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Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria

Rudolf at the time of his engagement
BornAugust 21, 1858 (1858-08-21)
Flag of Austria Laxenburg, Austrian Empire
DiedJanuary 30, 1889, aged 30
Flag of Austria-Hungary Mayerling, Austria-Hungary
TitleCrown Prince and Archduke of Austria, Crown Prince of Hungary and Bohemia
SpousePrincess Stéphanie of Belgium
ChildrenArchduchess Elisabeth Marie of Austria
ParentsEmperor Franz Josef I of Austria (father)
Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria (mother)

Archduke Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria, Hungary and Bohemia (21 August 1858 - 30 January 1889) was the son and heir of Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria and Empress Elisabeth of Austria. Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan. Year 1858 ( MDCCCLVIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Laxenburg is a town in the district of Mödling in the Austrian state of Lower Austria, near Vienna. For the history of these states before 1804 see Holy Roman Empire, Habsburg Monarchy, and articles on each of the component countries. Events 1648 - Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster is signed ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain Year 1889 ( MDCCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Mayerling is a small village (pop 200 in Lower Austria belonging to the municipality of Alland in the district of Baden. Princess Stéphanie of Belgium (Stéphanie Clotilde Louise Herminie Marie Charlotte Stefanie Clotilde Louise Hermine Marie Charlotte ( 21 May, 1864 &ndash 23 Elisabeth Maria Henriette Stephanie Gisela Archduchess of Austria, ( 2 September 1883 &ndash 16 March 1963) was the only child of Crown Franz Joseph I Karl (- German, in English Francis Joseph I Charles, see the name in other languages) (18 August 1830 &ndash 21 November Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie ( 24 December, 1837 &ndash 10 September, 1898) of the House of Wittelsbach, was the Empress Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan. Year 1858 ( MDCCCLVIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 1648 - Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster is signed ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain Year 1889 ( MDCCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common An emperor (from the Latin " Imperator " is a (male Monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an Empire or another type of Franz Joseph I Karl (- German, in English Francis Joseph I Charles, see the name in other languages) (18 August 1830 &ndash 21 November An emperor (from the Latin " Imperator " is a (male Monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an Empire or another type of Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie ( 24 December, 1837 &ndash 10 September, 1898) of the House of Wittelsbach, was the Empress His death, apparently through suicide, along with that of his mistress, Baroness Mary Vetsera, at his Mayerling hunting lodge in 1889 made international headlines, fueled international conspiracy rumours and ultimately may have sealed the long-term fate of the Habsburg monarchy. A mistress is a man's long term female Sexual partner and companion who is not married to him especially used when the man is married to another woman Baroness Mary Vetsera ( German language: Marie "Mary" Alexandrine Freiin von Vetsera) ( 19 March 1871 – 30 January The Mayerling Incident refers to the series of events leading to the apparent murder-suicide of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria and his lover Baroness Mary Vetsera. Year 1889 ( MDCCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common A conspiracy theory attributes the ultimate cause of an event or chain of events (usually Political, Social or Historical events or the concealment The exact cause and circumstances of his death remain a mystery to this day.

Contents

Background

Crown Prince Rudolf was born on August 21, 1858 in Schloss Laxenburg [1] near Vienna as the son of Emperor Franz Joseph I. Crown Princess redirects here for the ship see Crown Princess (ship. Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan. Year 1858 ( MDCCCLVIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. Influenced by his tutor Ferdinand von Hochstetter (who later became the first manager of the Imperial Natural History Museum), Rudolf became very interested in natural sciences, starting a mineral collection at a very early age. Christian Gottlieb Ferdinand Ritter von Hochstetter ( April 30, 1829 &ndash July 18, 1884) was a German Geologist. The Imperial Natural History Museum or Imperial Royal Natural History Court Museum of Austria-Hungary was created by ( Kaiser) Emperor Franz [1] (After his death, large portions of his mineral collection came into the possession of the University for Agriculture in Vienna. [1]). Crown Prince Rudolf was raised together with his older sister Gisela under the direct supervision of their paternal grandmother, Archduchess Sophie. His parents' oldest child, a daughter named Sophie, died at age 2 and before Rudolf was born while younger sister Marie-Valerie was born 10 years after Rudolf. Hence, Gisela and Rudolf grew up together and were very close. At age 6, he was separated from his beloved sister as he begun his education on being a future Emperor. This did not change their relationship and Gisela remained close to him until she left Vienna upon her marriage to Prince Leopold of Bavaria. The siblings' parting was said to be very emotional.

In contrast with his deeply conservative father, Crown Prince Rudolf held distinctively liberal views that were closer to those of his mother. Classical liberalism (also known as traditional liberalism, Laissez-faire liberalism, Market liberalism or in much of the world Nevertheless his relationship with her was strained and contained little warmth. On May 10, 1881, he married Princess Stéphanie of Belgium, a daughter of King Leopold II of the Belgians, in The Augustinian's Church in Vienna with all the pomp and splendour of a state wedding. Events 1291 - Scottish Nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England. Year 1881 ( MDCCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Princess Stéphanie of Belgium (Stéphanie Clotilde Louise Herminie Marie Charlotte Stefanie Clotilde Louise Hermine Marie Charlotte ( 21 May, 1864 &ndash 23 Leopold II (Léopold Louis Philippe Marie Victor Leopold Lodewijk Filips Maria Victor (9 April 1835 – 17 December 1909 was King of the Belgians. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those The St Augustine's Church (Augustinerkirche in German is a parish church located on Josefsplatz next to the Hofburg, the winter palace of the Habsburg dynasty in Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. Rudolf appeared to be genuinely in love, but his mother regarded her new daughter-in-law as a "clumsy oaf. " By the time their only child, the Archduchess Elisabeth, was born on September 2, 1883, the couple had drifted apart, and he found solace in drink and female companionship. Elisabeth Maria Henriette Stephanie Gisela Archduchess of Austria, ( 2 September 1883 &ndash 16 March 1963) was the only child of Crown Events 44 BC - Pharaoh Cleopatra VII of Egypt declares her son co-ruler as Ptolemy XV Caesarion. Year 1883 ( MDCCCLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common

In 1887, Rudolf bought Mayerling and adapted it into a hunting lodge. Year 1887 ( MDCCCLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Mayerling is a small village (pop 200 in Lower Austria belonging to the municipality of Alland in the district of Baden. Hunting is the practice of pursuing Animals for Food, Recreation, or Trade. In the autumn of 1888, the 30-year-old crown prince met the 17-year-old Baroness Marie Vetsera, known by the more fashionable Anglophile name Mary. Year 1888 ( MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Baroness Mary Vetsera ( German language: Marie "Mary" Alexandrine Freiin von Vetsera) ( 19 March 1871 – 30 January An Anglophile is a person who is fond of English culture and England in general From the start, Mary adored him, and was ready to do anything for him. It was almost certainly not the great romance of his life, but Rudolf did have feelings for her, and was touched by her limitless, almost fanatical, love for him.

The Mayerling "Suicide Pact"

Main article: Mayerling Incident
Princess Stéphanie and the Prince's final letter to her; signed "Rudolf"
Princess Stéphanie and the Prince's final letter to her; signed "Rudolf"
Austrian Royalty
House of Habsburg-Lorraine

Francis I
(Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor)
Children include
   Archduchess Marie Louise
   Ferdinand I
   Archduchess Maria Leopoldina
   Archduchess Clementina
   Archduke Franz Karl
Grandchildren include
   Franz Joseph I
   Archduke Maximilian
   Archduke Karl Ludwig
   Archduke Ludwig Viktor
Great-grandchildren include
   Archduke Franz Ferdinand
   Archduke Otto Franz
Ferdinand I
Franz Joseph I
Children
   Archduchess Sophie
   Archduchess Gisela
   Crown Prince Rudolf
   Archduchess Marie Valerie
Grandchildren include
   Archduchess Elisabeth Marie
Charles I
Children include
   Crown Prince Otto
   Archduke Robert
   Archduke Felix
   Archduke Karl Ludwig
   Archduke Rudolf
Grandchildren include
   Archduchess Andrea
   Archduchess Monika
   Archduchess Michaela
   Archduchess Gabriela
   Archduchess Walburga
   Archduke Karl
   Archduke Georg
   Archduke Lorenz
Great-Grandchildren include
   Archduke Ferdinand
   Archduke Amedeo

