Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria marries Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal

VVD0D95

Banned
A query for you all, I believe during the time when people were looking for a wife for Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria, a daughter of Miguel I of Portugal was considered, but that she rejected him. I've never been able to find a record of who this girl was, but let's say that Rudolf courts a Portuguese infanta, specifically Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal, and she accepts his proposal of marriage in say 1881. What consequences could this have for Austria? And perhaps for Portugal as well, especially if Maria Antonia is as successful having kids with Rudolf as she was with her husband otl?.

@Kellan Sullivan @isabella @JonasResende @Jonathan
 
The issue with the case of Rudolf is this:
Does he still drift apart from this wife and have affairs.
IOTL the marriage went sour only two years after the wedding, causing Rudolf to find solace in alcohol and affair.
The many affairs, with other female companionship was a direct cause of why Stéphanie was diagnosed with gonorrhea, which rendered Stéphanie sterile.
You need for Rudolf to have a completely different personality and mind set.
 
We can not know. Rudolf suffered a lot because he had a character totally opposite to that of his father and much alike to his mother plus he had too much Wittelsbach blood (both his grandmothers were from the Bavarian mainline while his maternal grandfather was of the junior line) and the Bavarian royal family had many cases of mental issues...
 

VVD0D95

Banned
The issue with the case of Rudolf is this:
Does he still drift apart from this wife and have affairs.
IOTL the marriage went sour only two years after the wedding, causing Rudolf to find solace in alcohol and affair.
The many affairs, with other female companionship was a direct cause of why Stéphanie was diagnosed with gonorrhea, which rendered Stéphanie sterile.
You need for Rudolf to have a completely different personality and mind set.
Hmmm true though do you think that if he has a son immediately with Maria that that migunease things somewhat
 
Hmmm true though do you think that if he has a son immediately with Maria that that migunease things somewhat
Possible. That would surely secure the succession and maybe Sophie Choteck will be able to become an Archduchess as she will not be married to the heir of throne here
 

VVD0D95

Banned
Possible. That would surely secure the succession and maybe Sophie Choteck will be able to become an Archduchess as she will not be married to the heir of throne here
An added bonus :). I do also for some reason think if a son is born first, that rudolf might be able to focus on becoming a good father compared
To his own father
 
If he is stabler then in homeline maybe his father will abdicate after 50 years of ruling in 1898; that will be early enought to allow massive reforms to take hold.
 
If he is stabler then in homeline maybe his father will abdicate after 50 years of ruling in 1898; that will be early enought to allow massive reforms to take hold.

Why would FJ do this? Specifically for an heir he doesn't get on with?

@VVD0D95 IIRC said Portuguese infanta was Maria Teresa (OTL Archduchess Karl Ludwig #3). Could be wrong though.
 
Why would FJ do this? Specifically for an heir he doesn't get on with?

@VVD0D95 IIRC said Portuguese infanta was Maria Teresa (OTL Archduchess Karl Ludwig #3). Could be wrong though.
The worst of the quarrel beetween Rudolph and his father began after his marriage. Just some year before his son's suicide he supposedly said to one of his ministers that if Rudolph was more stable "I would gratefully step down from this disconfortable throne."
 

VVD0D95

Banned
The worst of the quarrel beetween Rudolph and his father began after his marriage. Just some year before his son's suicide he supposedly said to one of his ministers that if Rudolph was more stable "I would gratefully step down from this disconfortable throne."
Saying it is one thing but doing it is another. And franz showed he never quite knwew when to adapt
 
Saying it is one thing but doing it is another. And franz showed he never quite knwew when to adapt
The fact that he did say it, show us that he did consider it; if he did consider it, than it is a valid althernative historical possibility. It is the most likely? Probably not, but neither it is completely impossible; it is the more interestingoutcome? Yes, it is;
 
Hmmm true though do you think that if he has a son immediately with Maria that that migunease things somewhat
Working Idea
In OTL Maria bore him twelve children, with her first born, 10 months after the wedding. Let’s say she doesn’t contract gonorrhea.

Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria (21/8/1858–30/1/1889) m. 10/5/1881, Infanta Maria Antónia of Portugal (28/11/1862–14/5/1959)
Francis Joseph II (B. 25/3/1882, R. 21/11/1916, D. 11/2/1961) m. 1900, Infanta Maria Teresa of Spain (12/11/1882–23/9/1912)​
Francis Joseph III of Austria (B. 22/1/1902, R. 11/2/1961, D. 30/5/1991) m. 1920, Princess Mafalda of Italy (2/11/1902-9/5/1989)​
Francis Joseph IV (B. 6/8/1926, R. 30/5/1991, D. 23/5/2013) m. 1964,​
Archduke Charles of Austria (30/10/1927–31/1/1999).​
Archduke of Austria (3/6/1937–3/1/1998)​
Archduchess Elisabeth Maria (8/10/1940-)​
Archduchess Maria Antónia (6/12/1906-14 May 1983) m. 1922, Tsar Alexei II of Russia (B. (12/8/1904, R. 4/5/1939, D. 30/7/1969)​
Archduchess Maria Theresa (26/3/1909-16/8/1966) m. 1926, Leopold III of Belgium (B. 3/11/1901, R. 17/2/1934, D. 25/9/1983)​
Archduchess Maria Elizabeth (3/10/1911-11/9/1953) m. 1929, Albrecht I of Bavaria (B. 3/5/1905, R. 2/8/1955, D. 8/7/1996)​
Archduchess Maria Sophie (15/9/1912-9/5/1918)​
Archduchess Elizabeth Adelaide (21/1/1883- m. 1903, Wilhelm III of Germany, (B. 6/5/1882, R. 4/6/1941, D. 20/7/1951)​
Archduke Karl Joseph of Austria (22/5/1884-​
Archduchess Maria Sophie (5/8/1885–6/2/1959) m. 1901, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria (18/12/1863–5/6/1931)​
Archduke Michael Francis of Austria, later Grand Duke and Regent of Luxembourg (1/8/1886–14/3/1934) m. 1913, Marie-Adélaïde, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (B. 14/6/1894, R. 25/2/1912, D. 24/1/1924)​
William V, Grand Duke of Luxembourg​
Archduke Ferdinand the Posthumous, later Duke of Valentinois (25/4/1889–7/5/1977) m. 1916, Princess Charlotte of Monaco, Duchess of Valentinois (30 September 1898 – 15 November 1977)​
 
Last edited:

VVD0D95

Banned
The fact that he did say it, show us that he did consider it; if he did consider it, than it is a valid althernative historical possibility. It is the most likely? Probably not, but neither it is completely impossible; it is the more interestingoutcome? Yes, it is;
This is very true I shall have to explore this. Hungary would be wanting to break away if this happened no doubt
 

VVD0D95

Banned
Working Idea
In OTL Maria bore him twelve children, with her first born, 10 months after the wedding. Let’s say she doesn’t contract gonorrhea.

Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria (21/8/1858–30/1/1889) m. 10/5/1881, Infanta Maria Antónia of Portugal (28/11/1862–14/5/1959)
Francis Joseph II (B. 25/3/1882, R. 21/11/1916, D. 11/2/1961) m. 1900, Infanta Maria Teresa of Spain (12/11/1882–23/9/1912)​
Francis Joseph III of Austria (B. 22/1/1902, R. 11/2/1961, D. 30/5/1991) m. 1920, Princess Mafalda of Italy (2/11/1902-9/5/1989)​
Francis Joseph IV (B. 6/8/1926, R. 30/5/1991, D. 23/5/2013) m. 1964​
Archduke of Austria (30/10/1927–31/1/1999).​
Archduke of Austria (3/6/1937–3/1/1998)​
Archduchess Elisabeth Maria (8/10/1940-)​
Archduchess Maria Antónia (6/12/1906-14 May 1983) m. 1922, Tsar Alexei II (B. (12/8/1904, R. 4/5/1939, D. 30/7/1969)​
Archduchess Maria Theresa (26/3/1909-16/8/1966) m. 1926, Leopold III of Belgium (3/11/1901–25/9/1983)​
Archduchess Maria Elizabeth (3/10/1911-11/9/1953)​
Archduchess Maria Sophie (15/9/1912-9/5/1918)​
Archduchess Elizabeth Adelaide (21/1/1883- m. 1903, Wilhelm III of Germany, (6/5/1882–20/7/1951)​
Archduke Karl Joseph of Austria (22/5/1884-​
Archduchess Maria Sophie (5/8/1885–6/2/1959) m. 1901, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria (18/12/1863–5/6/1931)​
Archduke Michael Francis of Austria (1/8/1886–14/3/1934)​
Archduke Ferdinand the Posthumous, later Grand Duke and Regent of Luxembourg (25/4/1889–7/5/1977) m. 1913, Marie-Adélaïde, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (14/6/1894–24/1/1924)​
William V, Grand Duke of Luxembourg​
Ooh I like that, what would cause rudolfs death in 1889? A suicide as otl? Tad unsure if the Austrians would be keen for a Russian marriage as well
Given religious concerns etc
 
This is very true I shall have to explore this. Hungary would be wanting to break away if this happened no doubt

Why? Rudi was liberal and pro-Hungarian. It was FF the Hungarians would've had to watch out for.

Probably not, but neither it is completely impossible; it is the more interestingoutcome? Yes, it is;

Interesting doesn't always equal reasonable/plausible. FJ was "groomed" to be a monarch, he would have had only too wonderful memories of the amount of power that was thrust into his hand as an 18yo because his uncle, then father abdicated. I sincerely doubt that he'll abdicate any more than the current Queen would given her own experiences when her uncle abdicated.
 
Interesting doesn't always equal reasonable/plausible. FJ was "groomed" to be a monarch, he would have had only too wonderful memories of the amount of power that was thrust into his hand as an 18yo because his uncle, then father abdicated. I sincerely doubt that he'll abdicate any more than the current Queen would given her own experiences when her uncle abdicated.
As I said in 1888 he wrote that, if Rudolph had been more stable he would have gladily abdicated; so, it was a thing he actually considerated to dom it is not something out of the blue; and in my own hopinion in AlternateHistory, interesting is usually better than plausible.
 
Top