Archduke Otto of Austria (1865–1906)

Son of Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria (1865–1996)

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Archduke Otto

Born| (1865-04-21)21 April 1865
Graz, Austrian Empire
Died| 1 November 1906(1906-11-01) (aged 41)
Vienna, Austria-Hungary
Burial|

Imperial Crypt

Spouse|

Princess Maria Josepha of Saxony

(m. 1886)​

Issue| Charles I of Austria
Archduke Maximilian Eugen
| Names

German: Otto Franz Joseph Karl Ludwig Maria
English: Otto Francis Joseph Charles Louis Maria
House| Habsburg-Lorraine
Father| Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria
Mother| Princess Maria Annunciata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies

Archduke Otto Franz Joseph Karl Ludwig Maria of Austria (21 April 1865 - 1 November 1906) was the second son of Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria (younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria) and his second wife, Princess Maria Annunciata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. He was the father of Charles I of Austria, the final Emperor of Austria.

## Biography[edit]

Archduchess Maria Annunciata holding the young Archduke in her lap

### Heirs presumptive[edit]

Otto was a son of Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria and his wife, Princess Maria Annunciata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Otto's father, Karl Ludwig, was a younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria; and Karl Ludwig became heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne when his cousin Crown 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 with tuberculosis 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 the Serbian nationalist terrorist Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo, and Otto's son Charles became heir presumptive. Charles inherited the throne two years later.

### Youth[edit]

Archduke Otto in 1870

Otto's mother died when he was six years old. Otto and his elder brother Franz Ferdinand were taught by Alfred 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 the Hotel Sacher in front of a visiting British peeress.[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.

### Death[edit]

Around 1900, he contracted syphilis. This caused him agonizing pain for the last two years of his life. He withdrew from public life and spent a year in Egypt, 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 suburb Währing. He was forced to replace his nose with a rubber prosthetic due to facial deformity.[2] He was seriously ill, and was nursed by his last mistress, Louise Robinson, using the pseudonym Sister Martha, and by his stepmother Infanta Maria Theresa of Portugal. He died on 1 November 1906, in the presence of his spiritual adviser, Godfried Marschall (de), the auxiliary bishop of Vienna.[3]

## Succession[edit]

The Archduke at the head of his hussars. Print by Károly Divald after a painting by Julius von Blaas Archduke Otto Franz and his family

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 that Count Gołuchowski, the Foreign Minister, had suggested that the emperor, considering Franz Ferdinand's lung 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 modest Modena Palace as his residence and Otto the larger Augarten Palace. Franz Ferdinand felt snubbed, although Otto assured him he had no ambitions for the throne.[1]: p. 108–109

## Marriage and issue[edit]

Under pressure from the imperial court, he married Princess Maria Josepha of Saxony, daughter of King Georg of Saxony on October 2, 1886.[4] The court in Vienna urgently needed such a wedding to repair their relationship with the Saxon royal family, after both Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria and Otto's brother Franz Ferdinand had snubbed the Saxons by rejecting Maria's elder sister Mathilde.

Otto and Maria had two sons:

* Charles I of Austria married Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma and had issue.
* Archduke Maximilian Eugen of Austria married Princess Franziska von Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst and had issue.

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.

* Alfred Joseph von Hortenau, father of the actress Isabel del Puerto
* Hildegard von Hortenau

## Honours[edit]

The mountain lodge Erzherzog-Otto-Schutzhaus on the Rax plateau in Lower Austria, is named after him.

### Decorations and awards[edit]

* Austria-Hungary:[5]
* Knight of the Golden Fleece, 1881[6][7]
* Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen, 1902[8]
* Military Merit Cross
* Bronze Jubilee Medal for the Armed Forces
* Long Service Cross for Officers, 3rd Class
* 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]
* Knight of St. Andrew[7]
* Knight of St. Alexander Nevsky
* Knight of St. Anna, 1st Class
* Knight of the White Eagle
* 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 the Order 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 the Order 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 the Order of the Royal House of Chakri, 23 June 1897[13]
* Grand Duchy of Hesse: Grand Cross of the Ludwig Order, 16 May 1893[14]
* Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach: Grand Cross of the White Falcon[5]
* Ernestine duchies: Grand Cross of the Saxe-Ernestine House Order[5]

## Ancestry[edit]

Ancestors of Archduke Otto of Austria (1865–1906)

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 8\. Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor

|
|
|
|
|
|
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| 4\. Archduke Franz Karl of Austria|

|  |  |
| 9\. Princess Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily

| 2\. Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria|

|  |  |  |  |
| 10\. Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria

| 5\. Princess Sophie of Bavaria|

|  |  |
| 11\. Princess Caroline of Baden

| 1\. Archduke Otto Franz of Austria|
|  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 12\. Francis I of the Two Sicilies

| 6\. Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies|

|  |  |
| 13\. Infanta Maria Isabella of Spain

| 3\. Princess Maria Annunziata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies|