According to official reports, their deaths were a result of Franz Josef's demand that the couple end the relationship: the Crown Prince, as part of a suicide pact, shot his mistress in the head, then himself. The Mayerling Incident refers to the series of events leading to the apparent murder-suicide of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria and his lover Baroness Mary Vetsera. Habsburg Monarchy (alternatively Habsburg Empire) refers to the territories ruled by the Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg, and then by the successor Francis II (Franz II Heiliger Römischer Kaiser ( 12 February 1768 &ndash 2 March 1835) was the last Holy Roman Emperor, ruling Marie Louise of Austria (Maria Luisa von Österreich French: Marie Louise d'Autriche; Italian: Maria Luisa d'Austria; b Ferdinand ( April 19, 1793 &ndash June 29, 1875) was Emperor of Austria as Ferdinand I, King of Hungary and Croatia and Archduke Archduchess Maria Leopoldina Josepha Caroline of Austria ( Portuguese: Maria Leopoldina da Áustria; German: Erzherzogin Maria Leopoldine von Österreich Archduchess Maria Clementina Franziska Josepha of Austria (born 1 March 1798 in Vienna Archduke Franz Karl Joseph of Austria ( 17 December 1802 &ndash 8 March 1878) was father of two emperors ( Austria and Mexico Franz Joseph I Karl (- German, in English Francis Joseph I Charles, see the name in other languages) (18 August 1830 &ndash 21 November Maximilian I Emperor of Mexico (Emperador Maximiliano I de México (6 July 1832 – 19 June 1867 (born Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph was a member of Austria For the son of Charles I of Austria see Archduke Carl Ludwig of Austria (1918–2007. Archduke Ludwig Viktor Joseph Anton of Austria ( 15 May, 1842 &ndash 18 January, 1919) was the youngest son born to Archduke Franz Karl Franz Ferdinand ( December 18, 1863 &ndash June 28, 1914) was an Archduke of Austria-Este, Prince Imperial of Otto Franz Joseph Karl Ludwig Maria Prince Imperial and Archduke of Austria Prince Royal of Hungary and Bohemia ( April 21, 1865 - November 1, 1906 Ferdinand ( April 19, 1793 &ndash June 29, 1875) was Emperor of Austria as Ferdinand I, King of Hungary and Croatia and Archduke Franz Joseph I Karl (- German, in English Francis Joseph I Charles, see the name in other languages) (18 August 1830 &ndash 21 November Archduchess Sophie of Austria (birth name Sophie Friederike Dorothea Maria Josepha von Habsburg-Lothringen) ( March 5, 1855 in Vienna – Gisela Louise Marie Princess Imperial and Archduchess of Austria Princess of Hungary and Bohemia Princess of Bavaria (15 July 1856 - 27 July 1932 was the second daughter and eldest Marie Valerie Archduchess of Austria ( April 22, 1868 - September 6, 1924) was the fourth and last child of Franz Josef, Emperor Elisabeth Maria Henriette Stephanie Gisela Archduchess of Austria, ( 2 September 1883 &ndash 16 March 1963) was the only child of Crown "Karl I" redirects here For the prince of Liechtenstein see Karl I of Liechtenstein. Otto von Habsburg (born 20 November, 1912 as Archduke Franz Joseph Otto Robert Maria Anton Karl Max Heinrich Sixtus Xaver Felix Renatus Ludwig Gaetan Pius Ignatius Archduke Robert Karl Ludwig Maximilian Michael Maria Anton Franz Ferdinand Joseph Otto Hubert Georg Pius Johannes Marcus d'Aviano of Austria-Este ( Schonbrunn Early life and exile Archduke Felix was born in the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna the third son of the then Heir presumptive to the throne of Archduke Rudolf of Austria (born 5 September 1919) is the youngest son of Emperor Charles I of Austria and Empress Zita of Bourbon-Parma. Archduchess Andrea of Austria ( Andrea Maria von Habsburg-Lothringen) Princess Imperial and Archduchess of Austria, Princess Royal of Hungary and Bohemia Archduchess Monika of Austria (née Monika Maria Roberta Antonia Raphaela von Habsburg-Lothringen Princess Imperial and Archduchess of Austria, Princess Royal of Archduchess Michaela of Austria ( Michaela Maria Madeleine Kiliana von Habsburg-Lothringen) Princess Imperial and Archduchess of Austria, Princess Royal of Hungary Gabriela von Habsburg, (born 14 October 1956) is a German Sculptor and the granddaughter of Charles I, last Emperor of Austria Walburga Habsburg Douglas is a German-Swedish lawyer and politician and a member of the Swedish Parliament since 2006 Archduke Karl of Austria ( Karl Thomas Robert Maria Franziskus Georg Bahnam von Habsburg-Lothringen) Prince Imperial of Austria, Prince Royal of Hungary Archduke Georg (György of Austria ( Paul Georg Maria Joseph Dominikus von Habsburg-Lothringen) Prince Imperial of Austria, Prince Royal of Hungary, ( Early life and marriage Prince Lorenz was born in Clinique du Belvédère Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France as the second child of Prince Amedeo of Belgium Archduke of Austria-Este ( Amedeo Marie Joseph/Josef Carl Pierre Philippe Paola Marcus d'Aviano, born February 21 1986 Rudolf was officially declared to have been in a state of "mental unbalance" in order to enable burial in the Imperial Crypt (Kapuzinergruft) of the Capuchin Church in Vienna. Since 1633 The Imperial Crypt in Vienna has been the principal place of entombment for the Habsburg dynasty hereditary Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, and The Kapuzinerkirche in Vienna is the church (the Church of St Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. Mary's body was smuggled out of Mayerling in the middle of the night, and secretly buried in the cemetery of Holy Cross Abbey in Heiligenkreuz, and the Emperor had Mayerling converted into a penitential convent of Carmelite nuns. An abbey (from Latin abbatia derived from Syriac abba "father" is a Christian Monastery or The Order of the Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel or Carmelites (sometimes simply Carmel by Synecdoche; Latin: Ordo fratrum Beatæ Today prayers are still said daily by the nuns for the repose of Rudolf's soul.

