Ferdinand IV, Grand Duke of Tuscany


Ferdinand IV, Grand Duke of Tuscany was the last Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1859 to 1860. The House of Habsburg-Lorraine continued to hold the title as pretenders until the end of World War I.

Biography

Born at Florence, he was the son of Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Princess Maria Antonia of the Two Sicilies.
He and his family were forced to flee Florence on 27 April 1859, with the outbreak of a revolution inspired by the outbreak of a war by France and Sardinia-Piedmont against Austria as part of the unification of Italy. The family took refuge in Austria. After the end of the war, Leopold II abdicated on 21 July and Ferdinand succeeded him as Grand Duke. Ferdinand proved unable to return to Florence to claim his throne, and an elected Tuscan National Assembly formally deposed him only a month later, on 16 August. Ferdinand still hoped to recover his throne, as both France and Austria had promised to recognize his rights to it in the Armistice of Villafranca. However, neither power was willing to take any steps to bring about his restoration. The Kingdom of Sardinia annexed Tuscany on 22 March 1860, ending Ferdinand's hopes to reclaim the throne.
Ferdinand spent the rest of his life in exile in Austria. He died there, in Salzburg, in 1908.

Family and children

He married twice and had issue:
From his first marriage in Dresden on 24 November 1856 to Princess Anna of Saxony,, daughter of King John I of Saxony, was born:
From his second marriage in Frohsdorf on 11 January 1868 to Princess Alice "Alix" of Parma, daughter of Charles III of Parma:
He received the following awards: