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What Happened At the Mayerling Hunting Lodge Destroyed the Future of the Hapsburg Empire
Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria had done his duty: he produced a son and heir with his beautiful wife, Elisabeth. The much hoped for future of the Hapsburgs was a boy named Rudolf, named for his ancestor, the first Hapsburg king of Germany. His grandmother, the Emperor’s mother, ensured that Rudolf and his elder sister, Gisela, were raised to appreciate the magnificence of their dynasty. The Hapsburg court was strict with piety and reverence for their position, and Rudolf was expected to embrace this wholeheartedly.
Rudolf was given a princely education. He was particularly interested in geology, and obtained a vast rock and mineral collection. He also held liberal views for a prince, taking after his mother. This put him at odds with his conservative father. There were no red flags in Rudolf’s youth that would indicate the tragedy to come.
Like any heir, Rudolf was encouraged to marry. For a Hapsburg, his wife had to be of royal origin and Catholic. Empress Elisabeth visited Belgium where she was introduced to the king’s daughter, 14 year old Princess Stéphanie. The Belgian royal family had the required bloodline and were Catholic. The Belgian throne was relatively new, so the King and Queen were ecstatic that the Austrian heir was interested in their daughter…
