#;; mayerling rememberance 2k18

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The Crown Prince (2006) + Mayerling

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The 27th January 1889

Vienna

Without a doubt Rudolf’s decision to commit suicide stood firm at this point. In contrast to the previous day the 27th was spent in great rush. In the morning Rudolf visited the chancery for the last time and granted audiences. He sent a note to his friend and fellow hunter Count Joseph Hoyos, that the hunt planned in Mayerling for the next week was rescheduled to the 29th and 30th January. Around 10 am the Crown Prince met with Marie Larisch again and she precisely describes the following conversation in her memoirs from 1913. As I already implied - I don’t trust this woman and her reports at all, but according to Brigitte Hamann this scene could’ve happened at least similarly. Her cousin appeared upset and afraid and said, that if she wouldn’t help him, he’s lost. He asked her to bring Mary to the Hofburg on the next day and mentioned that he’s in great danger. Marie asked him what exactly happened, but he refused to tell her and only handed over a small box. She wasn’t supposed to tell a single soul about this and hide the box “until he himself or someone else reclaimed it”. Rudolf mentioned that the Emperor could order an examination of his properties at any minute. Furthermore Rudolf told Marie to give the box only the person who used four letters: R.I.U.O. When Marie asked if the danger comes from Stephanie (Rudolf’s wife) he answered that it is more of political nature. Worried Marie begged him to talk to his mother or his father about it, but Rudolf replied: “If I told the Emperor I’d sign my own death sentence.” What we know for sure is, that Rudolf most likely cleared his papers and burned the compromising ones. Most likely the documents in the box he gave Marie were not about a coup d’etat, but worldview questions. In the afternoon Rudolf’s sister-in-law Louise von Coburg saw him and Larisch on the Prater, in a heated conversation. She also confirmed Rudolf’s churning mood. We can assume that Rudolf also met Mary, since it’s proven that they were both there. She returned home in high spirits and cheerful, most likely with the knowledge that Marie would take her to the Hofburg and from there to Mayerling on the next day. Both Rudolf and Mary attended the glamorous birthday celebration for Wilhelm II. in the german embassy that night. Franz Joseph had sent his son a note earlier, asking him to wear prussian uniform for that occasion. Never had the birthday of a german emperor had been celebrated that ostentatiously and surely it was a slap in the face for the francophile Crown Prince and his friends. Conformation for that is the meeting with Moritz Szeps (his friend and journalist) in the same night: “The Emperor has degraded, affronted me infront of the whole world! Now all ties between him and me are ripped. Now I feel free!” (Bertha Zuckerhandl, Szeps’ daughter, after what her father told her about this). What happened afterwards we know from police reports: Rudolf stayed with Mizzi Kaspar until 3 am and when they parted he made the sign of the cross on her forehead, something very unusual for him.

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drabble ;; no turning back

WARNING: Before reading, please note that this drabble deals with the last minutes at Mayerling, so a very dark topic and highly triggering (please check the trigger warnings in the tags!!). If you’re mentally unstable and you have any thoughts about suicide, I implore you to proceed with caution or not read at all. It was even difficult for me to write this, believe me. 

Mayerling Hunting Lodge, 30th January 1889, around 6 am

His hands were still shaking, when he reached out for the mirror on the small table next to the bed. Mary had suggested this, a safe method to avoid any mistakes. She would never speak again and it was his fault. The guilt he felt crushed every ounce of doubt left. It had to happen, a part of him had known that all along. Rudolf’s brown eyes met his own in the mirror, he saw the tears burning in them.

They would call him a coward, but in truth this was the only reasonable solution. One last time his name would be dragged through the mud. And then it would end. It would all end. Rudolf clinged to this belief, fighting back any other thoughts. Thoughts of his family, his parents, his sisters, his wife and little Erzsi. They would all be better off without someone like him, who’d failed them, the Empire and the people. He was unworthy, he had deceived all hopes. 

With a deep breath he moved the gun to his sleeve, feeling the cold metal. Gaze and mind fully concentrated on his reflection, he corrected the position. There was no turning back, no way out of misery than this. The blood began to rush through his ears. Steady fingers squeezed the trigger in a versed movement, insecurity replaced with certainty. In the very last instant the Crown Prince closed his eyes. And then the second shot on this morning cut through the silence. Once they had called him “Austria’s rising dawn”. But now the sun had died and would never shine again.

