A new wife for Franz Ferdinand

A query, Franz Ferdinand's marriage otl was deemed morgantic by the emperor due to the lower class status of Sophie, Duchess of Hohenburg. Now this was a love match, my query is this, what happens if instead of falling in love with Sophie, Franz meets and falls in love with a lady of royalty, who is of the same status? Who could this lady be, and where could they meet, and what could the consequences of this be?
 

CaliGuy

Banned
A query, Franz Ferdinand's marriage otl was deemed morgantic by the emperor due to the lower class status of Sophie, Duchess of Hohenburg. Now this was a love match, my query is this, what happens if instead of falling in love with Sophie, Franz meets and falls in love with a lady of royalty, who is of the same status? Who could this lady be, and where could they meet, and what could the consequences of this be?
I don't know who this lady will be (unfortunately, my knowledge of royalty during this time isn't quite the best), but I certainly do know that Franz Ferdinand's eldest son will become heir to the throne in this TL if his father will get assassinated; after all, in this TL, there is absolutely no grounds for excluding FF's sons from the Austro-Hungarian line of succession.
 

CaliGuy

Banned
Were there any Spanish infantas or perhaps Austrian cousins he could marry?
Would marrying an Austrian cousin really be such a wise move on his part, though? After all, take a look at what excessive inbreeding did to the Spanish Habsburgs in the 1600s!
 
Would marrying an Austrian cousin really be such a wise move on his part, though? After all, take a look at what excessive inbreeding did to the Spanish Habsburgs in the 1600s!

This is very true. Hmm, what about Princess Mathilde of Saxony? She was apparently Franz's original intended, perhaps if he meets her and falls for her first, instead of Sophie, that would make things very interesting? Or if not her, what of her sister Princess Maria?
 

CaliGuy

Banned
This is very true. Hmm, what about Princess Mathilde of Saxony? She was apparently Franz's original intended, perhaps if he meets her and falls for her first, instead of Sophie, that would make things very interesting? Or if not her, what of her sister Princess Maria?
Either of those two might be good wives for FF; indeed, having a husband might also make Mathilde happier in this TL. :)
 
Either of those two might be good wives for FF; indeed, having a husband might also make Mathilde happier in this TL. :)

This is very true, I suppose if Franz does meet Mathilde and does manage to fall for her, say around 1893, that would significantly change things for the House of Austria.
 
How does this sound re a marriage for the two:

Meeting at a winter ball in 1893, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and Mathilde of Saxony would find themselves somewhat attracted to one another, an attraction that would grow over the next year as they kept in contact through letters, and one or two visits. Eventually, in late 1894, with his uncle's permission, the archduke met with Mathilde and proposed to her, delighted the Princess accepted, and in the summer of 1895, they were married. Their issue was as follows:

Archduke Maximillian (b. 1896)

Princess Sophie (b. 1898)

Princess Maria (b. 1900)

Archduke Ferdinand (b. 1902)
 

CaliGuy

Banned
How does this sound re a marriage for the two:

Meeting at a winter ball in 1893, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and Mathilde of Saxony would find themselves somewhat attracted to one another, an attraction that would grow over the next year as they kept in contact through letters, and one or two visits. Eventually, in late 1894, with his uncle's permission, the archduke met with Mathilde and proposed to her, delighted the Princess accepted, and in the summer of 1895, they were married. Their issue was as follows:

Archduke Maximillian (b. 1896)

Princess Sophie (b. 1898)

Princess Maria (b. 1900)

Archduke Ferdinand (b. 1902)
No more children after Ferdinand?
 
A query, Franz Ferdinand's marriage otl was deemed morgantic by the emperor due to the lower class status of Sophie, Duchess of Hohenburg......
Why does Emperor Franz Ferdinand not elevate his sons if not his wife as well after a suitable interval on the throne, what the point of being a monarch if not to make up the rules?

The main change would be less of a reason to be in Sarajevo.
 
Why does Emperor Franz Ferdinand not elevate his sons if not his wife as well after a suitable interval on the throne, what the point of being a monarch if not to make up the rules?

The main change would be less of a reason to be in Sarajevo.

Wouldn't that contradict the house laws? Or did the emperor make them?
 

CaliGuy

Banned
Wouldn't that contradict the house laws? Or did the emperor make them?
Personally, I'm not sure; however, given the long-lasting nature of these laws, it might be perceived as being extremely unfair to the other royal family members (such as Karl) for the Emperor to unilaterally change these laws.
 

CaliGuy

Banned
Also, interestingly enough, I actually previously read (I think in a 1959 book about FF's assassination by Joachim Remak; I'll have to double-check, though) that Franz Ferdinand didn't actually want to change the house laws even if he could; indeed, I think that he referred to the Austro-Hungarian crown as a "crown of thorns" or something like that in one of his letters.

Does anyone here want me to try finding this book and the location of this information inside of it?
 
Personally, I'm not sure; however, given the long-lasting nature of these laws, it might be perceived as being extremely unfair to the other royal family members (such as Karl) for the Emperor to unilaterally change these laws.

I can see that.

Also, interestingly enough, I actually previously read (I think in a 1959 book about FF's assassination by Joachim Remak; I'll have to double-check, though) that Franz Ferdinand didn't actually want to change the house laws even if he could; indeed, I think that he referred to the Austro-Hungarian crown as a "crown of thorns" or something like that in one of his letters.

Does anyone here want me to try finding this book and the location of this information inside of it?

If you wouldn't mind that would be most helpful. Trying to formulate a rough story idea for this.
 

CaliGuy

Banned
I can see that.

Yeah; thus, even if it was possible (and it might very well have been), it could create such discord within the Austro-Hungarian royal family that it simply wouldn't be worth it.

After all, princes who marry morganatically can't do anything to bring their sons into the royal line of succession, but emperors can; indeed, does that sound fair to you?

If you wouldn't mind that would be most helpful. Trying to formulate a rough story idea for this.

See page 24 in this 1959 book:

https://archive.org/stream/sarajevothestory010489mbp#page/n45/mode/2up/search/thorns
 

CaliGuy

Banned
Basically, what this quote of FF's shows is that he appears to be someone who honors rules and precedent rather than someone who changes and breaks rules and precedent.
 
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