Archduke Charles Stephen Eugene Viktor Felix Maria of Austria
(
German
:
Erzherzog Karl Stephan Eugen Viktor Felix Maria von Habsburg-Lothringen
,
Polish
:
Arcyksi??? Karol Stefan Eugeniusz Wiktor Feliks Maria Habsburg-Lothringen
; 5 September 1860 ? 7 April 1933) was a member of the
House of Habsburg
, a
Grand Admiral
in the
Austro-Hungarian Navy
and candidate for the
Polish crown
.
Family
[
edit
]
Charles Stephen was born at the castle of Gross Seelowitz in
Moravia
(today
?idlochovice
near
Brno
in the
Czech Republic
), the son of
Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria
1818?1874, himself son of
Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen
; and of his wife
Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria
(1831?1903). At his baptism he was given the names
Karl Stephan Eugen Viktor Felix Maria
. Among his siblings were Queen
Maria Theresa of Bavaria
, Archduke
Friedrich of Austria
, Queen
Maria Cristina of Spain
, and
Archduke Eugen of Austria
.
On 28 February 1886 at
Vienna
, Charles Stephen married
Archduchess Maria Theresia, Princess of Tuscany
(Brandeis-Altbunzlau (
Brandys nad Labem-Stara Boleslav
), 18 September 1862?
Castle
of Saybusch (
?ywiec
), 10 May 1933).
[1]
She was the daughter of Archduke
Karl Salvator of Austria, Prince of Tuscany
and his wife
Princess Maria Immaculata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
. The ceremony took place in the
Hofburg
and was witnessed by
Cardinal Ganglbauer
.
Charles Stephen and Maria Theresia had six children:
Military career
[
edit
]
In 1879, Charles Stephen was commissioned as a
Seefahnrich
in the
Austro-Hungarian Navy
. Appointed his naval governor in 1879 was
Fregattenkapitan
(later admiral)
Hermann von Spaun
, who accompanied him on a voyage to Brazil and North America in the goelette
Saida
. In 1896, he retired from active duty. He continued, however, to be
advanced in rank, attaining the rank of
admiral
in 1901 and
Grossadmiral
(
grand admiral
) in 1911.
[2]
He was named
Marineinspekteur
(navy inspector), making him the titular ranking officer of the navy. Others, however, had effective control of operations in 1914?1918;
Anton Haus
,
Maximilian Njegovan
and
Miklos Horthy
each served in turn as
Flottenkommandant
(Fleet Commander). In 1918, the Emperor
Charles I
put him in charge of the enquiry into the
mutiny of the navy at Cattaro
(now
Kotor
in
Montenegro
). Charles Stephen recommended a sweeping re-organisation of the navy and the appointment of Miklos Horthy as commander-in-chief.
[3]
Charles Stephen was an
officer
a la suite
of the
Imperial German Navy
and
proprietary head
of the 8th Austrian Infantry Regiment. His brother, Feldmarschall Archduke
Friedrich
, was commander-in-chief of the
Austro-Hungarian Army
from July 1914 to February 1917, and his eldest son, Archduke Karl Albrecht, held the rank of
Oberst
(colonel) at the end of World War I.
Candidate for the Polish crown
[
edit
]
On 5 November 1916, the
William II, German Emperor
and the Emperor
Franz Joseph I of Austria
issued the 'Act of 5 November' creating the
Kingdom of Poland
as an independent state with a hereditary monarchy. Charles Stephen was considered as a candidate to be regent and eventually king.
[4]
At the time, Charles Stephen was living at the
Castle
of Saysbusch (
?ywiec
), in
Galicia
. His chances were enhanced by the fact that he spoke fluent
Polish
. Two of his daughters were married to Polish princes belonging to the noble houses of
Radziwill
and
Czartoryski
. However, as Charles Stephen was a member of the
Imperial House of Austria
he needed permission to become king from the head of the family, Emperor
Charles I
, who hesitated, having himself planned to assume the Polish crown. Moreover, the Radziwill and Czartoryski families urged the cause of
Russia
(as their ancestors had in the 18th century). Adding to the political muddle was the support of Ukrainian nationalism by Charles Stephen's son, Archduke
Wilhelm
.