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When will be finally BREATHE ? ( @thebaronessvetsera )

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The 29th January 1889

Mayerling

Around 8 am Count Hoyos and Prince Coburg (he was married to Rudolf’s sister-in-law) arrived in Mayerling. Rudolf joined them for breakfast and said that he had catched a cold on the way to the castle and therefore couldn’t accompany them on the hunt. What he did on that day is unknown, but in the evening Rudolf mentioned to Hoyos, that he “had written a lot and hadn’t even left the castle”. Philip of Coburg returned around 2:30 pm and had tea with the Crown Prince. Actually they wanted to return to Vienna together afterwards for a family dinner in the evening, but suddenly Rudolf decided to stay in Mayerling. He sent a telegram to his wife and excused his absense with the cold. Before Philip left, Rudolf asked him to “offer the imperial father many kisses on the hand” (I should mention here that Franz Joseph didn’t receive a farewell letter. In the letter to Sisi Rudolf writes that he didn’t dare to adress his father.)  It is possible that this dinner was supposed to be quite important, perhaps as a reunion of the royal couple, at least Stephanie’s despair after reading the message indicates that. In her memoirs she even writes of an “inexplicable, anxious feeling”. Now rush erupted in Vienna. An police agent and Doctor Widerhofer were sent to Mayerling. Marie Larisch now also told the truth about the events, as worry about Mary grew as well. But no carriage could pass  the mountain roads in darkness and Rudolf knew they still had time left until anyone would reach Mayerling. At 7 pm Rudolf dined with Hoyos, they talked about nothing special, hunting, dogs and about Hungary. Hoyos: “He appeared quite gentle, lenient in his opinions and brought the whole charm of his character into effect.”. Two hours later Rudolf retired for the night, explaining that he needed to cure his cold. His guests left for his remote appartments outside the castle. Bratfisch had returned by then and later sang some Viennese songs for Rudolf and Mary in the billiard room. He was the last person who saw Mary alive and later told her mother how happy she’d been in these last hours. Most likely both of them had written more farewell letters over the day and those and telegrams were found later. What shouldn’t be forgotten is that Rudolf seemed to had hesitated quite a lot. He sent out invitation for the 31th, a point that is often used by supporters of the murder theory. Furthermore Rudolf ordered Bratfisch to bring Mary back to Vienna at 8 am. Though she might have refused to be sent back home. 

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The 26th January 1889

Vienna

The day started rather unspectacularly. On this saturday the Crown Prince worked on his desk in the office of the Franz-Joseph-Barrack, writing letters and receiving visitors. Just as if he hadn’t already planned everything for his death. His letters sounded as those before and he even dealt with an ornithological topic, which is all evidence that the later “offical explanation” for Mayerling, insanity, can’t be true. Though eyewitnesses noticed quite a great chance in Rudolf’s mood. Around 9 am he returned from an audience with the Emperor with shaking hands and obviously in deep distress. What we know as a fact from diplomatic reports is only that a intense dispute happened between father and son. According to rumours Franz Joseph might have said something along the lines of “You’re not worthy of becoming my successor”. I can only imagine how hard such a sentence hit Rudolf. One thing he’d always fought for was his father’s approval and ultimately he hadn’t even achieved that, after already failing in so many other regards. It’s not sure what the argument was actually about, but I assume it had something to do with Rudolf’s involvement with the Hungarian Freemasons or his growing frustration with Prussia and it’s Emperor. Some contemporaries even claim, that this last conversation provoked the suicide. Marie Larisch, Rudolf’s cousin, writes that he came to visit her around 5 pm. He implored her to bring “the little Vetsera” to her senses, take Mary with her away from Vienna. Later that evening Larisch sent a letter to the Hofburg. It’s assumed that this letter is the same that was found in Rudolf’s uniform jacket after his death. The letter mentions a large sum of money and Larisch later claimed, that this money was for Mary and not for her. The question here is: Did Larisch adored her cousin so much that she wanted to clear his name by stating, that he tried to save Mary or did she said the truth for once ? Another indication for latter is that Mary Vetsera appeared very desperate and sad that night. Because she refused to be relegated with money?