View source for Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor

{{Short description|Habsburg monarch from 1792 to 1835}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Francis II & I <!-- please do not duplicate the succession fields by adding the title Holy Roman Emperor or Emperor of Austria -->
| title        = [[Imperator Romanorum]]
| image        = Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor by Friedrich von Amerling 003.jpg
| caption      = Portrait by [[Friedrich von Amerling]], {{circa|1832}}
| succession   = [[Holy Roman Emperor]]
| moretext     = ([[#Regnal titles|more...]])
| reign        = 5 July 1792&nbsp;– 6 August 1806
| coronation   = 14 July 1792<br>[[Frankfurt Cathedral]]
| cor-type     = [[Coronation of the Holy Roman Emperor#German royal coronation|Coronation]]
| predecessor  = [[Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor|Leopold II]]
| succession1  = [[List of rulers of Austria|Archduke/Emperor of Austria]]
| successor    = ''[[Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire|Monarchy abolished]]'' ([[Napoleon]] as [[Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine]])
| reign1       = 1 March 1792/11 August 1804&nbsp;– 2 March 1835
| coronation1  = 
| predecessor1 = [[Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor|Leopold VII]]
| successor1   = [[Ferdinand I of Austria|Ferdinand I]]
| reg-type1    = Chancellor
| regent1      = [[Klemens von Metternich]]
| succession2  = [[King of Hungary]], [[King of Croatia|Croatia]] and [[King of Bohemia|Bohemia]]
| reign2       = 1 March 1792 – 2 March 1835
| cor-type2    = [[Coronation]]s
| coronation2  = {{ubl|6 June 1792, [[Buda]]|9 August 1792, [[Prague]]}}
| predecessor2 = [[Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor|Leopold II]]
| successor2   = [[Ferdinand I of Austria|Ferdinand V]]
| succession3  = [[King of Lombardy–Venetia]]
| reign3       = 9 June 1815&nbsp;– 2 March 1835
| successor3   = [[Ferdinand I of Austria|Ferdinand I]]
| succession4  = [[President of the German Confederation|Head of ''Präsidialmacht'' Austria]]
{{Infobox officeholder/office
| termstart    = 20 June 1815
| termend      = 2 March 1835
| predecessor  = 
| successor    = [[Ferdinand I of Austria|Ferdinand I]]
}}
| birth_date   = {{birth date|1768|2|12|df=yes}}
| birth_place  = [[Florence]], [[Grand Duchy of Tuscany]]
| death_date   = {{death date and age|1835|3|2|1768|2|12|df=yes}}
| death_place  = [[Vienna]], [[Austrian Empire]]
| burial_date  = 
| burial_place = [[Imperial Crypt]]
| spouses      = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|[[Elisabeth of Württemberg]]|1788|1790|end=d.}}
* {{marriage|[[Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily|Maria Teresa of Naples and Sicily]]|1790|1807|end=d.}}
* {{marriage|[[Maria Ludovika of Austria-Este|Maria Ludovika Beatrix of Modena]]|1808|1816|end=d.}}
* {{marriage|[[Caroline Augusta of Bavaria]]|1816}}
}}
| issue        = {{plainlist|
*   Archduchess Ludovika Elisabeth
* [[Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma]], formerly Empress of the French
* [[Ferdinand I, Emperor of Austria]]
* [[Maria Leopoldina of Austria|Maria Leopoldina, Empress of Brazil and Queen of Portugal]]
* [[Archduchess Clementina of Austria|Maria Clementina, Princess of Salerno]]
* [[Archduke Joseph Franz of Austria|Archduke Joseph Franz]]
* [[Archduchess Marie Caroline of Austria|Maria Caroline, Crown Princess of Saxony]]
* [[Archduke Franz Karl of Austria|Archduke Franz Karl]]
* [[Archduchess Marie Anne of Austria|Archduchess Maria Anna]]}}
| issue-link   = #Children
| full name    = Franz Josef Karl
| house        = [[Habsburg-Lorraine]]
| father       = [[Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor]]
| mother       = [[Maria Louisa of Spain]]
| religion     = [[Roman Catholicism]]
| signature    = Signature of Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor.svg
}}

'''Francis II and I''' ({{langx|de|Franz II}}; 12 February 1768&nbsp;– 2&nbsp;March 1835) was the last [[Holy Roman Emperor]] as '''Francis II''' from 1792 to 1806, and the first [[Emperor of Austria]] as '''Francis&nbsp;I''' from 1804 to 1835. He was also [[List of monarchs of Germany|King of Germany]], [[King of Hungary|Hungary]], [[List of rulers of Croatia|Croatia]] and [[List of Bohemian monarchs|Bohemia]], and served as the first president of the [[German Confederation]] following its establishment in 1815.

The eldest son of future [[Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor Leopold II]] and [[Maria Louisa of Spain]], Francis was born in [[Florence]], where his father ruled as [[List of grand dukes of Tuscany|Grand Duke of Tuscany]]. Leopold became Holy Roman Emperor in 1790 but died two years later, and Francis succeeded him. His empire immediately became embroiled in the [[French Revolutionary Wars]], the first of which ended in Austrian defeat and the loss of the left bank of the [[Rhine]] to France. After another French victory in the [[War of the Second Coalition]], [[Napoleon]] crowned himself [[Emperor of the French]]. In response, Francis assumed the title of Emperor of Austria. He continued his leading role as Napoleon's adversary in the [[Napoleonic Wars]], and suffered successive defeats that greatly weakened Austria as a European power. In 1806, after Napoleon created the [[Confederation of the Rhine]], Francis abdicated as Holy Roman Emperor, which in effect marked the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire. Following the defeat of the [[War of the Fifth Coalition|Fifth Coalition]], Francis ceded more territory to France and was forced to wed his daughter [[Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma|Marie Louise]] to Napoleon.

