Person

Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor

1708–1765 · 18th century · Also known as Francis Stephen of Lorraine, Francis III Stephen

Francis I (1708–1765), born Francis Stephen, was Duke of Lorraine from 1729 until 1737, when he gave up the duchy under the settlement of the War of the Polish Succession and received the Grand Duchy of Tuscany in exchange. His marriage to Maria Theresa in 1736 founded the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. He was elected Holy Roman Emperor in 1745, though his wife held real power in the Habsburg lands.

Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Image: Martin van Meytens · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 profiles

Grand Duchy of TuscanyGovernance, SummaryDuchy of LorraineImpact

Mentioned in 2 state histories

Duchy of LorraineGrand Duchy of Tuscany

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/francis-i-holy-roman-emperor
MLA
“Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/francis-i-holy-roman-emperor. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/francis-i-holy-roman-emperor.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/francis-i-holy-roman-emperor (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