18th Cent. Franz I, Holy Roman Emperor.

Franz I Stephan

Francis Stephen d'Lorraine was born on 8 December 1708, in Lunéville, Lorraine, France. He was the son of Elisabeth Charlotte d'Orléans, Duchesse Consort de Lorraine (13 September 1676 - 23 December 1744) and Leopold Joseph, Duc d'Lorraine (11 September 1679 - 27 March 1729). His maternal grandparents were Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate (27 May 1652 - 9 December 1722) and Philippe de France, Duc d'Orléans (21 September 1640 - 9 June 1701). His paternal grandparents were Archduchess Eleonora Maria Josefa of Austria (31 May 1653 - 17 December 1697) and Charles V, Duc d'Lorraine (3 April 1643 - 18 April 1690). Francis's parents were married on 13 October 1698, at the Palace of Fontainebleau. His siblings were: Léopold d'Lorraine (1699-1700), Elisabeth Charlotte d'Lorraine (1700-1711), Louise Christine d'Lorraine (1701-1701), Marie Gabrièle d'Lorraine (1702-1711), Louis d'Lorraine (1704-1711), Josepha Gabrièle d'Lorraine (1705-1708), Gabrièle Louise d'Lorraine (1706-1710), Léopold Clement d'Lorraine (1707-1723), Eléonore d'Lorraine (1710-1710), Elisabeth Therese d'Lorraine (1711-1741), Charles Alexander d'Lorraine (1712-1780) and Anne Charlotte d'Lorraine (1714-1773). His father, Léopold died on 27 March 1729, at Château de Lunéville, in Lorraine. He was interred at Église Saint-François-des-Cordeliers, in Nancy. Franz Stephan d'Lorraine married Maria Theresia, Archduchess of Austria (13 May 1717 - 29 November 1780) on 12 February 1736. She was the daughter of Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Holy Roman Empress (28 August 1691 - 21 December 1750) and Karl VI, Holy Roman Emperor (1 October 1685 - 20 October 1740). Maria Theresia and Franz I had sixteen children, eleven daughters and five sons.

The Children of Maria Theresia and Franz I Stephan:
Archduchess Maria Elisabeth of Austria (5 February 1737 - 6 June 1740)

Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria (6 October 1738 - 19 November 1789)

Archduchess Maria Karolina of Austria (12 January 1740 - 25 January 1741)

Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor (13 March 1741 - 20 February 1790) Married 1st: Infanta Isabella of Spain. Married 2nd: Princess Marie Josepha of Bavaria.

Archduchess Maria Christina of Austria (13 May 1742 - 24 June 1798) Married Prince Albert of Saxony, Duke of Teschen.

Archduchess Maria Elisabeth of Austria (13 August 1743 - 22 September 1808)
Archduke Carl Joseph of Austria (1 February 1745 - 18 January 1761)
Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria (26 February 1746 - 9 June 1804) Married Ferdinand, Duke of Parma.
Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor (5 May 1747 - 1 March 1792) Married Infanta Maria Louisa of Spain.

Archduchess Maria Carolina of Austria (17 September 1748 - 17 September 1748) Stillborn

Archduchess Maria Johanna Gabriela of Austria (4 February 1750 - 23 December 1762)
Archduchess Maria Josepha of Austria (19 March 1751 - 15 October 1767)

Archduchess Maria Carolina of Austria (13 August 1752 - 7 September 1814) Married King Ferdinand IV of Naples and Sicily.

Archduke Ferdinand of Austria (1 June 1754 - 24 December 1806) Married Maria Beatrice d'Este

Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria (2 November 1755 - 16 October 1793) Married Louis XVI of France in 1770.

Archduke Maximilian Franz of Austria (8 December 1756 - 27 June 1801)

His mother, Élisabeth Charlotte died of a stroke on 23 December 1744, at Château de Commercy, in Commercy, Lorraine, France. She was buried at Église Saint-François-des-Cordeliers, in Nancy, France.

Franz I Stephan with his Daughters

Detail by Martin van Meytens

1754

Maria Theresia made her husband co-Regent on 13 September 1745, in the Treaty of Füssen. His son, Joseph of Austria married Isabella Maria of Parma (31 December 1741 - 27 November 1763) in 1760. She was the daughter of Princess Marie Louise Élisabeth de France (14 August 1727 - 6 December 1759) and Prince Felipe of Spain (15 March 1720 - 18 July 1765).

Franz I Stephan, Holy Roman Emperor 

by Maria Christina of Austria

1760

Franz I Stephan died on 18 August 1765, in Innsbruck. He was interred in Tomb number 55, at the Imperial Crypt, in Wien. He was succeeded as Holy Roman Emperor by his eldest son, Joseph II, and as Grand Duke of Tuscany by his younger son, Leopold.