Karl von Habsburg (Karl Thomas Robert Maria Franziskus Georg Bahnam; born 11 January 1961), referred to in
Austria as
Karl Habsburg-Lothringen, in
France as
Charles de Habsbourg-Lorraine, in the
Czech Republic as
Karel Habsbursko-Lotrinský, in
Hungary as
Habsburg Károly, and by his
royal name as
Archduke Karl of Austria, is an Austrian politician, the current Head of the
House of Habsburg-Lorraine, and the
Sovereign (i.e.
Grand Master) of the
Order of the Golden Fleece. Born in
Starnberg,
Bavaria, Germany, he is the son of
Otto von Habsburg and
Princess Regina of Saxe-Meiningen, and the grandson of the last
Austrian emperor,
Charles I. He served as a
Member of the European Parliament for the
Austrian People's Party 1996–1999.