Archduke Charles Stephen of Austria

Archduke Charles Stephen of Austria-Teschen (Karl Stephan Eugen Viktor Felix Maria von Österreich-Teschen, later Karl Stephan Habsburg-Lothringen, from 1919 – Karol Stefan Habsburg-Lotaryński; (5 September 1860-7 April 1933) was a member of the House of Habsburg and a Grand Admiral in the Austro-Hungarian Navy.

Family

Military career

In 1879 Charles Stephen was commissioned as a Seefähnrich in the Austro-Hungarian Navy. Appointed his naval governor in 1879 was Fregattenkapitän (later Admiral) Hermann von Spaun, who accompanied him on a voyage to Brazil and North America in the goelette Saida. In 1896 he retired from active duty. He continued, however, to be advanced in rank, attaining the rank of Admiral in 1901 and Grossadmiral (Grand Admiral) in 1911. ² He was named Marineinspekteur (Navy Inspector), making him the titular ranking officer of the Navy. Others, however, had effective control of operations in 1914-1918; Anton Haus, Maximilian Njegovan and Miklós Horthy each served in turn as Flottenkommandant (Fleet Commander). In 1918 the Emperor Charles I put him in charge of the enquiry into the mutiny of the navy at Cattaro (now Kotor in Montenegro). Charles Stephen recommended a sweeping re-organisation of the navy and the appointment of Miklós Horthy as commander-in-chief. ³

Charles Stephen was an officer à la suite of the Imperial German Navy and proprietary head of the 8th Austrian Infantry Regiment. His brother, Feldmarschall Archduke Friedrich, was commander-in-chief of the Austro-Hungarian Army from July 1914 to February 1917, and his eldest son, Archduke Karl Albrecht, held the rank of Oberst (Colonel) at the end of World War I.

Candidate for Polish crown

At the time Charles Stephen was living at the Castle of Saysbusch (Żywiec), in Galicia. His chances were enhanced by the fact that he spoke fluent Polish. Two of his daughters were married to Polish princes belonging to the noble houses of Radziwill and Czartoryski. However as Charles Stephen was a member of the Imperial House of Austria he needed permission to become king from the head of the family, Emperor Charles I, who hesitated, having himself planned to assume the Polish crown. Moreover, the Radziwill and Czartoryski families urged the cause of Russia (as their ancestors had in the 18th century). Adding to the political muddle was the support of Ukraining nationalism by Charles Stephen's son, Archduke Wilhelm.

In the end, the proclamation was so vague and tentative that it failed to inspire enthusiasm among its supposed beneficiaries or even among the Germans and Austro-Hungarians themselves.

Yachting

In addition to his professional career as a naval officer, Charles Stephen took an active interest in yachting. He was a flag officer of the Imperial and Royal Yacht Squadron. ⁵ His interest in yachting brought him to England on several occasions including in 1879 for the Royal Yacht Squadron Regatta, ⁶ in 1900, ⁷ and in 1911. ⁸ In 1892 he was made a member of the (British) Yacht Racing Association. ⁹ He purchased several British yachts including the Valkyrie from the Earl of Dunraven in 1892 ¹⁰ and the Ul from Ramage and Ferguson Limited in 1911. ¹¹

Estates

When Charles Stephen's uncle Archduke Albert, Duke of Teschen died in 1895, he and his brothers each inherited large estates. His largest properties were in Galicia especially at Saybusch (now Żywiec in Poland). Among the businesses operated here was the Żywiec Brewery which was nationalized by the Communists after World War II. Charles Stephen had a palace at Pola (now Pula in Croatia) and a winter palace in Lussin (now Lošinj. He also had a palace in Vienna in the Wiedner Hauptstrasse. ¹²

Honours

Later life

After 1918 Charles Stephen continued to live in Żywiec, which had passed to the sovereignty of the Republic of Poland. He died there on 7 April 1933. Archduchess Maria Theresia died there a month later, on 10 May 1933. Neither lived to see the war fronts pass through Galicia in 1939 and 1945, bringing first Nazi and then Communist rule.

Ancestry

Notes

^ "Marriage of an Archduke", The Times (March 1, 1886): 5.
^ Lawrence Sondhaus, The Naval Policy of Austria-Hungary, 1867-1918: Navalism, Industrial Development, and the Politics of Dualism (West Lafayette, Ind.: Purdue University Press, 1994), 135-136.
^ Sondhaus, 325-326.
^ "Will Crown Archduke as King of Poland", The New York Times (August 16, 1915): 1; Catherine Radziwill, The Austrian Court from Within (London: Cassell, 1916), 161; "Archduke Charles to Govern Poland", The New York Times (December 14, 1916): 6; "Imperial And Foreign News Items", The Times (May 17, 1917): 5; "The Meeting Of The Reichsrath", The Times (May 31, 1917): 5.
^ "The Pola Regatta", The Times (April 12, 1895): 8.
^ "Yachting", The Times (August 8, 1879): 11.
^ "Court Circular", The Times (June 30, 1900): 8.
^ "Court Circular", The Times (September 2, 1911): 9.
^ "Yacht Racing Association", The Times (January 21, 1892): 4.
^ "Court Circular", The Times (April 29, 1892): 9.
^ "Launch of a Royal Yacht", The Times (May 31, 1911): 12; ""Imperial Steam Yacht", The Times (July 26, 1911): 24.
^ Nellie Ryan, My Years at the Austrian Court (London: J. Lane, 1915), 76-77.
^ Almanach de Gotha, 1910, p. 7.
^ Guy Stair Sainty, "The Sacred Military Order of Saint Stephen, Pope and Martyr"
^ "Three Archdukes Removed", The New York Times (September 22, 1916): 3

Contents