Ferdinand IV, Grand Duke of Tuscany facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ferdinand IV |
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| Grand Duke of Tuscany | |||||
| Reign | 21 July 1859 – 22 March 1860 | ||||
| Predecessor | Leopold II | ||||
| Born | 10 June 1835 Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany |
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| Died | 17 January 1908 (aged 72) Salzburg, Austria-Hungary |
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| House | Habsburg-Lorraine | ||||
| Father | Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany | ||||
| Mother | Princess Maria Antonia of the Two Sicilies | ||||
| Religion | Roman Catholicism | ||||
Ferdinand IV (born June 10, 1835 – died January 17, 1908) was the very last Grand Duke of Tuscany. He ruled this small country in Italy from 1859 to 1860. A Grand Duke is like a prince who rules a Grand Duchy.
Contents
Ferdinand's Early Life and Reign
Ferdinand was born in Florence, a beautiful city in Italy. His parents were Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany and Princess Maria Antonia of the Two Sicilies.
In February 1859, Ferdinand's first wife, Princess Anna of Saxony, passed away. Soon after, big changes began in Italy. A revolution started in April 1859, which was part of the unification of Italy. This was a time when different Italian states were joining together to form one country.
Losing His Throne
Because of the revolution, Ferdinand and his family had to leave Florence on April 27, 1859. They found safety in Austria. After the war ended, his father, Leopold II, decided to give up his throne on July 21. This meant Ferdinand became the new Grand Duke.
However, Ferdinand could not go back to Florence to rule. Just one month later, on August 16, a group of people in Tuscany voted to remove him from power. Tuscany then joined a new group of Italian states.
Ferdinand still hoped to get his throne back. Both France and Austria had promised to support his claim. But neither country took action to help him. On March 22, 1860, Tuscany officially became part of the Kingdom of Sardinia. This kingdom later became the Kingdom of Italy. When Austria recognized the new Kingdom of Italy in 1866, Ferdinand's hopes of ruling Tuscany again were gone forever.
Life in Exile
After losing his throne, Ferdinand and his family lived in Austria. He was still allowed to use the title of Grand Duke as a courtesy. He also remained the head of all the Tuscan knightly orders. However, his children and future family members could only use the title "Archduke/Archduchess of Austria." Only family members born before 1866 could use the title "Prince/Princess of Tuscany."
In 1870, Ferdinand gave up all his family's rights to the old Grand Duchy. He passed these rights to his cousin, Emperor Franz Joseph I. This officially ended his family's special royal status.
Ferdinand lived the rest of his life in exile and passed away in Salzburg, Austria, in 1908. After his death, his descendants were no longer allowed to use their Tuscan titles by official order.
Family and Children
Ferdinand was married two times and had many children.
His first marriage was in Dresden on November 24, 1856, to Princess Anna of Saxony. She was born on January 4, 1836, and died on February 10, 1859. They had one child:
- Archduchess Maria Antonietta (1858–1883). She became a princess-abbess in Prague. She never married and had no children.
His second marriage was in Frohsdorf on January 11, 1868, to Princess Alice "Alix" of Bourbon-Parma. She was born on December 27, 1849, and died on November 16, 1935. They had many children:
- Archduke Leopold Ferdinand (1868–1935). He gave up his royal titles in 1902 and took the name Leopold Wölfling. He married three times but had no children.
- Archduchess Louise (1870–1947). She married King Frederick Augustus III of Saxony and later Enrico Toselli. She had children from both marriages.
- Archduke Josef Ferdinand (1872–1942). He married twice. His marriages were considered "morganatic," meaning his children did not inherit royal titles.
- Archduke Peter Ferdinand, Prince of Tuscany (1874–1948). He married Princess Maria Cristina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and had children.
- Archduke Heinrich Ferdinand (1878–1969). He was a general in the Austrian army. He married Maria Karoline Ludescher, and they had children.
- Archduchess Anna Maria (1879–1961). She married Johannes, Prince of Hohenlohe-Bartenstein.
- Archduchess Margareta Maria (1881–1965)
- Archduchess Germana Maria (1884–1955)
- Archduke Robert Ferdinand (1885–1895)
- Archduchess Agnes Maria (1891–1945)
Honours and Awards
Ferdinand received many important awards and honors during his life. These included:
- From the Grand Duchy of Tuscany: He was the Grand Master of several orders, like the Order of Saint Joseph and the Order of Saint Stephen.
- From the Austrian Empire: He was a Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece.
- From other countries: He also received awards from places like Baden, Bavaria, Belgium, Malta, Prussia, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Saxony, and Württemberg.
See also
