Charles VII Albert Holy Roman Emperor ¹⁸⁹⁶

   Another name for Charles was Karl VII.¹⁸⁹⁶

  General Notes:

Emperor Charles VII Albert (Brussels August 6, 1697 - January 20, 1745 in Munich), a member of the Wittelsbach family, was Holy Roman Emperor from January 24, 1742 until his death in 1745.

He was the son of Maximilian II Emanuel, elector of Bavaria and Teresa Kunegunda Sobieska, and grandson of Emperor Leopold I and Polish King John III Sobieski. His family was split during the War of the Spanish Succession and was for many years under house arrest in Austria. Only in 1715 did the family become re-united.

In 1726 Charles Albert became elector of Bavaria. During his reign the Amalienburg, a splendid rococo pavillon in the park of Nymphenburg Palace was built.

As son in law of Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor Charles Albert rejected the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 and claimed the German crown after the death of Charles VI in 1740. He invaded Upper Austria and Bohemia with allied French troops in 1741. His brother Klemens August of Bavaria, archbishop and elector (Kurfürst) of Cologne, who mostly sided with the Austria Habsburg-Lorraine side during the Habsburg successions, cast his vote for him and personally crowned him emperor at Frankfurt in 1742. During Charles Albert's short reign most of Bavaria was occupied by the troops of Maria Theresa. In 1744 Charles VII reobtained Munich and returned only to die three months later. His brother Klemens August then again leaned toward Austria. ¹⁸⁹⁶

  Life Events:

1. Acceded: Holy Roman Emperor (King of Germany), 24 Jan 1742-20 Jan 1745. ¹⁸⁹⁶