In the end, the proclamation was so vague and tentative that it failed to inspire enthusiasm among its supposed beneficiaries or even among the Germans and Austro-Hungarians themselves.
Yachting
[
edit
]
In addition to his professional career as a
naval officer
, Charles Stephen took an active interest in
yachting
. He was a
flag officer
of the Imperial and Royal Yacht Squadron.
[5]
His interest in yachting brought him to England on several occasions including in 1879 for the Royal Yacht Squadron Regatta,
[6]
in 1900,
[7]
and in 1911.
[8]
In 1892, he was made a member of the (British)
Yacht Racing Association
.
[9]
He purchased several British yachts including the
Valkyrie
from the
Earl of Dunraven
in 1892
[10]
and the
Ul
from Ramage and Ferguson Limited in 1911.
[11]
His yacht
Waturus
was sold to Randal Morgan, an American, in June 1902,
[12]
and eventually it had a long marine career in both military and civilian service as
HMCS
Hochelaga
.
Estates
[
edit
]
When Charles Stephen's uncle
Archduke Albert, Duke of Teschen
died in 1895, he and his brothers each inherited large estates. His largest properties were in
Galicia
especially at Saybusch (now
?ywiec
in Poland). Among the businesses operated here was the
?ywiec Brewery
which was nationalized by the Communists after World War II. Charles Stephen had a palace at Pola (now
Pula
in
Croatia
) and a winter palace in Lussin (now
Lo?inj
). He also had a palace in
Vienna
in the
Wiedner Hauptstrasse
.
[13]
Honours
[
edit
]
Charles Stephen received the following decorations and awards:
[14]
[15]
In 1916, he was named Protector of the
Polish Academy of Learning
in
Krakow
.
[23]
He was a
Großadmiral
(
Grand Admiral
) in the
Austro-Hungarian Navy
, equivalent to the rank of
Feldmarschall
(
Field Marshal
) in the army.
[24]
Later life
[
edit
]
After 1918, Charles Stephen acquired
Polish citizenship
and continued to live in
?ywiec
, which had passed to the sovereignty of the
Second Republic of Poland
. He died there on 7 April 1933. Archduchess Maria Theresa died there a month later, on 10 May 1933.
Ancestry
[
edit
]
Ancestors of Archduke Charles Stephen of Austria
|
---|
| | | | | | | | | 16.
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
| | | | | | | 8.
Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor
| | | | | | | | | | 17.
Maria Theresa of Austria
| | | | | | | 4.
Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen
| | | | | | | | | | | | 18.
Charles III of Spain
| | | | | | | 9.
Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain
| | | | | | | | | | 19.
Princess Maria Amalia of Saxony
| | | | | | | 2.
Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | 20.
Charles Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg
| | | | | | | 10.
Frederick William, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg
| | | | | | | | | | 21.
Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau
| | | | | | | 5.
Princess Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg
| | | | | | | | | | | | 22. Wilhelm Georg, Burgrave of Kirchberg
| | | | | | | 11.
Burgravine Louise Isabelle of Kirchberg
| | | | | | | | | | 23. Countess Isabella Auguste Reuss of Greiz
| | | | | | | 1.
Archduke Charles Stephen of Austria
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 24.
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
(= 16)
| | | | | | | 12.
Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor
(= 8)
| | | | | | | | | | 25.
Maria Theresa of Austria
(= 17)
| | | | | | | 6.
Archduke Joseph, Palatine of Hungary
| | | | | | | | | | | | 26.
Charles III of Spain
(= 18)
| | | | | | | 13.
Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain
(= 9)
| | | | | | | | | | 27.
Princess Maria Amalia of Saxony
(= 19)
| | | | | | | 3.
Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | 28.
Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Wurttemberg
| | | | | | | 14.
Duke Louis of Wurttemberg
| | | | | | | | | | 29.
Margravine Friederike of Brandenburg-Schwedt
| | | | | | | 7.
Duchess Maria Dorothea of Wurttemberg
| | | | | | | | | | | | 30.
Charles Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg
(= 20)
| | | | | | | 15.
