Funeral of Archduke Rudolph

The funeral of Archduke Rudolph of Austria, dead two weeks ago aged 90, took place yesterday afternoon in Bruxelles, at the Church of Notre-Dame-du-Sablon, at 3.30 pm.

The ceremony was attended by the widow of the late Archduke, Archduchess Anna Gabriele, and by his four surviving children: Archduchess Maria Anna with her husband Prince Peter Galitzine, Archduke Carl Peter with his wife Alexandra, née Princess of Wrede, Archduke Simeon with his wife Maria Paloma, née Princess of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Archduchess Catharina (apparently pregnant for the third time) and her husband Count Massimiliano Secco d’Aragona.

Lots of members of the former Austrian Imperial Family attended the funeral, among them were Archduke Karl, Head of the Family, with his siblings Gabriela and Georg; Archduke Lorenz of Austria-Este, Prince of Belgium, his wife Princess Astrid of Belgium and his brother Gerhard; Archduke Istvan; Archduchess Yolande, widow of Rudolph’s late brother Carl Ludwig, her children Rudolf and his wife Marie-Helene, Alexandra and her husband Mr. Hector Riesle, Carl Christian and wife Marie-Astrid, and Maria Constanza; Archduchess Marie Christine and her husband Count Rodolphe de Limburg-Stirum; Archduke Georg, Prince of Tuscany; Archduke Michael Koloman (from the Hungarian branch of the Family).

Many other European Royals and aristocrats were present as well: Queen Fabiola, the Duke and Duchess of Brabant, Princess Alexandre and the above-mentioned Prince Lorenz and Princess Astrid represented the Belgian Royal Family; Grand Duke Henri, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa and Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg; Prince Nikolaus and Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein; Infante Carlos of Spain, Prince of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, and his wife and children (in-laws of Archduke Simeon); the Duke of Bavaria; Prince Eudes and Princess Marie-Liesse of France, Duke and Duchess of Angouleme, and Princess Hélene, Countess of Limburg-Stirum; the Prince and the Princess of Ligne; the Princess and Princess of Stolberg.

The remains of Archduke Rudolph will be buried next Friday, 4 June 2010, in the Loreto Chapel in Muri, Switzerland, in a private ceremony attended by his relatives only.

For more information please read this thread.

Filed under Austria-Hungary
Tagged Archduke Rudolph of Austria, Funeral, House of Habsburg.