Grand Duke Ferdinand III of Tuscany was born on 6 May 1769 – just a day after his father Leopold’s 22nd birthday. As the second son of Leopold and Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain, he was also the second male grandchild of Empress Maria Theresa.
By order of birth, his elder brother Francis was destined to inherit the imperial throne after their father Leopold, while Ferdinand was intended for the duchy of Tuscany. He inherited the ducal crown in 1790 when Leopold became emperor and ruled the territory successfully for over a decade. He married Princess Luisa of Naples and Sicily (herself a grandchild of Maria Theresa) and had children, including his heir. In 1801, Napoleon seized Tuscany and established the Kingdom of Etruria in its place. Ferdinand was forced to leave his realm but managed to restore his rights after Napoleon’s fall in 1814.
The 6th of May proved significant for him once again in 1821: on this day, now of advanced age, Ferdinand married his second wife, Maria Ferdinanda of Saxony, his first cousin once removed. This union did not produce any children.
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