Frankie Goes to the Hofburg, or Napoléon II, Regent of Austria?

[Kellan Sullivan]

Soundtrack: Rossini - Francesca de Rimini - Farò come colui che piange e dice [1]

*establishing shots of Taranto*
*exterior* *Louise d'Artois, Queen of the Two Sicilies, is taking the sea air in a "walk by carriage" in Taranto* *a woman walks beside her holding a baby girl - looks about six months old - in her arms* *while a whole gaggle of her bambinos - including Ludo of Württemberg - are wandering, squabbling and playing on the promenade [2] nearby*
*cut to a smiling Louise at an exhibition of archeological finds at the convent of San Antonio del Padova* *King Ferdinando is giving a speech that the formerly suppressed [3] convent will now enter a new chapter of its storied history as a temporary home for the "great archeological finds" to illustrate Naples' long history*
*cut to crowd applauding politely*
William Temple [4]: one can see the king did not write his own speech.
Sir Woodbine Parish [5]: I have no doubt that we're it up to the king, he would not be here at all, William.
Temple: so why is he?
Parish: *smiles as Louise passes* because her Majesty is here. She's no queen of Naples [6], but one can hardly dispute that she is his Majesty's best minister.
Temple: *grunts as he watches the "happy family" leave*

*cut to the Palazzo* *royal family is returning*
Chamberlain: *to Ferdinando* your Majesty, the prince of Württemberg is here to see you.
Ferdinando: *face clouds over* *starts using some colorful Neapolitan expletives to describe his brother-in-law*
Louise: *gently* Nando... *looks at their eldest son and Ludo of Württemberg*
Ferdinando: *huffs*
Louise: where is the prince?
Chamberlain: he is waiting on the terrace, Majesty.
Louise: *to Ludo in German* *holding out hand* your pappa is here to see you.
Ludo: *face brightens*
Louise: *to Ferdinando in Italian* let him see his son first. He'll be more malleable.

*cut to the terrace* *Alexander of Württemberg is there with his wife, Maria Amelia of Sicily* *and their new children, Amalie, Theodore [7] and the 1yo Pauline [8]*
*understandably, Ludo is a bit... awkward/weirded out* *he stays closer to his dad or "Mamme Lisa" after a cursory investigation of his half-siblings [9]*

*later* *over dinner* *the children are now absent*
Ferdinando: now... What is the reason you decided to risk your neck and enter Naples without my consent?
Alexander: Majesty, I apologize for the ill-mannered nature of my arrival but we were in Venice when we heard the news-
Ferdinando: what news?
Alexander: *swallows* Rimini has risen in revolt against his Holiness. They have demanded liberal reforms-
Louise: *gives a very unladylike snort* what do they demand of the heir of St. Peter?
Alexander: among their more... tolerable requests are that they wish the death penalty to be abolished, they wish for bishops to be replaced in civil government, rather than a bishop who is also a general or a judge-
Ferdinando: and their less tolerable requests?
Alexander: blanket pardons for any crime committed since 1820-
Louise: *crosses herself* I thought the duke of Reichstadt emptied the worst of that rabble from the jails ten years ago?
Amelia: *quietly* only in Modena, Tuscany and Lombardy. The then Duchess of Parma refused to do so. And his Holiness was only willing to release a certain portion. After all, none of us knew what the duke planned to do with those he was asking clemency for. And the last thing his Holiness wanted was to provide a Bonaparte with an army.
Ferdinando: is that all? Clemency for men who'll likely be freed in a few months anyway [10] if what we have heard of his Holiness' health is true? And competent civil authorities?
Alexander: they also wish for the clergy to be driven from education, the Inquisition abolished, and the Jews to be returned to the ghettos.
Louise: *half amusedly* are these liberals or conservatives? The Jews of Ancona are under my brother's protection. And I doubt anyone would call Henri a liberal by any stretch of the imagination.
Alexander: they're blaming the Jews for the out of control budget, Majesty.
Louise: and when they drive the Jews out, who will they blame then if the budget doesn't balance?
Ferdinando: I wasn't aware that there were Jews managing the Papacy's budget.
Alexander: *distastefully there's Rothschild.
Louise: Henri and my mother bought those liens from Rothschild's banks. If the pope has taken out further loans from them, I cannot say.
Alexander: they also wish for the publication of a civil code. Or failing that, the reinstatement of the Code Napoléon.
Ferdinando: *sarcastically* they're not asking for much, are they? *normal voice* although none of this explains why you felt panicked enough to defy my orders?
Alexander: because the one encouraging this rebelliousness is my former sister-in-law, the duchess of Parma[11]. It has never sat well with her that she and her husband were... deprived of both Lucca and Parma. So she has encouraged her husband to add his signature to the petition. Her hope is that they will be able to incite enough cities to join them in tearing away from the papacy-
Louise: *laughing hysterically* she wants to turn the Romagna into a Véndée for liberals? Those Orléanses are opportunistic bastards, but they don't have an original bone in their body.
Ferdinando: what does the duke say of his son and daughter-in-law's antics?
Alexander: he, his sister and his wife are bound for Venice- and then Saxony- on the next outgoing vessel... To try to distance themselves. The duke of Reichstadt has agreed to safe passage for them, so long as they do not overnight. The king of Saxony will permit them entry but refuses to receive them... Lest it jeopardize his niece's chances. I understand that negotiations with Paris are at a delicate stage.
Ferdinando: *rising from the table* I shall send an offer of soldiers for his Holiness' use should he require them to extinguish this contagion before it spreads. Last thing we need is all Italy in flames because of an Orléans princess' ambitions.

*fade to black*


[1] TTL from Rossini's last opera, based on the famous story of Paolo and Francesca from Dante's Divine Comedy
[2] the OTL promenade in Taranto was only built for one of the Savoy kings, but I figure that there was a "beach front" prior to that. Also, given how Louise's second son, Arrigo, is titled "Duke of Taranto", I suspect there'll be more royal interest in the town from the capital
[3] I can't find out if San Antonio was suppressed under Murat or not, but since most other convents in Taranto ended up being repurposed, it seems likely it was
[4] AIUI the brother of Lord Palmerston, Envoy to the Two Sicilies from 1832 until 1856
[5] Joint chief of mission with Temple. A member of the Royal Geographic Society, and several other scientific organizations, as well as an enthusiastic correspondent of Darwin. No doubt he and archeological-dilettante Louise have some interesting talking points
[6] Maria Karoline of Austria, aka that Louise wears the trousers
[7] name chosen by Sophie, Queen of Greece. It's not a stretch when one considers that the syllables of "Dorothea" (Alex's sister) and "Theodora" are just swapped around. Besides, I needed a name that wasn't Alexander, William, George or Francis
[8] named for Pauline of Brasil, Crown Princess of Württemberg
[9] Ludo is acting like a lot of children do when dealing with the whole "yours, mine and ours" of a blended family. It's not that he doesn't like them, it's more like it's just a lot for him to take in. He knows his stepmom and no doubt WANTS to like them, but there is the whole "so where do I fit" thats not that different to a child confronted with a new sibling and suddenly all the focus is on them. Unless it's nipped in the bud, as Henry Fonda does so well in the original Yours, Mine and Ours (there's no more yours, there's no more mine, there's only ours) when his son asks "can I hold my sister", it can fester and we end up with a prince with a chip the size of the British Empire on his shoulder *cough* writing an autobiography *cough*
[10] not sure how it worked after the French Revolution, but "life sentences" were usually coupled to the life of the ruler, not the convict. There were obviously exceptions, but those crimes were usually severe enough that they carried the death penalty
[11] Clémentine d'Orléans married Louise's OTL husband for exactly the same reason (money, money, money). And does ANYONE think Clémmie is going to take watching her kids losing their birthright lying down?

