This is a list of people who were heir apparent or heir presumptive to the Archduchy of Austria from its elevation in 1453 to the end of the monarchy in Austria-Hungary in 1918. Those heirs who succeeded are shown in bold.
The position of heir to the Empire was often of great importance. More than once a younger brother of the emperor was persuaded to renounce his succession rights in his son's favour to provide a young male heir to the throne. The apparent suicide of the Crown Prince in 1889 and the assassination of the subsequent heir in 1914 (considered one of the great causes of World War I) led to instability in the monarchy, perhaps contributing to its abolition at the end of the War in 1918.
Heirs to the Austrian Archduchy
| Archduke | Heir | Relationship to archduke and status | Became heir | Ceased to be heir | Next in line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximilian I | Archduke Philipp | Son Heir apparent | August 19, 1493; father succeeded | September 25, 1506; died | Archduke Siegmund 1st cousin -2, 1493-1496 |
| none, 1496-1500 | |||||
| Archduke Karl son, 1500-1506 | |||||
| Archduke Karl | Grandson Heir apparent | September 25, 1506; father died | January 12, 1519; succession | Archduke Ferdinand brother | |
| Karl I | Archduke Ferdinand | Brother Heir presumptive | January 12, 1519; brother succeeded | April 28, 1521; succession | none |
| Ferdinand I | none, 1521-1527 | ||||
| Archduke Maximilian | Son Heir apparent | July 31, 1527; born | July 25, 1564; succession | none, 1527-1529 | |
| Archduke Ferdinand brother, 1529-1551 | |||||
| Archduke Ferdinand son, 1551-1552 | |||||
| Archduke Ferdinand brother, 1552 | |||||
| Archduke Rudolf son, 1552-1564 | |||||
| Maximilian II | Archduke Rudolf | Son Heir apparent | July 25, 1564; father succeeded | October 12, 1576; succession | Archduke Ernst brother |
| Rudolf V | Archduke Ernst | Brother Heir presumptive | October 12, 1576; brother succeeded | February 20, 1595; died | Archduke Matthias brother |
| Archduke Matthias | Brother Heir presumptive | February 20, 1595; brother died | June 25, 1608; succeeded | Archduke Maximilian brother | |
| Matthias I | Archduke Maximilian | Brother Heir presumptive | June 25, 1608; brother succeeded | November 2, 1618; died | Archduke Albert brother |
| Archduke Albert | Brother Heir presumptive | November 2, 1618; brother died | March 20, 1619; succeeded | Archduke Ferdinand 1st cousin | |
| Albert VII | Archduke Ferdinand | 1st cousin Heir presumptive | March 20, 1619; cousin succeeded | October 9, 1619; succeeded | Archduke Ferdinand son |
| Ferdinand III | Archduke Ferdinand | Son Heir apparent | October 9, 1619; father succeeded | February 15, 1637; succeeded | Archduke Leopold Wilhelm 1619-1633, brother |
| Archduke Ferdinand 1633-1637, son | |||||
| Ferdinand IV | Archduke Ferdinand | Son Heir apparent | February 15, 1637; father succeeded | July 9, 1654; died | Archduke Leopold Wilhelm 1637, uncle |
| Archduke Philipp August 1637-1639, brother | |||||
| Archduke Maximilian Thomas 1639, brother | |||||
| Archduke Leopold Wilhelm 1639-1640, uncle | |||||
| Archduke Leopold 1640-1654, brother | |||||
| Archduke Leopold | Son Heir apparent | July 9, 1654; brother died | April 2, 1657; succeeded | Archduke Charles Joseph brother | |
| Leopold VI | Archduke Charles Joseph | Brother Heir presumptive | April 2, 1657; brother succeeded | January 27, 1664; died | Archduke Leopold Wilhelm 1657-1662, uncle |
| Archduke Ferdinand Charles 1662, 1st cousin -1 | |||||
| Archduke Sigismund Francis 1662-1664, 1st cousin -1 | |||||
| Archduke Sigismund Francis | 1st cousin -1 Heir presumptive | January 27, 1664; cousin died | June 25, 1665; died | none | |
| none, 1665-1667 | |||||
| Archduke Ferdinand Wenzel | Son Heir apparent | 28 September 1667; born | 13 January 1668; died | none | |
| none, 1668-1670 | |||||
| Archduke Johann Leopold | Son Heir apparent | 20 February 1670; born and died | none | ||
| none, 1670-1678 | |||||
| Archduke Joseph | Son Heir apparent | 26 July 1678; born | 5 May 1705; succeeded | none, 1678-1684 | |
| Archduke Leopold Joseph 1682-1684, brother | |||||
| none, 1684-1685 | |||||
| Archduke Charles 1685-1700, brother | |||||
| Archduke Leopold Joseph 1700-1701, son | |||||
| Archduke Charles 1701-1705, brother | |||||
| Joseph I | Archduke Charles | Brother Heir presumptive | 5 May 1705; brother succeeded | 17 April 1711; succeeded | none |
