FRANZ FERDINAND OF AUSTRIA: (1863-1914) Archduke of Austria. Heir to the Austrian throne since 1896. His ...

FRANZ FERDINAND OF AUSTRIA: (1863-1914) Archduke of Austria. Heir to the Austrian throne since 1896. His assassination is widely considered the reason for the outbreak of World War One a month later. Extremely rare superb matte-finish signed 6 x 8.5 photograph by Franz Ferdinand of Austria, the image depicting the heir to the throne in a half length pose, wearing his military uniform and medals. Boldly signed in black ink to the lower mount, an attractive and good signature example, also dated `1st of January 1912´, in his hand. Very attractively presented on its original and elaborated multi-tiered 11.5 x 14.5 mount, bearing an appealing affixed brass or gilt crown above the image. Framed in oak (most probably its original frame), with decorative gilt liner, also glazed, to an overall size of 17.5 x 20. A scarce and most impressive royal signed photograph framed. About EX £5000-8000 Though it was not expected that Franz Ferdinand would succeed to the Austrian throne, the suicide of his cousin, Crown Prince Rudolf, and later the renounce of Franz's father, Archduke Karl Ludwig, to his right to succession, cleared the way for Franz Ferdinand to become ruler of Austria. On June 28th 1914, Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, were riding in an open car through Sarajevo, Bosnia, when Nedeljko Cabrinovic, a member of the Serbian secret society Black Hand, threw a bomb at their car. Shaken but unharmed, the Archduke insisted on maintaining his schedule, including a speech and a trip to the hospital to visit those who had been injured in the attack. During an unexpected wrong turn en route to the hospital, the car was spotted by an associate of Cabrinovic's, Gavrilo Princip, who opened fire with a pistol. Both the Archduke and his wife were struck and died shortly after. The attack strained Austro-Serbian relations to a breaking point, and his assassination is usually cited as the immediate impetus for the outbreak of World War I a few weeks later.