Ebenbürtigkeit#

Equality of Birth; in hierarchical societies equality of birth played an important role, especially for the nobility, under matrimonial law as well as under family, guardianship and procedural law). The House of Habsburg regarded only a small number of families as equal. For example, the marriages between Archduke Ferdinand II of Tirol and Philippine Welser, Archduke Johann and Anna Plochl and that between Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Countess Sophie Chotek were regarded as inferior.