Franz Karl
Archduke of Austria (non-ruling member of the dynasty)
Born 7 December 1802 in Vienna
Died 8 March 1878 in Vienna
The son of Emperor Franz II (I) and younger brother of Emperor Ferdinand I, he was a member of the Privy State Conference that ran the government for his imperial brother from 1836 to1848. After Ferdinand’s abdication in 1848, Franz Karl waived his right to the succession in favour of his eldest son Franz Joseph. Unlike his influential wife Sophie, he was uninterested in politics and devoted himself instead to private interests. He was deeply religious.