In 1813, Francis turned against Napoleon and finally defeated him in the [[War of the Sixth Coalition]], forcing the French emperor to abdicate. Austria took part as a leading member of the [[Holy Alliance]] at the [[Congress of Vienna]], which was largely dominated by Francis's chancellor [[Klemens von Metternich]], culminating in a new European order and the restoration of most of Francis's ancient dominions. Due to the establishment of the [[Concert of Europe]], which resisted popular nationalist and liberal tendencies, Francis was viewed as a [[reactionary]] later in his reign. Francis died in 1835 at the age of 67 and was succeeded by his son, [[Ferdinand I of Austria|Ferdinand I]].

== Early life ==
[[File:Archduke Franz Joseph Karl (1770).jpg|thumb|upright|left|1770 painting by [[Anton Raphael Mengs]] depicting Archduke Francis at the age of 2]]
Francis was a son of [[Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor Leopold II]] (1747–1792) and his wife [[Maria Louisa of Spain]] (1745–1792), daughter of [[Charles III of Spain]]. Francis was born in [[Florence]], the capital of [[Grand Duchy of Tuscany|Tuscany]], where his father reigned as [[Grand Duke of Tuscany|Grand Duke]] from 1765 to 1790. Though he had a happy childhood surrounded by his many siblings,<ref>{{harvnb|Wheatcroft|1996|p=233}}</ref> his family knew Francis was likely to be a future Emperor (his uncle [[Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor Joseph II]] had no surviving issue from either of his two marriages), and so in 1784 the young Archduke was sent to the Imperial Court in [[Vienna]] to educate and prepare him for his future role.<ref name="wheatcroft234">{{harvnb|Wheatcroft|1996|p=234}}</ref>

Joseph II himself took charge of Francis's development. His disciplinarian regime was a stark contrast to the indulgent Florentine Court of Leopold. The Emperor wrote that Francis was "stunted in growth", "backward in bodily dexterity and deportment", and "neither more nor less than a spoiled mother's child."  Joseph concluded that "the manner in which he was treated for upwards of sixteen years could not but have confirmed him in the delusion that the preservation of his own person was the only thing of importance."<ref name=wheatcroft234/>

Joseph's [[martinet]] method of improving the young Francis was "fear and unpleasantness."<ref>{{harvnb|Wheatcroft|1996|p=235}}</ref> The young Archduke was isolated, the reasoning being that this would make him more self-sufficient as it was felt by Joseph that Francis "failed to lead himself, to do his own thinking." Nonetheless, Francis greatly admired his uncle, if rather in fear of him. To complete his training, Francis was sent to join an army regiment in [[Kingdom of Hungary (1526–1867)|Hungary]] and he settled easily into the routine of military life.<ref>{{harvnb|Wheatcroft|1996|p=236}}</ref> He was present at the [[Siege of Belgrade (1789)|siege of Belgrade]] which occurred during the [[Austro-Turkish War (1788–1791)|Austro-Turkish War]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Malleson |first=George Bruce |author-link=George Bruce Malleson |title=Loudon: A Sketch of the Military Life of Gideon Ernest, Freiherr von Loudon |year=1884 |location=London |publisher=Chapman & Hall |url=https://archive.org/details/loudonasketchmi00mallgoog |page=[https://archive.org/details/loudonasketchmi00mallgoog/page/n252 229] }}</ref>

After the death of Joseph II in 1790, Francis's father became Emperor. He had an early taste of power while acting as Leopold's deputy in Vienna while the incoming Emperor traversed the Empire attempting to win back those alienated by his brother's policies.<ref>{{harvnb|Wheatcroft|1996|p=238}}</ref> The strain took a toll on Leopold and by the winter of 1791, he became ill.  He gradually worsened throughout early 1792; on the afternoon of 1 March Leopold died, at the relatively young age of 44. Francis, just past his 24th birthday, was now Emperor, much sooner than he had expected.

== Emperor ==
=== Wars with France ===
[[File:Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor at age 25, 1792.png|thumb|left|Painting of Francis II at the age of 24, wearing the [[Order of the Golden Fleece]], with the [[Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire]] and Hungary's [[Crown of Saint Stephen]] in the background (1792)]]
As the head of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] and the ruler of the vast realms of Central and Eastern Europe, Francis felt threatened by the [[French Revolution|French revolutionaries]] and later [[Napoleon|Napoleon's]] expansionism as well as their social and political reforms which were being exported throughout Europe in the wake of the conquering French armies. Francis had a fraught relationship with France. His aunt [[Marie Antoinette of Austria|Marie Antoinette]], the wife of [[Louis XVI]] and Queen consort of France, was guillotined by the revolutionaries in 1793, at the beginning of his reign, although, on the whole, he was indifferent to her fate.{{Sfn|Fraser|2002|p=492}}[[File:Pörträt Kaiser Franz I von Österreich.jpg|thumb|left|Francis I as [[Austrian Emperor]] wearing the Order of the Golden Fleece, undated]]Later, he led the [[Holy Roman Empire]] into the [[French Revolutionary Wars]]. He briefly commanded the Allied forces during the [[Low Countries theatre of the War of the First Coalition|Flanders Campaign]] of 1794 before handing over command to his brother [[Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen|Archduke Charles]]. He was later defeated by Napoleon. By the [[Treaty of Campo Formio]], he ceded the left bank of the [[Rhine]] to [[French First Republic|France]] in exchange for [[Domini di Terraferma|Venice]] and [[Venetian Dalmatia|Dalmatia]]. He again fought against France during the [[War of the Second Coalition]].

