Archduke Sigismund, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Encyclopedia
Archduke Sigismund of Austria, Grand Duke of Tuscany (Sigismund Otto Maria Josef Gottfried Henrich Erik Leopold Ferdinand von Habsburg-Lothringen; born 21 April 1966) is the titular Grand Duke of Tuscany and current head of the Tuscan branch
of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.
the son of Archduke Leopold Franz
and his first wife Princess Laetitia d'Arenberg
, born Laetitia de Belzunce (and adopted by her stepfather Erik, 11th Duke of Arenberg
). Sigismund was educated in Computer science and has worked as a banker.
In 1993 Sigismund's father Leopold Franz renounced his rights as Head of the Grand Ducal Family of Tuscany in favour of Sigismund because his second marriage (after a divorce) conflicted with the laws of the Roman Catholic Order of Saint Stephen
, of which he was then head. Since then, Sigismund has been the Head of the Grand Ducal House of Tuscany.
Sigismund was raised in Uruguay by his mother. He and his maternal family are said to possess important businesses in Punta del Este
and in the countryside.
of the Order of Saint Joseph
and Order of Saint Stephen
, the two orders of knighthood of the Grand Ducal House of Tuscany. He has also a served as a patron
for the Almanach de Gotha
.
, 11 September 1973), the only daughter of Sir Archibald Bruce Edmonstone, of Duntreath, 7th Baronet
by his second wife Juliet Elizabeth Deakin. Archduchess Elyssa is a grand-niece of Marshall Field III
and a great-great-granddaughter of Marshall Field
and a third cousin of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Rothesay. The Edmonstone family is an old Scottish family that was raised to a baronetcy in 1774; their best-known member was the royal mistress Alice Keppel
.
The couple have three children:
Sigismund lives with his family in Livingston
, West Lothian
, Scotland.
Grand Duchy of Tuscany
The Grand Duchy of Tuscany was a central Italian monarchy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1859, replacing the Duchy of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence...
of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.
Biography
Sigismund was born in LausanneLausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
the son of Archduke Leopold Franz
Archduke Leopold Franz of Austria
Archduke Leopold Franz of Austria was a member of the Tuscan line of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine and Archduke and Prince of Austria, Prince of Hungary, Bohemia, and Tuscany by birth...
and his first wife Princess Laetitia d'Arenberg
Laetitia d'Arenberg
Laetitia d'Arenberg, formally Lætitia Marie Madelaine Susanne Valentine de Belzunce d'Arenberg, was born on September 2, 1941 in Brummana, Mandate of Lebanon now Lebanon. She is a French Uruguayan businesswoman.-Background:...
, born Laetitia de Belzunce (and adopted by her stepfather Erik, 11th Duke of Arenberg
House of Arenberg
The House of Arenberg is an aristocratic lineage that is constituted by three successive families who took their name from Arenberg, a small principality of the Holy Roman Empire in the Eifel. The inheritance of the House of Croÿ-Aarschot made the Arenbergs the most influential and most wealthy...
). Sigismund was educated in Computer science and has worked as a banker.
In 1993 Sigismund's father Leopold Franz renounced his rights as Head of the Grand Ducal Family of Tuscany in favour of Sigismund because his second marriage (after a divorce) conflicted with the laws of the Roman Catholic Order of Saint Stephen
Order of Saint Stephen
The Order of Saint Stephen is a Tuscan dynastic-military order founded in 1561. The order was created by Cosimo I de' Medici, first Grand Duke of Tuscany. The last member of the Medici dynasty to be a leader of the order was Gian Gastone de Medici in 1737...
, of which he was then head. Since then, Sigismund has been the Head of the Grand Ducal House of Tuscany.
Sigismund was raised in Uruguay by his mother. He and his maternal family are said to possess important businesses in Punta del Este
Punta del Este
Punta del Este is a resort town on the Atlantic Coast in the Maldonado Department of southeastern Uruguay. It is located on the intersection of Route 10 with Route 39, directly southeast of the department capital Maldonado and about east of Montevideo...
and in the countryside.
Honours
Sigismund is Grand MasterGrand Master (order)
Grand Master is the typical title of the supreme head of various orders of knighthood, including various military orders, religious orders and civil orders such as the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Orange Order...
of the Order of Saint Joseph
Order of Saint Joseph
The Order of Saint Joseph was instituted in 1807 by Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany during his reign as Grand Duke of Würzburg. It was transformed into a Tuscan Dynastic Order in 1817....
and Order of Saint Stephen
Order of Saint Stephen
The Order of Saint Stephen is a Tuscan dynastic-military order founded in 1561. The order was created by Cosimo I de' Medici, first Grand Duke of Tuscany. The last member of the Medici dynasty to be a leader of the order was Gian Gastone de Medici in 1737...
