Archduke Joseph Karl of Austria

Like many junior members of royal families, Archduke Joseph Karl entered the military. He became a Major General in the Austrian Army in 1860. During the Austro-Prussian War he commanded a Brigade in the North Army and had three horses shot under him at Königgrätz.[1] In 1867, he became Palatine of Hungary after the death of his childless half-brother Stephen, though the post by that time was symbolic only.

The archduke had an interest in the Romani language and occasionally wrote on this topic to Albert Thomas Sinclair, an American lawyer who shared this interest. A biography of Sinclair notes that the archduke sent a copy of his work, "a large octavo volume handsomely bound. It is a most important and valuable philological work comparing the gypsy words with Sanskrit, Hindustani Persian, etc".[2]

As early as the late 1880s, Archduke Josef advocated turning the poor fishing village of Crikvenica into a new health resort. In 1895 the Grand Hotel named after the archduke was opened there.[3]

His residence was the Archduke Joseph's Palace in Budapest.

On 12 May 1864 in Coburg, Archduke Joseph married Princess Clotilde of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1846–1927), the elder daughter of Prince August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Princess Clémentine of Orléans. They had seven children :

• Archduchess Elisabeth Klementine Klothilde Maria Amalie (18 March 1865 – 7 January 1866)
• Archduchess Maria Dorothea Amalie (14 June 1867 – 6 April 1932)
• Archduchess Margarethe Klementine Maria (6 July 1870 – 2 May 1955)
• Archduke Joseph August Viktor Klemens Maria (9 August 1872 – 6 July 1962)
• Archduke Ladislaus Philipp (16 July 1875 – 6 September 1895), no issue
• Archduchess Elisabeth Henriette Klothilde Maria Viktoria (9 March 1883 – 8 February 1958), married Zoltán Decleva, Hungarian Army Commander in WWII.
• Archduchess Klothilde Maria Amalie Philomena Raineria (9 May 1884 – 14 December 1903), no issue.

He received the following orders and decorations:[4]