Charlotte, the last queen of Mexico
Received the news of the death of her husband Maximilian,
Charlotte went completely insane.
But her husband's family and public opinion refused to let her go,
It is said that it was because of her vanity that Maximilian was killed.
Is this really the case? Obviously it is the ambition of two people,
Why is she the only one to blame in the end?
Living in a blur, like a walking dead,
Charlotte spent the remaining 60 years of her life.
01 Proud little princess
Little Belgian Princess Charlotte
Charlotte was born in the Royal Castle of Lacan, Belgium, and was the only daughter of King Leopold I of Belgium and his second wife, Louise Marie. Above her were three older brothers, and as the youngest girl in the family, Charlotte was held in the palm of her hand by her family.
Charlotte's father, Leopold I, was a tyrant who single-handedly founded the Belgian Saxe-Coburg-Gotha dynasty and was the first king of Belgium. He named his youngest daughter after his ex-wife, the English princess, and regarded her as a pearl in his palm. When Leopold I was a famous beautiful man in Europe when he was young, little Charlotte did not look much like her father, she was more like a mother, her eyebrows were clear, although she was not a beautiful beauty, but she was very attractive.
Charlotte's father, Leopold I
When Charlotte Jr. was 10 years old, her mother, Louise Marie, died of tuberculosis, and she was entrusted by her mother to the care of her best friend, the Countess of Herst. Charlotte's grandmother would take her to her every year, so the little girl grew up healthy and well educated, and was a beautiful royal princess.
Charlotte's mother, Louise Marie
When Charlotte was 16 years old, his father, Leopold I, began to choose a son-in-law for his little girl. He admired Crown Prince George of the Kingdom of Saxony and could inherit the Kingdom of Saxony in the future. There was also a candidate recommended by Queen Victoria: King Petro V of Portugal.
But love has its own claims. Charlotte, who had just begun to love, met Maximilian, the Archduke of Austria, who had come to Belgium to visit, and the two fell in love at first sight. Maximilian was the younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary and was tall, thin, and white. In fact, among the many suitors, Maximilian is far from the most handsome and powerful, but Charlotte is fascinated by the thick bookish atmosphere in him.
Maximilian
Charlotte talked to Maximilian about geography and politics, and Maximilian was never surprised, nor did he think that women should not understand this. He described for Charlotte the plants that grew in the Austrian Alps, those exotic flowers and plants that Charlotte had never seen. Even when it comes to religion, the two are very speculative.
The infant Princess Charlotte
Archduke Maximilian intended to propose to Charlotte, and he wrote his love into a letter to his brother: "She is very petite, at a height that I am just right; Her brown hair, just right with my blonde hair. Her cleverness is somewhat burdensome to me, but I'm confident I can do better..."
Maximilian and Charlotte
Archduke Maximilian soon formally proposed marriage to Leopold I. Although Leopold I favored the other two candidates, the righteous king (future king), he respected the wishes of his daughter Charlotte more.
Charlotte chose Maximilian, who was willing to marry into the Habsburg family.
02 Maximilian
Maximilian
Born in Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Maximilian was the second son of Archduke Franz Karl of Austria and Princess Sophie of the Bavarian Wittelsbach family, and the younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria.
Princess Sophie had 5 children in her lifetime, her daughter Maria Anna died prematurely, and the other four sons survived. Boss Franz, needless to say, the diligent Emperor of the Empire; The second oldest is maximilian, the male protagonist of this article; Grand Duke Karl Ludwig, an overbearing playboy; The elder Ludwig Victor, an openly gay man, rejected marriage.
Archduke Franz Karl of Austria
Among these children, Princess Sophie's favorite is her second son, Maximilian, who is intelligent and studious.
But in Maximilian's peace of mind, there was always a cloud that could not be dissipated. When he was very young, schönbrunn Palace secretly had a rumor that he was not the child of his mother and father, Grand Duke Carl. His father was Napoleon II, the son of Napoleon Bonaparte and Marie Louise, who lived at Schönbrunn Palace.
Napoleon II
Because his parents were married, Archduke Karl was not highly intelligent, he was dull, and he never pleased his wife. As for Napoleon II, although his father Napoleon was defeated and imprisoned, he himself suffered lung disease, but he was indeed a smart and handsome man. While he was alive, Sophie was very close to him, and shortly after Maximilian was born, Napoleon II died of tuberculosis at the age of 21.
