Members of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine are direct descendants ....

[Pinarius]

Members of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine are direct descendants of Byzantine emperors! It goes back to Emperor John VI Kantakouzenos and through him (maternally) also to emperors from the House of Palaiologos.

[alhoon]

OK, I have to ask: Who is that house of Lorraine?

[Pinarius]

OK, I have to ask: Who is that house of Lorraine?

When Emperor Franz I from the House of Lorraine, grandson of Charles V. of Lorraine, married Maria Theresa from the House of Habsburg, their descendants became members of the House Habsburg-Lorraine including the current heir Karl Thomas Robert Maria Franziskus Georg Bahnam.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_...sburg-Lorraine

[Cyclops]

A much more substantial claim than Rudolph of Hapsburg's spurious descent from Julius Caesar or Elizabeth of Saxe Coburg und Gotha's supposed descent from the prophet (pbuh).

There's a whole lot of Marias in the house of Hapsburg Lorraine, I seem to recall a HRE oath, perhaps at the siege of Belgrade relating to this?

[AqD]

But isn't the title of emperor supposed to be won by steel and blood, rather than a birth right? How can you claim any of them be worthy of anything, hiding in dark moldy castles in distant barbarian land?

[Cyclops]

But isn't the title of emperor supposed to be won by steel and blood, rather than a birth right? How can you claim any of them be worthy of anything, hiding in dark moldy castles in distant barbarian land?

Well in really civilized countries you become emperor when you go on a date with a man from heaven.

[NorthernXY]

A much more substantial claim than Rudolph of Hapsburg's spurious descent from Julius Caesar or Elizabeth of Saxe Coburg und Gotha's supposed descent from the prophet (pbuh).

There's a whole lot of Marias in the house of Hapsburg Lorraine, I seem to recall a HRE oath, perhaps at the siege of Belgrade relating to this?

Check out he count of Reuss. They are all named Henry and only Henry.