n.
born Aug. 21, 1858, Schloss Laxenburg, near Vienna, Austria
died Jan. 30, 1889, Schloss Mayerling, near Vienna
Archduke and crown prince of Austria.
The son of Emperor Francis Joseph , he received a broad education and traveled widely. As heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, he hoped to bring reform to the empire, but his liberal views alienated his father, and he was excluded from the business of government. From 1881 he considered having himself crowned king of Hungary and reviving a kingdom of Poland. He then became despondent and allegedly formed a suicide pact with his mistress, Maria Vetsera; the two were found shot dead in the hunting lodge at Mayerling. Efforts to disguise the facts provoked many rumours, while romantic writers found inspiration in the story.