AHC: Have a direct offshoot of the Hapsburgs survive to the present-day

Your challenge is to have an offshoot of the Hapsburgs (FPoTS, cadet branches and branches which 'split' off count) survive to the present day, and hold power in a country.

Also FPoTS, we're going to say that H-L doesn't exist.

Well, every female birth has an equal chance of being a male birth, so in principle any of the female Habsburgs could have been born male, but that's no guarantee of having a male line that descends to the present day.

But the easiest is probably to have Baltasar Carlos (the son of Philip IV by his first wife) survive. Not only does his Bourbon mother mean that he's somewhat less ludicrously inbred than Charles II, he will avoid the War of Spanish Succession and the end of Habsburg rule in Spain. In this scenario, it's entirely possible that a Habsburg monarch could still be ruling Spain (at least as much as Juan Carlos does).

Well, they aren't Hapsburgs per se, but I always thought it would be pretty cool if somehow Ferdinand of Austria and Philippine Welser's kids ended up leaving a line of descent. IDK where they'd rule though - Tyrol perhaps?

I mean, after all, considering the Empire was elective, would it be so hard to imagine one of them somehow being supported by the Welser finances to bribe their way into winning an election?

Colonel Levnekov said:

Your challenge is to have an offshoot of the Hapsburgs (FPoTS, cadet branches and branches which 'split' off count) survive to the present day, and hold power in a country.

Also FPoTS, we're going to say that H-L doesn't exist.

Click to expand...

It very nearly happened in Belgium in the last 20 years.

A lot people assumed that the current King would not marry and have children. The next in line with his sister Astrid, who is married to a grandson of Emperor Karl. Most assumed their eldest son, Amedeo, who is by birth an Austrian Archduke and was subsequently created a Prince of Belgium would become the eventual King of the Belgians.

Then Phillipe married and had four children. Spoilsport.

The Spanish King, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Prince of Liechtenstein are all descended from the Hapsburg rulers through the female line.

Maria Theresa borns as a guy.

Easy shot.

Lichtenstein has a hapsburg cadet branch.