Spare tire second, biological father is suspicious, Maximilian's position is very awkward. The eldest brother, Franz, is the rightful heir, and has been very demanding of himself since childhood, working 12 hours a day. As the second eldest of the spare tire, maximilian also has to learn government affairs and military affairs, and he must understand everything, in case the king dies early and the country has no long king. But he could not show any idea of replacing it, and the honor and disgrace of life and death were pinned on the eldest son, which was the greatest sorrow of the second son.
Archduke Maximilian
Born in the royal family, Maximilian was not without ambition. He was very clever when he was young, but his brother was blunt, and he had to hide it. So he began to show a strong interest in art, shifting his energy to science, especially botany. He joined the Navy as an adult and did a good job in the Navy. The only thing that displeased his brother Franz was that Maximilian was a liberal who was too lenient in his administration of the army and the territory.
In any case, the relationship between the royal brothers was not bad, and when Maximilian was going to marry Princess Charlotte, the elder brother was also considered "old and comforting", and the younger brother's lifelong affair was decided.
03 The struggle at Schönbrunn Palace
Princess Sissi
Empress Sophie
Empress Sophie, the real hostess of Schönbrunn Palace.
The woman from the Bavarian Wittelsbach family, daughter of King Maximilian I of Bavaria, married Archduke Franz Karl at the age of 19. Her husband was blunt, but Sophie's ambition was not here, and after giving birth to four sons, she seized the opportunity to abdicate The Great Berti Ferdinand I, and then forced her husband Archduke Karl to give up the right to inherit the throne and be directly succeeded by their eldest son, Franz Joseph I.
Franz Joseph I
The empress dowager was a very controlling mother, and her mind was full of national politics. She chose a daughter-in-law of IKEA for her eldest son, Franz, Princess Helen, but the son wanted to marry a daughter-in-law she did not like, Princess Sissi, which made the old lady very uncomfortable. But Sophie was not willing to have a relationship with her son for this reason, and gritted her teeth to marry Sissi into the door. Unfortunately, as she had judged at first, the free and sensitive Sissi was incompatible with the solemn Schönsen Palace. Sophie has clashed with Sissi several times because of the child's affairs, and even affected the relationship between mother and son.
Princess Sissi
At this time, the beloved second son was going to marry a wife, and he was still marrying a princess who was a righteous child. Sophie was inevitably expectant and worried. When she saw Charlotte, Sophie was comforted. This girl had a beautiful face, and was not as seductive as Sissi. After the conversation, Sophie was very satisfied with Charlotte. She saw her own shadow in this girl, smart, lively, erudite, and socially comfortable. More importantly, Sophie felt that Charlotte knew what responsibility was and what she needed to pay to take responsibility.
Princess Charlotte
This is the daughter-in-law she is looking forward to, Sophie is very satisfied with Charlotte, and the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law get along very well.
The clever Charlotte soon sees the discord between her mother-in-law Sophie and her sister-in-law Sissi, and she also accumulates a lot of resentment towards her sister-in-law, Princess Sissi, because Charlotte finds that her husband and Sissi are very close. Maximilian once praised Sissi's intelligence and talent in front of his wife, and said that she was a confidant.
Archduke Maximilian with Charlotte
Perhaps Maximilian just said this, but in Charlotte's mind, there was an uproar. She knows that she is not as good looking as Sissi, and she also scorns Sissi for evading responsibility. The two are not on the same road at all, and it is normal not to be accustomed to each other. Charlotte naturally sided with her mother-in-law, Sophie, joining forces to fight Sissi in Viennese social circles.
Perhaps Franz felt the turbulence of Schönbrunn Palace, and in February 1857 Maximilian was appointed Doge of Lombardy and Venice, and Charlotte took office with her husband and spent several happy years in Italy.