|  |  |  |  |
| 14\. Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen

| 7\. Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria|

|  |  |
| 15\. Princess Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

## Footnotes[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Archduke Otto Franz of Austria.

1. ^ a b Friedrich Weissensteiner: Franz Ferdinand -- Der verhinderte Herrscher, Österr. Bundesverlag, Vienna, 1983
2. ^ a b Taylor, Edmond, 1908- (1963). The fall of the dynasties : the collapse of the old order, 1905-1922 (first ed.). New York, NY: Skyhorse Publishing. p. 25\. ISBN 978-1-63450-601-4. OCLC 907190709.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
3. ^ Richard Reifenscheid: Die Habsburger in Lebensbildern. Von Rudolf I. bis Karl I., Verlag Styria, Graz, 1982, ISBN 3-222-11431-5, p. 342
4. ^ "Archduke Otto of Austria and his fiancee Maria Josepha of Saxony". Grand Ladies; the Belle Epoque.
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Hof- und Staatshandbuch der Österreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie (1906), Genealogy p. 2
6. ^ Boettger, T. F. "Chevaliers de la Toisón d'Or - Knights of the Golden Fleece". La Confrérie Amicale. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
7. ^ a b c d Justus Perthes, Almanach de Gotha 1906 (1906) page 6
8. ^ "A Szent István Rend tagjai" Archived 22 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine
9. ^ Italia : Ministero dell'interno (1900). Calendario generale del Regno d'Italia. Unione tipografico-editrice. p. 54.
10. ^ "Real y distinguida orden de Carlos III". Guía Oficial de España (in Spanish). 1905. p. 150. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
11. ^ Sachsen (1901). "Königlich Orden". Staatshandbuch für den Königreich Sachsen: 1901. Dresden: Heinrich. p. 4 - via hathitrust.org.
12. ^ Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Württemberg (1907), "Königliche Orden" p. 29
13. ^ Royal Thai Government Gazette (8 January 1898). "พระราชทานเครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์ ที่ประเทศยุโรป" (PDF) (in Thai). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved 2019-05-08. `{{cite journal}}`: Cite journal requires `|journal=` (help)
14. ^ "Ludewigs-orden", Großherzoglich Hessische Ordensliste (in German), Darmstadt: Staatsverlag, 1898, p. 9 - via hathitrust.org

* v
* t
* e

Austrian archdukes

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|

* Frederick V
* Albert VI
* Sigismund

2nd generation|

* Maximilian I

3rd generation|

* Philip I of Castile

4th generation|

* Charles I
* Ferdinand I

5th generation|

* Philip II of SpainS
* Maximilian II
* Ferdinand II
* Charles II

6th generation|

* Charles, Prince of AsturiasS
* Ferdinand, Prince of AsturiasS
* Diego, Prince of AsturiasSP
* Philip III of SpainSP
* Rudolf V
* Ernest
* Matthias
* Maximilian III
* Albert VII
* Wenceslaus
* Ferdinand III
* Maximilian Ernest
* Leopold V
* Charles, Bishop of Wroclaw

7th generation|

* Philip IV of SpainSP
* CharlesSP
* FerdinandSP
* AlonsoSP
* Ferdinand IV
* Leopold Wilhelm
* Ferdinand Charles
* Sigismund Francis

8th generation|

* Balthasar Charles, Prince of AsturiasSP
* Philip Prospero, Prince of AsturiasS
* Charles II of SpainS
* Ferdinand IV of Hungary
* Leopold VI
* Charles Joseph

9th generation|

* Joseph I
* Leopold Joseph
* Charles III

11th generation|

* Joseph IIT
* Charles JosephT
* Leopold VIIT
* FerdinandT
* Maximilian Franz, Archbishop-Elector of CologneT

12th generation|

* Emperor Francis IT
* Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of TuscanyT
* CharlesT
* Alexander LeopoldT
* JosephT
* Anton VictorT
* JohnT
* Rainer JosephT
* LouisT
* Cardinal RudolfT
* Francis IV, Duke of ModenaM
* Ferdinand Karl JosephM
* MaximilianM
* Karl Ambrosius, Primate of HungaryM

13th generation|

* Emperor Ferdinand I
* Joseph Franz
* Franz Karl
* Leopold II, Grand Duke of TuscanyT
* Albrecht
* Karl Ferdinand
* Frederick Ferdinand
* Wilhelm Franz
* Stephen
* Joseph Karl
* Leopold Ludwig
* Ernest
* Sigismund
* Rainer Ferdinand
* Heinrich Anton
* Francis V, Duke of ModenaM
* Ferdinand Karl ViktorM

14th generation|

* Emperor Franz Joseph I
* Maximilian I of Mexico
* Karl Ludwig
* Ludwig Viktor
* Ferdinand IV, Grand Duke of TuscanyT
* Karl SalvatorT
* Ludwig SalvatorT
* John SalvatorT
* Friedrich
* Charles Stephen
* Eugen
* Joseph August
* Archduke Ladislaus Philipp

15th generation|

* Crown Prince Rudolf
* Franz Ferdinand
* Otto
* Ferdinand Karl
* Leopold FerdinandT
* Josef FerdinandT
* Peter FerdinandT
* Leopold SalvatorT
* Franz SalvatorT
* Albrecht Franz
* Karl Albrecht
* Leo Karl
* Wilhelm
* Joseph Francis

16th generation|

* Emperor Charles I
* Maximilian

Habsburg
Tuscany|

* GottfriedT
* RainerT
* Leopold MariaT
* AntonT
* Franz JosephT
* Karl PiusT
* Franz Karl SalvatorT
* Hubert SalvatorT

Palatines
of Hungary|

* Joseph Árpád
* Géza

17th generation|

| Descent of
Charles I|

* Crown Prince Otto
* Robert
* Felix
* Carl Ludwig
* Rudolf

|

Tuscany|

* DominicT

Palatines|

* Eduard

18th generation|

| Charles|

* Karl
* Georg
* LorenzB
* Karl Philipp
* Simeon

|

19th generation|

| Charles|

* Ferdinand Zvonimir
* Károly
* AmedeoB

|

* 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

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* Germany
* Israel
* Poland

People|

* Deutsche Biographie

Other|

* RISM

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