@The_Most_Happy @isabella @VVD0D95 @Jan Olbracht @Ramontxo @HortenseMancini @Anarch King of Dipsodes @Dragonboy @kaiidth @SavoyTruffle @Wendell @nathanael1234 @Fehérvári @Guatemalan Nat-Synd @Valena @maw @LordMartinax @EmmettMcFly55 @सार्थक (Sārthākā) @SunZi @Nuraghe @renard_

 

[Nuraghe]

Soundtrack: Rossini - Francesca de Rimini - Farò come colui che piange e dice [1]

*establishing shots of Taranto*
*exterior* *Louise d'Artois, Queen of the Two Sicilies, is taking the sea air in a "walk by carriage" in Taranto* *a woman walks beside her holding a baby girl - looks about six months old - in her arms* *while a whole gaggle of her bambinos - including Ludo of Württemberg - are wandering, squabbling and playing on the promenade [2] nearby*
*cut to a smiling Louise at an exhibition of archeological finds at the convent of San Antonio del Padova* *King Ferdinando is giving a speech that the formerly suppressed [3] convent will now enter a new chapter of its storied history as a temporary home for the "great archeological finds" to illustrate Naples' long history*
*cut to crowd applauding politely*
William Temple [4]: one can see the king did not write his own speech.
Sir Woodbine Parish [5]: I have no doubt that we're it up to the king, he would not be here at all, William.
Temple: so why is he?
Parish: *smiles as Louise passes* because her Majesty is here. She's no queen of Naples [6], but one can hardly dispute that she is his Majesty's best minister.
Temple: *grunts as he watches the "happy family" leave*

*cut to the Palazzo* *royal family is returning*
Chamberlain: *to Ferdinando* your Majesty, the prince of Württemberg is here to see you.
Ferdinando: *face clouds over* *starts using some colorful Neapolitan expletives to describe his brother-in-law*
Louise: *gently* Nando... *looks at their eldest son and Ludo of Württemberg*
Ferdinando: *huffs*
Louise: where is the prince?
Chamberlain: he is waiting on the terrace, Majesty.
Louise: *to Ludo in German* *holding out hand* your pappa is here to see you.
Ludo: *face brightens*
Louise: *to Ferdinando in Italian* let him see his son first. He'll be more malleable.

*cut to the terrace* *Alexander of Württemberg is there with his wife, Maria Amelia of Sicily* *and their new children, Amalie, Theodore [7] and the 1yo Pauline [8]*
*understandably, Ludo is a bit... awkward/weirded out* *he stays closer to his dad or "Mamme Lisa" after a cursory investigation of his half-siblings [9]*

*later* *over dinner* *the children are now absent*
Ferdinando: now... What is the reason you decided to risk your neck and enter Naples without my consent?
Alexander: Majesty, I apologize for the ill-mannered nature of my arrival but we were in Venice when we heard the news-
Ferdinando: what news?
Alexander: *swallows* Rimini has risen in revolt against his Holiness. They have demanded liberal reforms-
Louise: *gives a very unladylike snort* what do they demand of the heir of St. Peter?
Alexander: among their more... tolerable requests are that they wish the death penalty to be abolished, they wish for bishops to be replaced in civil government, rather than a bishop who is also a general or a judge-
Ferdinando: and their less tolerable requests?
Alexander: blanket pardons for any crime committed since 1820-
Louise: *crosses herself* I thought the duke of Reichstadt emptied the worst of that rabble from the jails ten years ago?
Amelia: *quietly* only in Modena, Tuscany and Lombardy. The then Duchess of Parma refused to do so. And his Holiness was only willing to release a certain portion. After all, none of us knew what the duke planned to do with those he was asking clemency for. And the last thing his Holiness wanted was to provide a Bonaparte with an army.
Ferdinando: is that all? Clemency for men who'll likely be freed in a few months anyway [10] if what we have heard of his Holiness' health is true? And competent civil authorities?
Alexander: they also wish for the clergy to be driven from education, the Inquisition abolished, and the Jews to be returned to the ghettos.
Louise: *half amusedly* are these liberals or conservatives? The Jews of Ancona are under my brother's protection. And I doubt anyone would call Henri a liberal by any stretch of the imagination.
Alexander: they're blaming the Jews for the out of control budget, Majesty.
Louise: and when they drive the Jews out, who will they blame then if the budget doesn't balance?
Ferdinando: I wasn't aware that there were Jews managing the Papacy's budget.
Alexander: *distastefully there's Rothschild.
Louise: Henri and my mother bought those liens from Rothschild's banks. If the pope has taken out further loans from them, I cannot say.
Alexander: they also wish for the publication of a civil code. Or failing that, the reinstatement of the Code Napoléon.
Ferdinando: *sarcastically* they're not asking for much, are they? *normal voice* although none of this explains why you felt panicked enough to defy my orders?
Alexander: because the one encouraging this rebelliousness is my former sister-in-law, the duchess of Parma[11]. It has never sat well with her that she and her husband were... deprived of both Lucca and Parma. So she has encouraged her husband to add his signature to the petition. Her hope is that they will be able to incite enough cities to join them in tearing away from the papacy-
Louise: *laughing hysterically* she wants to turn the Romagna into a Véndée for liberals? Those Orléanses are opportunistic bastards, but they don't have an original bone in their body.
Ferdinando: what does the duke say of his son and daughter-in-law's antics?
Alexander: he, his sister and his wife are bound for Venice- and then Saxony- on the next outgoing vessel... To try to distance themselves. The duke of Reichstadt has agreed to safe passage for them, so long as they do not overnight. The king of Saxony will permit them entry but refuses to receive them... Lest it jeopardize his niece's chances. I understand that negotiations with Paris are at a delicate stage.
Ferdinando: *rising from the table* I shall send an offer of soldiers for his Holiness' use should he require them to extinguish this contagion before it spreads. Last thing we need is all Italy in flames because of an Orléans princess' ambitions.

*fade to black*


[1] TTL from Rossini's last opera, based on the famous story of Paolo and Francesca from Dante's Divine Comedy
[2] the OTL promenade in Taranto was only built for one of the Savoy kings, but I figure that there was a "beach front" prior to that. Also, given how Louise's second son, Arrigo, is titled "Duke of Taranto", I suspect there'll be more royal interest in the town from the capital
[3] I can't find out if San Antonio was suppressed under Murat or not, but since most other convents in Taranto ended up being repurposed, it seems likely it was
[4] AIUI the brother of Lord Palmerston, Envoy to the Two Sicilies from 1832 until 1856
[5] Joint chief of mission with Temple. A member of the Royal Geographic Society, and several other scientific organizations, as well as an enthusiastic correspondent of Darwin. No doubt he and archeological-dilettante Louise have some interesting talking points
[6] Maria Karoline of Austria, aka that Louise wears the trousers
[7] name chosen by Sophie, Queen of Greece. It's not a stretch when one considers that the syllables of "Dorothea" (Alex's sister) and "Theodora" are just swapped around. Besides, I needed a name that wasn't Alexander, William, George or Francis
[8] named for Pauline of Brasil, Crown Princess of Württemberg
[9] Ludo is acting like a lot of children do when dealing with the whole "yours, mine and ours" of a blended family. It's not that he doesn't like them, it's more like it's just a lot for him to take in. He knows his stepmom and no doubt WANTS to like them, but there is the whole "so where do I fit" thats not that different to a child confronted with a new sibling and suddenly all the focus is on them. Unless it's nipped in the bud, as Henry Fonda does so well in the original Yours, Mine and Ours (there's no more yours, there's no more mine, there's only ours) when his son asks "can I hold my sister", it can fester and we end up with a prince with a chip the size of the British Empire on his shoulder *cough* writing an autobiography *cough*
[10] not sure how it worked after the French Revolution, but "life sentences" were usually coupled to the life of the ruler, not the convict. There were obviously exceptions, but those crimes were usually severe enough that they carried the death penalty
[11] Clémentine d'Orléans married Louise's OTL husband for exactly the same reason (money, money, money). And does ANYONE think Clémmie is going to take watching her kids losing their birthright lying down?