Princess Henriette of Nassau-Weilburg
| | | | | | | | | | 31.
Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau
(= 21)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Marriage of an Archduke",
The Times
(1 March 1886): 5.
- ^
Lawrence Sondhaus,
The Naval Policy of Austria-Hungary, 1867?1918: Navalism, Industrial Development, and the Politics of Dualism
(West Lafayette, Ind.: Purdue University Press, 1994), 135?136.
- ^
Sondhaus, 325?326.
- ^
"Will Crown Archduke as King of Poland",
The New York Times
( 16 August 1915): 1;
Catherine Radziwill
,
The Austrian Court from Within
(London: Cassell, 1916), 161; "Archduke Charles to Govern Poland",
The New York Times
( 14 December 1916): 6; "Imperial And Foreign News Items",
The Times
( 17 May 1917): 5; "The Meeting Of The Reichsrath",
The Times
( 31 May 1917): 5.
- ^
"The Pola Regatta",
The Times
( 12 April 1895): 8.
- ^
"Yachting",
The Times
( 8 August 1879): 11.
- ^
"Court Circular",
The Times
( 30 June 1900): 8.
- ^
"Court Circular",
The Times
( 2 September 1911): 9.
- ^
"Yacht Racing Association",
The Times
( 21 January 1892): 4.
- ^
"Court Circular",
The Times
( 29 April 1892): 9.
- ^
"Launch of a Royal Yacht",
The Times
( 31 May 1911): 12; ""Imperial Steam Yacht",
The Times
( 26 July 1911): 24.
- ^
As reported in the New York Times on 8 June 1902
- ^
Nellie Ryan,
My Years at the Austrian Court
(London: J. Lane, 1915), 76?77.
- ^
Hof- und Staatshandbuch der Osterreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie (1918)
, Genealogy pp. 12-13
- ^
Marquis of Ruvigny,
The Titled Nobility of Europe
(Harrison and Sons, London, 1914) pp. 14-15
- ^
Boettger, T. F.
"Chevaliers de la Toison d'Or - Knights of the Golden Fleece"
.
La Confrerie Amicale
. Retrieved
25 June
2019
.
- ^
"A Szent Istvan Rend tagjai"
Archived
22 December 2010 at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
Guy Stair Sainty,
"The Sacred Military Order of Saint Stephen, Pope and Martyr"
Archived
30 June 2007 at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
Jørgen Pedersen (2009).
Riddere af Elefantordenen, 1559?2009
(in Danish). Syddansk Universitetsforlag. p. 472.
ISBN
978-87-7674-434-2
.
- ^
"Real y distinguida orden de Carlos III"
,
Guoa Oficial de Espana
(in Spanish), 1930, p. 220
, retrieved
4 March
2019
- ^
Sveriges statskalender
(in Swedish). 1925. p. 807
. Retrieved
6 January
2018
– via runeberg.org.
- ^
Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Konigreich Wurttemberg
(1877), "Konigliche Orden" p. 23
- ^
"Three Archdukes Removed",
The New York Times
( 22 September 1916): 3
- ^
Justus Perthes,
Almanach de Gotha
(1921)
page 8
Further reading
[
edit
]
- Ryan, Nellie.
My Years at the Austrian Court
. London: J. Lane, 1915. The memoirs of an English governess in Charles Stephen's household.
External links
[
edit
]
|
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Generations are numbered by male-line descent from the first archdukes. Later generations are included although Austrian titles of nobility were abolished in 1919.
|
1st generation
| |
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2nd generation
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3rd generation
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4th generation
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5th generation
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6th generation
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7th generation
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8th generation
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9th generation
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11th generation
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12th generation
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13th generation
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14th generation
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15th generation
| |
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16th generation
| | Habsburg
Tuscany
| |
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Palatines
of Hungary
| |
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|
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17th generation
| Descent of
Charles I
| |
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Tuscany
| |
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Palatines
| |
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|
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18th generation
| |
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19th generation
| |
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- S:
also an infante of Spain
- P:
also an infante of Portugal
- T:
also a prince of Tuscany
- M:
also a prince of Modena
- B:
also a prince of Belgium
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