#Marie-Valérie of Austria

[kaiserinelisabethsposts]

Archduchess Gisèle of Austria (in a black dress) with her younger sister Archduchess Marie-Valérie of Austria (in a white dress), both daughters of Empress Elisabeth and Emperor Franz-Joseph of Austria-Hungary.

(photograph taken around 1890)

[archduchessofnowhere]

Archduchess Marie Valerie's diary entry on her engagement to Archduke Franz Salvator the Christmas Eve of 1888:

December 24. Christmas Eve … as I write this, I have long been in Munich - it is January 3, 1889. (On December 24) Papa [Emperor Franz Josef] spoke so dryly about tonight that it could almost have offended me if I didn't know that he was only pretending that his whole heart wasn't in it, and Mama [Empress Elisabeth] was sad. [Crown Prince] Rudolf was watching her, then me, and was very friendly. Little Elisabeth [Rudolf's daughter] was very happy about the presents and played with her things while we dined in the Alexandrian room on the left. After dinner, I took [Crown Princess] Stephanie aside and told her my decision, whereupon she immediately congratulated me. Everything passed me by almost as if in a dream. Rudolf and Stephanie left with the King [?] before seven o'clock and Mama promised to come over with us as soon as it was done. When the three of us were now in Mama's toilet room, Papa said he was surprised that Stephanie didn't find it offensive that Rudolf had been taken into confidence [regarding the engagement] before her… they should get him. Mama hugged him and said with sisterly tenderness: "I love you so much." I can't say how happy that made me, because it made him feel so good, he hugged her and asked with great emotion: "No, really? It hasn't been for a long time." Excited as I was, I immediately began to cry and yet I was doubly happy that it was Franz [Salvator, Archduke of Austria-Tuscany]'s and my bond of pure young love that had brought my parents this sacred and beautiful hour of union. The intimate union of the parents among themselves, with me and even with Rudolf seems to me the clearest proof of the blessing that rests on our love… I plucked up the courage to throw myself on Papa's chest, although he showed me no particular tenderness and then went out… Then Mama and I said our evening prayers as usual and about half past 7 I hugged her crying and begged her to forgive me for anything I ever did wrong against her as I closed out my sunny life as a free girl. In her overwhelming kindness, she said she wished there was more to forgive, then it wouldn't be so hard for her to give me up… Beating heart into the study room after I had prayed at the prayer stool; here he sat with Zummel [Countess Marie Kornis, lady-in-waiting], who immediately went out…. I shook his hand… "So Franz, now I want to give you my answer - do you still have me on loan? Do you still want me?" "Yes." "Well - there I am - there you have me." I was so excited that I don't remember if he said anything right away: all I know is that he leaned down to me without letting go of my hand and pretended to kiss me without actually giving me a kiss. I returned this embrace, which seemed a little too cool to me, putting as much tenderness into it as was possible, and then really looked into his dear eyes. Such an inexpressible happiness radiated from them that it soon passed into my soul and I realized that I was happy, very happy. He struggled for words and said: "You have given me the most beautiful Christmas. You make me infinitely, unspeakably happy." "And you forgive me for putting you off for so long and for everything I did to you? Because you suffered a lot for me." "Yes," he said simply. Then I took the little gold locket that I was wearing on a red ribbon around my neck and gave it to him… He immediately put it on his necklace. We held hands. Valérie: "Now I'm yours for time and eternity." "And I'll be yours forever." "Forever - how much I've prayed for that." Franz: "And me too." "Now we thank God too," I said and we knelt down together, blissfully united, and prayed with overflowing hearts. Then we put the cross on each other's foreheads.

Now I went out and told Gusti [Auguste von Heidt, Valerie's chambermaid] that I would ask Mama to come up. Like all of us, she had put aside her mourning for the day [Elisabeth's father, Duke Max in Bavaria, had died on November 15] and was youthfully dazzlingly beautiful when she came in with Papa and tenderly embraced me and then Franz as well, tearfully telling him that she gave him everything, that he should make me happy. We kissed Papa's hand and he also kissed Franz so sweetly and said kind words to him. Then Mama gave Franz a big pastel picture of me. Papa looked at us for a long time with amusement: "Valérie is looking very happy." It may have been 8 o'clock when we went over to Rudolf's, Papa and Mama in front, Franz and I behind - arm in arm. He gave us a very friendly welcome and even kissed Franz. We only stayed for a very short time and when we came back, Mama sent for Zummel, who was crying so much that she couldn't say anything other than whether I was happy… Mama hugged dear Zummel so sweetly: "We're off now." Then she told her to give Franz a hug, which he replied very sweetly and simply.

Papa and Mama went to sleep, and Franz and I gradually tried to realize that this blissful reality was not a dream. We had discussed with Papa and Mama that he should travel with us to Munich instead of visiting Manni [Albert, 8th Prince of Thurn und Taxis, Valerie's cousin] in Regensburg… I also asked him if he had any premonitions for today. "Yes, because Zummel was so terribly upset." We then wrote telegrams together to his parents [Archduke Karl Salvator and Archduchess Maria Immacolata], Grandmama [Duchess Ludovika in Bavaria], Gisela [Princess of Bavaria, Valerie's sister], Amélie [Duchess in Bavaria, Valerie's cousin] and Manni. He looked over my shoulders, fixed my hairpins, looked happy, but didn't give me a kiss, even though I laid my cheek against his for a second. After 9 o'clock, Zummel reminded us to leave and we said goodnight.

Schad, Martha and Schad, Horst [ed] (1998). Das Tagebuch der Lieblingstochter von Kaiserin Elisabeth. 1878-1899 (Translation done by DeepL. Please keep in mind that in a machine translation a lot of nuance may/will be lost)

[princessvictoriamelita]

Imperial House music: Duchess Amalie in Bavaria playing the piano with first cousin Archduchess Marie Valérie of Austria, her governess Countess Cornis (left) and Amelie's lady-in-waiting Paula von Branca, Gödöllő 1884.

[steliosagapitos]

~ "When Archduchess Marie-Valérie of Austria, the youngest daughter of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth, married Archduke Franz Salvator of Austria-Tuscany in 1890, the Austrian Crown Jeweller A.E. Köchert created this Emerald and Diamond Brooch for the Archduchess." ~