On 11 August 1804, in response to Napoleon crowning himself as emperor of the French earlier that year, he announced that he would henceforth assume the title of hereditary emperor of Austria as Francis&nbsp;I, a move that technically was illegal in terms of imperial law. Yet Napoleon had agreed beforehand and therefore it happened.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Whaley |first=Joachim |title=Germany and the Holy Roman Empire |date=2012 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-1996-9307-8 |volume=II: The Peace of Westphalia to the Dissolution of the Reich, 1648-1806 |page=632 |oclc=772967090 |ol=25339319M |author-link=Joachim Whaley}}</ref>{{Efn|Later he was dubbed the first ''Doppelkaiser'' (double emperor) in history.{{Sfn|Posse|1909–1913|pp=256}} For the two years between 1804 and 1806, Francis used the title and style ''by the Grace of God elected Roman Emperor, ever Augustus, hereditary Emperor of Austria'' and he was called the ''Emperor of both the Holy Roman Empire and Austria''.}}

=== Napoleonic Wars ===
During the [[War of the Third Coalition]], the Austrian forces met a crushing defeat at [[Battle of Austerlitz|Austerlitz]], and Francis had to agree to the [[Treaty of Pressburg (1805)|Treaty of Pressburg]], which greatly weakened Austria and brought about the final collapse of the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. In July 1806, under massive pressure from France, Bavaria and fifteen other German states ratified the statutes founding the [[Confederation of the Rhine]], with Napoleon designated Protector, and they announced to the [[Imperial Diet (Holy Roman Empire)|Imperial Diet]] their intention to leave the Empire with immediate effect. Then, on 22 July, Napoleon issued an ultimatum to Francis demanding that he abdicate as Holy Roman Emperor by 10 August.{{Sfn|Whaley|2012|p=643}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gagliardo |first=John G. |title=Reich and Nation. The Holy Roman Empire as Idea and Reality, 1763–1806 |date=1980 |publisher=Indiana University Press |isbn=978-0-2531-6773-6 |pages=279–280 |ol=4401178M}}</ref>

Five days later, Francis bowed to the inevitable and, without mentioning the ultimatum, affirmed that since the Peace of Pressburg he had tried his best to fulfil his duties as emperor but that circumstances had convinced him that he could no longer rule according to his oath of office, the formation of the Confederation of the Rhine making that impossible. He added that "we hereby decree that we regard the bond which until now tied us to the states of the Empire as dissolved"{{Sfn|Whaley|2012|p=643–644}} in effect dissolving the empire. At the same time he declared the complete and formal withdrawal of his hereditary lands from imperial jurisdiction.{{Sfn|Gagliardo|1980|p=281}} After that date, he continued to reign as Francis&nbsp;I, Emperor of Austria.

[[File:Francis I, Emperor of Austria - Dawe 1818-19.jpg|thumb|''[[Portrait of Francis I of Austria|Portrait of Francis&nbsp;I]]'', by [[Thomas Lawrence]], {{Circa|1818–19}}|260x260px]]

In 1809, Francis, deeming another war with France as inevitable and influenced by hawks in Vienna, [[War of the Fifth Coalition|attacked]] France again, hoping to take advantage of the [[Peninsular War]] embroiling Napoleon in [[Kingdom of Spain under Joseph Bonaparte|Spain]]. He was again defeated, and this time forced to ally himself with Napoleon, ceding territory to the Empire, joining the [[Continental System]], and wedding his daughter [[Marie Louise of Austria|Marie-Louise]] to the Emperor. The [[Napoleonic Wars]] drastically weakened Austria, making it entirely landlocked and threatened its preeminence among the states of Germany, a position that it would eventually cede to the [[Kingdom of Prussia]].

In 1813, for the fifth and final time, Austria turned against France and joined [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|Great Britain]], [[Russian Empire|Russia]], Prussia and Sweden in their [[War of the Sixth Coalition|war against Napoleon]]. Austria played a major role in the final defeat of France—in recognition of this, Francis, represented by [[Clemens von Metternich]], presided over the [[Congress of Vienna]], helping to form the [[Concert of Europe]] and the [[Holy Alliance]], ushering in an era of conservatism in Europe. The [[German Confederation]], a loose association of Central European states was created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to organize the surviving states of the Holy Roman Empire. The Congress was a personal triumph for Francis, who hosted the assorted dignitaries in comfort,{{Sfn|Wheatcroft|1996|p=249}} though Francis undermined his allies [[Alexander I of Russia|Tsar Alexander]] and [[Frederick William III of Prussia]] by negotiating a secret treaty with the restored French king [[Louis XVIII]].{{Sfn|Wheatcroft|1996|p=250}}

=== Domestic policy ===
[[File:1 thaler Austria 1820.png|thumb|1 [[Thaler]] [[silver coin]] with portrait of Emperor Franz&nbsp;I, 1820|left]]

The violent events of the French Revolution impressed themselves deeply into the mind of Francis (as well as the other European monarchs), and he came to distrust radicalism in any form.  In 1794, a "[[Jacobin (politics)|Jacobin]]" conspiracy was discovered in the Austrian and Hungarian armies.{{Sfn|Wheatcroft|1996|p=239}} The leaders were put on trial, but the verdicts only skirted the perimeter of the conspiracy.  Francis's brother [[Archduke Alexander Leopold of Austria|Alexander Leopold]] (at that time [[Palatine of Hungary]]) wrote to the Emperor admitting "Although we have caught a lot of the culprits, we have not really got to the bottom of this business yet." Nonetheless, two officers heavily implicated in the conspiracy were [[hanging|hanged]] and [[gibbet]]ed, while numerous others were sentenced to imprisonment (many of whom died from the conditions).{{Sfn|Wheatcroft|1996|p=240}}