04 Waves are back
Princess Charlotte
Although Emperor Franz threw his brother Maximilian to Italy, his position as governor was a fictitious title, and power was actually in the hands of Franz and the officials he appointed. Maximilian had long known his brother's "virtues", and he was at ease, only a little thought in labor and education. But at this time, the Italian national consciousness awakened, and the national liberation movement was in full swing. Under the pretext of his brother's liberal policies, Franz was relieved of his position by giving him too much jurisdiction over Italy. Maximilian, who had lost his position, simply took Charlotte to build the Miramare Castle in the Gulf of Triast near Trieste, and lived a leisurely life.
Princess Charlotte
Soon after, a letter from Mexico broke the peace of the world, and the gears of fate turned, pushing everyone into the orbit of their destiny, dying dead, crazy madness, sad forever sad.
The letter came from Mexican diplomat Jose Mare Gutierrez de Estrada, a constitutional monarchist who wanted to select a prince from among Europe's Catholic royal families to be Mexican monarch.
Maximilian was somewhat moved, and by this time Rudolf, the son of his brother Franz, had been born, and he had almost no chance of ascending to the throne of Austria-Hungary. However, Maximilian did not accept the invitation, and he spent 1 year in the rainforest under the pretext of becoming interested in the plants of the rainforest in latin America. When he returned to Europe, he was devastated and contracted a disease. It is said that because he transmitted the disease to Charlotte, the couple was unable to produce offspring.
Archduke Maximilian
During this time, the ambitious Napoleon III did not give up lobbying the couple. Yes, mexican civil unrest also had the hand of the French, who had already invaded Mexico by this time and expelled Mexican President Juarez. Napoleon III also wanted a "man of his own" to rule Mexico, and in his opinion Maximilian was the best candidate.
Maximilian was ambiguous and had no letter, and Napoleon III focused his strategy on Charlotte. This is the queen, charlotte can not avoid moving. Her husband is more intelligent than her uncle, her own status is higher than Sissi's, and her personality is more suitable than Sissi's. Sissi can be a queen, why can't she?
Princess Charlotte
Charlotte knew that her husband Maximilian was also ambitious, so she only pushed in the middle and asked her husband to decide to give up the Austrian succession, and they went to Mexico as king and queen together.
The Austrian royal family was overwhelmingly opposed to this. Franz felt that the situation in Mexico was too complicated and did not think it was a wise decision for his brother. Even Empress Sophie, who had always supported her son, hesitated, would a country tolerate outsiders as their king? But this was her most beloved son, and she wanted him to be king.
Maximilian left Austria with his wife
"Mother, I also have a lot of ambition to achieve. The Austrian throne is doomed to fail me, so why can't I try my best? Maximilian said to his mother, Sophie.
Eventually, Sophie, who loved her son, watched her daughter-in-law board a ship to Mexico.
05 Reality is like a bubble
In 1864, Maximilian and Charlotte were crowned Emperor Maximiliano I and Empress of Mexico in Mexico.
In fact, when they arrived in Mexico City, they had already found that things were not at all as Napoleon III had promised. No one had come to welcome them except the French army, and when their father entered the city in a carriage, the locals on the side of the road were all repulsive and indifferent.
Maximilian and Charlotte ascended the Mexican throne
But that didn't really hit the morale of the couple, who were prepared, how could they be knocked down by such a little frustration. So Maximilian and Charlotte chose to settle in Mexico City, and Charlotte even pronounced her name, Charlotte in Belgium, to Carlotta in Mexico, according to the Spanish pronunciation. She dutifully fulfilled her duties as queen, followed her husband to the remote Yucatan Peninsula, and wrote many reports on the peninsula.
Queen Charlotte
In order to integrate into the country, the couple did a lot of things. They had no children and adopted Agustín the Younger, grandsons of former Mexican Emperor Agustín de Itul verde, and Salvador as adopted sons. Maximiliano I wanted a constitutional monarchy in Mexico, sought to depose serfdom and legislated against child labor. These were good policies, but contrary to the conservatives who invited him to be king. Maximilian even told former President Juarez that he could pardon him if he recognized his throne. However, this offer was rejected by Juarez. Failing to please the republicans and offend the conservatives, Maximilian gradually fell into isolation.
Queen Charlotte
In 1865, the second year of Maximilian and Charlotte's reign as King of Mexico, the American Civil War was divided. The U.S. military began to send troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, and even openly supported the republican leader Juarez. Anti-war sentiment in France was high, and under pressure, Napoleon III wanted to withdraw his troops. Isn't this roasting Maximilian and Charlotte on the fire? Without the support of the French army, the couple would not be able to resist Juarez's army, and they appealed to Europe for help, but they did not hear back.
