To cap a good year his daughter Elisabeth ‘Erszi’ was born. His liberal views upset many in conservative army and Court circles but Emperor Franz Josef approved of his call for modernisation and scientific development, made in his first public speech. In 1883 Rudolf wrote various political articles for the Viennese daily Neues Wiener Tagblatt, under a false name. Many appeared anonymously and included attacks on what he viewed as the idleness of the members of his parents’ Court. After a shaky start the newlyweds seemed to reach mutual understanding despite their differences of temperament, sharing interests such as shooting.įrom the late 1870s Rudolf had been writing newspaper articles and pamphlets reflecting his liberal views. Rudolf and Princess Stephanie were married in Vienna in 1881 and they began married life in Prague, where he was promoted to Lieutenant General. Famously Marie Festetics thanked God it was not news of a disaster to which Empress Elisabeth answered “Pray God it is not”. Sisi was in London when she received the news by telegram. It was clear to all that Rudolf needed to settle down and in March 1880 he accepted the proposal from the Belgian king that he should marry his daughter Princess Stephanie of Belgium. In 1879 Rudolf was made commanding officer of the regiment. But his time in Prague gave Rudolf a better understanding of the nationalist problems within the empire. Reluctantly he left his friends and the courtesans of Vienna behind. In 1877 Count Bombelles was made head of Rudolf’s household and the next year he accompanied Rudolf on his tour of Britain and Ireland preparation for the day when he would become emperor.Ĭrown Prince Rudolf moved to Prague and joined the 36 th (Bohemian) Infantry as a Colonel. In the 1870s Crown Prince Rudolf continued his studies and he met the zoologist Alfred Brehm who accompanied him on the field trip that led to Rudolf writing his successful book Fünfzehn Tage auf der Donau (Fifteen Days on the Danube). Aged nine he shot his first stag near Ischl and by the time of his first communion in 1870 his keen interest in ornithology was reflected in a long essay on the hunting of eagles. Rudolf’s life changed and so did his interests. Her expression of independence won the day and Gondrecourt was sacked and replaced by the liberal and kind Latour. In turn Sisi gave Emperor Franz Josef an ultimatum, demanding that she should be in charge of the children’s education. Gondrecourt sought to produce a tough soldier from the sickly child and Crown Prince Rudolf was treated harshly and drilled until he was exhausted.įearing for Rudolf one of Gondrecourt’s officers Count Joseph Latour went to Sisi. The Emperor made General Count Leopold Gondrecourt his tutor. In 1864 Rudolf was taken away from his sister Gisela and set up with his own household. Sisi had little say in his early upbringing. Emperor Josef immediately made him an army officer. In August 1858 Sisi gave birth to her third-born child Rudolf, the Crown Prince, at Laxenburg.
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