Longest lines

The longest Habsburg line, parent to child

Twenty-three generations, parent to child, from Rudolf I of Germany, born in 1218, to Otto von Habsburg, born in 1912 — 694 years, every birth year in it exact.

1. Rudolf I of Germany (1218–1291) — 37 years to the next generation
2. Albert I of Germany (1255–1308) — 43 years to the next generation
3. Albert II, Duke of Austria (1298–1358) — 53 years to the next generation
4. Leopold III, Duke of Austria (1351–1386) — 26 years to the next generation
5. Ernest, Duke of Austria (1377–1424) — 38 years to the next generation
6. Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor (1415–1493) — 44 years to the next generation
7. Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (1459–1519) — 19 years to the next generation
8. Philip I of Castile (1478–1506) — 22 years to the next generation
9. Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) — 28 years to the next generation
10. Maria of Austria, Holy Roman Empress (1528–1603) — 21 years to the next generation
11. Anna of Austria, Queen of Spain (1549–1580) — 29 years to the next generation
12. Philip III of Spain (1578–1621) — 28 years to the next generation
13. Maria Anna of Spain (1606–1646) — 34 years to the next generation
14. Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor (1640–1705) — 45 years to the next generation
15. Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor (1685–1740) — 32 years to the next generation
16. Maria Theresa (1717–1780) — 30 years to the next generation
17. Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor (1747–1792) — 21 years to the next generation
18. Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor (1768–1835) — 34 years to the next generation
19. Archduke Franz Karl of Austria (1802–1878) — 31 years to the next generation
20. Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria (1833–1896) — 32 years to the next generation
21. Archduke Otto of Austria (1865–1906) — 22 years to the next generation
22. Charles I of Austria (1887–1922) — 25 years to the next generation
23. Otto von Habsburg (1912–2011)

The archive’s Habsburg records begin with Rudolf, the first Habsburg to become King of the Romans, and the line descends from him through the dukes of Austria. Its widest step comes early: Albert II was born 53 years before his son Leopold III, and Leopold’s Wikipedia biography adds that his mother, Joanna of Pfirt, was 51 when he was born. Later the narrowest step came the other way — Maximilian I was only 19 years older, by birth year, than his son Philip I of Castile, whose own son was Charles V.

In the middle the line turns away from father-to-son descent and bends through women. From Charles V it passes to his daughter Maria, wife of Maximilian II; to her daughter Anna, who married her uncle Philip II; to their son Philip III; to his daughter Maria Anna, who married Ferdinand III; and so to Leopold I. The detour is a product of those family marriages. Philip III descends from Charles V twice — through his father in two generations and through his mother in three — and the longer road is the one a longest line follows.

Maria Theresa, the one woman who ruled the Habsburg monarchy in her own right, married Francis Stephen of Lorraine, so from their son Leopold II the line belongs to the house of Habsburg-Lorraine. It continues through Francis II and three archdukes to Charles I, the last emperor of Austria, whose reign ended with the monarchy in 1918, and to his son Otto, crown prince at the collapse and afterwards head of the house. Because all 22 gaps are dated, the average of 31.5 years between generations rests on no estimates.

Computed from every recorded line in The House of Habsburg on Kinlight; written 29 September 2026.