Queen Charlotte
Since the death of Charlotte's father, Leopold I, Belgium has had much less support for Charlotte. Although the heir to the throne was succeeded by his brother Leopold II, how could an older brother be the same as his father?
With the rise of Prussia, the Austro-Prussian War was on the verge of breaking out, and Maximilian's homeland could not allocate manpower and material resources to support him.
In order to win international support, Charlotte chose to return to Europe to lobby the monarchs of various countries, especially Napoleon III, who would have to find help if they wanted to persevere.
06 Charlotte crashes
Queen Charlotte
In August 1866, Charlotte returned to Europe. It was Napoleon who brought the couple to where they are today, and she chose to persuade Napoleon to continue to provide economic and military support until the Mexican monarchy stabilized.
She was received by Queen Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, but also told Charlotte that Napoleon was unwell and could not meet her. Charlotte was willing to take a break, and if she did not get a good result on this trip, her position with her husband would be lost. So she insisted on interviewing Napoleon III and the French ministers. Looking at the pity she told, Queen Eugenie finally facilitated the meeting.
Napoleon III
At the first meeting, Charlotte gave an impassioned speech in which she referred to the promises made by Napoleon III in an attempt to persuade Napoleon to abide by the treaty. But neither Napoleon III nor the French ministers were willing to spend any more energy in Mexico. The internal contradictions in France had already given them a headache, so Napoleon III directly informed Charlotte that Mexico was already an irreparable country. After making all the efforts but not getting the desired results, Charlotte broke down and she cried bitterly.
Queen Charlotte
The first meeting ended like this, and Charlotte regretted it. She begged Queen Eugenie to give her another chance to meet Napoleon, and she had so much more to say. Eugenie took pity on her and arranged the meeting again. At the beginning of the conference, Napoleon reiterated his opinion that France would withdraw its troops from Mexico. Charlotte could not control her emotions again, she could not stop crying, and this meeting was once again terminated. On the third occasion, Napoleon took the initiative to come to Charlotte's hotel, and told Charlotte that the decision to withdraw would not change, and there was no room for negotiation. Then he said to Charlotte, who was sobbing: "I think the best solution at the moment is to let Maximilian announce his abdication on his own initiative." ”
He left Charlotte behind, leaving the poor woman utterly desperate.
Queen Charlotte
After the setback in Paris, Charlotte did not know where to go for a while. At this time, she received a letter from her husband asking her to go to the Vatican to seek the help of Pope Pius IX. This made the depressed Charlotte feel as if she had been injected with a shot of tonic, and she immediately went to Rome. Soon after she arrived in Rome, she was sent a message saying that the pope was powerless to deal with the current situation in Mexico. Engulfed in despair, Charlotte locked herself in a hotel without eating or drinking, and two days later put on a mourning dress and headed to the Vatican. The woman in front of her was flushed, her eyes were sluggish, her eye sockets were deep, and the guards did not dare to stop them.
Pope Pius IX
Charlotte knelt before the Pope and begged for his help. But the Pope knows that this matter is by no means within his control. He told Charlotte that he could not use the pope's influence to interfere in secular affairs. Charlotte cried hysterically, refusing to leave the Vatican, begging the Pope to take her in for one night, and she prayed to God for her husband's peace. Seeing that there seemed to be a problem with the woman's spirit, the Pope had to grant Charlotte's request and clean up a bed for her in the library.
Queen Charlotte
That night, Charlotte wrote a will and farewell letter to her husband:
My dearest ones, I'm going to say goodbye to you. God is calling me, and I thank you for bringing me happiness and joy, and sincerely hope that God will bless you and give you eternal salvation.
In the days that followed, Charlotte's mental condition deteriorated, sometimes hysterically crying, sometimes laughing wildly, she kept smashing things, and once she calmed down, she went to write a suicide note. This once beautiful and noble woman had become a madman with a mad demeanor. Charlotte's brother Leopold II, after learning of his sister Vatican's aberrations, took the doctor to the Vatican himself and brought Charlotte back to miramare Castle in Riaste.