@The_Most_Happy @isabella @VVD0D95 @Jan Olbracht @Ramontxo @HortenseMancini @Anarch King of Dipsodes @Dragonboy @kaiidth @SavoyTruffle @Wendell @nathanael1234 @Fehérvári @Guatemalan Nat-Synd @Valena @maw @LordMartinax @EmmettMcFly55 @सार्थक (Sārthākā) @SunZi @Nuraghe

then the idea that the Orleans are supporting the revolts to carve out a territory to call them is brilliant, and I see a lot of Ferdinand going to the rescue of the pope, we must also consider the issue of organized crime in the kingdom of the 2 Sicilies as I explained to you here they are starting to show their faces publicly and louder ( in Sicily how do you want to move, because in the same years the cosa nostra (real name of the mafia) is starting to emerge as the second criminal organization of the south (after only the camorra (for obvious reasons being close to the court and doing business with it (many nobles were also mobsters to simplify that)

beating the ancestor of sacred united crown of Puglia and the Calabrian 'Ndrangheta. it is vying against the state to be the main power of the island, but luckily it's not centralized yet so you can play the various little bosses against each other ( the first certain evidence of its presence dates back to 1838, in this period many magistrates and law enforcement agencies complain about their actions in numerous documents )

 

[Nuraghe]

The organized crime in the kingdom of the 2 Sicilies as I explained to you here they are starting to show their faces publicly and louder ( in Sicily how do you want to move, because in the same years the cosa nostra (real name of the mafia) is starting to emerge as the second criminal organization of the south (after only the camorra (for obvious reasons being close to the court and doing business with it (many nobles were also mobsters to simplify

beating the ancestor of sacred united crown of Puglia and the Calabrian 'Ndrangheta. it is vying against the state to be the main power of the island, but luckily it's not centralized yet so you can play the various little bosses against each other ( the first certain evidence of its presence dates back to 1838, in this period many magistrates and law enforcement agencies complain about their actions in numerous documents )

Ferdinand has very big problems to deal with now as well as trouble in the Vatican, now you understand my constant references to the godfather eh, perhaps we see an expansion of the pontifical curia after this (given the continuous aid from foreign powers and not in pontifical problems) come on, we see a possible foreign pope! ah since Pius IX Otl was in south america as a young man i would see him supporting cardinals from those areas

 

[Kellan Sullivan]

then the idea that the Orleans are supporting the revolts to carve out a territory to call them is brilliant

I thought so when I was reading up on the Rimini Mutiny. And Clémentine's like right there, plus she'd have an axe to grind with losing her chance to be queen/duchess.

Ferdinand has very big problems to deal with now as well as trouble in the Vatican, now you understand my constant references to the godfather eh

That he does. Could half see him taking a leaf out of Frankie's book and sending the troublemakers to fight in the Romagna to get rid of the headache

 

[Dragonboy]

Excellent chapter. It seems Italy will soon be a center stage of politics and plots.

 

[Nuraghe]

I thought so when I was reading up on the Rimini Mutiny. And Clémentine's like right there, plus she'd have an axe to grind with losing her chance to be queen/duchess.


That he does. Could half see him taking a leaf out of Frankie's book and sending the troublemakers to fight in the Romagna to get rid of the headache

wish it were that simple, to do this he has to tear apart the social fabric of his kingdom, because these organizations had infiltrated everywhere both in the high spheres and in the middle class, in Sicily it is even said that the largest mafia clans date back to the Sicilian vespers

 

[Nuraghe]

if I were the pope I would aim to improve only Lazio at the cost of giving up the rest of his domains ( an idea very close to the ASB )
since closer to Rome and easily accessible in the event of a timely military intervention, I know it sounds like a contradiction but so perhaps the pontiff can support the neo-Guelph movement that is emerging in Italy with more peace of mind and at the same time develop a more regionalist sentiment focused on the papacy itself

 

[Kellan Sullivan]

( in Sicily how do you want to move, because in the same years the cosa nostra (real name of the mafia) is starting to emerge as the second criminal organization of the south (after only the camorra (for obvious reasons being close to the court and doing business with it (many nobles were also mobsters to simplify that)

beating the ancestor of sacred united crown of Puglia and the Calabrian 'Ndrangheta. it is vying against the state to be the main power of the island, but luckily it's not centralized yet so you can play the various little bosses against each other ( the first certain evidence of its presence dates back to 1838, in this period many magistrates and law enforcement agencies complain about their actions in numerous documents )

Could be intriguing if these men start "playing along" with the Savoys in neighboring Sardinia, no? The Savoys blaming Naples (and Austria) for losing the home country, so joining with the Cosa (or at least parts of it) to either take Sicily from the Borbons or at least make life severely difficult for them, no? The Cosa see the Savoys as their "allies" against Ferdinando cracking down (they really shouldn't), so decide to throw their lot with them.

 

[Nuraghe]

Could be intriguing if these men start "playing along" with the Savoys in neighboring Sardinia, no? The Savoys blaming Naples (and Austria) for losing the home country, so joining with the Cosa (or at least parts of it) to either take Sicily from the Borbons or at least make life severely difficult for them, no? The Cosa see the Savoys as their "allies" against Ferdinando cracking down (they really shouldn't), so decide to throw their lot with them.

well as an idea it is intriguing, given that Sicily has repeatedly expressed its very strong will for independence, especially if the Sicilians see that their king thinks more of Campania and its surroundings than of them, the relationship with Palermo will also be fundamental in this (since the cosche ( gangs ) of Palermo will be the richest on the whole island thanks to trade with the peninsula and beyond), therefore they may or may not oppose the idea of the Savoys, instead I see the smaller families immediately being there in supporting this ( Trapani, Messina and Agrigento families versus the palermitan Corleonesi )

 

[Kellan Sullivan]

well as an idea it is intriguing, given that Sicily has repeatedly expressed its very strong will for independence, especially if the Sicilians see that their king thinks more of Campania and its surroundings than of them, the relationship with Palermo will also be fundamental in this (since the cosche ( gangs ) of Palermo will be the richest on the whole island thanks to trade with the peninsula and beyond), therefore they may or may not oppose the idea of the Savoys, instead I see the smaller families immediately being there in supporting this ( Trapani, Messina and Agrigento families versus the palermitan Corleonesi )

I was actually thinking the opposite. The larger families would be the ones who are gonna be greedy and want "more". The smaller families- because of the fact that they're used to feeding on scraps- are going to keep their heads down and say "thanks but no thanks". The smaller ones can be scared back into line with an example. The bigger ones...well, as you pointed out, they're enmeshed in government/aristocracy...so they will flout their disobedience openly (in the belief that the king can't touch them without sending the whole state edifice over the edge).

 

[Nuraghe]

I was actually thinking the opposite. The larger families would be the ones who are gonna be greedy and want "more". The smaller families- because of the fact that they're used to feeding on scraps- are going to keep their heads down and say "thanks but no thanks". The smaller ones can be scared back into line with an example. The bigger ones...well, as you pointed out, they're enmeshed in government/aristocracy...so they will flout their disobedience openly (in the belief that the king can't touch them without sending the whole state edifice over the edge).

yes, this can also be a way of looking at the situation, but think who would lose the most if Sicily breaks away? And maybe in doing so they risk losing control over families who are just waiting for the right moment to take revenge and overthrow them? in the history of the mafia it has happened many times, even recently the mafia wars happen very frequently (today very rarely because the hierarchy has stabilized) but then no so everything is at stake

think that in Palermo alone there were 47 different families ( each family under him as vassals, so to speak, at least 100 minor families at least with peaks of almost 500 for the most important ones)
who divided and still today divide control of the districts of the city and its province, under these families there are as many, the promise to undermine them will appeal to many

 

[Kellan Sullivan]

I have a random question on seeing this depiction of ancient Carthage's dual harbour.

Claude Ledoux designed a similar structure (but like most of Ledoux's works, it remained on paper) for one of his projects (can't find an illustration online), but would it - if someone like say Henri, Frankie, the Spaniards or Sebastiao II in Portugal be "excavating" or "expanding" a new/existing harbour - actually be a functional design for say...Marseilles/Toulon or Barcelona? AIUI, the side in the left foreground, we have the "merchant harbour". Off-centre of the picture - the round part - is the "naval harbour" with "Admiralty Island" in the middle (a man-made island with more docking space, a naval shipyard and an observation room from which the fleet's command can oversee everything.). While this looks "smallish", the harbour had enough space for between 220-250 ships.

Now, my (limited) understanding of nautical affairs is that ships - particularly battleships - are nowhere near as maneuvrable as cars or carriages- although slightly more than trains or aeroplanes (where you're constrained by tracks and runways). So would a circular harbour really work well (in the 19th century?)

 

[Nuraghe]

I have a random question on seeing this depiction of ancient Carthage's dual harbour.

Claude Ledoux designed a similar structure (but like most of Ledoux's works, it remained on paper) for one of his projects (can't find an illustration online), but would it - if someone like say Henri, Frankie, the Spaniards or Sebastiao II in Portugal be "excavating" or "expanding" a new/existing harbour - actually be a functional design for say...Marseilles/Toulon or Barcelona? AIUI, the side in the left foreground, we have the "merchant harbour". Off-centre of the picture - the round part - is the "naval harbour" with "Admiralty Island" in the middle (a man-made island with more docking space, a naval shipyard and an observation room from which the fleet's command can oversee everything.). While this looks "smallish", the harbour had enough space for between 220-250 ships.

Now, my (limited) understanding of nautical affairs is that ships - particularly battleships - are nowhere near as maneuvrable as cars or carriages- although slightly more than trains or aeroplanes (where you're constrained by tracks and runways). So would a circular harbour really work well (in the 19th century?)

I can't tell you, it's true that ships are very slow in moving or changing in small spaces or in short periods of time, at least the bigger ones (a bit like comparing a truck to a sports car) but certainly a port circular (it has never been applied in modern times) but it would be a fantastic idea if possible, I would say looking at today's maps of the ports, I suggest Marseilles

 

[GenghisKhanfan]

This is based on a discussion I had with @The_Most_Happy @VVD0D95 @Fehérvári:

OTL Emperor Franz I had no living grandkids until the birth of the future emperor Franz Joseph. However, both he and his wife (Karoline of Bavaria), were very attached to their grandson, "Frankie", the duke of Reichstadt (aka Napoléon II). While the title on the box might sound ASB it's probably not as crazy as it sounds. In his private correspondence, Franz seems to have been monitoring his grandson's education/military education rather closely. Now, one can argue that it's because Frankie is the son of a man who was pretty much Europe's Most Wanted. But what if Franz had a different aim in mind: namely to set his grandson up as potential regent for the feeble King Goodinand?

After Franz died OTL, the government was shared amongst several rather uninspiring archdukes and Metternich. These archdukes seldom agreed on what colour the sky was, and Metternich exploited that. Also, most of the archdukes involved (Johann, Ludwig, and I almost think that the duke of Teschen was involved in some capacity as well), were well into their fifties at the time. The sort of men who didn't want to fiddle with anything too seriously. Telling is that Metternich excluded from this council the one archduke that was actually capable: Palatine Joseph of Hungary.

Now, Franz didn't trust his brothers any further than he could throw them, so I tend to doubt that this was his plan for the regency for Austria. And while he's commonly depicted as a slavish devotee of Metternich, the fact was that by the 1830s he was old, and didn't want conflict.

Enter Frankie. He's young, ambitious (he once declared that he would ascend the throne of God himself if He'd just step aside), and most of all, he's got the emperor's ear. Unfortunately, he died young, and we don't know what would have become of it. But we do get glimpses of it: Metternich advises Franz (in July 1830), to remove Reichstadt to "some distant provinces" the emperor refused. Metternich advises against sending Reichstadt to Italy (and while Franz ultimately doesn't, he gives his grandson a promotion to make up for it), and so on and so forth. Until the duke's death in 1832, every time Metternich says/suggests one thing, the emperor seems to go in the opposite direction.

On Franz:




Now for my idea (the POD obviously being 1826 when Reichstadt contracted tuberculosis): what if Franz decides to kneecap Metternich by naming Frankie to a position in the government wherefrom, should something happen to the emperor, Reichstadt would be the one with the whip hand. This, of course, would be greatly assisted by the fondness that Empress Karoline, the future Emperor Ferdinand, and the famous Archduchess Sophie had for Reichstadt, as well as the apathy they (excepting Sophie) had towards Metternich.

Then there's the other aspect of it: the Viennese loved Reichstadt. Far from being mocked as "short" like his dad has been remembered, Reichstadt was over six-foot tall. His fiery temperament and dedication to the men of his 60th Regiment won him admiration and respect from soldiers

His commanding officers, Prince Gustaf Vasa (the son of Gustav IV of Sweden), the duke of Nassau (Frankie started his army career in the 29th Infantry under the duke of Teschen's brother-in-law) and Major Antoine de Prokesch-Osten all rated him rather highly. Prokesch-Osten describes that "he knows more about war than the best of our generals serving at the moment", while Vasa wrote that "Every day I am surprised at the liveliness and soundness of his judgement, the clarity of his thought and his practical intelligence". Nor is this just onerous, since everything would suggest that he had the makings of a fine officer(specifically one that Metternich feared).

This makes the most likely position in government that Franz names him to the President of the Hofkriegsrat in 1831. While this is potentially a dangerous move in the eyes of Austria's allies, the fact of the matter is that most of them would probably feel more comfortable knowing that Frankie is "nailed to the floor" in Vienna by army duties than angling for the crowns of Belgium, Greece or Poland (all of which he tried for in vain). And, the best part is that, as part of the anti-Metternich faction (this doesn't equal liberals, Metternich was in favour of Charles X, Franz I of Louis Philippe if the comte de Chambord wasn't available), he's got a sort of "ready made" base. One of the anti-Metternich members of the imperial family is the aforementioned Archduke Joseph. Not so much Joseph being anti-Metternich than Metternich convinced Goodinand that Joseph was agitating for an independent Hungary (when nothing I've read on Joseph's character seems to indicate that), and was vehemently opposed to any reforms in Hungary. Joseph and Frankie ending up as allies of convenience - everything I've read on Frankie stresses how conservative he was, "dyed in the wool Habsburg" one biographer calls him - against Metternich. Of course, via Frankie, Joseph would have the ear of both Goodinand (who liked Frankie) and Franz I.

Not to mention that putting a young man in charge of the Hofkriegsrat instead of a man whose last battle was nearly 20 years ago, could do wonders for the Austrian military. Yes, I know Frankie never actually saw active military service, but he'd have served with men who had served in Italy and in other parts of the empire putting down rebellions in 1830. He'd understand that we can't keep running the show in 1835 like it's 1815. Yes, he'll be a pain in the ass to most of his military superiors who'll object to him wanting to change things...but it could mean that, if the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 still erupts, Austria - thanks to 15 years of Frankie's presiding over the army - doesn't need Russia to put it down. In fact, if Frankie's got any say in the matter, he'd be firmly against Russia, since he commented on a book on the 1812 campaign: I should like to see the Russians invade Austria one day, to make them go through a similar retreat, only with the difference that it would be our courage and not the bitter cold that would send them back to their snow.

If not saying that Frankie's gonna be some Wunderkind of statecraft and the army, but given the "lull" that dominated Austria between 1835-1848 (and the dragon's teeth it sowed for later in the century), he could hardly do worse. Bonus points if he actually trains up the future Franz Joseph instead of whoever got that job OTL.

Thoughts

PS: Sorry this got so long

I dont see why, under the right conditions, "Frankie" becomes Austrian Emperor.
Granted the other European powers would be alarmed by this, given the fact he is the scion of a madman, but the argument could be easily made that he's also the scion of the Hapsburgs. You'd eliminate at least half the outrage right there. Of course, France would still be very peeved, but given the revolutions erupting there almost all the time, they'd be powerless to do anymore than protest. Britain would likely not press the matter further, and Russia would likely see this as a neutralizing factor vis-a-vis their designs on the Balkans and Bosporus. Prussia would be the only power still outraged (and considering the treatment they got under Napoleon's military regime, and their weak king being humiliated further, they'd be right to be outraged) and likely to use the coronation of a scion of Bonaparte and Hapsburg as a pretext to launch the final confrontation. I won't bore you with the two likiest but not exclusive outcomes, but say simply that how this final Austro-Prussian War goes will depend on geopolitical factors. It could be an early 7 Weeks War or it could be a Second Seven Years War involving France, Russia and possibly Sardinia-Piedmont and the Ottoman Empire (the rare spectacle of a Russo-Turkish combined offensive in Hungary would be a shock to the Hapsburgs for sure). Because the duration is uncertain, the outcome is also uncertain so I won't try to even guess at it.

OR

He could be the one sent to Mexico by Napoleon III in an effort to create a Mexican Empire that would be a client of the French Second Empire, thus saving Maximilian from the fate he received OTL and opening the door to a different succession to the Crown of Austria. In that sense, it would be a double achievement for Napoleon III in that Frankie shares part of the Bonaparte bloodline.

 

[Kellan Sullivan]

I dont see why, under the right conditions, "Frankie" becomes Austrian Emperor.

thanks for the feedback, but "Regent" is not the same as "Emperor"

Granted the other European powers would be alarmed by this, given the fact he is the scion of a madman, but the argument could be easily made that he's also the scion of the Hapsburgs. You'd eliminate at least half the outrage right there. Of course, France would still be very peeved, but given the revolutions erupting there almost all the time, they'd be powerless to do anymore than protest.

they did a bit more than protest.

Britain would likely not press the matter further, and Russia would likely see this as a neutralizing factor vis-a-vis their designs on the Balkans and Bosporus. Prussia would be the only power still outraged (and considering the treatment they got under Napoleon's military regime, and their weak king being humiliated further, they'd be right to be outraged) and likely to use the coronation of a scion of Bonaparte and Hapsburg as a pretext to launch the final confrontation.

Except there is no coronation that Prussia takes as pretext. Nor is it - I imagine - the final one.

I won't bore you with the two likiest but not exclusive outcomes, but say simply that how this final Austro-Prussian War goes will depend on geopolitical factors. It could be an early 7 Weeks War or it could be a Second Seven Years War involving France, Russia and possibly Sardinia-Piedmont and the Ottoman Empire (the rare spectacle of a Russo-Turkish combined offensive in Hungary would be a shock to the Hapsburgs for sure). Because the duration is uncertain, the outcome is also uncertain so I won't try to even guess at it.

that's one way of doing it

OR

He could be the one sent to Mexico by Napoleon III in an effort to create a Mexican Empire that would be a client of the French Second Empire, thus saving Maximilian from the fate he received OTL and opening the door to a different succession to the Crown of Austria. In that sense, it would be a double achievement for Napoleon III in that Frankie shares part of the Bonaparte bloodline.

Huh? You realize that if Frankie's alive, there's no chance for Napoléon le Petit to go with a Second Empire, right? Sure, Napoléon could still get elected president of a theoretical French republic, but with a surviving older brother and Frankie in the way (not to mention his uncle and dad), Napoléon would have zero legitimacy outside of a "regent"/"caretaker" regime for what is essentially a foreign head of state. And I doubt the French would like to be ruled from Vienna

 

[Kellan Sullivan]

Soundtrack: Mikhail Glinka - Caprice brillant über das Thema der Jota aragonesa

*exterior* *Madrid* *the city is fixed up en fête* *we see a procession of carriages driving from the Royal Palace to the Church of Our Lady of Atocha* *behind the carriage with the 15yo D. Isabel - all dressed in black [1] - and the 13yo Infanta Luisa ride- on horseback, all in military uniform, three abreast- the Regent, D. Carlos, Conde de Montemolin, D. Juan, Conde de Montizon and D. Fernando, Duque de Marchena* *in the carriage behind them, in civilian dress, rides D. Carlos, Conde de Molina, and his widowed brother, D. Francisco de Paula, along with the latter's eldest son, D. Francisco d'Asis[2]* *the next carriage holds both the Condesa de Montizon and Duquesa de Marchena, and their children, as well as the Duchess of Seville and Princess Poniatowski [3]*
*behind the royal party follow a further train of carriages holding the King and Queen of the Two Sicilies* *the King and Queen of Portugal* *old D. Miguel, once king of Portugal* *the Prince and Princess of Salerno* *the Dowager Duchesse de Berri* *Prince and Princess Johann of Saxony* *Archduke Franz and Archduchess Sophie of Austria* *and an absence that many of the cheering crowds on the day are too polite to comment on: the mother of the bride, Queen Dowager Maria Cristina*
*cut to inside of the Church of the Atocha* *D. Carlos and D. Isabel are kneeling in front of the altar*
Archbishop of Toledo: Carolus Rex, vis accipere Elisabethae Reginae hic præséntem in tuam legítimam uxórem juxta ritum sanctæ matris Ecclésiæ?
Carlos: Volo
Archbishop of Toledo: Elisabetha Regina, vis accipere Carolus Rex hic præséntem in tuum legítimum maritum juxta ritum sanctæ matris Ecclésiæ? [4]
Isabel: Volo
Archbishop of Toledo: Ego conjúngo vos in matrimónium. In nómine Patris, et Fílii, et in Spíritus Sancti. Amen. [5] [6]

*in the pews during the rest of the mass*
Luisa Fernanda: *to the Queen of Portugal* she looks unhappy
Maria II: *trying to hush her* your sister isn't unhappy. She is serious.
Luisa Fernanda: *self righteously* she looks miserable. I will never marry a man who makes me miserable.
Maria II: your Royal Highness will marry where you are told to marry by your queen.
Luisa Fernanda: who told your Majesty to marry then?
Sebastião: someone who cares very deeply about her.
Luisa Fernanda: so why didn't they marry her then?
Sebastião: *half-joking* government wouldn't allow it.
Luisa Fernanda: no one will tell me where to marry. Especially not if I don't love the man
Maria II: *realizing this line of argument is exhausted* *nods calmly*
Luisa Fernanda: and I don't think I shall marry the grand duke [of Tuscany's] son.
Sebastião: *tone is indulgent* so who will you marry, your Royal Highness?
Luisa Fernanda: I don't know yet. But I will love him, he will love me. And my sister will have no say. [7]
Sebastião-Maria: *simply trade eye rolls*

*cut to D. Miguel and D. Carlos at the wedding banquet*
Miguel: you have heard what is happening in Italy, of course. What our nephew the prince of Parma is up to.
Carlos: of course. How could I not? According to his Majesty *the style is pronounced with disdain* the amount of soldiers from Italy who fought with us in the war, who wish to go fight the pope on his behalf, and petition for passports to return...well, the queue is almost out the city limits. Bad lot, I say, send them to Italy-
Miguel: your son owes his throne to them, uncle.
Carlos: *looks poisonously at Pedro [aka Pierre] Bonaparte dancing with the duchess of Seville [8]* they are a bunch of ungrateful, republican heretics, and Spain would be good to be rid of them.
Miguel: then I would suggest you think again, uncle. If Italy were to be suddenly inundated by Spanish soldiers - it doesn't matter where they were born, only who signed the passport - fighting his Holiness tooth and nail, what would that say about Spain? [9]
Carlos: *clearly hasn't thought about that*
Miguel: they will think that the comte de Chambord saved France from atheist anarchy at the cost of losing one of the Church's prized gems, Spain. They will not think that Spain is "getting rid"- as you say- of her liberals, or even that it is the Carbonieri returning to their homelands. What they will say instead is that Spain seeks to reconquer the Italian peninsula. Even if it is at the expense of his Holiness. The rest of Europe will view Spain as we were taught to view France as children...a bogeyman that must be beaten at all costs.
Carlos: *quiet*
Miguel: and imagine if all this *gestures to throne room of the royal palace* were to come crashing down like Napoléon's France did? Spain in ruins, forced to pay reparations, with England only too eager to take advantage of the situation as they did to my father in the Peninsular War? Your son's prudence does him credit.
Carlos: and I take it you have received this Gospel according to St. Francis of Reichstadt?
Miguel: *calmly* I have no love for the duke, uncle. *looks at Maria and Sebastião at table together* *laughing and smiling* But I cannot deny that he has a great deal of sense when he speaks. Which is more than I can say for some other statesmen.
Carlos: that is very close to blasphemy.
Miguel: says the man who owes his throne to him? Did he not send you all these soldiers and all this money? You accepted, which makes you as guilty of such blasphemy as I am blameless.
Carlos: *frowns*
Miguel: you were not the only one he offered soldiers and gold to, uncle. I refused. The condition was then that I endorse our nephew's candidature to wed Maria. At the time, I was hardly impressed by being dictated to by a wet-behind-the-ears puppy. I endorsed Sebastião out of stubborness, because I would not owe my throne to a Bonaparte. In hindsight...this recent war so lately behind us...I realize that that may have been the wisest choice. Not only for myself but also for the kingdom I claimed to love.
Carlos: so he is the new Mephistopheles?
Miguel: From here, I am to step on Portuguese soil for the first time in over a decade. I had long since made my peace with the fact that I would never see Portugal again in my lifetime. Our nephew and niece have - I am pleased to say - managed to keep the worst barbarians from the gate. Could she have done that had she married that Coburg dolt?- I shouldn't say that...I was fortunate enough to attend the premiere of his opera at the Josefstadt Theater in Vienna, and it wasn't...as ghastly as I was expecting. -that Coburg boy would've fastened a liberal noose around our neck. He would've taken his orders from Paris or London. Sebastião's first thought when he rises in the morning, is what is best for Portugal. His last thought before he goes to bed at night, is what is best for Portugal. He is not beholden to any except his wife who has the same ambitions. Reichstadt could see that when I, myself, was blinded by hubris and could not.
Carlos: *grumpily rising to his feet as they announce "Their Majesties, King Carlos and Queen Isabel"*
Miguel: *raises his glass in toast* and may we sooner have a son for my nephew than a bride for my niece's son [10]
*toast is echoed around the hall*
Miguel: *sitting down again* I do not know what lies the devil at Munster [11] has told you. I can only imagine that if he wrote to me that he has written to others of like persuasions. But I would disregard it. He is an old man surprised by time.. I would be truly terrified to find out the length and breadth of his ambitions. Because he thinks that if only the noose had not only been kept ready, but used, on the duke of Reichstadt...the world would be a better place. I would be in exile all the same, maybe we would even be living across the street from one another...perhaps the French king would be living there as well. The truth is, uncle, that whether you regard it as blasphemy or not...your so-called St. Francis of Reichstadt is to thank when the Munster Devil sat by and did nothing.

