Maximilian I of Mexico
1832–1867 (age 35)
Biography
Maximilian I of Mexico (1832-1867), born an Austrian archduke, accepted the Mexican crown while guided by liberal ideals and hopes of progress, believing he could reconcile diverse interests in the new nation.
Despite his efforts, political tides turned; he was captured and executed in 1867, and his remains were returned to the Imperial Crypt as a reminder of the costs of empire.