Archduke Carl Ludwig of Austria (1918–2007)

Archduke Carl Ludwig of Austria (Carl Ludwig Maria Franz Joseph Michael Gabriel Antonius Robert Stephan Pius Gregor Ignatius Markus d'Aviano; 10 March 1918 11 December 2007), also known as Carl Ludwig Habsburg-Lothringen, was the fifth child of Charles I of Austria and Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma. He was born in Baden bei Wien and died in Brussels.[1]

Archduke Carl Ludwig
Carl Ludwig in 1941
Born(1918-03-10)10 March 1918
Baden bei Wien, Baden District, Austria-Hungary
Died11 December 2007(2007-12-11) (aged 89)
Brussels, Belgium
Burial
Spouse
(m. 1950)
IssueArchduke Rudolf
Archduchess Alexandra
Archduke Carl Christian
Archduchess Maria Constanza
Names
Carl Ludwig Maria Franz Joseph Michael Gabriel Antonius Robert Stephan Pius Gregor Ignatius Markus d'Aviano Habsburg-Lothringen
HouseHabsburg-Lorraine
FatherCharles I of Austria
MotherZita of Bourbon-Parma

Life

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He studied at the University of Louvain and graduated from Université Laval,[2] in Quebec City where his family was in exile. During the Second World War, Karl Ludwig and his brother Felix volunteered to serve in the 101st Infantry Battalion of the United States Army, known as the "Free Austria Battalion". However, the battalion was disbanded when a number of exiled Jewish volunteers who made up the majority of the force ultimately declined to confirm their enlistment.[3]

He was buried beside his mother in the Kapuziner Crypt in Vienna.

Marriage and issue

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He was married in Belœil on 17 January 1950 to Princess Yolande of Ligne (6 May 1923 – 13 September 2023). They had four children:[citation needed]

Archduke Rudolf, eldest son of Carl Ludwig, during a presentation about his grandmother Zita in 2014
  • Archduke Rudolf of Austria (Rudolf Maria Carl Eugen Anna Antonius Marcus d'Aviano, born 17 November 1950), married Baroness Hélène de Villenfagne de Vogelsanck (born 24 April 1954) in Brussels on 3 July 1976; their family took up residence in Belgium thereafter.[4] On 29 May 1978, he, his children and male-line descendants were incorporated into the nobility of Belgium by royal letters patent with the hereditary title of Prince/sse de Habsbourg-Lorraine and the style of Serene Highness.[4][5] Rudolf works at investment managers AAA Gestion, based in Villars-sur-Glâne, Switzerland,[6] and he lives at De Diesbach Castle. He and his wife have eight children, who were later recognised by the Head of the Imperial House of Austria as Archdukes and Archduchesses of Austria:
    • Archduke Carl Christian of Austria (b. 1977), married on 2 June 2007 to Estelle Lapra de Saint-Romain (1979–2025), with five children.[7]
    • Archduchess Priscilla of Austria (b. 1979), engaged in 2022 to Gabriel Contreras Millán.[8]
    • Archduke Johannes of Austria (b. 1981), Catholic priest of the Swiss Fraternity Eucharistein.[9]
    • Archduke Thomas of Austria (b. 1983), member of the Swiss Catholic Fraternity Eucharistein.[9]
    • Archduchess Marie-des-Neiges of Austria (b. 1986), former member of the Swiss Catholic Fraternity Eucharistein; left in 2024 for reasons unknown.[9]
    • Archduke Franz-Ludwig of Austria (b. 1988), married in 2018 to Mathilde Vignon (b. 1992). They have one daughter.
    • Archduke Michael of Austria (b. 1990), engaged in 2025 to Jane Dornbierer Wu.[10]
    • Archduke Joseph of Austria (b. 1991), married in a civil ceremony on 29 December 2025, and in a religious ceremony on 31 December 2025 to Marie-Gabrielle Pélissié du Rausas (b. 1998).[11] He is a former member of the Swiss Catholic Fraternity Eucharistein; left in 2022 for reasons unknown.[9]
  • Archduchess Alexandra of Austria (born 10 July 1952), married Chilean ambassador to the Holy See Héctor Riesle Contreras (born 16 Feb 1943). They had three children:[citation needed]
    • Felipe Riesle de Habsburgo-Lorena (b. 1986), married to Pilar García-Huidobro Echeverría.
    • María Sofía Riesle de Habsburgo-Lorena (b. 1987), married to Rodrigo Risopatrón Montero.
    • Constanza Riesle de Habsburgo-Lorena (b. 1989), married to Sebastián Prieto Donoso.
  • Archduke Carl Christian of Austria (born 26 August 1954), married Princess Marie Astrid of Luxembourg.[4] Like his elder brother, he works at investment managers AAA Gestion, based in Villars-sur-Glâne, Switzerland.[6] He and his wife have five children:[citation needed]
  • Archduchess Maria Constanza of Austria (born 19 October 1957), married Franz Josef, Prince (Fürst) von Auersperg-Trautson (born 11 December 1954) in Beloeil, Belgium, on 18 June 1994.[4] They have three biological daughters (one died shortly after her birth) and one adopted daughter, Anna Maria (who bear the family name Prinzessin von Auersperg-Trautson and the courtesy title of Princess of Auersperg-Trautson):[citation needed]
    • Princess Anna Maria of Auersperg-Trautson (b. 24 September 1997).
    • Princess Alexandra Maria of Auersperg-Trautson (b. and d. 9 February 1998).
    • Princess Ladislaya of Auersperg-Trautson (b. 26 February 1999).
    • Princess Eleonora of Auersperg-Trautson (b. 28 May 2002).

