What caused the Habsburg royal family’s jaw deformity? Blame inbreeding

Today, the Habsburgs are all but forgotten from mainstream public consciousness, apart from one notable feature: the famous Habsburg Jaw.

This unique jawline, so prevalent in the family’s portraits, marked them out and became an unflattering symbol of their legacy.

The Habsburg Jaw, clinically known as mandibular prognathism, is characterized by an extended and protruding lower jaw. The condition is also often accompanied by an undershot or misaligned bite. In severe cases, it may affect one’s ability to speak or eat.

Many Habsburgs, as seen in their portraits, also had a thick, lower lip and a nose that was larger than average.

A 2019 study published in the Annals of Human Biology has confirmed that facial deformities in the Habsburg bloodline, colloquially known as the “Habsburg jaw”, can be traced to inbreeding.

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The most famous example of mandibular prognathism was Charles II of Spain. Born in 1661, he was the last king of the Spanish Hapsburgs line.

In many ways, Charles was the culmination of hundreds of years of inbreeding in a royal blood empire. The Habsburgs ironically thought of their bloodline as perfect. In reality, the last Habsburgs were anything but perfect.

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