[[File:Basel, Switzerland, Napoleonic Wars Medal of Francis II by P. J. Treu (better version).jpg|thumb|upright|Medallion of Francis&nbsp;I, designed by [[:de:Philipp Jakob Treu|Philipp Jakob Treu]] in [[Basel]], [[Switzerland in the Napoleonic era|Switzerland]], on 13 January 1814. This was the date in the [[War of the Sixth Coalition]] when the allied monarchs of Austria, Prussia, and Russia crossed the Rhine at Basel into France.]]
Francis was, by his formative experiences, of a suspicious nature; he set up an extensive network of police spies and censors to monitor dissent{{Sfn|Wheatcroft|1996|p=240}} (in this he was following his father's lead, as the Grand Duchy of Tuscany had the most effective secret police in Europe).{{Sfn|Wheatcroft|1996|p=234}} Even his family did not escape scrutiny. His brothers, the Archdukes [[Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen|Charles]] and [[Archduke Johann of Austria|Johann]], had their meetings and activities spied upon.{{Sfn|Wheatcroft|1996|p=248}} Censorship was also prevalent. The author [[Franz Grillparzer]], a Habsburg patriot, had one play suppressed solely as a "precautionary" measure. When Grillparzer met the censor responsible, he asked him what was objectionable about the work. The censor replied, "Oh, nothing at all.  But I thought to myself, 'One can never tell'."{{Sfn|Wheatcroft|1996|p=241}}

In military affairs, Francis had allowed his brother, the [[Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen|Archduke Charles]], extensive control over the army during the Napoleonic wars.  Yet, distrustful of allowing any individual too much power, he otherwise maintained the separation of command functions between the [[Hofkriegsrat]] and his field commanders.{{Sfn|Rothenburg|1976|p=6}} In the later years of his reign, he limited military spending, requiring it not exceed forty million [[Austro-Hungarian florin|florins]] per year; because of inflation this resulted in inadequate funding, with the army's share of the budget shrinking from half in 1817 to only twenty-three percent in 1830.{{sfn|Rothenburg|1976|p=10}}

Francis presented himself as an open and approachable monarch. He regularly set aside two mornings each week to meet with his imperial subjects, regardless of status, by appointment in his office, even speaking to them in their own language.{{Sfn|Wheatcroft|1996|p=245}} Yet, it was never doubted that his will was sovereign.  In 1804, he had no compunction about announcing that, through his authority as Holy Roman Emperor, he was now Emperor of Austria (at the time a geographical term that had little resonance).  Two years later, Francis personally wound up the moribund Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation.  Both actions were of dubious constitutional legality.{{Sfn|Wheatcroft|1996|p=246}}

To increase patriotic sentiment during the war with France, the anthem "[[Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser]]" was composed in 1797 to be sung as the Kaiserhymne to music by [[Joseph Haydn]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Robbins Landon |first1=H. C. |title=Haydn: His Life and Music |last2=Wynne Jones |first2=David |date=1988 |publisher=Thames and Hudson |isbn=978-0-5000-1438-7 |ol=7653170M |author-link=H. C. Robbins Landon}}</ref> The lyrics were adapted for later Emperors, and the music lives on as the German national anthem "[[Deutschlandlied]]".

== Death ==
[[File:Friedrich von Amerling - Kaiser Franz I. von Österreich - 2680 - Kunsthistorisches Museum.jpg|thumb|170px|Portrait of an aging Francis II, by [[Friedrich von Amerling]], {{circa|1832}}]]
On 2 March 1835, 43 years and a day after his father's death, Francis died in Vienna of a sudden fever at aged 67, in the presence of many of his family and with all the religious comforts.<ref name="wheatcroft254" /> His funeral was magnificent, with his Viennese subjects respectfully filing past his coffin in the court chapel of the [[Hofburg]] palace<ref name="wz18350305">{{Cite news |date=5 March 1835 |title=Wien |page=1, col. 2 |work=[[Wiener Zeitung]] |url=http://anno.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno?apm=0&aid=wrz&datum=18350305&seite=1&zoom=1}}</ref> for three days.<ref>{{harvnb|Wheatcroft|1996|p=255}}</ref> Francis was interred in the traditional resting place of Habsburg monarchs, the [[Imperial Crypt]] in Vienna's Neue Markt Square. He is buried in tomb number 57, surrounded by tombs of his four wives.[[File:Sarcophagus Emperor Franz II.(I.) Vienna Austria.jpg|thumb|upright|Sarcophagus of Francis II in the [[Imperial Crypt, Vienna|Imperial Crypt]]]]

Francis passed on a main point in the political testament he left for his son and heir [[Ferdinand I of Austria|Ferdinand]]: to "preserve unity in the family and regard it as one of the highest goods." In many portraits (particularly those painted by [[Peter Fendi]]) he was portrayed as the patriarch of a loving family, surrounded by his children and grandchildren.<ref name="wheatcroft254">{{harvnb|Wheatcroft|1996|p=254}}</ref>

== Marriages ==
{{unreferenced section|date=August 2017}}
Francis II married on four occasions:

# On 6 January 1788, to [[Elisabeth of Württemberg]] (21 April 1767&nbsp;– 18 February 1790).
# On 15 September 1790, to his double first cousin [[Maria Teresa of the Two Sicilies]] (6 June 1772 – 13 April 1807), daughter of King [[Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies]] (both were grandchildren of Empress [[Maria Theresa]] and shared all of their other grandparents in common), with whom he had twelve children, of whom only seven reached adulthood.
# On 6 January 1808, he married again to another first cousin, [[Maria Ludovika of Austria-Este]] (14 December 1787&nbsp;– 7 April 1816) with no issue. She was the daughter of [[Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Este]] and [[Maria Beatrice d'Este, Duchess of Massa|Maria Beatrice d'Este]], Princess of [[Modena]].
# On 29 October 1816, to [[Caroline Augusta of Bavaria|Karoline Charlotte Auguste of Bavaria]] (8 February 1792&nbsp;– 9 February 1873) with no issue. She was daughter of [[Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria]] and had been previously married to [[William I of Württemberg]].