Suicide or murder?

Many people however doubted the truthfulness of the report. Before her death in 1989, Empress Zita, widow of the last Austrian Emperor Karl (r. Zita of Bourbon-Parma ( Zita Maria delle Grazie Adelgonda Micaela Raffaela Gabriella Giuseppina Antonia Luisa Agnese; 9 May 1892 &ndash 14 March 1989 was the wife of Emperor "Karl I" redirects here For the prince of Liechtenstein see Karl I of Liechtenstein. A reign is a period of time a person serves as a Monarch or Pope. 1916–1918), repeated the claim that the young couple had been murdered as part of an attempt to cover up a French plot to overthrow his father, a pro-German conservative, and replace him with Rudolf, a pro-French Liberal. According to Empress Zita, Rudolf had indignantly refused to take part and threatened to inform his father. Empress Zita did not offer any new evidence and her claims, however widely reported, were not given much credence during her lifetime.

In December 1992 the remains of Baroness Vetsera were stolen from the cemetery at Heiligenkreuz. When the missing remains were tracked down, the police, to ensure they were the correct remains, asked the Viennese Medical Institute to examine them. While they did confirm that they were the correct remains, the institution noted how the skull contained no evidence whatsoever of a bullet hole, the supposed means by which Vetsera had been killed by the crown prince. The evidence instead suggested she may have been killed by a series of violent blows to the head. Separately, evidence came to light in the form of a report on the remains of the crown prince, made at the time of the double death. His body showed evidence of a major violent struggle. A report at the time had also noted that all six bullets had been fired from the gun, which it was revealed did not belong to the crown prince.

