William Albert, 1st Prince of Montenuovo
Encyclopedia
William Albert, 1st Prince of Montenuovo (8 August 18197 April 1895) was an Italian prince
and Field Marshal Lieutenant of the Austrian Empire
.
, Duchy of Parma
, son of Adam Albert, Count of Neipperg
(1775–1829), by his second wife, Archduchess Marie Louise of Austria
(1791–1847), (daughter of Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor
and Princess Maria Teresa of Naples and Sicily
). His mother Marie Louise was the Empress consort of Napoleon I of France
from 1810 to 1814 and Duchess of Parma from 1814, she married morganatically
to Adam Albert in 1821. William Albert was half-brother of Napoleon II of France
and took part in the counterinsurgency battles of 1848 in Italy and Hungary, earning since 1854 the title of Second Lieutenant field marshal
.
In 1859 he took part in the disastrous Battle of Magenta
, where the Austrian army was defeated in favor of the Franco-Sardinian army and in 1860 became commander of a regiment, and was moved to Bohemia
in 1866 . In 1867 he was promoted to General of Cavalry, remaining in office until 1878.
of Montenuovo (Italian
translation of Neipperg).
to Countess Juliana Batthyány-Strattmann (1827–1871), youngest daughter of Count János Baptist Batthyány-Strattmann, and his wife, Countess Marie Esterházy de Galántha.
They had three children:
Austrian
Foreign Knight of the Order of the Red Eagle
Knight of the Order of St. Anna
Knight of the Order of Saint Stanislaus
Knight 3rd class of the Order of St. Vladimir
Knight of the Nichan Iftikhar
Knight of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
Prince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
and Field Marshal Lieutenant of the Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
.
Early life
Count William Albert of Neipperg was born at ParmaParma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
, Duchy of Parma
Duchy of Parma
The Duchy of Parma was created in 1545 from that part of the Duchy of Milan south of the Po River, as a fief for Pope Paul III's illegitimate son, Pier Luigi Farnese, centered on the city of Parma....
, son of Adam Albert, Count of Neipperg
Adam Albert von Neipperg
Adam Albert, Count von Neipperg was an Austrian general and statesman. The son of a diplomat, famous for inventing a letter-copying machine, and a French mother, he was the grandson of Wilhelm Reinhard von Neipperg....
(1775–1829), by his second wife, Archduchess Marie Louise of Austria
Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma
Marie Louise of Austria was the second wife of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French and later Duchess of Parma...
(1791–1847), (daughter of Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis II was the last Holy Roman Emperor, ruling from 1792 until 6 August 1806, when he dissolved the Empire after the disastrous defeat of the Third Coalition by Napoleon at the Battle of Austerlitz...
and Princess Maria Teresa of Naples and Sicily
Maria Teresa of Naples and Sicily
Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily was the eldest daughter of Ferdinand IV & III of Naples and Sicily and his wife, Marie Caroline of Austria...
). His mother Marie Louise was the Empress consort of Napoleon I of France
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
from 1810 to 1814 and Duchess of Parma from 1814, she married morganatically
Morganatic marriage
In the context of European royalty, a morganatic marriage is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which prevents the passage of the husband's titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage...
to Adam Albert in 1821. William Albert was half-brother of Napoleon II of France
Military career
In 1838 he joined the ranks of the Austrian armyImperial and Royal Army during the Napoleonic Wars
The Imperial and Royal Army was that of the Austrian Empire, formed on 11 August 1804 preceding the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire ruled by the Habsburgs, under Emperor Francis II .-Background to the army:...
and took part in the counterinsurgency battles of 1848 in Italy and Hungary, earning since 1854 the title of Second Lieutenant field marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
.
In 1859 he took part in the disastrous Battle of Magenta
Battle of Magenta
The Battle of Magenta was fought on June 4, 1859 during the Second Italian War of Independence, resulting in a French-Sardinian victory under Napoleon III against the Austrians under Marshal Ferencz Gyulai....