== Children ==
From his first wife [[Elisabeth of Württemberg]], one daughter, who died in infancy, and his second wife [[Maria Teresa of the Two Sicilies]], eight daughters and four sons, of whom five died in infancy or childhood:
{|class="wikitable"
|+ Children of Francis II
|-
!Name!!Picture!!Birth!!Death!!Notes
|-
|colspan=4|By Elisabeth of Württemberg
|-
|'''Archduchess Ludovika Elisabeth'''||||18 February 1790||24 June 1791 (aged 1)|| Died in infancy and buried in the [[Imperial Crypt]], Vienna, Austria.
|-
|colspan=4|By Maria Teresa of the Two Sicilies
|-
|'''[[Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma|Archduchess Maria Ludovika]]'''||[[File:L'impératriceMarie-Louise.jpg|100px]]||12 December 1791||17 December 1847 (aged 56)|| Married first [[Napoleon|Bonaparte]], had issue, married second [[Adam Adalbert von Neipperg|Adam, count of Neipperg]], had issue, married third to [[Charles-René de Bombelles]], Count of Bombelles, no issue.
|-
|'''[[Ferdinand I of Austria|Emperor Ferdinand I]]'''||[[File:Kaiser Ferdinand I.jpg|100px]]||19 April 1793||29 June 1875 (aged 82)||Married [[Maria Anna of Savoy]], Princess of Sardinia, no issue.
|-
|'''Archduchess Marie Caroline'''||||8 June 1794||16 March 1795 (aged 9 months)||Died in childhood, no issue.
|-
|'''Archduchess Caroline Ludovika'''||||22 December 1795||30 June 1797 (aged 1)||Died in childhood, no issue.
|-
|'''[[Maria Leopoldina of Austria|Archduchess Caroline Josepha Leopoldine]]'''||[[File:Maria Leopoldina 1815.jpg|100px]]||22 January 1797||11 December 1826 (aged 29)||Renamed Maria Leopoldina upon her marriage; married [[Pedro I of Brazil]] (a.k.a. [[Pedro IV of Portugal]]); issue included [[Maria II of Portugal]] and [[Pedro II of Brazil]].
|-
|'''[[Archduchess Clementina of Austria|Archduchess Maria Klementina]]'''||[[File:Princesse de Salerne.jpeg|100px]]||1 March 1798||3 September 1881 (aged 83)||Married her maternal uncle [[Leopold, Prince of Salerno]], had issue.
|-
|'''[[Archduke Joseph Franz of Austria|Archduke Joseph Franz Leopold]]'''||[[File:Josef Kreuzinger Erzherzog Joseph Franz Leopold.jpg|100px]]||9 April 1799||30 June 1807 (aged 8)||Died some weeks after his mother in childhood, no issue.
|-
|'''[[Archduchess Marie Caroline of Austria|Archduchess Maria Karolina]]'''||[[File:Peter Krafft Bildnis einer Maria Karolina.jpg|100px]]||8 April 1801||22 May 1832 (aged 31)||Married Crown Prince (later King) [[Frederick Augustus II of Saxony]], no issue.
|-
|'''[[Archduke Franz Karl of Austria|Archduke Franz Karl]]'''||[[File:Waldmüller Erzherzog Franz Carl 1839.jpg|100px]]||17 December 1802||8 March 1878 (aged 75)||Married [[Princess Sophie of Bavaria]]; issue included [[Franz Joseph I of Austria]] and [[Maximilian I of Mexico]].
|-
|'''[[Archduchess Marie Anne of Austria|Archduchess Marie Anne]]'''||[[File:Maria Anna d'Austria.jpg|100px]]||8 June 1804||28 December 1858 (aged 54)||Born intellectually disabled (like her eldest brother, Emperor Ferdinand I) and to have suffered from a severe facial deformity. Died unmarried.
|-
|'''Archduke Johann Nepomuk'''||||30 August 1805||19 February 1809 (aged 3)||Died in childhood, no issue.
|-
|'''Archduchess Amalie Theresa'''||||6 April 1807||9 April 1807 (aged 3 days)||Died in childhood, no issue.
|-
|}

== Titles, honours and heraldry ==
{{Infobox manner of address
|type        = Monarchical
|name        = Ferenc I of Hungary
|image       = [[File:Royal coat of arms of the Kingdom of Hungary (1896-1915; angels).svg|100px]]
|reference   = [[Apostolic Majesty|His Apostolic Majesty]]
|spoken      = Your Apostolic Majesty
}}
[[File:Wien - Denkmal Kaiser Franz I. (1).JPG|thumb|Monument in the inner courtyard of the [[Hofburg]] in Vienna, showing him as the last Roman ''[[Imperator]]'', in a pose similar to the [[Augustus of Prima Porta]] statue]]
[[File:Wien Hofburg brama.jpg|thumb|Golden dedication inscription at the ''Äusseres Burgtor'' of the [[Hofburg Palace]] in Vienna of "FRANCISCUS I. [[IMPERATOR]] AUSTRIAE MDCCCXXIV" (Francis I. Emperor of Austria 1824)]]
[[File:Joseph Kreutzinger - Kaiser Franz I.jpg|thumb|The emperor wearing a number of orders and decoration such as the Golden Fleece, Order of Maria Theresa, Order of Leopold, Order of Saint Stephen, and others (portrait by [[Joseph Kreutzinger]], {{circa|1815}})]]

=== Titles ===
From 1806 he used the [[grand title of the emperor of Austria]]: 