Ancestry

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References

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  1. Carl Ludwig Habsburg-Lothringen ist tot Archived 17 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine kurier.at
  2. Bernier Arcand, Philippe, « Les Bourbon-Parme dans les institutions d’enseignement du Québec », Histoire Québec, 202, p. 24-28 (lire en ligne [archive])
  3. Brook-Shepherd, Gordon (2003). Uncrowned Emperor. Hambledon Continuum. p. 156. ISBN 1-85285-439-1.
  4. 1 2 3 4 de Badts de Cugnac, Chantal. Coutant de Saisseval, Guy. Le Petit Gotha. Nouvelle Imprimerie Laballery, Paris 2002, p. 193-198 (French) ISBN 2-9507974-3-1
  5. Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser XVI. "Haus Österreich". C.A. Starke Verlag, 2001, pp. 87-90, 119-120, 563, 568-569, 577. ISBN 978-3-7980-0824-3.
  6. 1 2 "The Management". Triple A Gestion S.A. Archived from the original on 17 April 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
  7. "La famille impériale d'Autriche réunie aux obsèques de l'archiduchesse Estelle à Nice autour des cinq enfants de la défunte". histoiresroyales.fr. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
  8. "Descendants of Archduke Franz Karl of Austria".
  9. 1 2 3 4 (in French) Marie-Eudes Lauriot-Prévost, "L'ordination de l'archiduc Johannes d'Autriche" Archived 24 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Point de Vue, 6 July 2018.
  10. Koenig, Marlene E (10 January 2026). "Habsburg News!!". Royal Musings. Retrieved 15 January 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. Koenig, Marlene E (10 January 2026). "Habsburg News!!". Royal Musings. Retrieved 15 January 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. La Archiduquesa María Cristina De Austria Y El Conde Rodolfo De Limburg-Stirum Se Casan Este Sábado <! – Title generated by bot ->, hola.com, retrieved 21 April 2019
  13. Archduke Imre and Archduchess Kathleen & # 124; Washington DC Wedding Photography & # 124; Spiering Photography & # 124; Wedding Photography in VA and DC <! – Title generated by bot ->, spieringphotography.com, retrieved 23 April 2019
  14. Verliebt, verlobt, verlobt & # 124; Tageblatt.lu <! – Title generated by bot -> (in German), tageblatt.lu, retrieved 23 April 2019
  15. An Archduchess Among Us, NKU News & Media Center, Winter 2014–2015.
  16. "Verliebt, verlobt, verlobt". Tageblatt Online (in German). Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  17. Nicolas Fontaine (30 September 2023). "Mariage de l'archiduc Alexander d'Autriche en présence du grand-duc Henri de Luxembourg au château de Belœil". Histoires Royales (in French). Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  18. "Les prestigieux invités du mariage de l'archiduc Alexandre d'Autriche et de Natacha Roumiantzeff-Pachkevitch". Point de vue (in French). 2 October 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  19. Murphy, Nichola (23 April 2025). "Royal couple set to divorce following two-year marriage – report". Hello!. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  20. Bickerstaff, Isaac (24 April 2025). "Have Europe's most aristocratic couple split? Archduke Alexander of Austria and Countess Natacha Roumiantzoff-Pachkevitch are rumoured to have called it quits – just 18 months after their spectacular wedding". Tatler Magazine. Retrieved 15 January 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)