Archduke Rainer of Austria
Encyclopedia
Rainer Joseph of Austria (30 September 1783 – 16 January 1853) was a Viceroy
of the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia
from 1818 to 1848. He was also an Archduke of Austria, Prince Royal of Hungary and Bohemia.
and Empress Maria Luisa
, and was thus a younger brother of Emperor Franz I.
Although Rainer suffered from a mild form of epilepsy
, this did not visibly interfere with his military career.
Rainer served as Viceroy
of the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia
from 1818 to 1848. The position made Rainer and his wife the head of the Austrian court at Milan
; they also had a villa at Lake Como
. The Italians resented him for collecting his revenues with so little benefit to them in return. This, and the lack of understanding between Rainer and Feldmarschall Graf Radetzky
, were blamed for the disasters of the Italian Revolution of 1848.
on 28 May 1820 Princess Elisabeth of Savoy (13 April 1800 – 25 December 1856). She was the sister of the Prince of Carignano, who would in 1831 become King of Sardinia as King Charles Albert
. She was also a granddaughter of the late former Duke of the Baltic principality of Courland
.
Children included:
The Revolution of 1848 forced Rainer and Elisabeth from the court at Milan; when the insurrection was quelled, Radetzky was named Rainer's successor as Viceroy. Although his children, except Adelheid, are buried in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna
, he and his wife are buried at the Maria Himmelfahrtskirche in Bolzano.
Through his daughter Adelaide, Rainer is an ancestor of the entire royal family of Italy
which reigned from 1861 to 1946.
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
of the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia
Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia
The Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia was created at the Congress of Vienna, which recognised the House of Habsburg's rights to Lombardy and Venetia after the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed by Napoleon in 1805, had collapsed...
from 1818 to 1848. He was also an Archduke of Austria, Prince Royal of Hungary and Bohemia.
Biography
Rainer was a son of Emperor Leopold IILeopold II, Holy Roman Emperor
Leopold II , born Peter Leopold Joseph Anton Joachim Pius Gotthard, was Holy Roman Emperor and King of Hungary and Bohemia from 1790 to 1792, Archduke of Austria and Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1765 to 1790. He was a son of Emperor Francis I and his wife, Empress Maria Theresa...
and Empress Maria Luisa
Maria Luisa of Spain
Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain was Holy Roman Empress, German Queen, Queen of Bohemia and Hungary as the spouse of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor.-Names:...
, and was thus a younger brother of Emperor Franz I.
Although Rainer suffered from a mild form of epilepsy
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
, this did not visibly interfere with his military career.
Rainer served as Viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
of the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia
Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia
The Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia was created at the Congress of Vienna, which recognised the House of Habsburg's rights to Lombardy and Venetia after the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed by Napoleon in 1805, had collapsed...
from 1818 to 1848. The position made Rainer and his wife the head of the Austrian court at Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
; they also had a villa at Lake Como
Lake Como
Lake Como is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy. It has an area of 146 km², making it the third largest lake in Italy, after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore...
. The Italians resented him for collecting his revenues with so little benefit to them in return. This, and the lack of understanding between Rainer and Feldmarschall Graf Radetzky
Joseph Radetzky von Radetz
Johann Josef Wenzel Graf Radetzky von Radetz was a Czech nobleman and Austrian general, immortalised by Johann Strauss I's Radetzky March...
, were blamed for the disasters of the Italian Revolution of 1848.
Marriage and children
He married at PraguePrague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
on 28 May 1820 Princess Elisabeth of Savoy (13 April 1800 – 25 December 1856). She was the sister of the Prince of Carignano, who would in 1831 become King of Sardinia as King Charles Albert
Charles Albert of Sardinia
Charles Albert was the King of Piedmont-Sardinia from 1831 to 1849. He succeeded his distant cousin Charles Felix, and his name is bound with the first Italian statute and the First War of Independence...
. She was also a granddaughter of the late former Duke of the Baltic principality of Courland
Courland
Courland is one of the historical and cultural regions of Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland.- Geography and climate :...
.
Children included:
- Maria Karolina (6 February 1821 – 23 Jan 1844) – unmarried, no issue
- Adelaide (3 June 1822 – 20 January 1855) – wife of Victor Emmanuel IIVictor Emmanuel II of ItalyVictor Emanuel II was king of Sardinia from 1849 and, on 17 March 1861, he assumed the title King of Italy to become the first king of a united Italy since the 6th century, a title he held until his death in 1878...
, from 1849 king of Sardinia - Leopold LudwigArchduke Leopold Ludwig of AustriaArchduke Leopold Ludwig of Austria Archduke Leopold Ludwig of Austria (German: Leopold Ludwig Maria Franz Julius Estorgius Gerhard Erzherzog von Ósterreich) Archduke Leopold Ludwig of Austria (German: Leopold Ludwig Maria Franz Julius Estorgius Gerhard Erzherzog von Ósterreich) (b. Milan 6 June...
(6 June 1823 – 24 May 1898) – Oberkommandant der Marine ('High Commander of the Navy') from 1864 to 1868 - Ernst Karl (8 August 1824 – 4 April 1899), Feldmarschalleutnant
- Sigismund Leopold (7 January 1826 – 15 December 1891), Feldmarschalleutnant
- Rainer FerdinandArchduke Rainer Ferdinand of AustriaArchduke Rainer Ferdinand of Austria was an Austrian prime minister. He was a son of Archduke Rainer Joseph....
(11 January 1827 – 27 January 1913) – Austrian Minister President 1859–61; his visit to the Hotel Greif in WelsWelsWels is the second largest city of the state of Upper Austria, located in the north of Austria, on the Traun River near Linz. It is not part of its surrounding Wels County , but a so-called Statutarstadt . However, Wels is the county seat of Wels-Land.- Geography :Wels is located in the...
is commemorated by a wall plaque there. - Heinrich Anton (9 May 1828 – 30 November 1891), Feldmarschalleutnant
- Maximilian Karl (16 January 1830 – 16 March 1839)
The Revolution of 1848 forced Rainer and Elisabeth from the court at Milan; when the insurrection was quelled, Radetzky was named Rainer's successor as Viceroy. Although his children, except Adelheid, are buried in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, he and his wife are buried at the Maria Himmelfahrtskirche in Bolzano.
Through his daughter Adelaide, Rainer is an ancestor of the entire royal family of Italy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
which reigned from 1861 to 1946.
Ancestry
Titles and styles
- 30 September 1783 – 11 August 1783 His Royal Highness Archduke Ranier Joseph of Austria
- 11 August 1804 – 16 January 1853 His Imperial & Royal Highness Archduke Ranier Joseph of Austria