Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Death of Archduke Ludwig Salvator

October 14, 1915


Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria has died at Schloss Brandeis, in Bohemia according to German newspapers, reports the New York Times.  He was 68 years old.

The archduke was known as an "explorer and scientist." and was an "honorary member of the Imperial Academy of Sciences of Bohemia."

He was born in Florence on August 4, 1847, the 12th of thirteen children of Leopoldo II, Grand Duke of Tuscany.   Leopoldo II was married twice.  He had three children by his first marriage to Princess Maria Anna of Saxony, who died in 1832.  A year later, he married Princess Antoinetta of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.  They were the parents of ten children.

Archduke Ludwig Salvator never married. When he was young, he fell in love with a cousin, Archduchess Mathilde, the daughter of the Duke of Teschen.  Ludwig wanted to marry her, but she was promised Prince Umberto of Savoy.  On June 6, 1867, Mathilde, then only eighteen, was getting dressed to attend the theatre.  She enjoyed smoking cigarettes, but when her father, who abhorred smoking, appeared, she tried to hide the cigarette behind her.  Her dress caught fire, and she died in front of her family, sustaining second and third-degree burns.

He did have several relationships with women and fathered numerous illegitimate children.


2 comments:

maria taranto said...

Dear Marlene, I enjoyed your very interesting article on the Archduke Luigi Salvatore of Austria. My father's father and mother were from the Aeolian Islands and I have a number of books about the islands by Luigi Salvatore. Since my father had a Habsburg jaw I always wondered why. Your amusing comment that Luigi Salvatore fathered many illegitimate children was just what I thought may have happened. Thanks again. Maria

maria taranto said...

Dear Marlene, I enjoyed your very interesting article on the Archduke Luigi Salvatore of Austria. My father's father and mother were from the Aeolian Islands and I have a number of books about the islands by Luigi Salvatore. Since my father had a Habsburg jaw I always wondered why. Your amusing comment that Luigi Salvatore fathered many illegitimate children was just what I thought may have happened. Thanks again. Maria