![]() ![]() Stéphanie was not quite 17-years-old and Rudolf was 22-years-old. Eventually, the couple married on May 10, 1881, at the Augustinerkirche, the parish church of the Imperial Court of the Habsburgs, a short walk from Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria. Stéphanie suffered great humiliation as the wedding was postponed and she was sent back to Belgium. Stéphanie was sent to Vienna to learn the etiquette of the imperial court, but within the month, her ladies-in-waiting realized that she had not yet reached puberty. Nevertheless, during a trip to Belgium in March 1880 at the invitation of King Leopold II, Rudolf proposed to Stéphanie to the great joy of her parents. Princess Stéphanie of Belgium, daughter of King Leopold II of the Belgians and Archduchess Marie-Henriette of Austria, who was still a teenager and Roman Catholic, met the criteria of the Emperor although the Empress did not think Stéphanie was good enough for her son because the Belgian monarchy had existed only since 1830. As the only son of Emperor Franz Joseph I, he was under pressure to marry. Rudolf’s marriage was planned by the royal courts of Belgium and Austria. Rudolf and Stéphanie – official engagement photograph, 1881 Credit – Wikipedia Nevertheless, he progressed through the military ranks: 1878 Colonel, 1880 Major, 1882 Field Marshal, and 1888 General Infantry Inspector. Rudolf hated military discipline and considered the military appointments of Imperial Family members to be meaningless. In 1878, when Rudolf had finished his studies, he moved to Prague where he served in an infantry regiment. With the assistance of Brehm, Rudolf wrote and published “ Fünfzehn Tage auf der Donau” (Fifteen Days on the Danube). When he was 20 years old, zoologist Alfred Brehm took Rudolf on a trip to observe the animal and birdlife along the Danube River. Rudolf enjoyed science, particularly ornithology, the study of birds. Rudolf’s new tutor understood the importance of mental stimulation. Elisabeth was determined to have Rudolf’s tutor removed and eventually, she was successful but the mental damage that Gondrecourt inflicted on Rudolf could not be undone.Ī gentler tutor, Colonel Joseph Latour von Thurnberg, was hired and Rudolf’s educational regime was much more relaxed. ![]() Looking out her window, she saw Gondrecourt drilling Rudolf in the snow. One day, Empress Elisabeth woke up to the sound of shouting. Gondrecourt’s methods of turning the small boy into a brave man included waking up Rudolf by shooting a pistol in his bedroom and locking him in a game preserve and then telling him a wild boar was coming. His grandmother Archduchess Sophie had chosen the best tutors for Rudolf but instead, Emperor Franz Joseph chose a military tutor. ![]() Rudolf was first educated by Count Leopold Gondrecourt. Crown Prince Rudolf on his fourth birthday Credit – Wikipedia ![]()
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