Léopold Clément, Hereditary Prince of Lorraine
Leopold Clement Charles of Lorraine ( born April 25, 1707 Luneville, † June 4, 1723 in Luneville ) was a Prince of the house of Lorraine. His father was the reigning Duke of Lorraine. His mother was from the House of Bourbon, which ruled the Kingdom of France at that time. After the death of his elder brother in 1711 Leopold Clemens was crown prince, but died of his hand at the age of only 16 years of smallpox.
Life
Leopold was born as the third son of Leopold of Lorraine and Élisabeth Charlotte de Bourbon- Orléans in Luneville castle. His eldest brother Leopold (1669-1700) died at the age of 8 months. Another three siblings died at the outbreak of smallpox in Luneville: Elisabeth Charlotte (1700-1711), Gabriele Maria Charlotte (1702-1711) and Ludwig ( 1704-1711 ). In the same year the smallpox epidemic killed and the Grand Dauphin Louis de Bourbon and the Roman Emperor Joseph I..
Leopold was prepared for his future role as the reigning Duke of Lorraine early age. This included a military career that closely lined up at the allied imperial house. So he took over in 1716 already with 9 years of ownership of an Imperial Regiment ( "Alt -Lorraine ").
In 1722, Leopold Duke of Teschen, which his father received in return for the Duchy of Montferrat in Northern Italy, the Emperor Charles VI. his Confederate Duchy of Savoy had left.
1723 he was sent to Vienna at the imperial court under the supervision of his father's cousin Charles VI. to be educated. But the dynastic marriage policy justified the trip. The alliance between the houses of Habsburg and Lorraine should be strengthened by a marriage with the Archduchess Maria Theresia.
In the meantime returned to Luneville, labor-time required him there erupted smallpox epidemic. He succumbed quickly.
Leopold was buried in the ducal crypt at Saint -François -des- Cordeliers in Nancy.
His next younger brother Franz became the new crown prince and later husband of Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria.