Last Empress of Austria, Zita married an October 21

Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma and Karl von Habsburg on their wedding day, October 21, 1911, with Emperor Franz Joseph of AustriaImagno / Contributor / Getty Images

21 October 1911. 105 years ago, Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma married Charles François Joseph of Habsburg-Lorraine, which will make her the last Empress of Austria.

Habsburg, Parma, Braganza, Spanish Bourbons, Orleans, Liechtenstein, Cobourg, Saxony, Wittelsbach, Württemberg, Luxembourg, Calabria, Tuscany, Modena, Thurn und Taxis, Schwarzenberg, Lowenstein. October 21, 1911, princes and princesses of these illustrious families, still wearing crowns or fallen, gathered at Castle Schwarzau am Steinfeld in Lower Austria. In this beautiful residence located near Vienna, Zita, one daughter of the late Duke Robert I of Bourbon-Parma -the last ruler of the Duchy of Parma who lost his throne at the age of 11 and in 1860- his second wife Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal, is about to marry the Archduke Charles Francis Joseph of Habsburg-Lorraine. The two young men, aged 19 to it of 24 years for him, got engaged June 13, 1911 at the Château de Pianore in northern Italy, another property of the family of Zita.

The Austrian Emperor Francis Joseph is the great-uncle of the groom

But whatever the prestige of these princely guests, it can compete with all the waiting will: the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph. The sovereign, Sissi widower since the assassination of the latter in Geneva in 1898, is the great-uncle of the groom. And it is none other than his second heir, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand. 

"At eleven o'clock the Emperor is in sight. Drums and brass instruments, the band unleashes these marches that snuff as the Austrians. At the gate, the steward of Parma his respects to the monarch. The grand entrance was opened: it was closed since 1894, when a previous visit of the emperor. On the roof of the shaft, the colors of Parma are brought, those Habsburg hoisted, "says Jean Sévillia in his book" Zita. The Empress courage " reissued in May 2016 by Perrin editions in paperback.The author continues: "Francis Joseph is a good mood. It's very happy he poses for photos immortalizing his arrival to this beautiful celebration. He smiles. As the shots are completed, patient, it does not move. "

Hare, lamb, lobster or turkey on the menu

The emperor, who had kissed the hand of the Duchess Maria Antonia, mother of the bride, is preparing to do the same with it. "If changing his mind, he kisses her on both cheeks, which makes her blush," says Jean Sévillia. In its satin ivory to fleurdelysÚe behind, Zita then joined in procession where the chapel is celebrated her marriage with Charles.Which donned his uniform dragons of Lorraine, with the insignia of the Golden Fleece. Follows a breakfast served 13 hours in music and the gold plate of the Duke of Parma. "On the menu: lettuce cream, hare Mousette Saint-Hubert, Renaissance saddle of lamb, lobster Parisian, roast turkey, seasonal salad, asparagus tips in butter, pineapple and raspberry ice, cheese, fruit and dessert . To accompany all: sherry, Amontillado, castle léoville 1900, stein-Kreuzwertheim 1892 Perrier-Jouet champagne and port, "explains Jean Sévillia.

Wedding group photo of Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma and Karl von Habsburg, before the castle of Schwarzau am Steinfeld, October 21, 1911 (detail)© ullstein bild / Contributor / Getty Images

That day, the young Zita knows that this union was intended to one day become empress of Austria. But only for a few decades, she thinks. On the death of Emperor Franz Joseph, who was at the time 81, his nephew Archduke Franz Ferdinand should succeed him. In the year 1911, it has only 47 years. But history decided otherwise. On 28 June 1914 Franz Ferdinand died in the bombing of Sarajevo, tragic event that triggered the First World War. So when Francis Joseph goes out November 21, 1916, only five years after their marriage, Zita, who was only 24, she sees her husband comb the crown of the Austro-Hungarian Empire under the name of Charles I. And make her the new empress of Austria. And the last!