Francis I Holy Roman Emperor; King of the Romans; Grand Duke of Tuscany; Duke of Teschen and Lorraine Reign 1740-1765 Predecessor Charles VII Successor Joseph II Consort Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria Issue Archduchess Maria Anna Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen Archduchess Maria Elisabeth Archduke Charles Joseph Maria Amalia, Duchess of Parma Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor Archduchess Maria Johanna Gabriela Archduchess Maria Josepha Maria Carolina, Queen of Naples and Sicily Ferdinand, Duke of Modena Marie Antoinette, Queen of France and Navarre Archduke Maximilian Francis Full name François Stephen Royal house House of Lorraine Father Leopold, Duke of Lorraine Mother Élisabeth Charlotte d'Orléans Born 8 December 1708 Nancy Died 18 August 1765 Innsbruck Burial Imperial Crypt, Vienna

Austrian Royalty House of Habsburg-Lorraine Armorial of the Holy Roman Empire Maria Theresa & Francis I Children include    Joseph II    Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen    Marie Amalie, Duchess of Parma    Leopold II    Marie Caroline, Queen of Naples    Archduke Ferdinand    Marie Antoinette, Queen of France    Archduke Maximilian Grandchildren include    Francis IV, Duke of Modena    Archduke Ferdinand Karl Joseph II Leopold II Children include    Maria Theresia, Queen of Saxony    Francis II    Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany    Charles, Duke of Teschen    Archduke Alexander Leopold    Joseph, Palatine of Hungary    Archduke Johann    Archduke Rainer    Archduke Louis    Archduke Cardinal Rudolph Grandchildren include    Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany    Archduchess Maria Theresa    Albert, Duke of Teschen    Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska    Archduke Joseph Karl Francis II

Francis I (8 December 1708 – 18 August 1765)^[1] (born as François Stephen, also known as Franz Stefan and Francis III Stephen, Duke of Lorraine) was Holy Roman Emperor and Grand Duke of Tuscany, though his wife effectively executed the real power of those positions. With his wife, Maria Theresa, he was the founder of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty.

Early life

Gold coin, commemorating Emperor Francis' coronation in 1745

Silver coin of Francis I, dated 1754. The Latin inscription reads on the obverse FRANCISCVS D[EI] G[RATIA] ROM[ANORVM] IMP[ERATOR] SEMP[ER] AVG[VUSTVS], or in English, "Francis, by the Grace of God, Emperor of the Romans, forever Augustus" and on the reverse MONETA REIP[VBLICAE] RATISBON[AE] or in English, "Mint of the Republic of Ratisbon."

He was born in Nancy, Lorraine (now in France), the oldest surviving son of Leopold Joseph, duke of Lorraine, and his wife Elizabeth Charlotte, daughter of Philippe I, duc d'Orléans and Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine. He was connected with the Habsburgs through his grandmother Eleanore, daughter of Emperor Ferdinand III, and wife of Charles Leopold of Lorraine, his grandfather.

Emperor Charles VI favored the family, who, besides being his cousins, had served the house of Austria with distinction. He had designed to marry his daughter Maria Theresa to Francis' older brother Clement. On Clement's death, Charles adopted the younger brother as his future son-in-law. Francis was brought up in Vienna with Maria Theresa on the understanding that they were to be married, and a real affection arose between them.

At the age of 15, when he was brought to Vienna, he was established in the Silesian Duchy of Cieszyn, which had been mediatized and granted to his father by the emperor in 1722. He succeeded his father as Duke of Lorraine in 1729, but the emperor, at the end of the War of the Polish Succession, agreed to compensate the French candidate Stanislaus Leszczynski for the loss of his crown in 1735 and persuaded Francis to exchange Lorraine for the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.

Marries and becomes Emperor

On 12 February 1736 Francis and Maria Theresa were married, and they went for a short time to Florence, when he succeeded to the grand duchy on the death of Gian Gastone de' Medici, the last of the ruling house of Medici. His wife secured in the Treaty of Füssen his election to the Empire on 13 September 1745, in succession to Charles VII, and she made him co-regent of her hereditary dominions.

Francis was well content to leave the wielding of power to his able wife. He had a natural fund of good sense and some business capacity and was a useful assistant to Maria Theresa in the laborious task of governing the complicated Austrian dominions, but his functions appear to have been primarily secretarial. He also took a great interest in the natural sciences. He was a member of the Freemasons.^[2]

He died suddenly in his carriage while returning from the opera at Innsbruck on 18 August 1765. He is buried in tomb number 55 in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna.

Maria Theresa and Francis I had sixteen children--their youngest daughter was the future queen consort of France, Marie Antoinette (1755-1793). He was officially succeeded by his eldest son Joseph II although the real power remained with his wife. Another son was the Emperor Leopold II.

Issue

See also

• Kings of Germany family tree. He was related to every other king of Germany.

References

External links

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

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

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