Noble family Guelph | Grandchildren Maria Theresa | |
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Father Anthony Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg Mother Elizabeth of Schleswig-Holstein-Sønderborg-Nordborg Born 22 July 1671
Wolfenbüttel ( 1671-07-22 ) Died 1 March 1735, Braunschweig, Germany Spouse Princess Christine Louise of Oettingen-Oettingen (m. 1690) Children Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Parents Anthony Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Elizabeth of Schleswig-Holstein-Sønderborg-Nordborg Similar Princess Christine Louise of, Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick‑Wolfenbüttel, Ferdinand Albert II - Duke of B, Princess Antoinette of Brunsw, Anthony Ulrich - Duke of B | ||
Louis Rudolph, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (German: Ludwig Rudolf) (22 July 1671 – 1 March 1735) ruled over the Wolfenbüttel subdivision of the duchy from 1731 until his death.
Louis Rudolph was the youngest son of Anthony Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. He became a major general in the service of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor in 1690 and was promptly captured in battle by France. After being released the same year, his father gave him the County of Blankenburg as a present, thus violating primogeniture.
In 1707, Blankenburg was raised to a principality of the Holy Roman Empire; in this way, Louis Rudolph became a ruling prince before his elder brother, Augustus William.
On the death of Augustus William in 1731, Louis Rudolph also inherited Wolfenbüttel. After Augustus William had almost ruined the state, Louis Rudolph managed to restore the finances.
Louis Rudolph died without male issue in 1735. He was succeeded by his first cousin, Ferdinand Albert II, who had married Louis Rudolph's youngest daughter, Antoinette Amalie.
Family
Louis Rudolph married Christine Louise, daughter of Albert Ernest I, Prince of Oettingen, at Aurich in 1690. They had the following children who reached adulthood:
Louis Rudolph's descendants include monarchs of World War I Allied Powers George V of the United Kingdom, Nicholas II of Russia, Victor Emmanuel III of Italy, Albert I of the Belgians, Ferdinand I of Romania; monarchs of the Central Powers Wilhelm II of Germany, Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary, Marie-Adélaïde, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg and Ferdinand I of Bulgaria; also the current monarchs of Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands and Liechtenstein. His descendants also included the last rulers of several defunct kingdoms and empires including Francis II the last Holy Roman Emperor, Charles I of Austria, Ludwig III of Bavaria, Frederick Augustus III of Saxony, William II of Württemberg, Francis II of the Two Sicilies, Maximilian I of Mexico, Manuel II of Portugal, Pedro II of Brazil, Constantine II of Greece, Peter II of Yugoslavia, Napoleon II and Louis XVII of France.