Ferdinand I of Austria was born on 19 April 1793. He was the eldest son of Francis II (later Francis I of Austria) and Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily. Due to his parents’ close consanguinity (they were double first cousins), Ferdinand had only four great-grandparents instead of the usual eight.
In the mildest terms, Ferdinand’s mental state might be described as weak. However, the list of his conditions is striking: hydrocephalus, severe epilepsy, and other serious ailments. Incapable of ruling independently, he fulfilled primarily ceremonial and representational duties, while actual government was exercised by a council appointed by his father before his death.
On a personal level, however, Ferdinand was far from the hopeless figure he might appear to have been. According to contemporary accounts, the Emperor possessed a mild and benevolent character, showed interest in gardening and heraldry, and displayed some linguistic and artistic talent, as well as an occasional delicate sense of humour. Throughout his life, he kept a diary with remarkable regularity.
After thirteen years of nominal rule, when the dynasty faced the upheavals of the Revolutions of 1848, Ferdinand abdicated in favour of his nephew Franz Joseph I. Retaining all his titles, privileges, and income, he withdrew to Prague Castle together with his wife Maria Anna of Savoy. They had no children.
Ferdinand died at the age of eighty-two in 1875, after twenty-eight years of quiet and peaceful retirement.
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