Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria

Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska Maria of Austria (17 January 1831^[1] – 14 February 1903) was born in Ofen (Buda), Hungary. She was the daughter of Palatine Joseph of Hungary (1776–1847) and his third wife Maria Dorothea of Württemberg (1797–1855).

Her first marriage, on 4 October 1847 in Vienna, was to her first cousin once removed Archduke Ferdinand Karl Viktor of Austria-Este (1821–1849), by whom she had one daughter:

• Archduchess Maria Theresia of Austria-Este (1849–1919), wife of King Ludwig III of Bavaria and Jacobite heir to the thrones of England, Ireland, and Scotland.

Ferdinand Karl died just a few years later after a short period of illness.^[1]

Her second marriage, on 18 April 1854, in Vienna, was to her first cousin Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria (1818–1874),^[2] by whom she had six children:

• Archduke Franz Joseph of Austria (1855–1855)
• Archduke Friedrich of Austria, Duke of Teschen (1856–1936)
• Archduchess Maria Christina of Austria (1858–1929), Queen of Spain, wife of King Alfonso XII of Spain
• Archduke Charles Stephen of Austria (1860–1933)
• Archduke Eugen of Austria (1863–1954)
• Archduchess Maria Eleonora of Austria (1864–1864)

Elisabeth remained in vigorous health during her later years.^[3] In 1903, at the age of 72, Elisabeth began to suffer from sinusitis and on 14 February, at 4pm, she died.^[3] Other sources state that she died of pneumonia after six days of illness.^[4] She is buried in Baden bei Wien, where there is a street named after her.

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