Gerry's Collection
of Antique Wax Seal Stamps
The Houses of Savoy-Carignan and Habsburg-Lorraine
Ancestry of the Archduke Reiner Joseph and Archduchess Maria Elisabeth of Austria
A stable union that reinforced ties between the House of Savoy-Carignan and the House of Habsburg-Lorraine
Archduchess Maria Elisabeth of Austria, born Princess Maria Elisabeth of Savoy-Carignan in 1800, was a member of the junior branch of the House of Savoy, from which the future kings of Italy descended. Through her marriage in 1820 to Archduke Rainer Joseph of Austria, she entered the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty and gained the rank of Archduchess of Austria. Her position placed her at the heart of the imperial court’s social and political life during a period of significant change in 19th-century Europe.
Archduke Rainer Joseph, a son of Emperor Leopold II and brother to Emperor Francis II/I, served as Viceroy of the Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom from 1818 to 1848. Residing mainly in Milan, the couple became central figures in the cultural and ceremonial life of the Austrian-ruled Italian territories. Their marriage united two great dynasties and reflected the strategic alliances that shaped European politics of the era.
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Maria Theresa of Austria (1717–1780) and Francis Stephen, Duke of Lorraine (1708–1765), who became Emperor Francis I
The Habsburg-Lorraine.
The House of Habsburg-Lorraine was one of the most powerful dynasties in European history, ruling vast territories from the mid-18th century into the 20th century. The family was born from a dynastic marriage in 1736 between Maria Theresa of Austria (1717–1780), the only surviving heir of the Habsburg monarchy, and Francis Stephen, Duke of Lorraine (1708–1765), who became Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor. When Maria Theresa’s father, Emperor Charles VI, died in 1740 without a male heir, the Pragmatic Sanction allowed her to inherit the Habsburg lands. Through her marriage to Francis Stephen, the ancient House of Habsburg merged with the House of Lorraine, creating the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.
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Archduke Rainer Joseph of Austria (1783-1853)
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The Habsburg-Lorraines inherited the Habsburg position as one of Europe’s premier ruling houses. They ruled as Holy Roman Emperors until 1806, and Emperors of Austria from 1804 until the end of the monarchy in 1918. They governed a multi-ethnic empire including Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, parts of Italy, the Balkans, and, at times, the Low Countries. Through marriage alliances, they influenced Spain, France, and many German states. Their motto, "Bella gerant alii, tu felix Austria nube" (Let others wage war. You, happy Austria, marry) reflected their long-standing strategy of expansion through dynastic unions rather than conquest, though they also engaged in major wars.
Archduke Rainer Joseph.
Archduke Rainer Joseph of Austria (Erzherzog Rainer Joseph von Österreich, 1783–1853), who married with Maria Elisabeth of Savoy-Carignano, was a son of Emperor Leopold II, and grandson of Empress Maria Theresa. He was a member of the core imperial family, but not in the direct line of succession. Because Rainer Joseph was not destined for the throne, his role was more administrative and representational than political at the highest level. In 1818, he was appointed Viceroy of the Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom, the Austrian-controlled territories in northern Italy after the Congress of Vienna. This was a highly prestigious post, as Milan and Venice were among the most important and wealthy parts of the empire. He held the position for 30 years (1818–1848) - an exceptionally long tenure - and lived mainly in Milan, where he and his wife, Archduchess Maria Elisabeth of Austria, Princess of Savoy-Carignan, maintained a brilliant viceregal court. Rainer Joseph was known for his mild and courteous personality, which made him personally popular in Milan, in contrast to the harsher image of Austrian military rule. His marriage to Maria Elisabeth was also an important alliance, linking the Habsburg-Lorraine with the House of Savoy.
The Habsburg' reputation in Italy.
