Emperor Karl I (1887-1922) and Empress Zita ("the Last Empress") (1892-1989)

[berry]

Originally Posted by geli

Here are two pictures of Zita at the time of her engagement to the Archiduke Carl Franz Josef of Austria (1887-1922), later Emperor Karl I

The man in the first picture doesn't look like Karl at all. Maybe he is one of Zita's brothers?

[britti]

That´s definitely Karl. Don´t you recognize him???

I hope we speak of the same picture : The one with Zita, and the man with the hat beside her. There is not much to see of his face because of the hat, but that´s the typical mouth and nose of Karl!

[linda85]

I know that Otto Von Hapsburg is the oldest son of this marriage. Who are the other siblings? Can anyone list them?
Thanks,
Linda 85

[Warren]

Originally Posted by linda85

I know that Otto Von Hapsburg is the oldest son of this marriage. Who are the other siblings?

The family of Emperor Karl and Empress Zita

• Otto, Crown Prince of Austria and Hungary (1912- )
married Princess Regina of Saxe-Meiningen

• Adelhaid (1914-1971) unmarried

• Robert, Archduke of Austria-Este, Head of the Ducal House of Modena (1915-1996)
married Princess Margherita of Savoy-Aosta

• Felix (1916- )
married Princess Anna-Eugenie d'Arenberg

• Carl Ludwig (1918-2007)
married Princess Yolande de Ligne

• Rudolf (1919- )
married (1) Countess Xenia Bezobrazoff
married (2) Princess Anna Gabrielle von Wrede

• Charlotte (1921-1989)
married Duke Georg Alexander of Mecklenburg (-Strelitz)

• Elisabeth (1922-1993)
married Prince Heinrich von und zu Liechtenstein

[britti]

It´s strange that all the girls died in their sixties, but the men become all very old. Especially Otto must be of a very strong constitution. It´s impossible that he always travels sooo much, even if he is much over ninety. He must be a bit like his mother, who became so old, too. When I once say him in TV, I would never have thought that he is ober ninety. I appears much younger to me.
Has anybody recent pictures of the family of his son Karl? Or is there another thread for it? Thanks!

[flcty]

Guys, I found a couple of more pictures .
Zita + Karl inspecting [something].
http://www.firstworldwar.com/photos/...hw_karl_01.jpg
First World War [literally called] website.

The Beatification of Europe
Article with pictures.

[newfan]

where is this crown from and does is still exist??

[Harold]

If I understand correctly, the Habsburgs who accepted the Republic were permitted to stay in Austria and retain their property. Karl and his family, however, had to leave Austria and lost their property. How did Karl, Zita, and the children survive? Did they have property and assets out of Austria on which they could draw? Did Austria ever return any property? Thanks.

[sjgrace]

I'd love to see pictures of her funeral in Vienna in 1989.

[lucien]

Oh that was almost something of a national event,in fact,it actually was.Tens of thousands thronged
the streets of Vienna to pay respect,very impressive.

The tomb of HM Empress Zita at the Remembrance Chapel of the Kapuzinergruft,Vienna:

http://www.royaltyguide.nl/images-co...ruft/147-B.jpg

This buste of Emperor Karl is watching over her:
http://www.royaltyguide.nl/images-co...ruft/145-A.jpg

Courtesy dear Mardam.

[melbournelad]

I too would be keen to see the video of the Requiem for Emprress Zita. I have heard it is available on the internet, but have failed to find it.

[Warren]

No luck with the Empress Zita funeral, but here's a YouTube tribute to the Emperor Karl, featuring the Empress.

YouTube - Beatous Karl I

[bogardesque]

Which of Zita's sisters ended up in or was in a convent in France? I believe it was somewhere in the south and starts with an S but I may be mistaken. Been trying to find out but can't find any information on that.

[Marengo]

Empress Zita actually had 3 sisters who were a benedictine nun at Solemnes, France: Princess Adelaide of Bourbon-Parma, Princess Fransesca of Bourbon-Parma and Princess Maria Antonia of Bourbon-Parma. Respectivaly no's 13, 16 and 20 of Duke Roberto's children.

[bogardesque]

thanks, Marengo. Does anyone here know of a connection they may have had to Argentina. I seem to recall someone telling me that one of Zita's sisters was distantly connected or related to some noble family in Argentina, possibly even a Dutch connection. And that she ended up in Solesmes where she still was in 1936.

[Marengo]

The only Dutch connection I can think of for the Bourbon-Parma family is that the nephew of Zita and her sisters (Duke Carlo Ugo of Parma) was married to HRH Princess Irene of The Netherlands, sister of the present Queen.

[serenissima]

Originally Posted by Harold

If I understand correctly, the Habsburgs who accepted the Republic were permitted to stay in Austria and retain their property. Karl and his family, however, had to leave Austria and lost their property. How did Karl, Zita, and the children survive? Did they have property and assets out of Austria on which they could draw? Did Austria ever return any property? Thanks.

I am reading a book about them at the mo but I haven't got round to their life in exile yet. I think they had some savings account or whatever in Switzerland and some supporters of their regime were helping them out etc. Oh, also, I think, the emperor was hoping that Horthy would invite him to Budapest and let him carry on as the King of Hungary or something but Horthy never did.

One of my friends in Germany who is a lawyer also tells me that this property issue is in such a chaos because some of those properties that previously belonged to those aristocratic families and all were sold out to some wealthy people post their revolutions and then those that were owned by the Jews were confiscated by the Nazi government etc during the Hitler's regime etc, it is very difficult to identify who the most rightful owners of those properties are etc.

[Marengo]

I have moved the posts about Archduke Otto's carreer, nationality and titles to a new thread dedicated to the Archduke and his wife, which can be found here.

Now about how Zita survived and such, I believe she did receive help from relatives, the Spanish King helped her with the villa in the North of Spain, if I remember correctly.

[Vanesa]

I wish that Emperor Karl could had more time to show how he could have managed as a good Kaiser. I think he could have been a great Emperor. Franz Josef was a very "professional" Emperor, but maybe Karl, helped by his wife, Zita could have become the true soul of Austria.

Vanesa.