Francis V, Duke of Modena

Francis V
Francis V, Duke of Modena. Portrait by Luigi Manzini
Duke of Modena
Reign	21 January 1846 - 11 June 1859 (&1000000000000001300000013 years, &10000000000000141000000141 days)
Predecessor	Francis IV
Jacobite pretender
Pretendence	15 September 1840 - 20 November 1875 (&1000000000000003500000035 years, &1000000000000006600000066 days)
Predecessor	Maria Beatrice of Savoy
Successor	Maria Theresia of Austria-Este
Born	1 June 1819(1819-06-01)
Died	20 November 1875(1875-11-20) (aged 56)

Francesco Ferdinando Geminiano von Habsburg-Lothringen, known as Francis V of Modena (Italian: Francesco V d'Asburgo-Este) (1 June 1819 – 20 November 1875), Archduke of Austria-Este, Royal Prince of Hungary and Bohemia, was Duke of Modena, Reggio, and Mirandola, Duke of Massa and Prince of Carrara from 1846 to 1875. He was the eldest son of Francis IV of Modena and of Princess Maria Beatrice of Savoy. He was also the Jacobite Pretender from 1840 until his death.

Life and legacy

The obelisk erected to celebrate the marriage of the Duke with Princess Adelgunde of Bavaria. Reggio Emilia.

Francis was baptised 5 days after birth by the local Archbishop in the local Cathedral; Emperor Franz I of Austria, the former Holy Roman Emperor, acted as his godfather, but his uncle Archduke Ferdinand acted as proxy for the emperor.

Upon the death of Victor Emmanuel in 1824, Maria Beatrice became recognized as Jacobite Queen of England, Scotland, France and Ireland. Jacobites also recognized Francis as "The Prince Francis of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland".

In 1826 Francis IV of Modena appointed Count Clemente Coronini as tutor of Francis, with Don Pietro Raffaelli, who would later become Bishop of Carpi and Reggio, as his assistant. In 1829, Baron Ernest Geramb became the new tutor of Francis.

On 15 September 1836, Francis became Knight of the Austrian Order of the Golden Fleece, and 3 years later he got the Grand Cordon of the Dutch Order of the Lion.

After the death of his mother in 1840, Francis was considered the legitimate heir to the thrones of England and Scotland by Jacobites (with the regnal title King Francis I). At his death the position of Jacobite heir passed to his niece (as Mary IV and III), Maria Theresia Henriette Dorothee, who was subsequently Queen Consort of Bavaria.

On March 30, 1842, Francis married Princess Adelgunde of Bavaria, daughter of King Ludwig I of Bavaria, at the Munich Residenz in the Allerheiligen-Hofkirche. The Archbishop of Munich-Freising was the chief witness to the wedding. The couple had only one child, Princess Anna Beatrice (October 19, 1848 in Gries, Bolzano – July 8, 1849 in Modena).

In 1842, Francis got another order: the Savoy Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation.

At the death of his father Francis IV of Modena (January 21, 1846), Francis succeeded as reigning Duke of Modena. As member of a cadet branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine he also bore the titles of an Archduke of Austria and a Prince Royal of Hungary and Bohemia from birth; from his father he inherited also the title of Duke of Reggio and Mirandola, Duke of Massa, Prince of Carrara and Lunigiana.
At the death of his cousin the Empress Marie-Louise, December 18, 1847, he succeeded as Duke of Guastalla.

In 1855, Francis established his own new order: the Order of the Eagle of Este, and he acted as the Grand Master himself.

In 1859 the Duchy of Modena was invaded by armies of France and Piedmont. On June 14, Francis fled. On March 18, King Victor Emanuel II of Sardinia ordered Modena to be incorporated into the new kingdom of Italy. Francis protested it 4 days later.

After the loss of his duchy, Francis withdrew to Vienna and lived in Palais Modena. He also had a summer residence at Schloss Wildenwart, Bavaria. Although he spent most time in Austria, he sometimes want traveling. In 1864 he visited Middle East.

On March 7, 1861, William Ewart Gladstone, the Chancellor of the Exchequer de facto, made a verbal attack against Francis. Later Lord Derby and Constantine Phipps, Marquis of Normanby discovered it that the accusation of Gladstone was entirely false.

Francis died at Vienna on November 20, 1875. He left most of his huge estate to his cousin Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria who subsequently used the title Archduke of Austria-Este. His remains was kept at the Capuchin Church in Vienna.

Ancestors

References

• Giornale della Reale Ducale Brigata Estense, Ristampa anastatica Aedes Muratoriana, Modena 1977
• Gian Carlo Montanari, I Fedelissimi del Duca - La Brigata Estense, Edizioni il Fiorino, Modena 1995
• Elena Bianchini Braglia, In esilio con il Duca, Il Cerchio Iniziative Editoriali, Rimini 2007. ISBN 88-8474-134-3
• Nicola Guerra, "I filoestensi apuani durante il processo di unita' nazionale" in Rassegna storica Toscana, Leo S. Olschki Editore, Firenze 2003

External links

• Francis I (Jacobite)

Francis V, Duke of Modena House of Austria-Este Cadet branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine Born: 1 June 1819 Died: 20 November 1875
Regnal titles
Preceded by Francis IV	Duke of Modena 1846-1860	Italian unification
Royal titles
Preceded by Francis IV	Archduke of Austria-Este 1846-1875	Succeeded by Franz Ferdinand
Titles in pretence
Preceded by Himself	— TITULAR — Duke of Modena 1860-1875	Succeeded by Franz Ferdinand
Preceded by Mary III	Jacobite succession 1840-1875	Succeeded by Mary IV