{{poemquote|His Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesty, 
Francis the First 
[[By the Grace of God]] [[Emperor of Austria]], 
[[King of Hungary]], [[King of Bohemia|Bohemia]], [[Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia|Lombardy–Venetia]], [[King of Dalmatia|Dalmatia]], [[King of Croatia|Croatia]], [[King of Slavonia|Slavonia]], [[Emperor of Austria|Galicia]], [[King of Lodomeria|Lodomeria]] and [[King of Illyria|Illyria]]; 
[[King of Jerusalem]], etc.; 
[[Archduke of Austria]];
[[Grand Duke of Tuscany]];
[[Duke of Lorraine]], [[Salzburg]], [[Styria]], [[Carinthia]], [[Carniola]] and [[Bukovina]];
[[Grand Prince of Transylvania]], [[Margrave of Moravia]];
[[Duke of Upper and Lower Silesia]], of [[Modena]], [[Parma]], [[Piacenza]] and [[Guastalla]], of [[Duke of Auschwitz|Auschwitz]] and [[Duchy of Zator|Zator]], of [[Cieszyn|Teschen]], [[Friaul]], [[Republic of Ragusa|Ragusa]] and [[Zadar|Zara]];
[[Princely Count of Habsburg]] and [[County of Tyrol|Tyrol]], of [[Princely Count of Kyburg|Kyburg]], [[Princely Count of Gorizia and Gradisca|Gorizia and Gradisca]];
[[Trento|Prince of Trento]] and [[Brixen]];
[[Margrave of Upper and Lower Lusatia]] and in [[Istria]];
[[Count of Hohenems]], [[Feldkirch, Vorarlberg|Feldkirch]], [[Bregenz]], [[Sonnenberg]] etc.;
[[Lord of Trieste]], of [[Cattaro]] and on the [[Windic March]];
[[Grand Voivode of the Voivodeship of Serbia]]
etc. etc.}}<ref>{{cite book |title=British and Foreign State Papers |date=1829 |publisher=H.M. Stationery Office |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FZsAAAAAYAAJ&dq=We,+Francis+the+First,+by+the+Grace+of+God+Emperor+of+Austria&pg=PA896}}</ref>

From 1804 with the proclamation of the Empire of Austria until his abdication as Holy Roman Emperor in 1806 his grand title started "By the Grace of God anointed [[Holy Roman Emperor|Roman Emperor]], [[ever Increaser of the Realm]] and [[King in Germania]] ("''von Gottes Gnaden erwählter Römischer Kaiser, zu allen Zeiten Mehrer des Reichs sowie König in Germanien'').

