Archduchess Marie Valérie says what she thinks about the Braganzas...

[Alberto2244]

From the journals of Franz Joseph´s and Sissi´s younger and favourite daughter:

(future king D. Carlos of Portugal pays a visito to the court of Vienna)

1883- 8 Agosto
È arrivato il duca di Braganza, in realtà principe hereditario del Portogallo - voleva - ahi cuasi mi vergogno a scriverllo, mi voleva in fatti sposare. Ma gli è stato già detto che non è possibile...per nulla gradevole, così piccolo e grasso e parla così a voce alta: en una parola, insopportabile...

The duke of Bragance arrived, in fact the Crown Prince of Portugal - he wanted - ah, I am almost embarrased to write it, he wanted to get married with me. But he was already told that it is not possible...(he is) not at all pleasant, so small and fat and speaks so aloud: in short, unbereable...

 

[MAfan]

Why is it written in italian?

 

[Alberto2244]

1886 - 6 Dicembre
In Ottobre, dalla zia Maria Teresa, il suo unico fratello Miguel mi ha visto per un momento e ha sostenuto che gli sono piaciuta a tal punto da volere me e soltanto me in moglie!!! Io sono scoppiata a ridere - io, la moglie di Miguel...che ho visto neanche 5 minuti in una stanza poco iluminata, e quasi non gli ho rivolto la parola, lui che è famoso per la sua stupidità, tanto che lo deridono tutti...come una commedia..."Ma quando vi ho viste là con Francesco ho capito subito che siamo arrivati troppo tardi". Mamma ha detto che anche lei avrebbe voluto scoppiare a ridere, si non fosse tanto affezionata a la buona zia e si non potesse capire il suo cieco amore per l´unico fratello...Mamma ha cercato di consolare la zia e ha promesso di comunicarmi almeno quella strana richiesta di matrimonio.

Last october, in the home of aunt Maria Teresa, her only brother Miguel saw me for a while and he insists that I pleased him to a point that he wants me and only me as his wife!!!! I laughed a lot - me, Miguel´s wife...who I saw for less than 5 minutes in a bad lighted room, and to whom I didn´t almost answered him, him who is famous for his stupidity,.....like a commedy...."But when I saw you with Francesco I understood at once we arrived too late" (Obs, I think these are the words of Archduchess Maria Teresa). Mummy said that she too would have wanted to laugh, but for she was not so tender to the good aunt and if she could not understant her blind affection for her only brother...Mummy tried to consolate the aunt and promised her to communicate me this rather strange proposal of wedding.

in "La prediletta, Il diario della figlia di Sissi"
Maria Valeria d´Asburgo
Martha Horst Schad

 

[Alberto2244]

Why is it written in italian?

because I cannot read German and I can read Italian and this book was translated into Italian only (and Hungarian...).

Since you live in Verona you must know there are MANY books on the Habsburgs translated into Italian for the public of TRIESTE, which was a part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire until 1918.

This book in particular had a very bad translation, according to italians who can read German.....

 

[MAfan]

I can see several gramatical mistakes, but I don't know if they are written in the journal or maybe you have done it when copying it...

 

[Elsa M.]

Is anything mentioned about D.ª Amélia? I believe she had some empaty for her... I read an anecdote about their meeting on Regina's article:

Archduchess Marie Valerie, the youngest daughter of Emperor Franz Joseph, invited her to go to a play, where she was sitting in the imperial box at the theater. Amelia accepted the invitation, not knowing that she would meet the Emperor face to face in the box. The Emperor invited her to sit at his side, which caused amazement all over the theatre; the entire audience looked at the shy and embarrassed Princess.

 

[Alberto2244]

Dear Regina,

your article is excellent, but I am sure Princess Clementine had nothing to do with the wedding of D. Amélia and D. Carlos.
The author (and friend) Olivier Defrance who wrote a biography on Princess Clementine is POSITIVE about it. He researched many archives to write his book.
Not the Torre do Tombo, it is true.
The person who made researches at the Torre do Tombo was me........(surprise!)
And what I found was published in Royalty Digest Quartely.
Here you have an extract:

"Prince D. Luis Filipe and the Regicide of 1908


Introduction

In the 1880s, the Portuguese monarchs were seeking a
fiancée for their son and heir, Dom Carlos, Duke of
Braganza. Archduchess Marie Valerie (1868-1924) had
already turned down Carlos’s proposal, and Infanta
Eulalia of Spain was ruled out as a possible consort
because of her scandalous behaviour. (1)

King Luis wrote to his sister, Infanta Antonia,
Princess Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, asking her help in
bringing about an understanding between Carlos and
Prncess Viktoria of Prussia.

Dona Antonia received a refusal from the Princess’s
mother, Victoria, Princess Royal of Great Britain and
Ireland, who said that her daughter would never marry
a Catholic, but Antonia in the same letter mentioned
an ideal fiancee for Carlos: Amelia of Orleans,
daughter of the Comte de Paris, pretender to the
French throne.

The Countes of Ferronnays, a friend of the Orleans,
visited the court of Lisbon and then sent a photo of
Princess Dona Amelia, which excited the young Duke of
Braganza, who the Orleans invited to visit them in
France. Dom Carlos was received at the Chateau of
Chantilly, and, to put it simply: Dona Amelia liked
him and he liked her.

After a short engagement and wild celebrations in
Paris (2) the marriage was celebrated in Lisbon on May
22 1886."

 

[Alberto2244]

Is anything mentioned about D.ª Amélia?

No, there´s nothing about D. Amélia (but I will check later) and yes, D. Amélia was a friend of Marie Valérie