THE NEXT EMPEROR OF AUSTRIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2814, 19 February 1908, Page 79

THE NEXT EMPEROR OF AUSTRIA.

THE ROMANCE OF A MORGANATIC

MABBIAGE.

Of all the royal personages of Europe, theua is none (writes a well-informed American " Ex-Attache") that commands just at present such a widespread interest a^ Francis Ferdinand of Hapsburg. The grave illness of his uncle, Emperor Francis Joseph, broken by age and by sorrow, has had the effect of focussing the attention of the Old World and of the New upon his successor, and although the latter is in his forty-fifth year the most extraordinary ignorance prevails, not only abroad, but even in Austria and Hungary themselves, concerning him. In fact, it is difficult to recall any prince who has come to the throne in t mature manhood about whose personality, character, political views, tastes, and even environment so little is known. Indeed, he is very much of an enigma, not only to his countrymen, but also to foreign nations, and the political outlook of Europe would appear clearer to the puzzled statesmen in the various capitals of the Old' World if they possessed more information concerning Francis Ferdinand, and had some data on which to base their speculations as to the probable course of the policy which he will inaugurate.

— Crown, and Nobles. —

Before going any further, it may be as trell to explain how it has been possible for a prince of the rank of Francis Ferdinand to surround, his existence with such an amount of mystery. It is not that lie is secretive, or that he has pursued the methods of the late King Louis of Bavaria, whose horror of publicity was so great that he was wont to establish his abode in the most inaccessible mountain fastnesses, and never to drive abroad save in the middle of the night. It is merely that in Austria a very great gulf exists between the reigning house and the remainder of mankind. Not that the Hapsburgs are arrogant. On the contrary, they are most kindly and unaffected, with even the lowest classes. They are, however, somewhat Olympian in their relations to the aristocracy and to the bourgeosie, and there is but little of that clo*e and intimate friendship which unites the patriarchate to the members of the reigning house in other monarchies. The Austrian nobles are faithful, devoted, and loyal retainers of the Hapsburgs, but always remain in the role of servants. There is no question of their being the peers of the sovereign and of his family, as in other countries, and the relations are perhaps be6t illustrated by the response given by an archduke at a popular tete to a new-fledged baron, who, with the tactlessness of the parvenus of his kind, had taken it upon himself to deplore the presence of so many of the common herd, intimating that their contact must be disagreeable to the Prince. "Not at all," the latter exclaimed genially. "If we members t of the Imperial family were to be restricted to tJie companionship of people of our own caste, we should be obliged to spend most of our days- in the vaults of the Capucin Church"— where so many hundreds of the Hapsburgs sleep their last sleep.

— The Romance of His Life. —

Then, too. the serious illness which overtook Francis Ferdinand shortly after the tragic death of Crown Prince Rudolf compelled him to lead for several years a very quiet and retired life. It was a malady of such gravity that it was regarded for a time as eliminating him from all consideration in connection with the succession of the throne. Contrary to general expectation, he recovered, and his convalescence was signalised by a romance in which Countess Sophie Chotek, daughter »f a former Austrian Minister plenipotentiary at Dresden and one tiire lady-in-waiting k Archduchess Frederick, was the heroine. Francis Ferdinand insisted upon making the countess his wife. There was only one means of doing this — namely, by a morganatic alliance, and all soTts of obstacles were placed in the way thereof, mainly of a dynastic, political, and also of a more personal character. The dynastic and political objections to the match were due to the fact that he was. destined to succeed tlie present Emperor on the thTone of Austria, and Hungary. The personal opposition came largely from his relatives, especially from Archduchess Frederick, who, after his refusal to wed Archduchess Maria Dorothea, now Duchess of Orleans, had counted upon his marrying one of her daughters. — New Princess of Hohenberg. —

Emperor Francis Joseph, however, ultimately gave his consent to the match upon the Archduke registering a solemn oalh on the Gospels and in writing in the presence of the princes of his house and of the great dignitaries of the realm whereby "he pledged himself that on becoming Emperor he would never tnke advantage thereof to raise- his morganatic wife to share his throne, or would seek to endow any sons born of the union with rights to the Crown. Moreover, he renounced in the name of bis unborn children all pretensions to Imperial rank and to the sceptre. The difficulties hich he had encountered in marrying the countess, the anomalous position assigned to her as his morganatic wife, whereby she was deprived- of any share in his honours a* % member of the reigning family, and

the affronts to which she was subjected by certain of his relatives, as well as by some of the great nobility, who resented the idea that a mere Bohemian Cc-ufit«j=s ""Cfootek should. Become the wife of their _ future Ejnperor-4-all contributed to keep the Archduke -itf.the background during -ih& first "few yeais of , his wedded existence. Moreover,- fie is.'exceedingly ■domestic in ~ his "tastes, and lias- freen in j the habitt of devoting all the time that he ! could spare from ins representative and official duties to 'his wife and little ones,., Of late, however, the Countess, who had been^jateated Princess of Holienberg- by the Emperor, has taken her place at' Court among the members of the reigning family— below all the Archduchesses — and has likewise become. — thanks largely to the support of the Church, whose * cause- she_championed — an extremely influential" factor in. Viennese life. Bui it is doubtful whether either she or her Imperial hus- i band have forgotten or forgiven the treat- j ment which they received both jduring i their engagement and during the early years of their married life.

— H's Children. —

Francis Ferdinand has tliree children by his marriage, who bear their mother's princely title of Hohenberg, with, the predicate of Serene Highness. The eldest is a girl, who has received her mother's name of Sophie, and the others are boys — Prince Maximilian, being now five years of age, and his brother Ernest, only three. Their father is devoted to his children, and has them with him on every possible occasion. They even used to accompany him when he went out shooting in the big forest around his stately chateau of Konopi6cht, until he found that this interfered with his sport, as they are so passionately fond of animals that whenever any game came within reach of his gun they would clasp hold of his arms and entreat him not to ahoot the pretty animal or bird, as the case might be. Although from an ecclesiastical point of view the Church in the person of the Pope would have the power of 'relieving" him of the obligations of the oath which he made at the time of his marriage to refrain from raising hie wife to the throne and his, children into the line of succession thereto, yet Francis Ferdinand's sense of honour is so keen that there is no reason whatsoever to suppose that he wjll yield to the longings pf his heart and break th* promise which he gave to the members of his house, the Government of the dual Ji-npire, and to the people. Throughout hie reign, at any rate, as long as she remains unmarried, his half-sister, Archduchess Maria Annunciata, Abbess of the HradTaschin, will continue to play the role of acting Empress and the first lady of the Empire, to which she was appointed a year ago on the death of Archduke Otto. ■

— The Next in Line. —

It is Archduke Otto's eldest son, ChaTlos ! Francis, who is the next in line of succession to his uncle, Francis Ferdinand. Tiie lad, who recently attained his majority on his 'twentieth birthday, which he celebrated last August at Isehl Vith his grand-uncle., .Emperor Francis Joseph, has been brought up altogether under the latter's influence and direction, and-re-ceived the early part of his education^ in one of the public grammar schools of Vienna, being the first scion, of the House of Hapsburg to thus take his place on the benches of the.ye public institutions beside the petty tradesmen, artisans, and labourers, thus coming into close- touch and intimate contact with the people over whom he is destined in the course .of K tune to Teign. He has inherited -"taw 'good looks and striking appearance of his dashing father, but not the latter's moral shortcomings, and is justly regarded as one of the most promising-- princes- -of the. 5 historic dynasty of H;:psburg>- -^ «>#'s'