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This is a list of people who were heir apparent or heir presumptive to the Archduchy of Austria from when Leopold VI permanently unified the Archduchy in 1665 to the end of the monarchy in Austria-Hungary in 1918. Those heirs who succeeded are shown in bold.
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The position of heir to the Empire was often of great importance. More than once a younger brother of the emperor was persuaded to renounce his succession rights in his son's favour to provide a young male heir to the throne. The apparent suicide of the Crown Prince in 1889 and the assassination of the subsequent heir in 1914 (considered one of the great causes of World War I) led to instability in the monarchy, perhaps contributing to its abolition at the end of the War in 1918.
| Archduke | Heir | Relationship to archduke and status | Became heir | Ceased to be heir | Next in line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leopold VI | none, 1665-1667 | ||||
| Archduke Ferdinand Wenzel | Son Heir apparent |
28 September 1667; born |
13 January 1668; died |
none | |
| none, 1668-1670 | |||||
| Archduke Johann Leopold | Son Heir apparent |
20 February 1670; born and died |
none | ||
| none, 1670-1678 | |||||
| Archduke Joseph | Son Heir apparent |
26 July 1678; born |
5 May 1705; succeeded |
none, 1678-1684 | |
| Archduke Leopold Joseph 1682-1684, brother | |||||
| none, 1684-1685 | |||||
| Archduke Charles 1685-1700, brother | |||||
| Archduke Leopold Joseph 1700-1701, son | |||||
| Archduke Charles 1701-1705, brother | |||||
| Joseph I | Archduke Charles | Brother Heir presumptive |
5 May 1705; brother succeeded |
17 April 1711; succeeded |
none |
| Charles III | none, 1711-1713 | ||||
| Archduchess Maria Josepha | Niece Heir presumptive |
19 April 1713; Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 |
13 April 1716; son born to Archduke |
Archduchess Maria Amalia sister | |
| Archduke Leopold Johann | Son Heir apparent |
13 April 1716; born |
4 November 1716; died |
Archduchess Maria Josepha cousin | |
| Archduchess Maria Josepha | Niece Heir presumptive |
4 November 1716; cousin died |
13 May 1717; daughter born to Archduke |
Archduchess Maria Amalia sister | |
| Archduchess Maria Theresa | Daughter Heir presumptive | 13 May 1717; born | 20 October 1740; succeeded | Archduchess Maria Josepha 1717–1718, cousin | |
| Archduchess Maria Anna 1718–1737, sister | |||||
| Archduchess Maria Elisabeth 1737–1740, daughter | |||||
| Archduchess Maria Anna 1740, daughter | |||||
| Maria Theresa and Francis I | Archduchess Maria Anna | Daughter Heir presumptive | 20 October 1740; mother succeeded | 13 March 1741; son born to Archduchess | Archduchess Maria Carolina 1740–1741, sister |
| Archduchess Maria Anna 1741, aunt | |||||
| Archduke Joseph | Son Heir apparent | 13 March 1741; born | 18 August 1765; succeeded | Archduchess Maria Anna 1741–1745, sister | |
| Archduke Charles Joseph 1745–1761, brother | |||||
| Archduke Leopold 1761–1765, brother | |||||
| Maria Theresa and Joseph II | Pietro Leopoldo I of Tuscany | Son and Brother Heir presumptive | 18 August 1765; brother succeeded | 20 February 1790; succeeded | Archduke Ferdinand 1765–1768, brother |
| Joseph II | Archduke Francis 1768–1790, son | ||||
| Leopold VII | Archduke Francis | Son Heir apparent | 20 February 1790; father succeeded | 1 March 1792; succeeded | Ferdinando III of Tuscany brother |
| Francis II | Ferdinando III of Tuscany | Brother Heir presumptive | 1 March 1792; brother succeeded | 19 April 1793; son born to Archduke | Archduke Charles brother |
| Archduke Ferdinand | Son Heir apparent | 19 April 1793; born | 11 August 1804; Archduchy replaced by Empire | Ferdinando III of Tuscany 1793–1799, uncle | |
| Archduke Joseph Franz 1799–1804, brother | |||||
| Monarch | Heir | Relationship to monarch |
Became heir (Date; Reason) |
Ceased to be heir (Date; Reason) |
Next in line of succession |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franz I | Crown Prince Ferdinand | Son | 11 August 1804 Father proclaimed emperor of Austria |
2 March 1835 Father died, became emperor |
Archduke Joseph Franz, 1804–1807, brother |
| Archduke Franz Karl, 1807–1835, brother | |||||
| Ferdinand I | Archduke Franz Karl | Brother | 2 March 1835 Brother became emperor |
2 December 1848 Brother abdicated, renounced his own claim to the throne |
Archduke Franz Joseph, son |
| Franz Joseph I | Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian | Brother | 2 December 1848 Brother became emperor |
21 August 1858 Son born to emperor |
Archduke Karl Ludwig, brother |
| Crown Prince Rudolf | Son | 21 August 1858 Born |
30 January 1889 Died |
Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, 1858–1864[a], uncle | |
| Archduke Karl Ludwig, 1864–1889, uncle | |||||
| Archduke Karl Ludwig | Brother | 30 January 1889 Nephew died |
19 May 1896 Died |
Archduke Franz Ferdinand, son | |
| Archduke Franz Ferdinand | Nephew | 19 May 1896 Father died |
28 June 1914 Assassinated |
Archduke Otto Franz Joseph, 1896–1906, brother | |
| Archduke Karl, 1906–1914, nephew | |||||
| Archduke Karl | Grandnephew | 28 June 1914 Uncle assassinated |
21 November 1916 Granduncle died, became emperor |
Archduke Otto, son | |
| Karl I | Crown Prince Otto | Son | 21 November 1916 Father became emperor |
12 November 1918 Monarchy abolished, after the dissolution of Austria-Hungary |
Robert, Archduke of Austria-Este, brother |
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