| Charles III | none, 1711-1713 | ||||
| Archduchess Maria Josepha | Niece Heir presumptive | 19 April 1713; Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 | 13 April 1716; son born to Archduke | Archduchess Maria Amalia sister | |
| Archduke Leopold Johann | Son Heir apparent | 13 April 1716; born | 4 November 1716; died | Archduchess Maria Josepha cousin | |
| Archduchess Maria Josepha | Niece Heir presumptive | 4 November 1716; cousin died | 13 May 1717; daughter born to Archduke | Archduchess Maria Amalia sister | |
| Archduchess Maria Theresa | Daughter Heir presumptive | 13 May 1717; born | 20 October 1740; succeeded | Archduchess Maria Josepha 1717–1718, cousin | |
| Archduchess Maria Anna 1718–1737, sister | |||||
| Archduchess Maria Elisabeth 1737–1740, daughter | |||||
| Archduchess Maria Anna 1740, daughter | |||||
| Maria Theresa and Francis I | Archduchess Maria Anna | Daughter Heir presumptive | 20 October 1740; mother succeeded | 13 March 1741; son born to Archduchess | Archduchess Maria Carolina 1740–1741, sister |
| Archduchess Maria Anna 1741, aunt | |||||
| Archduke Joseph | Son Heir apparent | 13 March 1741; born | 18 August 1765; succeeded | Archduchess Maria Anna 1741–1745, sister | |
| Archduke Charles Joseph 1745–1761, brother | |||||
| Archduke Leopold 1761–1765, brother | |||||
| Maria Theresa and Joseph II | Pietro Leopoldo I of Tuscany | Son and Brother Heir presumptive | 18 August 1765; brother succeeded | 20 February 1790; succeeded | Archduke Ferdinand 1765–1768, brother |
| Joseph II | Archduke Francis 1768–1790, son | ||||
| Leopold VII | Archduke Francis | Son Heir apparent | 20 February 1790; father succeeded | 1 March 1792; succeeded | Ferdinando III of Tuscany brother |
| Francis II | Ferdinando III of Tuscany | Brother Heir presumptive | 1 March 1792; brother succeeded | 19 April 1793; son born to Archduke | Archduke Charles brother |
| Archduke Ferdinand | Son Heir apparent | 19 April 1793; born | 11 August 1804; Archduchy replaced by Empire | Ferdinando III of Tuscany 1793–1799, uncle | |
| Archduke Joseph Franz 1799–1804, brother | |||||
Heirs to the Austrian Empire
| Heir | Status | Relationship to monarch | Became heir | Ceased to be heir | Duration as heir | Next in succession Relation to heir | Monarch | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Reason | Date | Reason | ||||||
| Crown Prince Ferdinand | Heir apparent | Eldest son | 11 August 1804 | Father proclaimed emperor of Austria | 2 March 1835 | Became emperor | 30 years, 6 months and 19 days | Archduke Joseph Franz 1804–1807 Younger brother | Franz I |
| Archduke Franz Karl 1807–1835 Younger brother | |||||||||
| Archduke Franz Karl | Heir presumptive | Younger brother | 2 March 1835 | Brother became emperor without children | 2 December 1848 | Renounced his own claim to the throne when his brother abdicated | 13 years and 9 months | Archduke Franz Joseph Eldest son | Ferdinand I |
| Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian | Heir presumptive | Younger brother | 2 December 1848 | Brother became emperor without children | 21 August 1858 | Supplanted: son born to emperor | 9 years, 8 months and 19 days | Archduke Karl Ludwig Younger brother | Franz Joseph I |
| Crown Prince Rudolf | Heir apparent | Eldest son | 21 August 1858 | Born | 30 January 1889 | Committed suicide (Gunshot wound) | 30 years, 5 months and 9 days | Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian 1858–1864 Uncle | |
| Archduke Karl Ludwig 1864–1889 Uncle | |||||||||
| Archduke Karl Ludwig | Heir presumptive | Younger brother | 30 January 1889 | Nephew committed suicide | 19 May 1896 | Died | 7 years, 3 months and 19 days | Archduke Franz Ferdinand Son | |
| Archduke Franz Ferdinand | Heir presumptive | Nephew | 19 May 1896 | Father died | 28 June 1914 | Assassination (Gunshot wound) | 18 years, 1 month and 9 days | Archduke Otto Franz Joseph 1896–1906 Brother | |
| Archduke Karl 1906–1914 Nephew | |||||||||
| Archduke Karl | Heir presumptive | Grandnephew | 28 June 1914 | Uncle was assassinated | 21 November 1916 | Became emperor | 2 years, 4 months and 24 days | Archduke Otto Son | |
| Crown Prince Otto | Heir apparent | Eldest son | 21 November 1916 | Father became emperor | 12 November 1918 | Monarchy abolished | 1 year, 11 months and 22 days | Archduke Robert Brother | Karl I |