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Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor

Francis I (Francis Stephen; French: François Étienne; German: Franz Stefan; Italian: Francesco Stefano; 8 December 1708 – 18 August 1765)[1] was Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, Duke of Lorraine and Bar, and Grand Duke of Tuscany. He became the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, Austria, and Tuscany through his marriage to Maria Theresa, daughter of Emperor Charles VI. Francis was the last non-Habsburg monarch of the Empire. The couple were the founders of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty, and their marriage produced sixteen children.

Not to be confused with Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, later styled Francis I as Emperor of Austria.

Francis I

13 September 1745 – 18 August 1765

4 October 1745
Frankfurt Cathedral

Charles VII

Joseph II

12 July 1737 – 18 August 1765

Gian Gastone

Leopold I

27 March 1729 – 9 July 1737

Leopold

Stanislas

(1708-12-08)8 December 1708
Lunéville, Duchy of Lorraine, Holy Roman Empire

18 August 1765(1765-08-18) (aged 56)
Hofburg, Innsbruck, County of Tyrol, Holy Roman Empire

Imperial Crypt
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(m. 1736)​

Lorraine

Leopold, Duke of Lorraine

Élisabeth Charlotte d'Orléans

Catholicism

Francis I's signature

Francis was the oldest surviving son of Leopold, Duke of Lorraine, and the French princess Élisabeth Charlotte d'Orléans. Duke Leopold died in 1729, and was succeeded by his son. In 1736, Francis married Maria Theresa. In 1738, he left the Duchy of Lorraine and Bar for the deposed Polish king Stanisław Leszczyński in exchange for the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, as one of the terms ending the War of the Polish Succession. Following the death of his father-in-law, Charles VI, in 1740, Francis and his wife became the rulers of the Habsburg domains. Maria Theresa gave her husband responsibility for the empire's financial affairs, which he handled well. Francis died in 1765 and was succeeded by his son, Joseph II, who co-ruled Austria alongside Maria Theresa.

Franz Joseph Toussaint

Kings of Germany family tree

List of people with the most children

Francis Stephen Award

Media related to Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor at Wikimedia Commons

Tomáš Kleisner – Jan Boublík, Prague 2011 ISBN 978-80-7036-316-4

Coins and Medals of the Emperor Francis Stephen of Lorraine

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the : Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Francis I.". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 10 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 933.

public domain