Henry the Friendly

An idealised representation of Henry the Friendly

Henry of Austria, known as Henry the Friendly (15 May 1299-3 February 1327) was the son of King Albert I of Germany and Elisabeth of Gorizia-Tyrol.

In 1305, Henry was betrothed to his stepniece, Elizabeth of Hungary, the engagement probably being arranged by Agnes, dowager queen of Hungary, who showed great affection for Henry. However, the marriage never took place. In 1314, Duke Henry married Countess Elizabeth of Virneburg. The marriage remained childless.

Henry helped his brother, Frederick the Fair, in his fight for the German throne. After the Battle of Mühldorf on 28 September 1322, Henry, King Frederick and 1,300 other Austrian nobles were taken prisoners. Henry spent several years in the Bohemian castle Biirglitz before being released for a ransom of 3,000 ducats and the cession of his rights to Znojmo, Castell, Laa and Weitra. Exhausted by the harsh prison conditions, Henry died at the age of 28. His widow had him buried at Königsfelden Abbey, along with several members of his immediate family.

Ancestry

Family of Henry the Friendly

16. Rudolph II, Count of Habsburg               8. Albert IV, Count of Habsburg                       17. Agnes of Staufen               4. Rudolph I of Germany                             18. Ulrich, Count of Kiburg and Dillingen               9. Heilwig of Kiburg                       19. Anna von Zähringen               2. Albert I of Germany                                   20. Burckhard IV, Count of Hohenburg               10. Burckhard V, Count of Hohenburg                       5. Gertrude of Hohenburg                             22. Rudolph II, Count Palatine of Tübingen               11. Mechtild of Tübingen                       1. Henry the Friendly                                         24. Engelbert III, Count of Gorizia               12. Meinhard I of Gorizia-Tyrol                       25. Matilda of Andechs               6. Meinhard, Duke of Carinthia                             26. Albert IV, Count of Tyrol               13. Adelaide of Tyrol                       27. Uta of Frontenhausen               3. Elisabeth of Tirol                                   28. Louis I, Duke of Bavaria               14. Otto II Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria                       29. Ludmilla of Bohemia               7. Elisabeth of Bavaria                             30. Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine               15. Agnes of the Palatinate                       31. Agnes of Hohenstaufen