Emperor of Austria in 1875. As Ferdinand I had no sons, his brother Francis Charles would have become emperor, but was persuaded by his wife to pass over the right of succession to their son, Francis Joseph. He accepted the duty of the Emperor of Austria without having been Crown Prince or "Thronfolger" before. Francis Joseph's only son Rudolf committed suicide in 1889, Francis Joseph's brother Karl Ludwig died in 1896. Karl Ludwig's son Franz Ferdinand became heir presumptive to the throne. He was assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia in 1914; due to his morganatic marriage, his son had no rights to the throne.
Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria He became a Lieutenant Field Marshal of the Austrian Army. In Vienna, on 18 April 1854, Karl Ferdinand married his first cousin, Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria (1831–1903), the widow of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Este, and the daughter of Archduke Joseph of Austria, Palatine of Hungary. They had six children: Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria (Vienna, 29 July 1818 – Gross Seelowitz (Židlochovice Castle), 20 November 1874) was the second son of Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen (1771–1847) and Princess Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg, and the maternal grandfather of King Alfonso XIII of Spain. A son of