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Archduke Franz Salvator von Österreich-Toskana

Archduke Franz Salvator Maria Joseph Ferdinand Karl Leopold Anton von Padua Johann Baptist Januarius Aloys Gonzaga Rainer Benedikt Bernhard was born at Alt-Münster on 21 August 1866.  He was the younger brother of Archduke Leopold Salvator. Franz and his brothers carried the second name "Salvator" from their father, Karl Salvator.  Franz Salvator was also first cousin to Archduke Josef Ferdinand and Archduke Peter Ferdinand, whose father was the elder brother to Karl Salvator and the former Grand Duke of Tuscany.  Also, Franz Salvator's oldest sister, Maria Theresa, married the Archduke Karl Stefan, thus intertwining the branches of the family tree ever further.  Franz Salvator was married on 31 July 1890 to Marie Valerie von Österreich, the youngest daughter of Franz Josef. He was therefore the son in-law of the Kaiser.  Marie Valerie was born at Ofen (Budapest) on 22 April 1868 and died at Schloß Wallsee on 6 September 1924.  Together, they had ten children, all of whom were very much cherished not only by themselves but also by the lonely Kaiser:  Elisabeth (1892-1930), Franz Karl (1893-1918), Hubert Salvator (1894-1971), Hedwig (1896-1970), Theodore Salvator (1899-1978), Elisabeth Ignatia (1900-1942), Maria (1901-1936), Clemens Salvator (1904-1974), Mathilde (1906-1991), and Agnes (1911-1911). Franz Salvator married again, morganatically, to Melanie Freiin von Riesenfels in Vienna on 28 April 1934.  Melanie lived until 10 November 1984. Archduke Franz Salvator was a colonel in the Hussar regiment No. 15.  This regiment saw action mainly in the moutainous Tirol front in WWI. Archduke Franz Salvator died in Vienna on 20 April 1939. GWS, 10/01 [rev. 11/03]

The Archduke was quite the ladies' man!