The Tragic Empress

The Archduke Maximilian of Austria married Charlotte of Belgium in July 1857. However, by the time they became emperor and empress of Mexico, they still had no children. The decision to adopt Iturbide's grandsons seems as if they had accepted the fact that there would be no children.
I find it hard to believe that Charlote as duty-bound as she was, would've neglected this - the primary of her duties. Can any one shed any light on the cause of their childlessness? And would a child have helped the Mexican Empire survive?
 
The Archduke Maximilian of Austria married Charlotte of Belgium in July 1857. However, by the time they became emperor and empress of Mexico, they still had no children. The decision to adopt Iturbide's grandsons seems as if they had accepted the fact that there would be no children.
I find it hard to believe that Charlote as duty-bound as she was, would've neglected this - the primary of her duties. Can any one shed any light on their childlessness?

One of the two was probably infertile, at least if Sara Yorke Stevenson's memoir "Maximilian in Mexico" is to be believed. I don't think she mentions the medical reason why.

EDIT: Maximilian wrote memoirs himself, and they are available for Kindle at least. Maybe that might have the answer (although Stevenson was close to the court)
 
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I guess that childless had caused by inbreeding of Habsburgs. But that is hard to say.

Anyway, altough couple would had biological child, it hardly would effect any kind of way situation in Mexico. But it is another thing in Europe. This potential child would be second on succession line after Franz Joseph's son Rudolph.
 
In his book The Coburgs of Belgium, Aronson also says that on one occasion in Mexico, while visiting a subject, that person had gone to great lengths to prepare a room for his Imperial guests. When shown the room, Max asked to have a truckle bed brought in for him to sleep on, thereby the imperial couple was already not sleeping together.

As to infertility, Charlotte is the more likely guilty party considering Max had a bastard son(s).
 
I guess that childless had caused by inbreeding of Habsburgs. But that is hard to say.

Anyway, altough couple would had biological child, it hardly would effect any kind of way situation in Mexico. But it is another thing in Europe. This potential child would be second on succession line after Franz Joseph's son Rudolph.

If it's Max Jr. Charlotte Jr, would go the same way as Rudolf's daughter.
 
One would think it most likely that since Maximillian did have at least one non-marital child that their seeming inability to have offspring together must have lain with Charlotte. However; there has been speculation that the French General Maxime Weygand [c.1867-1965], who claimed to have never known his true parentage, may have been Charlotte's secret son.
 
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