Ferdinand I of Austria

Ferdinand succeeded his father Francis I on 2 March 1835 as Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, and Lombardy-Venetia. His severe epilepsy made ruling impossible, so Francis had written a will instructing Ferdinand to consult his uncle Archduke Louis on internal policy and follow the counsel of Prince Metternich, Austria's foreign minister. The arrangement earned Ferdinand the sobriquet "The Benign" for his passive, well-intentioned character. When the Revolutions of 1848 swept Europe, he abdicated on 2 December 1848 in favor of his nephew Franz Joseph. He married Maria Anna of Savoy, with whom he had no children, and lived out his remaining years at Hradčany Palace in Prague until his death in 1875.