Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor

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Karl VI
Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia and Hungary
Image:Charles VI (1685-1740), Holy Roman Emperor.jpg
Reign 1711-1740
Born October 1 1685(1685-10-01)
Vienna, Austria
Died October 20 1740 (aged 55)
Vienna, Austria
Predecessor Joseph I
Successor Charles VII
Royal House House of Habsburg
Father Leopold I
Mother Eleonore-Magdalena of Neuburg

Charles VI (German Karl VI) (October 1, 1685October 20, 1740) was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia (as Karel II.) and Hungary (as Károly III.) from 1711 to 1740. From 1703 to 1711 he was an active claimant to the throne of Spain as Charles III.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Charles was born in Vienna, the second son of the Emperor Leopold I and of his third wife, Princess Eleonore-Magdalena of Pfalz-Neuburg. He was given the baptismal names Karl Josef Franz. His tutor was Prince Anton Florian of Liechtenstein.

Charles was the contracted heir of the Spanish Habsburgs. When Charles II of Spain made Philip V his heir, Louis XIV violated the contract. The dispute for the crown of Spain led to the War of the Spanish Succession.

After his older brother the Emperor Joseph I died suddenly in 1711, Charles returned to Austria. He succeeded immediately as King of Hungary and King of Bohemia. Later that year he was elected Holy Roman Emperor in Frankfurt.

Image:Elisabeth Christine of Braunschweig Wolfenbuettel.jpg
Elisabeth Christine, Holy Roman Empress.

Although Charles seems to have been clumsy in political affairs, the Austrian monarchy reached its widest expansion during his reign. He married Elisabeth, eldest daughter of Louis Rudolph, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Elisabeth was a descendant of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor and was also of the Habsburg family.

At the time of his death, his only surviving children were Maria Theresa and Maria Anna, so he had no living male heirs - a situation he had guarded against in the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713, which stated that his realm could not be divided and allowed that daughters also could inherit the throne from their fathers. When he died, the War of the Austrian Succession took place, but in the end the Pragmatic Sanction held up and his daughter succeeded him as Queen of Hungary and Bohemia and Archduchess of Austria. However, being a female, she was not elected Holy Roman Empress. Instead, Charles VII was elected. However, after Charles VII's reign, Maria Theresa's husband Francis I was elected, ensuring that the Empire would continue in the Habsburg line.

Probably as a consequence of his years in Spain, he introduced the Spanish court ceremonial (Spanisches Hofzeremoniell) in Vienna and built the Spanish Riding School. Furthermore, the Reichskanzlei ("chancellory of the state") and the National Library were constructed during his reign and the Michaeler tract added to the Hofburg. Much was designed in baroque style in Vienna during Charles' reign.

He also had musical ambitions. Taught as a boy by Johann Joseph Fux, he composed, played the harpsichord, and now and then conducted the court's band.

There is some evidence that Charles' death was caused by consuming a meal of death cap mushrooms.[1]

[edit] Ancestors

Charles's ancestors in three generations
Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor Father:
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
Father's father:
Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor
Father's father's father:
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Father's father's mother:
Maria Anna of Bavaria
Father's mother:
Maria Anna of Spain
Father's mother's father:
Philip III of Spain
Father's mother's mother:
Margaret of Austria
Mother:
Eleonore-Magdalena of Neuburg
Mother's father:
Philipp Wilhelm, Elector Palatine
Mother's father's father:
Wolfgang Wilhelm, Pfalzgraf von Neuburg
Mother's father's mother:
Magdalene of Bavaria
Mother's mother:
Elisabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt
Mother's mother's father:
George II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
Mother's mother's mother:
Sofie Eleonore of Saxony


Names in other languages: German: Karl VI., Czech: Karel II., Hungarian: III. Károly, Slovak: Karol III., Croatian: Karlo III., Catalan: Carles III., Latin: Carolus VI.Polish Karol VI, Dutch: Karel VI.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Wasson RG. (1972). The death of Claudius, or mushrooms for murderers. Botanical Museum Leaflets, Harvard University 23(3):101–128.

[edit] References

  • León Sanz, Virginia. Carlos VI: el emperador que no pudo ser rey de España. Madrid: Aguilar, 2003. ISBN 8403094094.
  • Rill, Bernd. Karl VI.: Habsburg als barocke Grossmacht. Graz: Verlag Styria, 1992. ISBN 3222121486.
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Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor

[edit] External links

Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Born: 1 October 1685 Died: 20 October 1740
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Victor Amadeus II
King of Sicily
172034
Succeeded by
Charles III of Spain
(as Charles VII)  
Preceded by
Philip V of Spain
(as Philip IV)  
King of Naples
171335
King of Sardinia
171320
Succeeded by
Victor Amadeus II
Preceded by
Joseph I
Holy Roman Emperor (elect),

Roman-German King
171140

Succeeded by
Charles VII
King of Bohemia
(as Charles II)  
171140
King of Hungary, Croatia and Slavonia
(as Charles III)
171140
Succeeded by
Maria Theresa
Archduke of Austria
(as Charles III)  
171140
Preceded by
Charles III of Spain
(as Charles I)  
Duke of Parma and Piacenza
173540
Duke of Guastalla
173540
Preceded by
Philip V of Spain
(as Philip IV)  
Count of Barcelona
170514
Title merged with
Spanish monarchy
Preceded by
Joseph I
Duke of Teschen
17111722
Succeeded by
Leopold
Preceded by
Philip V of Spain
Count of Flanders
1713-1740
Succeeded by
Maria Theresa
with Charles
Persondata
NAME Habsburg, Charles Francis Joseph
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Habsburg, Karl Franz Josef
SHORT DESCRIPTION Holy Roman Emperor
DATE OF BIRTH 1 October 1685
PLACE OF BIRTH Vienna, Austria
DATE OF DEATH 20 October 1740
PLACE OF DEATH
ca:Carles VI del Sacre Imperi Romanogermànic

cs:Karel VI. da:Karl 6. (Tysk-romerske rige) de:Karl VI. (HRR) et:Karl VI es:Carlos VI del Sacro Imperio Romano Germánico eo:Karolo la 6-a (Sankta Romia Imperio) fr:Charles VI du Saint-Empire gl:Carlos VI de Alemaña hr:Karlo VI., car Svetog Rimskog Carstva it:Carlo VI del Sacro Romano Impero la:Carolus VI (imperator) lb:Karl VI. (HRR) lt:Imperatorius Karolis VI hu:III. Károly nl:Karel VI van het Heilige Roomse Rijk ja:カール6世 (神聖ローマ皇帝) no:Karl VI av Det tysk-romerske rike pl:Karol VI Habsburg pt:Carlos VI, Sacro Imperador Romano-Germânico ro:Carol al VI-lea, Împărat Roman ru:Карл VI (император Священной Римской империи) simple:Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor sk:Karol VI. Habsburský fi:Kaarle VI (keisari) sv:Karl VI (tysk-romersk kejsare) uk:Карл VI Габсбурґ zh:查理六世 (神圣罗马帝国)

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