, where the Austrian army was defeated in favor of the Franco-Sardinian army and in 1860 became commander of a regiment, and was moved to Bohemia
Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia was a country located in the region of Bohemia in Central Europe, most of whose territory is currently located in the modern-day Czech Republic. The King was Elector of Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806, whereupon it became part of the Austrian Empire, and...
in 1866 . In 1867 he was promoted to General of Cavalry, remaining in office until 1878.
Prince of Montenuovo
In 1864 he was elevated to the status of PrincePrince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
of Montenuovo (Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
translation of Neipperg).
Marriage
William Albert married on 22 February 1861 in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
to Countess Juliana Batthyány-Strattmann (1827–1871), youngest daughter of Count János Baptist Batthyány-Strattmann, and his wife, Countess Marie Esterházy de Galántha.
They had three children:
- Princess Albertine of Montenuovo (30 June 1853 – 13 November 1895), married in 1873 to Count Zygmunt Wielopolski, Marquis Gonzaga-Myszkowski, had issue.
- Alfred, 2nd Prince of MontenuovoAlfred, 2nd Prince of MontenuovoAlfred, 2nd Prince of Montenuovo was one of the highest court officials of Emperor Francis Joseph I of Austria...
(16 September 1854 – 6 September 1927), married in 1879 to Countess Franziska Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau, had issue. - Princess Marie of Montenuovo (14 October 1868 – 17 April 1932), married in 1878 to Count Antal Apponyi de Nagy-Appony, had issue.
Honours
Parma- Knight Grand Cross of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint GeorgeSacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint GeorgeThe Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George is a Roman Catholic order of chivalry. It was fictively established by Constantine the Great, though in reality it was founded between 1520 and 1545 by two brothers of the Angeli Comneni family. Members of the Angeli Comneni family remained...
- Commander Order of Merit under the title of St. Louis
Austrian
- Knight of the Order of the Golden FleeceOrder of the Golden FleeceThe Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430, to celebrate his marriage to the Portuguese princess Infanta Isabella of Portugal, daughter of King John I of Portugal. It evolved as one of the most prestigious orders in Europe...
- Knight of the Military Order of Maria TheresaMilitary Order of Maria TheresaThe Military Order of Maria Theresa was an Order of the Austro-Hungarian Empire founded on June 18, 1757, the day of the Battle of Kolin, by the Empress...
- Knight of the Order of LeopoldOrder of Leopold (Austria)The Imperial Austrian Order of Leopold was founded by Franz I of Austria on 8 January 1808. The order's statutes stipulated only three grades: Grand Cross, Commander and Knight. During the war, in common with the other Austro-Hungarian decorations Crossed Swords were instituted to reward bravery in...
- Medal of War
Foreign Knight of the Order of the Red Eagle
Order of the Red Eagle
The Order of the Red Eagle was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful service to the kingdom, or other achievements...
Knight of the Order of St. Anna
Order of St. Anna
The Order of St. Anna ) is a Holstein and then Russian Imperial order of chivalry established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp on 14 February 1735, in honour of his wife Anna Petrovna, daughter of Peter the Great of Russia...
Knight of the Order of Saint Stanislaus
Order of Saint Stanislaus
The Order of Saint Stanislaus , also spelled Stanislas, was an Order in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and The Kingdom of Poland between 1765 and 1831 and of Russian Empire from 1831 to 1917.-History of the Order of Saint Stanislaus:Stanisław August Poniatowski, King of Poland, established the...
Knight 3rd class of the Order of St. Vladimir
Order of St. Vladimir
The Cross of Saint Vladimir was an Imperial Russian Order established in 1782 by Empress Catherine II in memory of the deeds of Saint Vladimir, the Grand Prince and the Baptizer of the Kievan Rus....
Knight of the Nichan Iftikhar
Nichan Iftikhar
Nichan Iftikhar or Atiq Nishan-i-Iftikhar or Nişan-i İftihar , was an Ottoman and Tunisian honorary order founded in 1835 by Al-Mustafa ibn Mahmud...
Knight of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta