Stephanie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Queen of Portugal

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Stephanie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Queen of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Stephanie Josepha Friederike Wilhelmine Antonia of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was the wife of King Pedro V of Portugal. She was born on July 15, 1837, in Krauchenwies, Principality of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, the eldest daughter of Karl Anton, Prince of Hohenzollern and Princess Josephine of Baden. Stephanie had five siblings:

Stephanie grew up in Düsseldorf, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia,   primarily at Jägerhof Castle, where her father served as a Division Commander in the Prussian forces. As was typical at the time, she was trained by some of the leading artists of the day, including the painter Heinrich Mücke and the pianist Clara Schumann.

Queen Estefania and King Pedro. source: Wikipedia

In December 1857, Stephanie became engaged to King Pedro V of Portugal, the son of Queen Maria II of Portugal and Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. They were married by proxy at St. Hedwig’s Cathedral in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg, on April 29, 1858, with her brother Leopold standing in for the groom. She then set out for Portugal, arriving on May 17. The following day, Stephanie and Pedro were formally married at the Church of St. Dominic in Lisbon, Portugal, on May 18, 1858. She took on the Portuguese spelling of her name, becoming Queen Estefania of Portugal. The King indulged his new wife greatly, sparing no expense to decorate her rooms at the Palace of Necessidades, and making every effort to make her feel comfortable in her new home.

Princess Stephanie’s arrival in Lisbon, May 17, 1858. source: Wikipedia

Having been very involved in charitable works in Düsseldorf, Stephanie quickly threw herself into similar work in Portugal. Along with her husband, she founded several hospitals and charities that served the poor and suffering, quickly becoming much-loved by the Portuguese people.

After a visit to the town of Vendas Novas, Stephanie fell ill with diphtheria. At just 22 years old, Queen Estefania of Portugal died in Lisbon, Portugal, on July 17, 1859. She is buried at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon. Her husband, King Pedro V, was greatly saddened by his wife’s death and fell into a deep depression. He died of typhoid fever just two years later and was succeeded by his brother King Luís I.

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Portugal Resources at Unofficial Royalty

King Pedro V of Portugal

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

King Pedro V of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

King Pedro V of Portugal (full name: Pedro de Alcântara Maria Fernando Miguel Rafael Gonzaga Xavier João António Leopoldo Víctor Francisco de Assis Júlio Amélio) was born on September 15, 1837, at the Palace of Necessidades in Lisbon, Portugal. He was the eldest of eleven children of Queen Maria II of Portugal and Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Pedro had ten younger siblings:

As the heir-apparent, Pedro was styled Prince Royal from birth, as well as holding the title Duke of Braganza. He received extensive education, excelling in philosophy, the sciences, and languages. He also received training related to his future role as King.

Pedro (right) with his brother Luís at Osborne House in 1852, during a visit to his father’s cousin, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, pictured on the left. Photo from the Royal Collection, source: Wikipedia

Pedro became King of Portugal in 1853 after his mother died in childbirth. As he was just sixteen, his father served as Regent until Pedro reached his majority two years later. He quickly removed the Prime Minister and appointed more left-leaning politicians, ending years of unrest within the Portuguese government.

Pedro’s reign saw great advances in Portugal, with the introduction of the telegraph and the metric system, and the expansion of train and shipping lines both within the country and other parts of Europe and Africa. He also had a great interest in public health and humanitarian efforts. When a cholera epidemic broke out in Lisbon in 1856-1857, Pedro ignored warnings to leave the city, instead, he devoted his time to visiting hospitals and meeting with the patients. Already popular with the Portuguese people, this made him even more loved and respected.

Pedro and Stephanie; Credit – Wikipedia

In December 1857, Pedro became engaged to Princess Stephanie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. She was the daughter of Karl Anton, Prince of Hohenzollern, and Princess Josephine of Baden. The couple was married by proxy in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg, in April 1858, and then formally married at the Church of St. Dominic in Lisbon. Portugal on May 18, 1858. The two were very happy, and the King indulged his new wife greatly, sparing no expense to decorate her rooms at the palace and making every effort to make her feel comfortable in her new homeland. Sadly, the Queen died two years later, having contracted diphtheria. Having joined and supported his wife in her efforts to improve the public health facilities in Portugal, King Pedro founded a hospital in Lisbon in her name. King Pedro V died of typhoid fever on November 11, 1861,

King Pedro V died of typhoid fever on November 11, 1861, at the Palace of Necessidades in Lisbon, Portugal. He was just 24 years old. In keeping with tradition, he was buried in the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza, at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon. As he had no children from his brief marriage, Pedro was succeeded by his younger brother Luís.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Portugal Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, King Consort of Portugal

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, King Consort of Portugal – source: Wikipedia

Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the husband of Queen Maria II of Portugal and was created King Consort following the birth of their eldest son.

He was born Ferdinand August Franz Anton on October 29, 1816, in Vienna, Austria the eldest child of Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Princess Maria Antonia Koháry de Csábrág. Ferdinand had three younger siblings:

Through his father, Ferdinand was a first cousin of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and her husband Prince Albert, as well as King Leopold II of Belgium and Empress Carlota of Mexico, born Princess Charlotte of Belgium.

Queen Maria II of Portugal, painted by John Simpson. source: Wikipedia

Ferdinand married Queen Maria II of Portugal at the Palácio das Necessidades in Lisbon, Portugal on April 9, 1836, and was created Prince Consort. The marriage, arranged by Ferdinand’s uncle, King Leopold I of Belgium, proved to be a happy one. Over the next seventeen years, they had eleven children:

In keeping with tradition, Ferdinand was elevated to King Consort following the birth of their eldest son, the future King Pedro V. Although titled as King, Ferdinand preferred to stay out of politics and left the affairs of state to his wife. He instead focused his attention on the arts. However, like his cousin Albert, Ferdinand often stood in for his wife during her numerous pregnancies. The Queen supported Ferdinand’s love of the arts and his interest in maintaining and restoring the architectural heritage of many buildings and monuments in Portugal. In the late 1830s, Ferdinand purchased the former monastery of Our Lady of Pena and its surrounding land, and the nearby Castle of the Moors, located in the Sintra Mountains. Having stood unused for some time, the buildings at the monastery were in desperate need of repair. Ferdinand restored them and built around them a stunning palace that would serve as a summer residence for the royal family. Today, the Pena National Palace is a national monument and one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal and is used for state functions.

King Ferdinand with his daughter-in-law, Queen Maria Pia, and his sons Infante Augusto, and King Luís, 1862. source: Wikipedia

On November 15, 1853, Queen Maria II died after giving birth to their last child. Ferdinand served as Regent for his eldest son King Pedro V until he came of age. In 1862, after the overthrow of King Otto of Greece, Ferdinand was named as a candidate for the Greek throne, which he quickly declined. Several years later, after the overthrow of Queen Isabella II of Spain, he was offered the Spanish throne. Again, he declined, preferring to enjoy his private life.

King Ferdinand and The Countess of Edla, c1885. source: Wikipedia

On June 10, 1869, in Lisbon, Ferdinand married again to Elise Hensler, a Swiss-born American actress. The couple first met in 1860 when Elise was performing in an opera in Lisbon. A relationship quickly began, as the two found their shared passion for arts and gardening. Just before they married, Ferdinand’s cousin, Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, created Elise Countess of Edla in her own right. They had no children. Ferdinand and Elise lived at the Pena National Palace where they indulged their love of gardening and continued their unyielding support for the arts, including sponsoring several noted Portuguese artists and musicians.

King Ferdinand died at the Pena National Palace in Sintra, Portugal on December 15, 1885, survived by only three of his children. He is buried beside his first wife in the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza, at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal.

Several years after Ferdinand’s death, his widow sold his estates, including the Pena National Palace and the Palace of the Moors, to Ferdinand’s grandson, King Carlos I. The Countess of Edla survived her husband by 44 years. She passed away in Lisbon on May 21, 1929, and is buried in the Prazeres Cemetery in Lisbon.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Portugal Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Auguste de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg, Prince Consort of Portugal

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Auguste de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg, Prince Consort of Portugal; source: Wikipedia

Auguste Charles Eugène Napoléon de Beauharnais was born on December 9, 1810, at the Royal Villa of Monza, just outside Milan, (Napoleonic) Kingdom of Italy. He was the eldest son of Eugène de Beauharnais and Princess Augusta of Bavaria, a daughter of King Maximilian I of Bavaria.

Auguste had six siblings:

Auguste’s father Eugène was the son of the French Empress Joséphine from her first marriage, and therefore a stepson of Emperor Napoleon I. In 1804, Napoleon made Eugène an official member of the Imperial Family, but without succession rights to the French throne. Two years later, Napoleon formally adopted Eugène, named him as heir-presumptive to the Kingdom of Italy, and gave him the title Prince of Venice. However, Eugène lost those titles and his political expectations following Napoleon’s defeat, and the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Two years later, his father-in-law, King Maximilian I of Bavaria, created him Duke of Leuchtenberg and Prince of Eichstätt.

Auguste’s father, Eugène de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg. Portrait by Andrea Appiani, 1810. source: Wikipedia

Auguste succeeded his father as Duke of Leuchtenberg and Prince of Eichstätt in 1824. Several years later, his sister Amélie became the second wife of Emperor Pedro I of Brazil. Following a marriage by proxy in August 1829 at the Palais Leuchtenberg in Munich, Auguste accompanied Amélie to Brazil, and settled in Rio de Janeiro, taking up residence at the Imperial Palace. He quickly became close with his new brother-in-law (and future father-in-law), who created him Duke of Santa Cruz on November 5, 1829. The Emperor also raised Auguste to the style of Royal Highness within Brazil.

Queen Maria II of Portugal. source: Wikipedia

After Emperor Pedro I’s abdication in 1831, they all returned to Munich in the Kingdom of Bavaria, while Emperor Pedro joined the fight to restore his daughter Maria to the Portuguese throne, which took place in 1834. Soon after, Emperor Pedro chose Auguste to be his daughter’s husband. The couple was married by proxy on December 1, 1834, and Auguste was created Prince Consort by his new wife. Upon his arrival in Portugal, they married at the Lisbon Cathedral on January 26, 1835.

Sadly, their marriage was to be very short-lived. On March 20, 1835, Auguste complained of a sore throat but refused to see a doctor. By March 23, 1835, his condition worsened, and he finally consented to see a doctor.  Within days, his condition became extremely grave, doctors told the family there was no hope, and Auguste was given the last rites.  Auguste died on March 28, 1835, at the Palace of Necessidades in Lisbon, Portugal, at the age of 24, most likely from diphtheria. He is buried at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon. He was succeeded as Duke of Leuchtenberg by his younger brother Maximilian.

Portugal Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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May 1916: Royalty and World War I

by Susan Flantzer

Rear Admiral The Honorable Sir Horace Hood

Horace_Hood_WWI_May 1916

Rear Admiral The Honorable Sir Horace Hood; Photo Credit – http://www.dreadnoughtproject.org

For two days, May 31 – June 1, 1916, the Battle of Jutland was fought in the North Sea near Denmark’s Jutland peninsula between the British Royal Navy’s Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy’s High Seas Fleet. A total of 250 ships were engaged in the battle, with fourteen British and eleven German ships sunk. 9,823 men were killed in the battle, 6,784 British and 3,039 German. One of those causalities was Rear Admiral The Honorable Sir Horace Hood who died when the HMS Invincible sunk during the Battle of Jutland in the North Sea with the loss of all but six men.

The Honorable Horace Lambert Alexander Hood was born in London, England on October 2, 1870, the fourth of the eight children of Francis Wheler Hood, 4th Viscount Hood of Whitley and Edith Lydia Drummond Ward.  The peerage Viscount Hood was created for Horace’s great-great-grandfather Admiral Samuel Hood, who was known for his service in the Royal Navy during American Revolutionary War and French Revolutionary Wars, and for acting as a mentor to the naval hero Horatio Nelson.

Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood; Credit – Wikipedia

Horace’s seven siblings:

Horace’s career in the Royal Navy began when he was only 12 years old as he started his cadet training on the HMS Britannia at Dartmouth, England. Three years later, he graduated at the top of his class and joined the HMS Temeraire as a midshipman. In 1890, Horace set a record score for his examinations for his promotion to lieutenant. He scored 4398 points out of a possible 4600 points. Horace saw service on the Nile in 1897-1898 and in Somaliland in 1903-1904.

Beginning in 1906, Horace spent time in Washington, DC as the naval attaché to the British Embassy. In 1910, he became Captain of the Royal Naval College at Osborne and two years later was made a naval aide-de-camp to King George V. Horace was promoted to Rear Admiral in 1913 and in June 1914 he became naval secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill. After the onset of World War I, Horace took command of a small naval force assisting the British and Belgian armies in trying to prevent the German navy from advancing towards ports on the British Channel. In May 1915, he took command of the 3rd Battle Cruiser Squadron of the Grand Fleet aboard his flagship the HMS Invincible.

During his time in Washington, DC, Horace met an American widow with a young daughter,   Ellen Touzalin Nickerson. On January 19, 1910, Horace and Ellen were married, and the couple had two sons. Upon the death of their father in 1907, Horace’s brother Grosvenor had succeeded their father as the 5th Viscount Hood. Grosvenor’s two marriages were childless,  and Horace was the heir presumptive to the peerage until his death in 1916. After Horace’s death, his elder son Samuel was the heir presumptive to the peerage and succeeded his uncle as the 6th Viscount Hood in 1933. Samuel never married, so upon his death his brother Alexander became the 7th Viscount Hood. The current Viscount Hood, Henry Lyttelton Alexander Hood, 8th Viscount Hood of Whitley, is Horace’s grandson.

Children of Horace and Ellen:

Horace was knighted posthumously and Ellen was granted the style of a knight’s wife, Lady Hood, for the remainder of her life. She never remarried and died in 1950. Her daughter Katherine Nickerson from her first marriage married Walter Ernest Christopher James, 4th Baron Northbourne of Betteshanger .

by Bassano, whole-plate glass negative, 16 February 1922

Ellen Hood (née Touzalin) by Bassano Ltd, whole-plate glass negative, 16 February 1922 NPG x121328 © National Portrait Gallery, London

The Battle of Jutland was the largest naval battle during World War I. The British objective was to destroy the German High Seas Fleet or at the least, to keep the German force contained and away from British shipping lanes. Because the German Imperial Navy was insufficient to engage the entire British fleet, the German objective was to lure, trap and destroy a portion of the British Grand Fleet.

HMS Invincible; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Rear Admiral Horace Hood was aboard the battlecruiser HMS Invincible, the first battlecruiser to be built by any country in the world, leading the three ships of the Third Battle Cruiser Squadron. During the battle, the HMS Invincible was hit in her “Q” turret by a round of fire from the German battlecruiser SMS Lützow, causing a massive explosion. The ship broke in two and sank in 90 seconds with the loss of all but six of the crew of 1,026, including Rear Admiral Horace Hood.

HMS Invincible exploding at Jutland, taken from a destroyer nearby; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

The two shattered halves of HMS Invincible temporarily standing on the seabed; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

The remains of the HMS Invincible and its crew are at the bottom of the North Sea, and the site is a protected war grave. Horace Hood’s name along with the names of members of the Royal Navy who died in World War I with no known grave are inscribed on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.  In 1918, Horace’s widow launched the battlecruiser HMS Hood, named after Horace’s great-great-grandfather Admiral Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood. During World War II, the HMS Hood was sunk by the German battleship Bismarck.  Of the 1415 aboard, only three survived.

Porstmouth Naval Memorial; Photo Credit – By Martyn Pattison, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9130746

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Timeline: May 1, 1916 – May 31, 1916

May 7 – 10 – Battle of Kondoa Irangi in Kondoa Irangi, German East Africa (now in Tanzania)
May 10 – Germany suspends unrestricted submarine warfare
May 15 – June 10 – Battle of Asiago at the Asiago plateau in Veneto, Italy
May 16 – Signing of the Sykes-Picot Agreement between Britain and France defining their proposed spheres in the Middle East
May 31 – June 1 – Battle of Jutland between Britain’s Grand Fleet and Germany’s Hochseeflotte

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A Note About German Titles

Many German royals and nobles died in World War I. The German Empire consisted of 27 constituent states, most of them ruled by royal families. Scroll down to German Empire here to see what constituent states made up the German Empire.  The constituent states retained their own governments, but had limited sovereignty. Some had their own armies, but the military forces of the smaller ones were put under Prussian control. In wartime, armies of all the constituent states would be controlled by the Prussian Army and the combined forces were known as the Imperial German Army.  German titles may be used in Royals Who Died In Action below. Refer to Unofficial Royalty: Glossary of German Noble and Royal Titles.

24 British peers were also killed in World War I and they will be included in the list of those who died in action. In addition, more than 100 sons of peers also lost their lives, and those that can be verified will also be included.

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May 1916 – Royals/Nobles/Peers/Sons of Peers Who Died In Action

The list is in chronological order and does contain some who would be considered noble instead of royal. The links in the last bullet for each person is that person’s genealogical information from Leo’s Genealogics Website or to The Peerage website.  If a person has a Wikipedia page, their name will be linked to that page.

Freiherr Karl von Moreau

Midshipman The Honorable Bernard Michael Bailey

Lieutenant Commander The Honorable Hugh Cecil Robert Feilding

Rear Admiral The Honorable Sir Horace Lambert Alexander Hood

Midshipman The Honorable Cecil Richard Molyneux

Commander Henry Ernest Digby Hugh Willoughby

Commander The Honorable Lionel Henry Shore

  • son of Henry Noel Shore, 5th Baron Teignmouth and Mary Aglionby Porteus
  • born November 18, 1882
  • killed in action on May 31, 1916, age 33, when the HMS Invincible sunk during the Battle of Jutland in the North Sea with the loss of all but six men

Queen Maria II of Portugal

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Queen Maria II of Portugal, 1837; Credit – Wikipedia

Queen Maria II of Portugal first became Queen at just seven years old. Deposed two years later, she returned to the throne at age 15 and reigned until her death. She was born Maria da Glória Joana Carlota Leopoldina da Cruz Francisca Xavier de Paula Isidora Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga on April 4, 1819, at the São Cristóvão Palace in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Maria was the eldest of six children of the future King Pedro IV of Portugal (and Emperor Pedro I of Brazil) and his first wife, Archduchess Maria Leopoldina of Austria. Born in Brazil, Maria is the only European monarch born outside of Europe.

She had six siblings:

And one half-sister, from her father’s second marriage to Princess Amélie of Leuchtenberg:

When Maria’s grandfather King João VI of Portugal died in March 1826, it caused a succession crisis. His eldest living son and heir was Maria’s father Pedro, but he had declared Brazil’s independence and was ruling as Emperor Pedro I of Brazil. Before he died, King João VI appointed his daughter Isabel Maria to serve as regent until the “legitimate heir returned to the Kingdom”. However, he never specified who that should be. Pedro was ruling as Emperor of Brazil, and the king’s younger son Miguel had been exiled to Austria after leading several revolutions against his father and his liberal regime.

Queen Maria II at age 10 in 1829; Credit – Wikipedia

While Pedro was the legitimate heir, the Brazilian people did not want the two thrones to be reunited. Pedro abdicated the Portuguese throne on May 2, 1826, and Maria became Queen of Portugal at seven years old. As part of the agreement, Miguel would return to Portugal and serve as Regent (once he reached age 25), and marry Maria once she came of age. This would all be under a new liberal constitution that would re-establish a constitutional monarchy. In July 1827, with Infanta Isabella Maria very ill, and the regency very unstable, a decree was issued, granting Miguel his new role as Regent, and he set out for Portugal.

With Miguel serving as Regent, Maria was sent to Vienna to continue her education. While in Vienna, Maria learned that Miguel had deposed her and declared himself King of Portugal on June 23, 1828. Emperor Pedro insisted that his daughter was the rightful Queen of Portugal, and demanded that she be treated as such. Maria traveled to the United Kingdom, hoping to garner the British government’s support, but they instead supported Miguel. She met up with her father in France, where they stayed with King Louis Philippe I of France, and Maria received her education. For the next six years, forces loyal to Maria and her father would try to force Miguel from the throne. In 1831, Emperor Pedro abdicated the Brazilian throne and joined the fight. Finally, on May 26, 1834, Miguel was forced to abdicate and Maria was returned to the Portuguese throne. Her betrothal to Miguel was annulled several months later.

Auguste de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg, Prince Consort of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

On January 26, 1835, Maria married Auguste de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg. He was the son of Eugène de Beauharnais (a son of Empress Josephine of France) and Princess Augusta of Bavaria. Sadly, Auguste died just two months later.

Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, King Consort of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

In Lisbon, on April 9, 1836, at the Palácio das Necessidades in Lisbon, Portugal, Maria married Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Ferdinand was the son of Prince Ferdinand Georg of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Princess Maria Antonia Koháry de Csábrág. Through his father, he was a first cousin of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and her future husband, Prince Albert, as well as King Leopold II of Belgium and Empress Carlota of Mexico. In keeping with tradition, Ferdinand was elevated to King Consort following the birth of their eldest son, the future King Pedro V. Although titled as King, Ferdinand preferred to stay out of politics and left the affairs of state to his wife.

Maria and Ferdinand had eleven children:

Queen Maria II of Portugal in 1850; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria II faced problems in giving birth with prolonged and difficult labors. She had eleven pregnancies: seven resulted in children who survived childhood, two babies died within hours of birth, and two were stillbirths.  By the time Maria was 25 years old, she was obese, and the births became even more complicated. The combination of many successive pregnancies, her obesity, which eventually caused her heart problems, and the prolonged, difficult labors led doctors to warn Maria about the serious risks she would face in future pregnancies. Maria replied, “If I die, I die at my post.”

On November 15, 1853, Maria II, Queen of Portugal died at the Palace of Necessidades in Lisbon, Portugal at the age of 34 after giving birth to a stillborn son. She is buried at the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Portugal Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Zita of Bourbon-Parma, Empress of Austria

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Zita of Bourbon-Parma, Empress of Austria; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma (Zita Maria delle Grazie Adelgonda Micaela Raffaela Gabriella Giuseppina Antonia Luisa Agnese) was born on May 9, 1892, at the Villa Pianore in Lucca, Tuscany (Italy). She was the daughter of the deposed Robert I, Duke of Parma and his second wife, Maria Antonia of Portugal, daughter of the deposed King Miguel I of Portugal and Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. Duke Robert I of Parma had a total of 24 children, 12 children with his first wife Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and 12 children with his second wife, Zita’s mother. Zita was the 17th of her father’s 24 children. Six of the children from Duke Robert’s first marriage were mentally disabled. Zita’s half-sister Marie Louise married King Ferdinand I of Bulgaria. Zita’s full brother Felix married Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg and the present Grand Ducal family descends from them. Another full brother René married Princess Margrethe of Denmark, daughter of Prince Valdemar of Denmark, youngest son of King Christian IX of Denmark. René and Margrethe’s daughter Anne married King Michael I of Romania. Four of Zita’s full sisters became nuns.

Zita had eleven siblings:

  • Maria della Neve Adelaide (1885 – 1959), a Benedictine nun at the Monastery of Solesmes, France
  • Sixtus (1886 – 1934), married Hedwige de La Rochefoucauld, had issue
  • Xavier, Duke of Parma (1889 – 1977), married Madeleine de Bourbon-Busset, had issue, the Carlist claimants to the Spanish throne descend through this line
  • Francesca (1890 – 1978), Benedictine nun at the Monastery of Solesmes, France
  • Felix (1893 – 1970), married Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg, had issue
  • René (1894 – 1962), married Princess Margrethe of Denmark, had issue including Anne who married King Michael I of Romania
  • Maria Antonia (1895 – 1937), a Benedictine nun at the Monastery of Solesmes, France
  • Isabella (1898 – 1984), nun
  • Luigi (1899 – 1967), married Princess Maria Francesca of Savoy, had issue
  • Henrietta Anna (1903 – 1987), unmarried, was deaf
  • Gaetano (1905 – 1958), married and divorced Princess Margarete of Thurn and Taxis, had issue

From her father’s first marriage to Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Zita had twelve half-siblings. Six of the siblings were mentally disabled and two died in infancy. The twelfth child was stillborn and Maria Pia died in childbirth at the age of 33.

  • Marie Louise (1870 – 1899), married Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria, had issue including Tsar Boris I of Bulgaria
  • Ferdinando (born and died 1871) died in infancy
  • Luisa Maria (1872 – 1943), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Enrico, Duke of Parma (1873 – 1939), unmarried, mentally disabled, Titular Duke of Parma 1907-1939, his brother Elias took up the role as regent and head of the family
  • Maria Immacolata (1874 – 1914), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Giuseppe, Duke of Parma (1875 – 1950), unmarried, mentally disabled, Titular Duke of Parma 1939-1950, his brother Elias continued the role as regent and head of the family
  • Maria Teresa (1876 – 1959), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Maria Pia (1877 – 1915), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Beatrice (1879 – 1946), married Pietro Lucchesi-Palli, had issue
  • Elias, Duke of Parma (1880- 1959), married Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria, had issue; Head of the Ducal Family of Parma (1950–1959)
  • Maria Anastasia (born and died 1881), died in infancy
  • Stillborn child (September 22, 1882), Maria Pia died in childbirth

The family of Robert I, Duke of Parma in 1906, From left to right, first row: Immaculata, Antonia, Isabella, Duke Robert, Henrietta, Luigi, Gaetano, Duchess Maria Antonia, Renato, Zita (sitting on the far right). From left to right, second row: Francesca, Pia, Luisa, Adelaide, Teresa, Joseph, Xavier, Henry, Sixtus, Felix; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Despite losing his throne due to the unification of Italy, Zita’s father Robert of Bourbon-Parma Robert was considerably wealthy, traveled in a private train, and owned castles at Schwarzau am Steinfeld near Vienna and Villa Pianore in northwest Italy, and the magnificent Château de Chambord in France. Zita grew up in a multi-language home. French was the main language spoken at home, but Italian and English were also spoken. Zita’s mother spoke Portuguese and German because her father was Portuguese and her mother was German. Zita’s German was perfected when she attended the school for aristocratic girls at the Salesian Sisters convent in Zangberg, Bavaria (now in Germany) from 1903 – 1908. The convent school followed the Bavaria Gymnasium curriculum, and Zita studied math, geography, history, natural history, and music. Zita then ended her formal education at Benedictine Abbey of St. Cecilia on the Isle of Wight in England where Zita’s grandmother Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg was the prioress. Here Zita studied theology and philosophy and perfected her English. She was also introduced to Gregorian chant and began playing the organ.

A young Zita;  Credit – Wikipedia

Zita’s maternal aunt Maria Teresa of Portugal had married a younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. Because of this, Zita and her future husband, then Archduke Karl of Austria, met as children. Karl was under pressure to marry and produce an heir because his uncle and the current heir, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, had married morganatically and children from that marriage were excluded from the succession. Zita and Karl married on October 21, 1911, at Schwarzau Castle in Schwarzau am Steinfeld, Austria. Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria and his heir Archduke Franz Ferdinand were among the prominent guests at the wedding.

Zita and Karl on their wedding day; Credit – Wikipedia

Both Zita and Karl were devout Catholics and on the day after their wedding, Karl told Zita, “Now, we must help each other to get to Heaven.” Zita gave birth to eight children in less than 10 years. When Karl died in 1922, Zita was only 29 and pregnant with her eighth child. She never married again and wore black for the 67 years of her widowhood.

Zita, Karl, and their children in 1921; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914, in Sarajevo made Karl the heir to the Austrian throne. Emperor Franz Joseph was almost 84 years old, and Karl and Zita would become Emperor and Empress decades earlier than previously thought. The two were now under constant public attention. During the early days of World War I, Karl was often away with the army. For security reasons, Zita and her children stayed with Emperor Franz Joseph at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna. During this time the Emperor expressed his deep pessimism about the monarchy’s future to Zita. Emperor Franz Joseph died on November 21, 1916, and 29-year-old Karl was now Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary and Croatia, and King of Bohemia.

Funeral Procession for Emperor Franz Joseph, in front: Zita and Karl with their oldest son Otto; Credit – Wikipedia

Austria was on the losing side of World War I. At the end of the war, the armistice required that the Austrian-Hungarian Empire allow for autonomy and self-determination of government by its various ethnic populations. The various areas of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire proclaimed independence, and by October 1918 there was not much left of the empire. On November 11, 1918, the same day as the armistice ending World War I, Karl issued a proclamation in which he recognized the rights of the people of the empire to determine their form of government and released his government officials from their loyalty to him. Karl did not use the term “abdicate” in his proclamation and would never admit that he abdicated.

On March 23, 1919, Karl and his family left for Switzerland. On April 3, 1919, the Austrian Parliament passed the Habsburg Law that forbade Karl or his wife Zita from returning to Austria. The law also prevented other Habsburgs from returning to Austria unless they renounced all intentions of claiming the throne and accepted the condition of living as ordinary citizens. On the same day, all noble titles were abolished. In 1921, Karl returned to Hungary twice, attempting to regain the throne of Hungary. After the second attempt, the Council of Allied Powers decided to exile Karl and his family to the Portuguese island of Madeira.

In March of 1922, Karl caught a cold that developed into bronchitis and further developed into pneumonia. After suffering two heart attacks and respiratory failure, Karl died on April 1, 1922, at the age of 34. Due to the Habsburg Law, Karl could not be buried in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna. He was buried at the Church of Our Lady of Monte on the island of Madeira in Portugal. His heart was buried at the Muri Abbey, a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours, near Basel, Switzerland. When Karl’s wife Zita died in 1989, she requested that her heart be buried with her husband’s. Two of their sons, Rudolf and Felix, are also buried at Muri Abbey. On October 3, 2004, Pope John Paul II beatified Karl and he is known as Blessed Karl of Austria. Beatification is the third of four steps toward sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church.

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Many churches in Austria have portraits of Blessed Karl of Austria. This altar dedicated to him is in the Augustinerkirche in Vienna, the parish church of the Austrian Imperial Family; Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer

The years following Karl’s death were difficult financially and Zita and her family moved often. They lived in Spain, Belgium, the United States (two of Zita’s sons served in the US Army during World War II), and Canada. In 1952, Zita moved back to Europe, living in Luxembourg and Switzerland. One of her daughters died in Austria in 1971 and Zita could not attend the funeral. The restrictions on the Habsburgs entering Austria had been rescinded, but only for those Habsburgs born after April 10, 1919. In 1982, the restrictions were eased and after 63 years Zita could return to Austria for visits. Zita had large family birthday celebrations for her 90th and 95th birthdays. Her health had been failing since her 90th birthday and the former Empress Zita died on March 14, 1989, at her home in Zizers, Switzerland at the age of 96.

Zita with eight of her children in 1962, Standing in the back from left to right: Archdukes Carl Ludwig, Rudolf, and Robert, In the middle: Archduchesses Adelheid, Elisabeth, and Charlotte with Archduke Felix, In the front Empress Zita and Archduke Otto; Credit – Wikipedia

The government of Austria allowed the funeral to take place in Austria, provided that the Habsburg family paid the cost. The funeral mass was held at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna. At least 200,000 people had filed past her coffin during the two days it lay in state at the cathedral. Zita’s casket was borne to the Capuchin Church, where the Imperial Crypt is located, by the same coach she had walked behind during the funeral of Emperor Franz Joseph I in 1916. Over 200 Habsburg and Bourbon-Parma family members and 8,000 other guests attended the funeral on April 1, 1989. Zita was buried in the Crypt Chapel of the Imperial Crypt. Her husband’s remains are still interred at the Church of Our Lady of Monte on the island of Madeira in Portugal but their hearts were buried together at the Habsburg Crypt in the Loretto Chapel at the Muri Abbey near Basel, Switzerland.

On December 10, 2009, Yves Le Saux, Bishop of Le Mans, France, opened the diocesan process for the beatification of Zita. Zita spent several months each year in the diocese of Le Mans at St. Cecilia’s Abbey, Solesmes, where three of her sisters were nuns. With the opening of her process for beatification, Zita has been named Servant of God.

Tomb of Empress Zita; on the right is the tomb of her son Karl Ludwig; Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer

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Austria Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Elisabeth of Bavaria, Empress of Austria

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Elisabeth of Bavaria, Empress of Austria; Credit – Wikipedia

Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie, Duchess in Bavaria, known as Sisi, was born on December 24, 1837, at Herzog-Max-Palais (Duke Max Palace) in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany. Today the palace is the Munich headquarters of the Deutsche Bundesbank, formerly the State Central Bank of Bavaria, and there is a plaque on the building commemorating Sisi’s birth.

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Plaque on the Deutsche Bundesbank in Munich commemorating the birth of Elisabeth, Empress of Austria; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

Sisi’s father was Maximilian Joseph, Duke in Bavaria, from a junior branch of the House of Wittelsbach.  Maximilian Joseph did much to promote Bavarian folk music. He played the zither, the national instrument of Bavaria, and composed music for it.

Maximilian Joseph, Duke in Bavaria playing the zither; Credit – Wikipedia

Sisi’s mother was Princess Ludovika of Bavaria, the daughter of Maximilian I Joseph, King of Bavaria and his second wife Caroline of Baden.

Ludovika of Bavaria; Credit – Wikipedia

Although the family had a home in Munich, Herzog-Max-Palais (Duke Max Palace), Sisi’s parents had no obligations with the Bavarian royal court and their nine children spent much time living a carefree, unstructured, unrestrained childhood at Schloss Possenhofen on Lake Starnberg.  Sisi had a close relationship with her father, and he allowed her to stay away from classes to spend time with him. Her hobbies included horseback riding, drawing, and writing poems.

Equestrian portrait of Sisi at Schloss Possenhofen, 1853; Credit – Wikipedia

Sisi’s eight siblings:

The painting below is a group portrait of Sisi’s siblings given to her by her brother Karl Theodor on the occasion of her wedding.

(left to right) Sophie, Maximilian Emanuel, Karl Theodor, Helene, Ludwig Wilhelm, Mathilde and Marie; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1848, Emperor Ferdinand of Austria abdicated and his 18-year-old nephew Franz Joseph succeeded him. The feeling in the Imperial Court was that the young emperor should marry and produce heirs as soon as possible. Franz Joseph’s domineering mother, Princess Sophie of Bavaria was the sister of Sisi’s mother. Sophie considered several princesses as the future empress, however, Sophie wanted to forge a relationship with her familial House of Wittelsbach of Bavaria and the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. She arranged for a match between Franz Joseph and Helene, Duchess in Bavaria, Sisi’s eldest sister. In 1853, Helene traveled with her mother and her younger sister Sisi to the resort of Bad Ischl, Upper Austria to meet her first cousin Franz Joseph with the hopes that she would become his bride. Instead, Franz Joseph fell in love with the 15-year-old Sisi. Franz Joseph told his mother that if he could not marry Sisi, he would not marry at all. Five days later their engagement was officially announced.

Franz Joseph in 1853; Credit – Wikipedia

Sisi in 1855; Credit – Wikipedia

Franz Joseph and Sisi were married at 4 PM on April 24, 1854, at the Augustinerkirche, the parish church of the Imperial Court of the Habsburgs, a short walk from Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria. It had taken an hour for the wedding procession to walk through the palace corridors and courtyards and down the street to the church. The ceremony was conducted by Cardinal Joseph Othmar Rauscher, Archbishop of Vienna with 1,000 guests in attendance including 70 bishops.

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Augustinerkirche in Vienna, Austria; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

Wedding of Franz Joseph and Sisi; Credit – Wikipedia

Sisi, who had been brought up in a relaxed atmosphere, was bored and tired after the wedding, but her duties were not yet done. After the wedding, the newlyweds proceeded down a 50-yard carpet back to the Hofburg Palace where for two hours they received their wedding guests. When dinner was finally served at 10 PM, Sisi had no appetite. The strict and formal reality of the Habsburg court’s protocol had astonished her. When her family left Vienna to return to Bavaria, Sisi’s father told her that he could not tolerate the Vienna court etiquette and that she would have to visit him at Schloss Possenhofen. Her sister Helene expressed her relief that Franz Joseph had not chosen her as his bride.

The couple had four children:

Sisi with her two eldest surviving children, Gisela and Rudolf in 1858; Credit – Wikipedia

Sisi’s youngest child, Marie Valerie in 1870; Credit – Wikipedia

The marriage was not a happy one for Sisi. Although her husband loved her, Sisi had difficulties adjusting to the Austrian court and did not get along with Imperial family members, especially her mother-in-law. Sisi felt emotionally distant from her husband and fled from him as well as her duties at court, by frequent traveling.  In 1885, Franz Joseph began a long-standing private relationship with actress Katharina Schratt that would last the rest of his life. The exact nature of their relationship is unclear. Some believe that Katharina and Franz Joseph were lovers while others believe that their relationship was platonic. Katharina always maintained the strictest discretion regarding her relationship with Franz Joseph. Sisi tolerated the relationship and even seemed to encourage it.

Empress Elisabeth of Austria in Courtly Gala Dress with Diamond Stars by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, 1865; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1860, Sisi suffered from severe coughing. The diagnosis of lung disease and the recommendation of a cure in Madeira, Portugal was used by Sisi as a pretext to escape from court life and take her first trip alone away from Vienna. When Sisi returned to Vienna, she suffered a severe relapse. The doctors diagnosed pulmonary consumption and Sisi escaped to the Greek island of Corfu in the Ionian Sea. Sisi quite liked Corfu and in 1889-1891, she had the Achilleion Palace built there. Sisi’s travels to escape life at court continued for the rest of her life.

Achilleion Palace in Corfu, Greece; By Marc Ryckaert (MJJR) – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23107846

Sisi had very rigorous exercise habits. Besides riding every day for hours, she had a gymnasium with wall bars, a high bar, and rings in the frame of a door. When she was in her 40s, Sisi began to suffer from sciatica and could not ride anymore. She then increased her gymnastic routines and began fencing lessons. In addition, she took long walks, sometimes walking 20 miles a day.

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Sisi’s dressing and exercise room at Hofburg Palace; Photo Credit – http://www.hofburg-wien.at

Franz Joseph kept his heir Crown Prince Rudolf away from all state affairs. Under pressure from his father, Rudolf married Princess Stephanie of Belgium, daughter of King Leopold II of the Belgians. The couple had one child, Elisabeth Marie. On January 30, 1889, at Mayerling, a hunting lodge in the Vienna Woods which Rudolf had purchased, in an apparent suicide plot, Rudolf shot his 17-year-old mistress Baroness Mary Vetsera, and then shot himself. Crown Prince Rudolf had no sons, so the succession would pass to Emperor Franz Joseph’s brother, Archduke Karl Ludwig and his eldest son, Archduke Franz Ferdinand. In a matter of days, Archduke Karl Ludwig renounced his succession rights in favor of his son Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose assassination in 1914 sparked World War I.