*fade to black*



[1] until the 19th century this was the custom - according to google - for Spanish brides to wear black to symbolize "until death do us part"/undying loyalty
[2] this is one of those pointed snubs that doesn't look like a snub. While the Carlists get to "ride" (on horseback) in the procession, D. Carlos and the two D. Francisco's are relegated to a coach (essentially, with the women and children)
[3] Maria Carolina of Tuscany, Condesa de Montizon, Maria Adelaide of Austria, Duquesa de Marchena, Eugenie de Montijo, Duchess of Seville and Isabel Fernanda (Francisco de Paula's oldest daughter), Princess Poniatowska
[4] essentially do you Carlos/Isabel accept Isabel/Carlos, here presented, as your lawful husband according to the rites of our Holy Mother Church? Volo is "I do"
[5] By the authority of the Church I ratify and bless the bond of marriage you have contracted. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
[6] why is Isabel II marrying a whole year earlier TTL? It could be for a number of reasons, anything from Montemolin actually being "power hungry" to the more liberal faction wanting to undermine Carlos' position (why they declared her of age prematurely OTL IIRC). Given that Isabel's had a "more stable" upbringing than OTL (and a more solid education), she's probably more mature than she was at 15 OTL as well.
[7] this stubborness/rebelliousness from Luisa is pretty much OTL. She tried to show Isabel II up in almost everything, and their relationship deteriorated after their marriages as a result
[8] the supreme irony of the avowed republican-socialist, atheist Prince Pierre dancing at a royal wedding with the conservative, devout Eugenie de Montijo was too good to pass up. Pierre is a bit of a "bête noir" the Spaniards don't really know what to do with. He's liberal - so he's good for the image of the moanrchy as "progressive" - but he's also a prickly character that gets into trouble (just look at how many headaches he caused for his cousin under the Second Empire: gambling debts, arrests, duelling/murder, unsuitable marriage etc etc). He might have softened a bit and perhaps his socialist views have even gained him "grace" with Sebastião II, the conde de Montizon or the duque de Seville, but let's face it, he's a bit of an exotic bird for any aviary.
[9] Miguel isn't suddenly a wonderful statesman (although I've yet to encounter an unbiased source that says he was truly as terrible as suggested). He's taking on a bit of Henri de Chambord's OTL role here. The "impartial observer" of events as it were. He might not like Bonapartes or liberals any more than D. Carlos, but he can recognize what it will look like
[10] i.e. may Carlos (Miguel's nephew) and Isabel have a son before they have a daughter - if it's anything like OTL, then one of Maria's sons will be the first in the queue for Isabel's eldest daughter
[11] Metternich

@The_Most_Happy @isabella @VVD0D95 @Jan Olbracht @Ramontxo @HortenseMancini @Anarch King of Dipsodes @Dragonboy @kaiidth @SavoyTruffle @Wendell @nathanael1234 @Fehérvári @Guatemalan Nat-Synd @Valena @maw @LordMartinax @EmmettMcFly55 @सार्थक (Sārthākā) @Nuraghe @renard_ @pandizzy @RedAquilla @Rattigan

 

[Dragonboy]

Long live Carlos V and Isabel II!

May they be as successful and illustrious as the Catholic monarchs.

 

[isabella]

Nice wedding…
Luisa will need a serious lessons on duties and her place in life very soon

 

[Ramontxo]

Soundtrack: Mikhail Glinka - Caprice brillant über das Thema der Jota aragonesa

*exterior* *Madrid* *the city is fixed up en fête* *we see a procession of carriages driving from the Royal Palace to the Church of Our Lady of Atocha* *behind the carriage with the 15yo D. Isabel - all dressed in black [1] - and the 13yo Infanta Luisa ride- on horseback, all in military uniform, three abreast- the Regent, D. Carlos, Conde de Montemolin, D. Juan, Conde de Montizon and D. Fernando, Duque de Marchena* *in the carriage behind them, in civilian dress, rides D. Carlos, Conde de Molina, and his widowed brother, D. Francisco de Paula, along with the latter's eldest son, D. Francisco d'Asis[2]* *the next carriage holds both the Condesa de Montizon and Duquesa de Marchena, and their children, as well as the Duchess of Seville and Princess Poniatowski [3]*
*behind the royal party follow a further train of carriages holding the King and Queen of the Two Sicilies* *the King and Queen of Portugal* *old D. Miguel, once king of Portugal* *the Prince and Princess of Salerno* *the Dowager Duchesse de Berri* *Prince and Princess Johann of Saxony* *Archduke Franz and Archduchess Sophie of Austria* *and an absence that many of the cheering crowds on the day are too polite to comment on: the mother of the bride, Queen Dowager Maria Cristina*
*cut to inside of the Church of the Atocha* *D. Carlos and D. Isabel are kneeling in front of the altar*
Archbishop of Toledo: Carolus Rex, vis accipere Elisabethae Reginae hic præséntem in tuam legítimam uxórem juxta ritum sanctæ matris Ecclésiæ?
Carlos: Volo
Archbishop of Toledo: Elisabetha Regina, vis accipere Carolus Rex hic præséntem in tuum legítimum maritum juxta ritum sanctæ matris Ecclésiæ? [4]
Isabel: Volo
Archbishop of Toledo: Ego conjúngo vos in matrimónium. In nómine Patris, et Fílii, et in Spíritus Sancti. Amen. [5] [6]

*in the pews during the rest of the mass*
Luisa Fernanda: *to the Queen of Portugal* she looks unhappy
Maria II: *trying to hush her* your sister isn't unhappy. She is serious.
Luisa Fernanda: *self righteously* she looks miserable. I will never marry a man who makes me miserable.
Maria II: your Royal Highness will marry where you are told to marry by your queen.
Luisa Fernanda: who told your Majesty to marry then?
Sebastião: someone who cares very deeply about her.
Luisa Fernanda: so why didn't they marry her then?
Sebastião: *half-joking* government wouldn't allow it.
Luisa Fernanda: no one will tell me where to marry. Especially not if I don't love the man
Maria II: *realizing this line of argument is exhausted* *nods calmly*
Luisa Fernanda: and I don't think I shall marry the grand duke [of Tuscany's] son.
Sebastião: *tone is indulgent* so who will you marry, your Royal Highness?
Luisa Fernanda: I don't know yet. But I will love him, he will love me. And my sister will have no say. [7]
Sebastião-Maria: *simply trade eye rolls*