The Habsburg emperors were viewed through a divided lens. In the Austrian-ruled Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom, they were respected by many for bringing stability, efficient administration, and a well-ordered legal system after the upheavals of the Napoleonic wars. The imperial court in Milan under Archduke Rainer Joseph and Archduchess Maria Elisabeth cultivated an image of refinement, charity, and cultural patronage, earning personal goodwill among the local aristocracy and bourgeoisie. In Tuscany, the cadet Habsburg-Lorraine branch enjoyed an even better reputation, remembered for enlightened reforms, religious tolerance, and support of the arts. Others saw only the heavy hand of a foreign power determined to preserve the status quo in a land striving for independence. However, the court in Milan under Archduke Rainer Joseph was seen as polite, charitable, and culturally refined, especially among the aristocracy and bourgeoisie.
Archduchess Maria Elisabeth of Austria, Princess of Savoy-Carignan, seems to have been perceived in Milan and the Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom with generally warm and respectful regard. As Vicereine, she played a largely ceremonial and charitable role. Her background as a Savoy-Carignan princess - from a respected Italian princely house - gave her a degree of local legitimacy and softened the image of the Austrian court in Milan.
Maria Elisabeth of Savoy (1800 - 1856)
Thomas Francis, Prince of Carignan.
Umberto I, King of Italy
The Savoy-Carignan, cadet branch of the Savoy.
The House of Savoy-Carignan (Savoia-Carignano in Italian) is an important cadet branch of the House of Savoy, and its story is key to understanding the dynastic web of 18th- and 19th-century Europe. The branch was founded in 1620 by Thomas Francis of Savoy (Tommaso Francesco di Savoia, 1596–1656). Thomas Francis was the youngest son of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy, and Infanta Catherine Michelle of Spain (herself the daughter of King Philip II of Spain). He married Marie de Bourbon, heiress of the French principality of Carignan, which gave the branch its name. Carignan was a strategically important territory in the Ardennes (today France).
From its inception, the Savoy-Carignan branch had strong ties to both Italy and France, a fact that shaped its political role for centuries. At first, Savoy-Carignan was junior to the main ducal line of Savoy, meaning its members were princes but not rulers of the duchy. However, it rose to the highest prominence in the 19th century, when the senior Savoy line ran out of male heirs, the Savoy-Carignan line succeeded to the throne. In 1831, Charles Albert of Savoy-Carignan became King of Sardinia, initiating the final phase of the Risorgimento that would lead to the unification of Italy under the Savoy monarchy.
In terms of dynastic status, the Savoy-Carignan branch was of the same ancient lineage as the Savoy, and intermarried with leading royal families. So, in practice their social standing in European courts was very high, essentially equal, though politically subordinate until their accession to the throne.
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Besides Thomas Francis, the founder of the Savoy-Carignan line, other notable members of the branch include Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663 - 1736), a famous general in the service of the Habsburgs. He never married, but was one of the greatest military leaders of his age. Charles Albert (1798 - 1849) became King of Sardinia in 1831, laying the foundations for Italian unification. And of course, Umberto I (1844 - 1900), son of Victor Emmanuel II, was King of Italy.
The end of the Italian monarchy.
In June 1946, after World War II, Italy held an institutional referendum, and a republic was favored. Victor Emmanuel III (Son of Umberto I who was assassinated in 1900) abdicated in favor of his son, Umberto II, who reigned for only one month. The members of the House of Savoy were exiled, and the male members of the family were banned from entering Italy under the new republican constitution, because the monarchy was considered compromised by its role in supporting Mussolini’s Fascist regime. The family lived abroad, mostly in Portugal, Switzerland, and Egypt, for decades. In 2002, the Italian parliament lifted the constitutional ban on male descendants entering the country. Since then, members of the family have occasionally visited Italy but have no political role. The House of Savoy today is divided by an internal succession dispute between Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy (son of Umberto II), who claims the headship of the house, and Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta, a cousin, who disputes Vittorio Emanuele’s claim.
Gerry's Collection of Antique Seal Stamps.