Queen Charlotte
Vienna also sent psychiatrists to visit her, and they all confirmed one thing: Queen of Mexico, Charlotte of Belgium is crazy!
07 Death of the King
Maximiliano I
Maximilian could not help but shed tears after hearing the news that his beloved wife Charlotte was mentally ill. He said to the attendants around him who advised him to abdicate in order to protect himself: "My wife gave everything for Mexico, how can I run away without fighting?" Maximilian decided to continue to rebel against Juarez's army, even if he died, on the throne.
In early 1867, with the departure of the last French army, Maximilian was defeated. In May, Maximilian, dressed in rags, was besieged in the central Mexican town of Queretaro with his remaining army, where he was captured by Juarez's forces after 71 days of holding out. He didn't wait for the rescuers in the end.
Maximiliano I
A few days later, Maximiliano I and two of his generals were executed by firing squad on charges of subversion of the Mexican Republic.
The news reached Europe, where monarchs, including then-U.S. President Andrew Jensen, wrote to Juarez asking him not to shoot Maximilian. But all were rejected by Juarez, who said: "It is not me who wants his life, but the law and the people!" He told the world with a tough attitude that the Mexican people did not need European emperors, and mexico's national affairs did not need others to interject.
Impressionist painter Manet's "Shooting king Maximilian"
In the early hours of June 19, 1867, Maximilian was shot at the execution ground in Querétaro, Mexico.
During his detention, Maximilian once wrote a letter to his mother, Sophie: Dear Mother, I tell you with unwavering determination and loyalty to my glory that I will go to an unjust death with a clear conscience... If I have any memories in this world, allow me to leave my last thoughts to you whom I owe the most: poor Charlotte and you, my beloved mother.
Before the execution, Maximilian handed the hat to the attendant and instructed him, "Please pass this on to my mother," and tell her that I still miss her until I die." ”
Queen Charlotte
He then shook hands with the members of the execution team: "I forgive the people of the world, and may the people of the world forgive me." ”
Maximilian said: "Today, I am willing to shed my blood for Mexico, long live Mexico, long live independence!" He then died at the age of 34.
Maximilian's body took several months to return to Austria, and the Austro-Hungarians gave him a state funeral, which eventually buried him in the royal burial chambers in Vienna.
Sophie after the loss of her son
After learning the news of her son's murder, Empress Sophie immediately fainted, and then the old woman who had been strong all her life finally showed fatigue. She retired from public life and lived in isolation, and in the last 5 years of her life, she never recovered from the loss of her son, and finally died of a brain tumor.
And poor Charlotte became a widow, her spirit completely broken, holding the doll every day and muttering to herself: "He's coming back, he's coming back soon." Her brother Leopold II took her back to Belgium. Since then, Charlotte has disappeared from public view, she is placed in the Castle of Buchau, and even if more doctors are arranged, Charlotte has never woken up again, and she has not woken up in that dream for the rest of her life.
This life lasted for 60 years, and in 1927, Charlotte died of pneumonia.
Queen Charlotte
Is there something wrong with being ambitious?
Yes, it's just that they didn't match the strength of their ambitions and miscalculated the situation.
It's just that the price paid by the two of them is so high that this tragedy seems particularly bleak.
Maximilian was by no means a bad person, and even his ideas were somewhat innovative at the time. He was honest and generous, and he wanted to be a good emperor with ideals. However, this journey was wrong from the start. Mexico does not need other countries to interfere in its internal affairs, and its people no longer need the emperor.
Maximilian, the last Emperor of Mexico
Charlotte was not a bad person either, she worked hard to be a good queen, standing firmly behind Maximilian at all times. In order to save her precarious rule, she single-handedly pleaded with her, hoping to turn the tide. When she realized that everything was irretrievable, she could no longer bear it and fell into a complete collapse.
After Maximilian's death, everyone blamed her, believing that Charlotte's lust for power had killed her husband. However, if Maximilian really has no ambition, how can he be seduced by his wife's words? How can such an insult be affordable for a little girl?
Charlotte, the last empress of Mexico
Charlotte went mad, her time stuck in the most painful and helpless experiences, hurting again and again. However, this also allowed her to escape the news of her husband's death, and she could still hold a little expectation: "He is coming back." ”
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