The official state report of the deaths claimed that the crown prince shot Vetsera before shooting himself with his own gun. It made no mention of the facts subsequently revealed, leading to the conclusion that, for some reason, a cover-up of the actual manner of the deaths had taken place. It is unlikely ever to be clarified as to what really happened. Two theories have been postulated:

  • one theory is that the couple had a violent struggle, and that the crown prince murdered his lover by battering her before shooting himself; in other words, a clear case of murder rather than the suggested double suicide; however, that theory fails to explain the ability of the prince to fire the gun six times as he killed himself, or indeed where the gun came from, given that it was not his weapon;
  • the other theory is that some third party attacked both, battered Vetsera to death, and shot the crown prince. The latter theory does bear some resemblance to the theory postulated for eighty years by Empress Zita, who as Crown Princess from 1914 to 1916 had been a confidante of Rudolf's father, the aging Emperor Franz Josef, and so may have heard his theories, and those of other members of the Austro-Hungarian court, as to the manner of the death of Crown Prince Rudolf.

It would have been difficult for the devoutly Catholic Emperor to admit that his son and heir had killed the girl and himself in a state of "mental unbalance". If there had been any way to claim that the two had been murdered by a third party, that version would have been infinitely preferable. There would have been no need to accuse someone in particular; it would have avoided the public admission that the Crown Prince was an insane murderer and that he had committed suicide.

Putting forward a third party as the killer though, would have likely led to a public demand that the killer be caught and a thorough investigation of the deaths. It may be that some thought that would be undesirable; in any case, the 'mental unbalance' theory was put forward.

It should be also noted that, according to the Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church, a man who committed suicide should not be given Christian Burial. Canon law is internal ecclesiastical law governing the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox churches and the Anglican Communion of churches A Christian burial is the Burial of a deceased person with ecclesiastical rites typically in Consecrated ground However, after the Emperor's exchange of letters with the Pope, Rudolf was buried according to Catholic Rites. This also suggests that there was unreleased evidence, or maybe even the fact that the murder was ordered by the Emperor himself. There is a theory which suggests that Rudolf had been planning to overthrow the Emperor, or to claim the throne of an independent Hungary, and that his plots were uncovered by the Emperor's inner circle not long before Rudolf was found dead. Of course all this remains a mystery, at least until the Papal Archive decides to release the letter, which may contain the final and decisive proof.

Impact of Rudolf's death

Crown Prince Rudolf
Crown Prince Rudolf

Following Rudolf's death, the marriage of his parents collapsed completely, with his mother spending much of her time abroad.

Next in the line of succession after Rudolf to the Austrian, Bohemian, Croatian and Hungarian thrones was Archduke Karl Ludwig, Franz Josef's younger brother. Bohemians are the people of Bohemia, in the Czech Republic, inhabitants of the former Kingdom of Bohemia located in the modern day Czech Republic For the son of Charles I of Austria see Archduke Carl Ludwig of Austria (1918–2007. Karl Ludwig renounced his succession rights a few days after Rudolf’s death, meaning his oldest son, Archduke Franz Ferdinand became heir presumptive. Franz Ferdinand ( December 18, 1863 &ndash June 28, 1914) was an Archduke of Austria-Este, Prince Imperial of [2] Franz Ferdinand's assassination in 1914 led to a chain of events that produced World War I. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All When Franz Josef died in 1916, the throne passed to his grand-nephew, Archduke Karl, who became the last Austro-Hungarian monarch as Emperor Karl of Austria. "Karl I" redirects here For the prince of Liechtenstein see Karl I of Liechtenstein.

Film and Theatre

Ancestors

Further reading

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c "Crown Prince Rudolf (1858-1889)" (museum notes), Natural History Museum of Vienna, 2006, NHM-Wien-Rudolfe. Mayerling is a small village (pop 200 in Lower Austria belonging to the municipality of Alland in the district of Baden. The Mayerling Incident refers to the series of events leading to the apparent murder-suicide of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria and his lover Baroness Mary Vetsera. Prince Rudolf Land, Crown Prince Rudolf Land or Rudolf Island (Остров Рудольфа is the northernmost island of the Franz Josef Archipelago
  2. ^ "The Crown Prince’s Successor", New York Times, 1889-02-02. Year 1889 ( MDCCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 962 - Translatio imperii: Pope John XII crowns Otto I Holy Roman Emperor, the first Holy Roman Emperor  

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