=== Orders and decorations ===
{{columns-list|colwidth=25em|
* {{flagicon image|Banner of the Holy Roman Emperor with haloes (1400-1806).svg}} [[Habsburg monarchy]]:
** [[Order of the Golden Fleece|Knight of the Golden Fleece]], ''1768''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.antiquesatoz.com/sgfleece/knights3.htm |title=Chevaliers de la Toisón d'Or – Knights of the Golden Fleece |last= Boettger|first=T. F.|website=La Confrérie Amicale|access-date=25 June 2019}}</ref>
** Grand Cross of the [[Military Order of Maria Theresa]], ''1790''<ref>{{citation|chapter-url=http://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=shb&datum=1791&size=45&page=216|chapter=Ritter-Orden: Militärischer Maria-Theresien-Orden|title=Hof- und Staats-Schematismus der ... Erzherzoglichen Haupt- und Residenzstadt Wien |date=1791|access-date=13 September 2020|page=434}}</ref>
** Founder and Grand Master of the [[Order of Leopold (Austria)|Imperial Order of Leopold]], ''8 January 1808''<ref name="Berlien1846">{{cite book|author=J ..... -H ..... -Fr ..... Berlien|title=Der Elephanten-Orden und seine Ritter|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_-BAZAAAAYAAJ|year=1846|publisher=Berling|pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_-BAZAAAAYAAJ/page/n167/mode/2up 138]–139}}</ref>
** Founder and Grand Master of the [[Order of the Iron Crown (Austria)|Order of the Iron Crown]], ''1815''<ref name="Berlien1846"/>
* [[France]]:
** {{flagicon image|Flag of France (1794–1815, 1830–1958).svg}} [[First French Empire|French Empire]]: Grand Eagle of the [[Legion of Honour]], ''1811''
** {{flagicon image|Pavillon royal de France.svg}} [[Bourbon Restoration in France|Kingdom of France]]: [[Order of the Holy Spirit|Knight of the Holy Spirit]], ''1815''<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Teulet|first1=Alexandre|date=1863|title=Liste chronologique des chevaliers de l'ordre du Saint-Esprit depuis son origine jusqu'à son extinction (1578–1830)|url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k122126/f373.item.zoom|language=fr|trans-title=Chronological list of knights of the Order of the Holy Spirit from its origin to its extinction (1578–1830)|journal=Annuaire-bulletin de la Société de l'histoire de France |number=2 |page=113 |access-date=20 May 2020}}</ref>
* {{flag|Kingdom of Bavaria}}: [[Order of St. Hubert|Knight of St. Hubert]], ''1813''<ref>{{cite book|title=Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Königreichs Bayern: 1833|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8dlAAAAAcAAJ&pg=PP5|year=1833|publisher=Landesamt|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=8dlAAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA23 6]}}</ref>
* {{Flagicon image|Svensk flagg 1815.svg}} [[Sweden]]: [[Order of the Sword|Grand Cross of the Sword, 1st Class]], ''20 February 1814''<ref>{{cite web| url = http://magasin.kb.se/searchinterface/page.jsp?id=kb:254333&recordNumber=3&totalRecordNumber=9| title = Posttidningar, 30 April 1814| page=2| access-date = 20 May 2020| archive-date = 22 February 2014| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140222060419/http://magasin.kb.se/searchinterface/page.jsp?id=kb:254333&recordNumber=3&totalRecordNumber=9| url-status = dead}}</ref>
* {{flagcountry|United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland}}: [[Order of the Garter|Stranger Knight of the Garter]], ''9 June 1814''<ref>Shaw, Wm. A. (1906) ''The Knights of England'', '''I''', London, [https://archive.org/stream/cu31924092537418#page/n139/mode/2up p. 51]</ref>
* {{flag|Denmark}}: [[Order of the Elephant|Knight of the Elephant]], ''12 November 1814''<ref name="Berlien1846"/>
* {{flagicon image|Flag of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and Algarves.svg}} [[United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves|Kingdom of Portugal]]: Grand Cross of the [[Sash of the Three Orders]], ''1818''<ref name="Vicente">{{cite journal|last1=Bragança|first1=Jose Vicente de|date=2011|title=A Evolução da Banda das Três Ordens Militares (1789–1826)|url=http://revistas.lis.ulusiada.pt/index.php/lh/article/download/1560/1673|language=pt|trans-title=The Evolution of the Band of the Three Military Orders (1789–1826)|journal=Lusíada História|volume=2|number=8|page=280|issn=0873-1330|access-date=17 March 2020|archive-date=2 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141102091917/http://revistas.lis.ulusiada.pt/index.php/lh/article/download/1560/1673|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* {{flag|Two Sicilies}}:
** [[Order of Saint Januarius|Knight of St. Januarius]], ''1821''<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.socistara.it/studi/Real%20Ordine%20di%20San%20Gennaro.pdf|page=8|language=Italian|title=Vicende e personaggi dell'Insigne e reale Ordine di San Gennaro dalla sua fondazione alla fine del Regno delle Due Sicilie|author=Angelo Scordo|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304190749/http://www.socistara.it/studi/Real%20Ordine%20di%20San%20Gennaro.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref>
** [[Order of Saint Ferdinand and of Merit|Grand Cross of St. Ferdinand and Merit]]
* {{flagdeco|Kingdom of Sardinia}} [[Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861)|Kingdom of Sardinia]]: [[Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation|Knight of the Annunciation]], ''3 January 1824''<ref name="Cibrario1869">{{cite book|author=Luigi Cibrario|title=Notizia storica del nobilissimo ordine supremo della santissima Annunziata. Sunto degli statuti, catalogo dei cavalieri|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q2aP6enNFoYC&pg=PA103|year=1869|publisher=Eredi Botta|page=103}}</ref>
* {{flag|Russian Empire}}:
** [[Order of St. Andrew|Knight of St. Andrew]], ''13 March 1826''
** [[Order of St. Alexander Nevsky|Knight of St. Alexander Nevsky]], ''13 March 1826''
* {{flag|Empire of Brazil}}:
** Grand Cross of the [[Order of Pedro I]], ''1827''
** [[Order of the Southern Cross|Grand Cross of the Southern Cross]], ''1830''
* {{flag|Baden}}:<ref>''Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Baden'' (1834), "Großherzogliche Orden" [https://digital.blb-karlsruhe.de/blbihd/periodical/pageview/1866769 pp. 32], [https://digital.blb-karlsruhe.de/blbihd/periodical/pageview/1866787 50]</ref>
** Grand Cross of the [[House Order of Fidelity]], ''1830''
** [[Order of the Zähringer Lion|Grand Cross of the Zähringer Lion]], ''1830''
* {{flagicon|Tuscany|habsburg}} [[Grand Duchy of Tuscany]]: [[Order of Saint Joseph|Grand Cross of St. Joseph]]
}}

===Heraldry===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
| [[File:Middle Coat of Arms of Leopold II and Francis II, Holy Roman Emperors.svg|185px]]
| [[File:Greater coat of arms of Leopold II and Francis II, Holy Roman Emperors.svg|185px]]
| [[File:Coat of Arms of Leopold II and Francis II, Holy Roman Emperors-Or shield variant.svg|150px]]
| [[File:Ornamented Coat of Arms of Leopold II and Francis II, Holy Roman Emperors.svg|250px]]
|-
|Middle Coat of arms as Holy Roman Emperor<br /><small>(1792–1804)</small>
|Greater Coat of arms as Holy Roman Emperor<br /><small>(1792–1804)</small>
|Greater Coat of arms (Shield variant)<br /><small>(1792–1804)</small>
|Greater Coat of arms (Shield variant with supporters)<br /><small>(1792–1804)</small>
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
| [[File:Middle Coat of Arms of Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor (1804-1806).svg|185px]]
| [[File:Grand Coat of Arms of Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor (1804-1806).svg|250px]]
| [[File:Imperial Coat of Arms of the Empire of Austria (1815).svg|185px]]
| [[File:Imperial Coat of Arms of the Empire of Austria.svg|185px]]
|-
|Middle Coat of arms as Holy Roman Emperor<br /> and Emperor of Austria<br /><small>(1804–1806)</small>
|Greater Coat of arms as Holy Roman Emperor<br /> and Emperor of Austria<br /><small>(1804–1806)</small>
|Lesser Coat of arms as Emperor of Austria<br /><small>(1815–1835)</small>
|Middle Coat of arms as Emperor of Austria<br /><small>(1815–1835)</small>
|}