Crown Prince Rudolf; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

After Rudolf’s death, Sisi spent little time with her husband, preferring to travel. However, a warm and friendly correspondence between the couple existed. In 1898, despite being warned about possible assassination attempts, Sisi traveled incognito to Geneva, Switzerland. She stayed at the Hotel Beau-Rivage, where she enjoyed a meal of timbale de volaille, crème glacèe à l’Hongroise, and iced champagne. She asked her lady-in-waiting Irma, Countess Sztáray to send the menu to Franz Joseph because she had enjoyed the meal so much. Afterward, Sisi visited the aviaries, aquarium, and conservatories, and bought presents for her grandchildren.

Last photograph of Sisi and her lady-in-waiting shortly before her death; Credit – Wikipedia

The next day, September 10, 1898, Sisi was due to take a ferry across Lake Geneva to the town of Territet. As Sisi and her lady-in-waiting were walking to the ferry’s landing, the Italian anarchist Luigi Lucheni rushed at her and stabbed her in the heart with a pointed file. The puncture wound was so small that it was initially not noticed and it was thought that Sisi had just been punched in the chest. Sisi thanked all the people who had rushed to help and conversed with her lady-in-waiting about the incident. Only when onboard the ferry did she finally collapse and then the severity of her wound came to light. The ferry captain ordered the ferry back to Geneva and Sisi was taken back to the hotel on an improvised stretcher. A doctor and a priest were summoned. The doctor confirmed that there was no hope and the priest administered the Last Rites. Sisi died without regaining consciousness.

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The file that was used to stab Sisi on display at the Hofburg Palace; Credit – http://www.hofburg-wien.at

An artist’s rendition of the stabbing of Sisi by the Italian anarchist Luigi Lucheni; Credit – Wikipedia

Luigi Lucheni originally wanted to assassinate Prince Philippe, Duke of Orléans, but the duke had left Geneva earlier. He then selected Sisi as his victim when a Geneva newspaper revealed that the woman traveling under the pseudonym of “Countess of Hohenembs” was Empress Elisabeth of Austria.  Lucheni was sentenced to life imprisonment, and in 1910 he hanged himself with his belt in his prison cell.

Franz Joseph never fully recovered from his wife’s death. Sisi was buried in Franz Josephs Gruft (Franz Joseph’s Crypt) in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna, Austria where her son Rudolf had been buried. When Franz Joseph died in 1916, his tomb was placed between the tombs of his wife and son.

Emperor Franz Joseph at Sisi’s coffin in the Imperial Crypt

Sisi’s tomb on the left, Franz Joseph’s tomb in the middle, Rudolf’s tomb on the right; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

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Austria Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria; Credit – Wikipedia

The fourth longest-reigning European monarch (67 years) after King Louis XIV of France (72 years), Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (70 years), and Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein (70 years), Franz Joseph Karl was born on August 18, 1830, at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria. He was the eldest of the four children of Archduke Franz Karl of Austria (son of Emperor Franz I of Austria and his second wife Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily)  and Princess Sophia of Bavaria (daughter of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria and Princess Caroline of Baden).

Archduke Franz Joseph in 1840; Credit – Wikipedia

Franz Joseph had three brothers and one sister:

Franz Joseph with his three brothers, left to right: Karl Ludwig, Franz Joseph, Maximilian, and Ludwig Viktor, circa 1860; Credit – Wikipedia

Franz Joseph was born during the reign of his grandfather Emperor Franz I. Franz’s eldest son and successor Ferdinand suffered from epilepsy, hydrocephalus, neurological problems, and a speech impediment and although he married in 1831, the marriage was probably never consummated and therefore no children were expected. Franz Joseph’s father was the third, but the second surviving son of Emperor Franz I, so Franz Joseph was expected to eventually succeed to the throne. When his father died on March 2, 1835, Ferdinand became Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary and Croatia, and King of Bohemia. Ferdinand has been depicted as feeble-minded and incapable of ruling, but he kept a coherent and legible diary. His epilepsy caused him to have as many as twenty seizures per day, and this severely restricted his ability to rule with any effectiveness. His father’s will stipulated that Ferdinand’s uncle Archduke Ludwig be consulted on government matters and during Ferdinand’s reign a council called the Secret State Conference controlled the government.

Franz Joseph was educated with his brother Maximilian, and they were first taught by their governess Baroness Louise von Sturmfeder. In 1836, Count Heinrich Bombelles became responsible for the young archdukes’ education. Bombelles created a rigorous course of study for Franz Joseph. He was expected to study 18 hours a week when he was six years old. The hours of study per week increased to 36 hours at age eight and 46 hours at age 11. Franz Joseph became seriously ill at the age of 13 due to the stress of his studies. However, his rigorous education continued and he was studying 56 hours a week at the 15. It was important for Franz Joseph to learn the languages of the Austrian empire, and so he studied not only French, Latin, and Greek, but also Hungarian, Czech, Italian, and Polish. His studies also included mathematics, physics, history, geography, jurisprudence, political science, and physical education. On his 13th birthday, Franz Joseph was appointed Colonel of the Dragoons Regiment, and the focus of his education shifted to military strategies and tactics.

The biggest ambition of Franz Joseph’s mother Sophie was to place her oldest son on the Austrian throne. During the Revolution of 1848, she persuaded her husband to give up his rights to the throne in favor of their son Franz Joseph, and on December 2, 1848, Emperor Ferdinand abdicated the throne in favor of his 18-year-old nephew. Franz Joseph was now Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary and Croatia, and King of Bohemia.

Emperor Franz Joseph I in 1851; Credit – Wikipedia

Members of the Imperial Court felt the young emperor should marry and produce heirs as soon as possible. Franz Joseph’s domineering mother considered several princesses as the future empress including Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria, Princess Anna of Prussia, and Princess Sidonia of Saxony. However, Sophie wanted to forge a relationship with her familial House of Wittelsbach of Bavaria and the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. She arranged for a match between Franz Joseph and Helene, Duchess in Bavaria, the eldest daughter of her sister Ludovika of Bavaria and her husband Duke Maximilian Joseph in Bavaria. In 1853, Helene traveled with her mother and her younger sister Elisabeth, Duchess in Bavaria (Sisi) to the resort of Bad Ischl, Upper Austria to meet her cousin Franz Joseph, hoping to become his bride. Instead, Franz Joseph fell in love with the 15-year-old Elisabeth. Franz Joseph told his mother that if he could not marry Elisabeth, he would not marry at all. Five days later their engagement was officially announced.