, the two orders of knighthood of the Grand Ducal House of Tuscany. He has also a served as a patron
Patrón
Patrón is a luxury brand of tequila produced in Mexico and sold in hand-blown, individually numbered bottles.Made entirely from Blue Agave "piñas" , Patrón comes in five varieties: Silver, Añejo, Reposado, Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos. Patrón also sells a tequila-coffee blend known...
for the Almanach de Gotha
Almanach de Gotha
The Almanach de Gotha was a respected directory of Europe's highest nobility and royalty. First published in 1763 by C.W. Ettinger in Gotha at the ducal court of Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, it was regarded as an authority in the classification of monarchies, princely and ducal...
.
Family
In 1999, Sigismund married Elyssa Juliet Edmonstone (born GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, 11 September 1973), the only daughter of Sir Archibald Bruce Edmonstone, of Duntreath, 7th Baronet
Edmonstone Baronets
The Edmonstone Baronetcy, of Duntreath in the County of Stirling, is a title in the Baronetage of Great Britain. It was created 20 May 1774 for Archibald Edmonstone, 11th of Duntreath, Member of Parliament for Dumbartonshire and Ayr Burghs. He was succeeded by his third but eldest surviving son,...
by his second wife Juliet Elizabeth Deakin. Archduchess Elyssa is a grand-niece of Marshall Field III
Marshall Field III
Marshall Field III was an American investment banker, publisher, racehorse owner/breeder, philanthropist, heir to the Marshall Field department store fortune and a leading financial supporter and founding board member of Saul Alinsky's community organizing network Industrial Areas Foundation.Born...
and a great-great-granddaughter of Marshall Field
Marshall Field
Marshall Field was founder of Marshall Field and Company, the Chicago-based department stores.-Life and career:...
and a third cousin of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Rothesay. The Edmonstone family is an old Scottish family that was raised to a baronetcy in 1774; their best-known member was the royal mistress Alice Keppel
Alice Keppel
Alice Frederica Keppel, née Edmonstone was a British socialite and the most famous mistress of Edward VII, the eldest son of Queen Victoria. Her formal style after marriage was The Hon. Mrs George Keppel. Her daughter, Violet Trefusis, was the lover of poet Vita Sackville-West...
.
The couple have three children:
- Archduke Leopold Amedeo Peter Ferdinand Archibald, Grand Prince of Tuscany (born GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, 9 May 2001), heir apparent to the headship of the House of Tuscany - Archduchess Tatyana Maria Theresia Laetitia Juliet of Austria, Princess of Tuscany (born LivingstonLivingston, ScotlandLivingston is a town in West Lothian, Scotland. It is the fourth post-WWII new town to be built in Scotland, designated in 1962. It is about 15 miles west of Edinburgh and 30 miles east of Glasgow, and is bordered by the towns of Broxburn to the northeast and Bathgate to the northwest.Livingston...
, 3 March 2003) - Archduke Maximilian Stefano Sigismund William Bruce Erik Leopold of Austria, Prince of Tuscany (born LivingstonLivingston, ScotlandLivingston is a town in West Lothian, Scotland. It is the fourth post-WWII new town to be built in Scotland, designated in 1962. It is about 15 miles west of Edinburgh and 30 miles east of Glasgow, and is bordered by the towns of Broxburn to the northeast and Bathgate to the northwest.Livingston...
, 27 May 2004)
Sigismund lives with his family in Livingston
Livingston, Scotland
Livingston is a town in West Lothian, Scotland. It is the fourth post-WWII new town to be built in Scotland, designated in 1962. It is about 15 miles west of Edinburgh and 30 miles east of Glasgow, and is bordered by the towns of Broxburn to the northeast and Bathgate to the northwest.Livingston...
, West Lothian
West Lothian
West Lothian is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, the Scottish Borders and South Lanarkshire....
, Scotland.
Ancestry
See also
- Grand Duchy of TuscanyGrand Duchy of TuscanyThe Grand Duchy of Tuscany was a central Italian monarchy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1859, replacing the Duchy of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence...
- History of TuscanyHistory of TuscanyTuscany is named after its pre-Roman inhabitants, the Etruscans. It was ruled by Rome for many centuries. In the Middle Ages, it saw many invasions, but in the Renaissance period it helped lead Europe back to civilisation. Later, it settled down as a grand duchy...
- Line of succession to the Tuscan throneLine of succession to the Tuscan throneThe present head of the Grand Ducal House of Tuscany is Archduke Sigismund, Grand Duke of Tuscany.#Archduke Amadeo, Grand Prince of Tuscany #Archduke Maximilian, Prince of Tuscany #Archduke Guntram, Prince of Tuscany...