Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria (1853-1889) (and Mayerling)

[lucien]

2008,Crown Prince Rudolf year.

There will be a jubilee exhibition on Crown Prince Rudolf at Schönbrun Palace in Rudolfs former appartments starting this august:

Startseite - Schloss Schönbrunn


At present,there's the Schönbrunn Eastermarket,started last weekend.

Ostermarkt Schloß Schönbrunn

[lucien]

The most extensive site on Mayerling.
In german,speculation prohibited....great idea.......grin...

[ mayerling.info ] Das Mayerling-Archiv - Ein Forum für Forschung, die verbindet

[Marengo]

I was wondeirng, what different theories have come up by now, about Mayerling? 1. Empress Zita said that the French secret service was behind it, 2. others say it was a love-affair gone sour and 3. again others say that it was Franz Joseph himself who ordered the 'murder' of Crownprince Rudolf. Are these the 3 main versions or am I missing any?

[Jo of Palatine]

Originally Posted by Marengo

I was wondeirng, what different theories have come up by now, about Mayerling? 1. Empress Zita said that the French secret service was behind it, 2. others say it was a love-affair gone sour and 3. again others say that it was Franz Joseph himself who ordered the 'murder' of Crownprince Rudolf. Are these the 3 main versions or am I missing any?

I found that obviously some time ago at Official Kaiservilla Homepage - Welcome to the Kaiservilla - a website belonging to Marie Valerie's grandson Archduke Markus (so he is Rudolf's grandnephew) and adminstrated by a Valentin Habsburg (maybe Markus' son?) there was a text by Archduke M;arkus where he claimed that Rudolf had been suicidal but wasn't able to actually commit this suicide without the presence of Mary who agreed to die with him. Rudolf shot Mary but still couldn't commit suicide till he had set himself under the pressure of being found with Mary's body, so short before his footman came, he was honour-bound to kill himself as well.

I only found this summary of Markus' article, the article was gone from the homepage when I looked it up, but I have read this version before and it seems to make sense if we consider how much Habsburg-Wittelsbach -blood actually ran into Rudolf's veins and both families had their share of depression patients.

[Marengo]

The trailer of the series ' The Crownprince' about Crownprince Rudolf and the Mayerling drama. Rudolf is played by Count Max von Thun und Hohenstein. Omar Sharif also features in the production.

YouTube - The Crown Prince - Trailer

[Menarue]

Originally Posted by Marengo

I was wondeirng, what different theories have come up by now, about Mayerling? 1. Empress Zita said that the French secret service was behind it, 2. others say it was a love-affair gone sour and 3. again others say that it was Franz Joseph himself who ordered the 'murder' of Crownprince Rudolf. Are these the 3 main versions or am I missing any?

I have read that Prince Rudolph had suicidal tendencies and that before this successful attempt he had asked at least one other young lady to accompany him. That makes 4 theories (not necessarily mine).

[attaininggrace]

Originally Posted by Jo of Palatine

I found that obviously some time ago at Official Kaiservilla Homepage - Welcome to the Kaiservilla - a website belonging to Marie Valerie's grandson Archduke Markus (so he is Rudolf's grandnephew) and adminstrated by a Valentin Habsburg (maybe Markus' son?) there was a text by Archduke M;arkus where he claimed that Rudolf had been suicidal but wasn't able to actually commit this suicide without the presence of Mary who agreed to die with him. Rudolf shot Mary but still couldn't commit suicide till he had set himself under the pressure of being found with Mary's body, so short before his footman came, he was honour-bound to kill himself as well.)

This was how it was portrayed in the movie. I must read a good book about this. Does anyone know of one?

[attaininggrace]

Originally Posted by Menarue

I have read that Prince Rudolph had suicidal tendencies and that before this successful attempt he had asked at least one other young lady to accompany him. That makes 4 theories (not necessarily mine).

That's awful, Menarue. I feel very sorry for Mary. Apparently she was a very sweet, affectionate girl. I can understand the Prince committing suicide to a certain degree, but I think that he should have done it alone!

[zinzen]

[quote=attaininggrace;800801]

Originally Posted by Jo of Palatine

I found that obviously some time ago at Official Kaiservilla Homepage - Welcome to the Kaiservilla - a website belonging to Marie Valerie's grandson Archduke Markus (so he is Rudolf's grandnephew) and adminstrated by a Valentin Habsburg (maybe Markus' son?) there was a text by Archduke M;arkus where he claimed that Rudolf had been suicidal but wasn't able to actually commit this suicide without the presence of Mary who agreed to die with him. Rudolf shot Mary but still couldn't commit suicide till he had set himself under the pressure of being found with Mary's body, so short before his footman came, he was honour-bound to kill himself as well.)


This was how it was portrayed in the movie. I must read a good book about this. Does anyone know of one?

I've read a good one, in French, I do'nt know if it has been translated.

Rodolphe et les secrets de Mayerling
Jean des Cars
Perrin 2004 ISBN 2-262-01719-0

[Menarue]

There is an interesting book about someone who seems to have been almost forgotten, who also suffered terribly with this. The book is in French and is called "Stéphanie, princesse héritiére dans l´ombre de Mayerling".
it is not a new book, and my copy was published in 1978.
I have just seen that it is a French translation from the German "Stephanie: Kronprinzessin im Schatten von Mayerling" It is by Irmgard Schiel.
Poor Stephanie, she had such a sweet face a very great tragedy for all involved.

[carinthia]

I have to recommend brigitte hamann's "rudolf". written seriously with no fairy tales, no rumours around the tragedy including the historian facts of the late 19. century. hamann tells those ones (letters, diaries, official documents)which are water-proof. nothing else.

[tdarlene]

ArchduchessCatharina, or in spanish Catalina, of Habsburbg is going to release a new book, late this month, about Empress Elizabeth, Sissi, in wich she writes that Crown Prince Rudolf was murdered. She says that her grandmother and her father told her about it. The documents have disappeared, including a letter sent to the Pope by the Emperor. According to Empress Zita, the author was somebody close to Clemenceau, who was an enemy of the Habsburgs.
Asked about the Borbones, she says that Habsburgs are old-fashioned, while Borbones are more illustrated, more passionate and funnier.
About Kings expressing their opinions, she admired the King of Belgium when he did not sign the abortion law.
[La Esfera de los Libros]
- EL MUNDO | Suplemento cronica 683 - «El hijo de Sissi fue asesinado. No se suicidió.»

[MAfan]

I've read a similar story, that Empress Zita once said that Rudolph was murdered by French and that she, or her son Otto, would have told (I don't know if consecutio temporum is right!) the whole story later, but She has died without telling what happend exactly...

[ANNIE_S]

I read another book written for Catalina of Habsburg, "Las Austrias". I enjoyed it very much, so I will read this one too. Thanks for the links!!!