== Ancestors ==
{{ahnentafel
|collapsed=yes |align=center |ref=<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AINPAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA109 |title=Genealogie ascendante jusqu'au quatrieme degre inclusivement de tous les Rois et Princes de maisons souveraines de l'Europe actuellement vivans |publisher=Frederic Guillaume Birnstiel |year=1768 |location=Bourdeaux |page=109 |language=fr |trans-title=Genealogy up to the fourth degree inclusive of all the Kings and Princes of sovereign houses of Europe currently living}}</ref>
|boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
|1= 1. '''Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor'''
|2= 2. [[Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor]]
|3= 3. [[Maria Louisa of Spain]]
|4= 4. [[Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor]]
|5= 5. [[Maria Theresa]] of Austria
|6= 6. [[Charles III of Spain]]
|7= 7. [[Maria Amalia of Saxony]]
|8= 8. [[Leopold, Duke of Lorraine]]
|9= 9. [[Élisabeth Charlotte of Orléans]]
|10= 10. [[Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor]]
|11= 11. [[Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick]]
|12= 12. [[Philip V of Spain]]
|13= 13. [[Elisabeth Farnese]]
|14= 14. [[Augustus III of Poland]]
|15= 15. [[Maria Josepha of Austria]]
}}

== See also ==
* [[Family tree of the German monarchs]]

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

=== Works cited ===
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{Cite book |last=Fraser |first=Antonia |author-link=Antonia Fraser |year=2002 |title=[[Marie Antoinette: The Journey]] |location=London |publisher=Phoenix |isbn=0-7538-1305-X}}
* {{Cite book |editor-last=Posse |editor-first=Otto |title=Die Siegel der deutschen Kaiser und Könige von 751 bis 1806 |date=1909–1913 |language=de |chapter=[[:de:s:Die Siegel der deutschen Kaiser und Könige Band 5/Beilagen#Beilage 3|Bey der Niederlegung der kaiserlichen Reichs-Regierung.]] Dekret vom 6.&nbsp;August 1806 |at=Band 5, Beilage 3 |oclc=42197429 |via=[[Wikisource]]}} <!-- Verkündung der neuen Titulatur als Kaiser von Österreich -->
* {{Cite book |last=Rothenburg |first=Gunther E. |year=1976 |title=The Army of Francis Joseph |url=https://archive.org/details/armyoffrancisjos00gunt |location=West Lafayette, Ind. |publisher=Purdue University Press |isbn=0911198415}}
* {{Cite book |last=Wheatcroft |first=Andrew |year=1996|title=The Habsburgs: Embodying Empire |location=London |publisher=Penguin Books |isbn=0-14-023634-1}}
{{refend}}

== Further reading ==
* {{Cite book |last=Reich |first=Emil |year=1905 |title=Select Documents Illustrating Mediæval and Modern History |chapter=Abidcation of Francis the Second |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GOEMAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA622 |location=Londong |publisher=P.S. King & Son |oclc=4426595 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Reifenscheid |first=Richard |year=2006 |title=Die Habsburger in Lebensbildern |location=Munich |publisher=Piper |isbn=3492247539}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.newberry.org/collections/FindingAids/spencernapoleonica/SpencerNapoleonica.html Spencer Napoleonica Collection] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20121205060758/http://www.newberry.org/collections/FindingAids/spencernapoleonica/SpencerNapoleonica.html |date=5 December 2012 }} at [[Newberry Library]]

== Regnal titles ==
{{s-start}}
{{s-hou|[[House of Habsburg-Lorraine]]|12 February|1768|2 March|1835|[[House of Lorraine]]}}
{{s-reg}}
{{s-bef|rows=4|before=[[Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor|Leopold II]] }}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Holy Roman Emperor]]<br />[[List of German monarchs|King in Germany]] |years=1792–1806}}
{{s-non|reason=[[Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire|Dissolution]]}}
{{s-break}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Duke of Brabant]], [[Duke of Limburg|Limburg]] and [[Duke of Luxembourg|Luxembourg]];<br />[[Count of Flanders]], [[Count of Hainaut|Hainaut]] and [[Count of Namur|Namur]]|years=1792–1793}}
{{s-non|rows=2|reason=[[French Revolutionary Wars]]}}
{{s-break}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Duke of Milan]]|years=1792–1796}}
{{s-brk}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[King of Hungary]], [[King of Bohemia|Bohemia]], [[Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria|Galicia and Lodomeria]], and [[King of Croatia|Croatia]],<br />[[Archduke of Austria]]|years=1792–1835}}
{{s-aft|rows=3|after=[[Ferdinand I of Austria|Ferdinand I & V]]}}
{{s-break}}
{{s-new|rows=2}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Emperor of Austria]]|years=1804–1835}}
{{s-brk}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[King of Lombardy-Venetia]]|years=1815–1835}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-new}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[President of the German Confederation|Head of the ''Präsidialmacht'' Austria]]|years=1815–1835}}
{{s-aft|rows=1|after=[[Ferdinand I of Austria]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Holy Roman Emperors}}
{{Navboxes|list=
{{Monarchs of Bohemia}}
{{Hungarian kings}}
{{Monarchs of Germany}}
{{Croatian kings}}
{{Rulers of Austria}}
{{Monarchs of Luxembourg}}
{{Austrian archdukes}}
{{Tuscan princes}}
{{Napoleonic Wars}}
{{German Confederations 1806–1871}}
}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Francis 02, Holy Roman Emperor}}
[[Category:1768 births]]
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[[Category:18th-century Holy Roman Emperors]]
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[[Category:Tuscan nobility]]
[[Category:Austrian Roman Catholics]]
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[[Category:House of Habsburg-Lorraine]]
[[Category:Kings of Italy]]
[[Category:Burials at the Imperial Crypt]]
[[Category:Grand masters of the Order of the Golden Fleece]]
[[Category:Knights of the Golden Fleece of Austria]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Military Order of Maria Theresa]]
[[Category:Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of Christ (Portugal)|3]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of Aviz|3]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint James of the Sword|3]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword]]
[[Category:Extra Knights Companion of the Garter]]
[[Category:Sons of emperors]]
[[Category:Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor| ]]
[[Category:Children of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor]]
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[[Category:Monarchs of Galicia and Lodomeria]]
[[Category:People of the War of the First Coalition]]
[[Category:Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser]]
[[Category:Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire]]