their father's death, Otto's elder brother Franz Ferdinand automatically became heir-presumptive to the throne under the Habsburg house laws. There was no need for a special declaration to make him heir presumptive. However, it did not escape the public's attention that the Emperor never commented on his new heir-presumptive. Franz Ferdinand suffered from some serious medical problems, and there were concerns that his health might never allow him to fulfill his role as emperor.
In 1896 it was brought to Franz Ferdinand's attention thatCount Gołuchowski, theForeign Minister, had suggested that the emperor, considering Franz Ferdinand'slung disease, might reconsider the line of succession. This led to speculations that Otto might inherit the throne. It was noticed that Otto had more personnel than was usual for an archduke and that he carried out representative tasks that would normally be done by the heir presumptive. Despite his life style, Otto was more popular among the courtiers than his elder brother. Franz Ferdinand was outraged by these speculations and by the fact that he had received the modestModena Palace as his residence and Otto the largerAugarten Palace. Franz Ferdinand felt snubbed, although Otto assured him he had no ambitions for the throne.[1]: p. 108–109
Under pressure from the imperial court, he marriedPrincess Maria Josepha of Saxony, daughter of KingGeorg of Saxony on October 2, 1886.[4] The court in Vienna urgently needed such a wedding to repair their relationship with theSaxon royal family, after bothCrown Prince Rudolf of Austria and Otto's brotherFranz Ferdinand had snubbed the Saxons by rejecting Maria's elder sisterMathilde.
Otto and Maria had two sons:
Their marriage was unhappy, and the Archduke was often unfaithful. He had illegitimate children including two by his mistress, Marie Schleinzer: The children were given the title and surname Edler von Hortenau.
Themountain lodgeErzherzog-Otto-Schutzhaus on theRax plateau inLower Austria, is named after him.
Austria-Hungary:[5]
Tuscan Grand Ducal family:Grand Cross of St. Joseph[5]
Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Bailiff Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion, with Distinction for Jerusalem[5][7]
Russian Empire:[5]
Kingdom of Prussia:Knight of the Black Eagle[5][7]
Kingdom of Italy:Knight of the Annunciation,15 December 1898[9]
Spain: Grand Cross of theOrder of Charles III,26 April 1886[10]
Kingdom of Saxony:Knight of the Rue Crown,1886[11]
Württemberg:Grand Cross of the Württemberg Crown,1893[12]
Belgium: Grand Cordon of theOrder of Leopold[5]
Kingdom of Romania:Grand Cross of the Star of Romania[5]
Kingdom of Serbia:Grand Cross of the White Eagle[5]
Siam: Knight of theOrder of the Royal House of Chakri,23 June 1897[13]
Grand Duchy of Hesse: Grand Cross of theLudwig Order,16 May 1893[14]
Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach:Grand Cross of the White Falcon[5]
Ernestine duchies: Grand Cross of theSaxe-Ernestine House Order[5]
| Ancestors of Archduke Otto Franz Joseph of Austria |
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