*cut to D. Miguel and D. Carlos at the wedding banquet*
Miguel: you have heard what is happening in Italy, of course. What our nephew the prince of Parma is up to.
Carlos: of course. How could I not? According to his Majesty *the style is pronounced with disdain* the amount of soldiers from Italy who fought with us in the war, who wish to go fight the pope on his behalf, and petition for passports to return...well, the queue is almost out the city limits. Bad lot, I say, send them to Italy-
Miguel: your son owes his throne to them, uncle.
Carlos: *looks poisonously at Pedro [aka Pierre] Bonaparte dancing with the duchess of Seville [8]* they are a bunch of ungrateful, republican heretics, and Spain would be good to be rid of them.
Miguel: then I would suggest you think again, uncle. If Italy were to be suddenly inundated by Spanish soldiers - it doesn't matter where they were born, only who signed the passport - fighting his Holiness tooth and nail, what would that say about Spain? [9]
Carlos: *clearly hasn't thought about that*
Miguel: they will think that the comte de Chambord saved France from atheist anarchy at the cost of losing one of the Church's prized gems, Spain. They will not think that Spain is "getting rid"- as you say- of her liberals, or even that it is the Carbonieri returning to their homelands. What they will say instead is that Spain seeks to reconquer the Italian peninsula. Even if it is at the expense of his Holiness. The rest of Europe will view Spain as we were taught to view France as children...a bogeyman that must be beaten at all costs.
Carlos: *quiet*
Miguel: and imagine if all this *gestures to throne room of the royal palace* were to come crashing down like Napoléon's France did? Spain in ruins, forced to pay reparations, with England only too eager to take advantage of the situation as they did to my father in the Peninsular War? Your son's prudence does him credit.
Carlos: and I take it you have received this Gospel according to St. Francis of Reichstadt?
Miguel: *calmly* I have no love for the duke, uncle. *looks at Maria and Sebastião at table together* *laughing and smiling* But I cannot deny that he has a great deal of sense when he speaks. Which is more than I can say for some other statesmen.
Carlos: that is very close to blasphemy.
Miguel: says the man who owes his throne to him? Did he not send you all these soldiers and all this money? You accepted, which makes you as guilty of such blasphemy as I am blameless.
Carlos: *frowns*
Miguel: you were not the only one he offered soldiers and gold to, uncle. I refused. The condition was then that I endorse our nephew's candidature to wed Maria. At the time, I was hardly impressed by being dictated to by a wet-behind-the-ears puppy. I endorsed Sebastião out of stubborness, because I would not owe my throne to a Bonaparte. In hindsight...this recent war so lately behind us...I realize that that may have been the wisest choice. Not only for myself but also for the kingdom I claimed to love.
Carlos: so he is the new Mephistopheles?
Miguel: From here, I am to step on Portuguese soil for the first time in over a decade. I had long since made my peace with the fact that I would never see Portugal again in my lifetime. Our nephew and niece have - I am pleased to say - managed to keep the worst barbarians from the gate. Could she have done that had she married that Coburg dolt?- I shouldn't say that...I was fortunate enough to attend the premiere of his opera at the Josefstadt Theater in Vienna, and it wasn't...as ghastly as I was expecting. -that Coburg boy would've fastened a liberal noose around our neck. He would've taken his orders from Paris or London. Sebastião's first thought when he rises in the morning, is what is best for Portugal. His last thought before he goes to bed at night, is what is best for Portugal. He is not beholden to any except his wife who has the same ambitions. Reichstadt could see that when I, myself, was blinded by hubris and could not.
Carlos: *grumpily rising to his feet as they announce "Their Majesties, King Carlos and Queen Isabel"*
Miguel: *raises his glass in toast* and may we sooner have a son for my nephew than a bride for my niece's son [10]
*toast is echoed around the hall*
Miguel: *sitting down again* I do not know what lies the devil at Munster [11] has told you. I can only imagine that if he wrote to me that he has written to others of like persuasions. But I would disregard it. He is an old man surprised by time.. I would be truly terrified to find out the length and breadth of his ambitions. Because he thinks that if only the noose had not only been kept ready, but used, on the duke of Reichstadt...the world would be a better place. I would be in exile all the same, maybe we would even be living across the street from one another...perhaps the French king would be living there as well. The truth is, uncle, that whether you regard it as blasphemy or not...your so-called St. Francis of Reichstadt is to thank when the Munster Devil sat by and did nothing.

*fade to black*



[1] until the 19th century this was the custom - according to google - for Spanish brides to wear black to symbolize "until death do us part"/undying loyalty
[2] this is one of those pointed snubs that doesn't look like a snub. While the Carlists get to "ride" (on horseback) in the procession, D. Carlos and the two D. Francisco's are relegated to a coach (essentially, with the women and children)
[3] Maria Carolina of Tuscany, Condesa de Montizon, Maria Adelaide of Austria, Duquesa de Marchena, Eugenie de Montijo, Duchess of Seville and Isabel Fernanda (Francisco de Paula's oldest daughter), Princess Poniatowska
[4] essentially do you Carlos/Isabel accept Isabel/Carlos, here presented, as your lawful husband according to the rites of our Holy Mother Church? Volo is "I do"
[5] By the authority of the Church I ratify and bless the bond of marriage you have contracted. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
[6] why is Isabel II marrying a whole year earlier TTL? It could be for a number of reasons, anything from Montemolin actually being "power hungry" to the more liberal faction wanting to undermine Carlos' position (why they declared her of age prematurely OTL IIRC). Given that Isabel's had a "more stable" upbringing than OTL (and a more solid education), she's probably more mature than she was at 15 OTL as well.
[7] this stubborness/rebelliousness from Luisa is pretty much OTL. She tried to show Isabel II up in almost everything, and their relationship deteriorated after their marriages as a result
[8] the supreme irony of the avowed republican-socialist, atheist Prince Pierre dancing at a royal wedding with the conservative, devout Eugenie de Montijo was too good to pass up. Pierre is a bit of a "bête noir" the Spaniards don't really know what to do with. He's liberal - so he's good for the image of the moanrchy as "progressive" - but he's also a prickly character that gets into trouble (just look at how many headaches he caused for his cousin under the Second Empire: gambling debts, arrests, duelling/murder, unsuitable marriage etc etc). He might have softened a bit and perhaps his socialist views have even gained him "grace" with Sebastião II, the conde de Montizon or the duque de Seville, but let's face it, he's a bit of an exotic bird for any aviary.
[9] Miguel isn't suddenly a wonderful statesman (although I've yet to encounter an unbiased source that says he was truly as terrible as suggested). He's taking on a bit of Henri de Chambord's OTL role here. The "impartial observer" of events as it were. He might not like Bonapartes or liberals any more than D. Carlos, but he can recognize what it will look like
[10] i.e. may Carlos (Miguel's nephew) and Isabel have a son before they have a daughter - if it's anything like OTL, then one of Maria's sons will be the first in the queue for Isabel's eldest daughter
[11] Metternich

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[Nuraghe]

Soundtrack: Mikhail Glinka - Caprice brillant über das Thema der Jota aragonesa

*exterior* *Madrid* *the city is fixed up en fête* *we see a procession of carriages driving from the Royal Palace to the Church of Our Lady of Atocha* *behind the carriage with the 15yo D. Isabel - all dressed in black [1] - and the 13yo Infanta Luisa ride- on horseback, all in military uniform, three abreast- the Regent, D. Carlos, Conde de Montemolin, D. Juan, Conde de Montizon and D. Fernando, Duque de Marchena* *in the carriage behind them, in civilian dress, rides D. Carlos, Conde de Molina, and his widowed brother, D. Francisco de Paula, along with the latter's eldest son, D. Francisco d'Asis[2]* *the next carriage holds both the Condesa de Montizon and Duquesa de Marchena, and their children, as well as the Duchess of Seville and Princess Poniatowski [3]*
*behind the royal party follow a further train of carriages holding the King and Queen of the Two Sicilies* *the King and Queen of Portugal* *old D. Miguel, once king of Portugal* *the Prince and Princess of Salerno* *the Dowager Duchesse de Berri* *Prince and Princess Johann of Saxony* *Archduke Franz and Archduchess Sophie of Austria* *and an absence that many of the cheering crowds on the day are too polite to comment on: the mother of the bride, Queen Dowager Maria Cristina*
*cut to inside of the Church of the Atocha* *D. Carlos and D. Isabel are kneeling in front of the altar*
Archbishop of Toledo: Carolus Rex, vis accipere Elisabethae Reginae hic præséntem in tuam legítimam uxórem juxta ritum sanctæ matris Ecclésiæ?
Carlos: Volo
Archbishop of Toledo: Elisabetha Regina, vis accipere Carolus Rex hic præséntem in tuum legítimum maritum juxta ritum sanctæ matris Ecclésiæ? [4]
Isabel: Volo
Archbishop of Toledo: Ego conjúngo vos in matrimónium. In nómine Patris, et Fílii, et in Spíritus Sancti. Amen. [5] [6]