Franz Joseph and Sisi were married on April 24, 1854, at the Augustinerkirche, the parish church of the imperial court of the Habsburgs, a short walk from Hofburg Palace in Vienna. The ceremony was conducted by Cardinal Joseph Othmar Rauscher, Archbishop of Vienna with 1,000 guests in attendance including 70 bishops.

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Augustinerkirche in Vienna, Austria; Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer

Emperor Franz Joseph in 1853; Credit – Wikipedia

Empress Elisabeth in 1855; Credit – Wikipedia

The couple had four children:

Empress Elisabeth with her two eldest surviving children, Gisela and Rudolf in 1858; Credit – Wikipedia

Franz Joseph’s youngest child, Marie Valerie in 1870; Credit – Wikipedia

The marriage was not a happy one for Sisi. Although her husband loved her, Sisi had difficulties adjusting to the Austrian court and did not get along with Imperial family members, especially her mother-in-law. In 1885, Franz Joseph began a long-standing private relationship with actress Katharina Schratt that would last the rest of his life. The exact nature of their relationship is unclear. Some believe that Katharina and Franz Joseph were lovers while others believe their relationship was platonic. Katharina always maintained the strictest discretion regarding her relationship with Franz Joseph. Empress Elisabeth tolerated the relationship and even seemed to encourage it. Sisi felt emotionally distant from her husband and fled from him and her duties at court, by frequent traveling.

Franz Joseph had many affairs but mostly short-term ones. His longest affair of a sexual nature was with Anna Nahowski who was his mistress from 1875 – 1889. Anna’s husband was agreeable with his wife being Franz Joseph’s mistress and with the generous gifts Anna received. Franz Joseph and Anna’s affair overlapped with Franz Joseph’s long-standing private relationship with actress Katharina Schratt. Franz Joseph found the 29-year age gap and the lack of common interests between Anna and himself difficult. He found Katharina Schratt a more compatible companion. Anna and Franz Joseph’s affair ended shortly after the suicide of Crown Prince Rudolf. Anna was given a severance payment “for the fourteen years in the service of the emperor” of 200,000 guldens, worth millions today.

Franz Joseph’s brother Maximilian entered into a plan with Emperor Napoleon III of France to invade, conquer, and rule Mexico. Napoleon III invited Maximilian to establish a new Mexican monarchy. With the support of the French army and a group of conservative Mexican monarchists hostile to Mexican President Benito Juárez, Maximilian traveled to Mexico and declared himself Emperor of Mexico on April 10, 1864. In 1866, the French withdrew their armies from Mexico and the Mexican empire collapsed. The Mexican government captured and executed Maximilian in 1867.

Édouard Manet’s famous painting “Execution of Emperor Maximilian;” Credit – Wikipedia

Franz Joseph kept Crown Prince Rudolf away from all state affairs. Under pressure from his father, Rudolf married Princess Stephanie of Belgium, daughter of King Leopold II of the Belgians. The couple had one child, Archduchess Elisabeth Marie of Austria. On January 30, 1889, at Mayerling, a hunting lodge in the Vienna Woods which Rudolf had purchased, in an apparent suicide plot, Rudolf shot his 17-year-old mistress Baroness Mary Vetsera and then shot himself. Crown Prince Rudolf had no sons, so the succession would pass to Emperor Franz Joseph’s brother, Archduke Karl Ludwig and his eldest son Archduke Franz Ferdinand. In a matter of days, Archduke Karl Ludwig renounced his succession rights in favor of his son Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

Crown Prince Rudolf; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

At the time of Crown Prince Rudolf’s death, the new heir Archduke Franz Ferdinand was unmarried. In 1894, Franz Ferdinand fell in love with Countess Sophie Chotek von Chotkow und Wognin, the daughter of Count Bohuslaw Chotek von Chotkow und Wognin and Countess Wilhelmine Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau. Because Sophie was not a member of a reigning or formerly reigning family, she could not marry a member of the Imperial Family. Franz Ferdinand refused to give Sophie up and he was helped in his efforts to marry her by Archduchess Maria Theresa (born Infanta Maria Theresa of Portugal), Emperor Franz Joseph’s sister-in-law and Franz Ferdinand’s stepmother. The emperor finally agreed to the marriage, but there were some catches. Franz Ferdinand would keep his place in the succession, but Sophie could never be empress and their children would never have succession rights.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

In 1898, despite being warned about possible assassination attempts, Sisi traveled incognito to Geneva, Switzerland. On September 10, 1898, while walking to the shore of Lake Geneva to catch a steamship, Sisi was stabbed by a 25-year-old Italian anarchist Luigi Lucheni. The 60-year-old empress died shortly afterward. Franz Joseph never fully recovered from his wife’s death. Empress Elisabeth was buried in Franz Josephs Gruft (Franz Joseph’s Crypt) in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna where her son had been buried.

Emperor Franz Joseph at Empress Elisabeth’s coffin in the Imperial Crypt

In June of 1914, Emperor Franz Joseph sent Archduke Franz Ferdinand to Sarajevo, Bosnia to observe military maneuvers and Sophie accompanied him out of fear for his safety. After the military maneuvers, the couple was to open a state museum in Sarajevo. The Black Hand, a secret military society formed by members of the Serbian Army, conspired to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand on his visit to Sarajevo. Seven conspirators were in the crowds lining the streets of Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, each ready to assassinate the Archduke should there be an opportunity. One attempt, a bomb thrown at the archduke’s car, failed. Later, after a reception at the Town Hall, 19-year-old Gavrilo Princip saw his chance and fired two shots at the couple as they rode in their car. The first shot hit Sophie in the abdomen and the second shot hit Franz Ferdinand in the neck. Sophie died soon after being shot and Franz Ferdinand died about 10 minutes later. Upon Franz Ferdinand’s death, Archduke Karl became the heir. Karl’s father was Archduke Otto Franz, the second son of Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria, the younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph.

 

After living through the violent deaths of so many relatives, Emperor Franz Joseph died on November 21, 1916, in the middle of World War I, at the age of 86 in Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna. His great-nephew succeeded him as Emperor Karl I of Austria but only reigned for two years as the monarchy was abolished at the end of World War I. Emperor Franz Joseph was buried in Franz Josephs Gruft (Franz Joseph’s Crypt) in the Imperial Crypt between the tombs of his wife and his son.

Tomb of Emperor Franz Joseph with Empress Elisabeth’s tomb on the left and Crown Prince Rudolf’s tomb on the right; Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer

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