Mexico, the Mexican Empire, Emperor Maximilian & Empress Carlota, née of Belgium

[eya]

Chapultepec Castle the official residence of Emperor Maximilan and Empress Carlota

https://www.thedailybeast.com/chapu...ustrian-archduke-to-the-firing-squad?ref=home

 

[King of the Jungle]

Such a large country is Mexico.
I see it takes 30 hours to drive from San Diego to that Castle and only one hour to drive to beachside resort towns on the Pacific.

The history in certainly interesting.

 

[Troy Thompson]

So does anybody think the Mexican people would say that overthrowing both the first and second empires was worth it?

-Frozen Royalist

Would the Mexican people say that overthrowing the empires was worth it? Well, on the one hand Mexico does have a monarchist movement to this day, but, on the other hand, monarchism only enjoys the support of about five percent of Mexicans (by comparison, something like 13 percent of the population of the arch-republican United States are amenable to the idea of a constitutional monarchy), so I'd venture to say yes, the Mexican people by and large probably feel it was worth it to overthrow both empires.


Which certainly sheds some light as to why Maximilian von Götzen-Iturbide has been so reluctant to press his pretense to the Imperial Crown of Mexico.

 

[Troy Thompson]

Line of Succession to the former Mexican throne (Wikipedia)

 

[CyrilVladisla]

Visit of the Pope to the Empress Carlotta in Rome
http://www.gettyimages.com/license/615223812

 

[CyrilVladisla]

The article MAXIMILIAN AND CARLOTA declares:
Carlotta was the dominant personality in the marriage and had to persuade her husband to take the throne of Mexico.

 

[rominet09]

Well from the detailed books I read, it is really not sure she gave birth to Weygan.... unless a DNA test having proven it...
Maximilian had natural children. Members of her family told her doctors when she lost her reason that she never had intercourse. Of course we will never be sure... It may be completly false.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

Was there any rule in the Austrian imperial succession that would have enabled Maximilian to not have to renounce his rights to the Austrian throne?

 

[Curryong]

Maximilian was about to be made Emperor of Mexico, an unprecedented situation and one that obviously required him to renounce any claim to the Austrian throne. I think almost every Imperial dynasty would have insisted on the same thing.

Occasionally other royal families did make different arrangements when their sons ascended as monarchs elsewhere. For instance the Danish King Christian made sure that his teenage son Willy remained a Prince of Denmark on his taking the Greek throne as George I, simply because he was worried that his son’s reign there might be an extremely short one.

 

[Toledo]

This animation video from https://www.youtube.com/c/ArquiCultura is nararted in Spanish but it's easy to follow because the years are shown as the additions happened.

Chapultepec Castle in 14 minutes - video animation on the original structure and remodeling from the Viceroy's time to Emperor Maximilan and presidential residents

 

[rominet09]

Maximilian was about to be made Emperor of Mexico, an unprecedented situation and one that obviously required him to renounce any claim to the Austrian throne. I think almost every Imperial dynasty would have insisted on the same thing.

Occasionally other royal families did make different arrangements when their sons ascended as monarchs elsewhere. For instance the Danish King Christian made sure that his teenage son Willy remained a Prince of Denmark on his taking the Greek throne as George I, simply because he was worried that his son’s reign there might be an extremely short one.

I read in a book that, when the emperor knew of Maximilien's dire situation (as a prisoner who would be put to death) he wanted to give him back his Austrian titles as a protection.
I don't remember if he did or just thought he could do it.

 

[Toledo]

From what I read in books from different decades, he always had the best intentions toward his new country. But it didn't work out. He became a victim of Napoleon III political chess movements where he took advantage of the USA civil war that kept them occupied in an attempt to influence the old Spanish territories.

Prior to these times, 1845-1850, there was even another movement in Ecuador, South America, to install as king a son of Queen Isabel of Spain. Then it was changed to install her sister Luisa Fernanda and her husband as monarchs. He was the son of the Orleans last king of France prior to Napoleon III. In this case, it was the UK that prevented this from happening.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

Was Maximilian's throne in danger because he was viewed as a French puppet?

​

 

[Curryong]

Partly, at least by the US administration, who although involved in a Civil War that occupied their main efforts, didn’t like foreign powers like Napoleon III interfering in the Americas.

However I think for the main part the Mexican populace were indifferent to Maximilian and Carlota’s Court and just wanted them to sail back home. That is besides the nationalists who definitely wanted them gone of course. And Maximilian of course fell to those forces.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

Maximilian I, Emperor of Mexico
http://www.maryevans.com/history/10537826

 

[Blog Real]

The Imperial Crown of Mexico was the crown created for the Sovereign of Mexico on two separate occasions in the 19th century.
The original crown was destroyed during the ensuing fighting and victory of the Mexican republic, but replicas remain on display.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Crown_of_Mexico

The Palace of Iturbide (1779 to 1785) is a large palatial residence located in the historic center of Mexico City at Madero Street #17. It was built by the Count of San Mateo Valparaíso as a wedding gift for his daughter. It gained the name “Palace of Iturbide” because Agustín de Iturbide lived there and accepted the crown of the First Mexican Empire (as Agustin I) at the palace after independence from Spain.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Iturbide

Chapultepec Castle, along with Iturbide Palace, also in Mexico City, are the only royal palaces in North America which were inhabited by monarchs.

It was built during the Viceroyalty of New Spain as a summer house for the highest colonial administrator, the viceroy. It was given various uses, from a gunpowder warehouse to a military academy in 1841. It was remodeled and added to and became the official residence of Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico and his consort Empress Carlota during the Second Mexican Empire (1864–67).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapultepec_Castle

 

[CyrilVladisla]

Part of the description indicates Archduke Maximilian was noble and ill-fated.
How was he ill-fated?