Carl Ludwig Habsburg-Lothringen

Archduke Carl Ludwig of Austria, whose full name was Carl Ludwig Maria Franz Joseph Michael Gabriel Antonius Robert Stephan Pius Gregor Ignatius Markus d’Aviano, was born in Baden bei Wien on 10 March 1918 and died in Brussels on 11 December 2007. He was the fifth child of Emperor Charles I of Austria and his wife, Zita of Bourbon-Parma. As a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, he grew up in a family living in exile after the end of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Carl Ludwig studied at the University of Louvain. He later completed his education at Université Laval in Quebec City, where his family was living in exile. During the Second World War, he and his brother Felix volunteered for an infantry battalion of the United States Army. The unit, known as the “Free Austria Battalion,” was intended to give Austrian exiles the opportunity to fight against National Socialism on the Allied side. It was ultimately disbanded after numerous Jewish volunteers, who made up the majority of the unit, declined to confirm their enlistment. On 17 January 1950, Carl Ludwig married Princess Yolande of Ligne in Belœil. They had four children: Archduke Rudolf, Archduchess Alexandra, Archduke Carl Christian and Archduchess Maria Constanza. The family was closely connected with several European noble and princely houses and later lived mainly in Belgium, Switzerland and other parts of Europe. His eldest son, Rudolf, married Baroness Hélène de Villenfagne de Vogelsanck in 1976. The family subsequently settled in Belgium. In 1978, Rudolf, his children and his male-line descendants were admitted to the Belgian nobility by royal letters patent and received the hereditary title of Prince or Princess of Habsburg-Lorraine, together with the style of Serene Highness. Rudolf worked for an asset manager based in Switzerland and lived at De Diesbach Castle. His numerous children and grandchildren were later recognised by the head of the Imperial House of Austria as Archdukes and Archduchesses. Some pursued religious careers, while others married into European noble families. Carl Ludwig’s daughter Alexandra married Héctor Riesle Contreras, who served as Chilean ambassador to the Holy See. They had three children. His son Carl Christian married Princess Marie Astrid of Luxembourg. He, too, worked for the Swiss asset manager AAA Gestion. The couple’s five children later formed various family and social connections; several married into noble families or princely houses. Some members of the family lived in Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg or the United States. The youngest daughter, Maria Constanza, married Franz Josef, Prince of Auersperg-Trautson, in 1994. They had several daughters, including an adopted daughter. One biological daughter died shortly after birth. Through the marriages of his children and grandchildren, Carl Ludwig became connected with numerous long-established European families, while his descendants pursued modern professional, diplomatic and religious careers. After his death, Carl Ludwig was buried beside his mother in the Capuchin Crypt in Vienna. His life was shaped by the history of the House of Habsburg after the end of the monarchy, his family’s exile, his studies in Belgium and Canada, and his voluntary service during the Second World War. As a member of the former Austrian imperial family, he also remained part of an extensive European family network whose members lived in several countries and undertook a variety of public, economic and religious roles.