Description

Frederick was born in Innsbruck Austria in 1415 to the Austrian line of the Hapsburg family. Chosen as Holy Roman Emperor in 1452 he became the last Emperor whose coronation was held in Rome. His rule was characterized by some as sluggish and indecisive, while others felt his lethargic resistance to change was commendable. A former member of Frederick’s court once described him as a person who wanted to conquer the world while remaining seated.
In 1452 Frederick married Princess Eleanor of Portugal with whom he had two children, Maximilian who would succeed him and a daughter Kunigunde who married Albert IV Duke of Bavaria. Frederick managed to arrange a marriage for his son Maximilian to Mary of Burgundy. Mary’s huge dowry helped her husband Maximilian build the Habsburg Dynasty into the powerhouse it became.
Frederick died at Linz in 1493, aged 77. For the last ten years of his reign he had shared the throne with his son Maximilian I.