*in the pews during the rest of the mass*
Luisa Fernanda: *to the Queen of Portugal* she looks unhappy
Maria II: *trying to hush her* your sister isn't unhappy. She is serious.
Luisa Fernanda: *self righteously* she looks miserable. I will never marry a man who makes me miserable.
Maria II: your Royal Highness will marry where you are told to marry by your queen.
Luisa Fernanda: who told your Majesty to marry then?
Sebastião: someone who cares very deeply about her.
Luisa Fernanda: so why didn't they marry her then?
Sebastião: *half-joking* government wouldn't allow it.
Luisa Fernanda: no one will tell me where to marry. Especially not if I don't love the man
Maria II: *realizing this line of argument is exhausted* *nods calmly*
Luisa Fernanda: and I don't think I shall marry the grand duke [of Tuscany's] son.
Sebastião: *tone is indulgent* so who will you marry, your Royal Highness?
Luisa Fernanda: I don't know yet. But I will love him, he will love me. And my sister will have no say. [7]
Sebastião-Maria: *simply trade eye rolls*

*cut to D. Miguel and D. Carlos at the wedding banquet*
Miguel: you have heard what is happening in Italy, of course. What our nephew the prince of Parma is up to.
Carlos: of course. How could I not? According to his Majesty *the style is pronounced with disdain* the amount of soldiers from Italy who fought with us in the war, who wish to go fight the pope on his behalf, and petition for passports to return...well, the queue is almost out the city limits. Bad lot, I say, send them to Italy-
Miguel: your son owes his throne to them, uncle.
Carlos: *looks poisonously at Pedro [aka Pierre] Bonaparte dancing with the duchess of Seville [8]* they are a bunch of ungrateful, republican heretics, and Spain would be good to be rid of them.
Miguel: then I would suggest you think again, uncle. If Italy were to be suddenly inundated by Spanish soldiers - it doesn't matter where they were born, only who signed the passport - fighting his Holiness tooth and nail, what would that say about Spain? [9]
Carlos: *clearly hasn't thought about that*
Miguel: they will think that the comte de Chambord saved France from atheist anarchy at the cost of losing one of the Church's prized gems, Spain. They will not think that Spain is "getting rid"- as you say- of her liberals, or even that it is the Carbonieri returning to their homelands. What they will say instead is that Spain seeks to reconquer the Italian peninsula. Even if it is at the expense of his Holiness. The rest of Europe will view Spain as we were taught to view France as children...a bogeyman that must be beaten at all costs.
Carlos: *quiet*
Miguel: and imagine if all this *gestures to throne room of the royal palace* were to come crashing down like Napoléon's France did? Spain in ruins, forced to pay reparations, with England only too eager to take advantage of the situation as they did to my father in the Peninsular War? Your son's prudence does him credit.
Carlos: and I take it you have received this Gospel according to St. Francis of Reichstadt?
Miguel: *calmly* I have no love for the duke, uncle. *looks at Maria and Sebastião at table together* *laughing and smiling* But I cannot deny that he has a great deal of sense when he speaks. Which is more than I can say for some other statesmen.
Carlos: that is very close to blasphemy.
Miguel: says the man who owes his throne to him? Did he not send you all these soldiers and all this money? You accepted, which makes you as guilty of such blasphemy as I am blameless.
Carlos: *frowns*
Miguel: you were not the only one he offered soldiers and gold to, uncle. I refused. The condition was then that I endorse our nephew's candidature to wed Maria. At the time, I was hardly impressed by being dictated to by a wet-behind-the-ears puppy. I endorsed Sebastião out of stubborness, because I would not owe my throne to a Bonaparte. In hindsight...this recent war so lately behind us...I realize that that may have been the wisest choice. Not only for myself but also for the kingdom I claimed to love.
Carlos: so he is the new Mephistopheles?
Miguel: From here, I am to step on Portuguese soil for the first time in over a decade. I had long since made my peace with the fact that I would never see Portugal again in my lifetime. Our nephew and niece have - I am pleased to say - managed to keep the worst barbarians from the gate. Could she have done that had she married that Coburg dolt?- I shouldn't say that...I was fortunate enough to attend the premiere of his opera at the Josefstadt Theater in Vienna, and it wasn't...as ghastly as I was expecting. -that Coburg boy would've fastened a liberal noose around our neck. He would've taken his orders from Paris or London. Sebastião's first thought when he rises in the morning, is what is best for Portugal. His last thought before he goes to bed at night, is what is best for Portugal. He is not beholden to any except his wife who has the same ambitions. Reichstadt could see that when I, myself, was blinded by hubris and could not.
Carlos: *grumpily rising to his feet as they announce "Their Majesties, King Carlos and Queen Isabel"*
Miguel: *raises his glass in toast* and may we sooner have a son for my nephew than a bride for my niece's son [10]
*toast is echoed around the hall*
Miguel: *sitting down again* I do not know what lies the devil at Munster [11] has told you. I can only imagine that if he wrote to me that he has written to others of like persuasions. But I would disregard it. He is an old man surprised by time.. I would be truly terrified to find out the length and breadth of his ambitions. Because he thinks that if only the noose had not only been kept ready, but used, on the duke of Reichstadt...the world would be a better place. I would be in exile all the same, maybe we would even be living across the street from one another...perhaps the French king would be living there as well. The truth is, uncle, that whether you regard it as blasphemy or not...your so-called St. Francis of Reichstadt is to thank when the Munster Devil sat by and did nothing.

*fade to black*



[1] until the 19th century this was the custom - according to google - for Spanish brides to wear black to symbolize "until death do us part"/undying loyalty
[2] this is one of those pointed snubs that doesn't look like a snub. While the Carlists get to "ride" (on horseback) in the procession, D. Carlos and the two D. Francisco's are relegated to a coach (essentially, with the women and children)
[3] Maria Carolina of Tuscany, Condesa de Montizon, Maria Adelaide of Austria, Duquesa de Marchena, Eugenie de Montijo, Duchess of Seville and Isabel Fernanda (Francisco de Paula's oldest daughter), Princess Poniatowska
[4] essentially do you Carlos/Isabel accept Isabel/Carlos, here presented, as your lawful husband according to the rites of our Holy Mother Church? Volo is "I do"
[5] By the authority of the Church I ratify and bless the bond of marriage you have contracted. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
[6] why is Isabel II marrying a whole year earlier TTL? It could be for a number of reasons, anything from Montemolin actually being "power hungry" to the more liberal faction wanting to undermine Carlos' position (why they declared her of age prematurely OTL IIRC). Given that Isabel's had a "more stable" upbringing than OTL (and a more solid education), she's probably more mature than she was at 15 OTL as well.
[7] this stubborness/rebelliousness from Luisa is pretty much OTL. She tried to show Isabel II up in almost everything, and their relationship deteriorated after their marriages as a result
[8] the supreme irony of the avowed republican-socialist, atheist Prince Pierre dancing at a royal wedding with the conservative, devout Eugenie de Montijo was too good to pass up. Pierre is a bit of a "bête noir" the Spaniards don't really know what to do with. He's liberal - so he's good for the image of the moanrchy as "progressive" - but he's also a prickly character that gets into trouble (just look at how many headaches he caused for his cousin under the Second Empire: gambling debts, arrests, duelling/murder, unsuitable marriage etc etc). He might have softened a bit and perhaps his socialist views have even gained him "grace" with Sebastião II, the conde de Montizon or the duque de Seville, but let's face it, he's a bit of an exotic bird for any aviary.
[9] Miguel isn't suddenly a wonderful statesman (although I've yet to encounter an unbiased source that says he was truly as terrible as suggested). He's taking on a bit of Henri de Chambord's OTL role here. The "impartial observer" of events as it were. He might not like Bonapartes or liberals any more than D. Carlos, but he can recognize what it will look like
[10] i.e. may Carlos (Miguel's nephew) and Isabel have a son before they have a daughter - if it's anything like OTL, then one of Maria's sons will be the first in the queue for Isabel's eldest daughter
[11] Metternich

@The_Most_Happy @isabella @VVD0D95 @Jan Olbracht @Ramontxo @HortenseMancini @Anarch King of Dipsodes @Dragonboy @kaiidth @SavoyTruffle @Wendell @nathanael1234 @Fehérvári @Guatemalan Nat-Synd @Valena @maw @LordMartinax @EmmettMcFly55 @सार्थक (Sārthākā) @Nuraghe @renard_ @pandizzy @RedAquilla

Saint Francis of reichstadg is a better saint patronum in the world 😂🤣 It a over 9000 Power level, ah and the dialogue on the fate of Spain as a special daughter of the church is perfect