Franz Xavier of Saxony
| Franz Xavier | |||||
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| Co-Regent of the Electorate of Saxony Prince of Saxony |
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| Reign | 17 December 1763 – 23 December 1768 | ||||
| Born |
25 August 1730 Dresden |
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| Died | 21 June 1806 (aged 75) Dresden |
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| Burial | Katholische Hofkirche | ||||
| Spouse | Maria Chiara Spinucci | ||||
| Issue | Ludwig, Gräf von der Lausitz Clara Maria, Gräfin von der Lausitz Joseph Xavier, Gräf von der Lausitz Elisabeth Ursula, Duchesse d'Esclignac Maria Anna, Princess of Oriolo Beatrix Marie, Marchesa di Corleto Kunigunde Anna, Marchesa Naro Montoro Maria Christina Sabina, Princess of Arsoli stillborn son Cecilie Marie, Gräfin von der Lausitz |
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| House | House of Wettin | ||||
| Father | Frederick Augustus II, Elector of Saxony | ||||
| Mother | Maria Josepha of Austria | ||||
| Religion | Roman Catholicism | ||||
| Full name | |
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| Franz Xavier Albert August Ludwig Benno |
Franz Xavier of Saxony (b. Dresden, 25 August 1730 – d. Dresden, 21 June 1806) was a German prince and member of the House of Wettin.
He was the fourth but second surviving son of Augustus III, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, and Maria Josepha of Austria.
His older brother, the Elector Frederick Christian, died on 17 December 1763 after a reign of only 74 days. Franz Xavier took over the regency of the Electorate together with his sister-in-law, the Dowager Electress Maria Antonia of Bavaria, on behalf of his infant nephew, the new Elector Frederick Augustus III. As co-regent, Franz Xavier continued the rationalistic reforms of his brother.
In October 1765, Franz Xavier performed in the name of the young Elector a formal renunciation of the Polish Crown in favor of Stanislaus Poniatowski, as was required by the treaty signed between Prussia and Russia on 11 April 1764. This was done against the wishes of the boy's mother, the Dowager Electress Maria Antonia. During the regency, Franz Xavier attempted to introduce a plan of army reform based upon the Prussian model of Frederick the Great. This brought him into conflict with the estates of the country, who violently refused to implement his proposal because of the high expense associated with his reorganization plan.
According to the regulations imposed by the Golden Bull of 1356, the regency of an underage Elector ended when he reached his eighteenth birthday. As a result, in 1768, the Elector Frederick Augustus III was formally proclaimed an adult, and Franz Xavier ended his functions as the regent of the Electorate of Saxony.
In Dresden on 9 March 1765 Franz Xavier married morganatically an Italian lady-in-waiting to his sister-in-law, the Dowager Electress, the contessa Maria Chiara Spinucci. The union was keep secret until 1777 when it was formally announced and legitimized.
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