Archduchess Isabella of Austria
Encyclopedia
Archduchess Isabella Maria Theresia Christine Eugenie of Austria-Teschen (17 November 1887 – 6 December 1973) was a daughter of Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen
and his wife Princess Isabella of Croÿ
. She was a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine (her grandfather, Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria
, was a grandson of Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II
).
Isabella was notable for her brief marriage to Prince Georg of Bavaria
. Their separation and subsequent annulment were widely reported in newspapers. As a result of this and her later actions as a nurse in the Austrian army, Isabella became considered as a romantic figure; one publication called her "the most romantic heroine of the present war in Austria".
and his wife Princess Isabella of Croÿ
. Some of her siblings included Maria Anna, Princess of Bourbon-Parma
and Maria Christina, Hereditary Princess of Salm-Salm
.
Isabella's paternal grandparents were Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria
and Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria
. Her maternal grandparents were Rudolf, Duke of Croÿ and Princess Natalie of Ligne.
. He was the elder son of Prince Leopold of Bavaria
and his wife Archduchess Gisela of Austria
. The wedding took place at the Schönbrunn Palace
in Vienna
, and was attended by many important figures, including Franz Joseph I of Austria
, Prince Georg's maternal grandfather. Before the wedding, Isabella renounced all rights of succession to the Austrian and Hungarian thrones, an act required of all archduchesses when they married, regardless of the groom's rank. She solemnly made her renunciation in front of the entire Viennese court.
It is believed that Isabella had second thoughts even before the marriage, but was forced to go through with the plans regardless. On the evening before the wedding, a mysterious fire broke out; it was extinguished before the building was destroyed, but not before it destroyed her wedding dress and vast trousseau
. Isabella reportedly used the fire as an excuse to postpone the wedding, indicating her guilt by some. One account states, "The bride, rebellious and tearful, showed in every action that she hated her husband".
ed in Wales
, Paris, and Algiers
but separated before they returned to Bavaria. Sources state that they quarreled all through the honeymoon and became irreconcilable. Upon their return, the couple took up residence in Munich
, where Isabella first experienced Bavarian court life. They lived there for three days before Isabella left the city for her Viennese
home to stay with her mother, and refused to return. Family members tried to bring about a reconciliation, and there seemed to be hopes for a resolution for a small period of time. When these failed, Georg's father Prince Leopold
even took a special journey to Vienna to convince Isabella to return. In the end however, all efforts failed. The two were very different in character and disposition, and Isabella reportedly felt she had been slighted by members of the Bavarian royal court. The reason officially assigned stated that their separation was due to the "incompatibility based upon fundamental differences of character". On 11 October 1912, the Lord Chamberlain
to Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria
made an official announcement concerning the couple. While he declared the Prince Regent's opposition to an annulment
as a means of separation, he also stated his consent for a divorce:
On 17 January 1913, the union was officially dissolved by the Royal Bavarian Supreme Court. Despite the Lord Chamberlain's previous declaration to the contrary, it was annulled by the Holy See
on the grounds of non-consummation on 5 March of that same year. Georg later became ordained as a Catholic priest.
In the months leading up to World War I, it was discovered that there was a great lack of skilled nurses available for service in wartime. The Red Cross accordingly opened several schools in Austria-Hungary in order to train more nurses. In 1913, Isabella underwent training at one of the largest Vienna hospitals for the poor, and planned afterwards to join the Red Cross. She immediately became a nurse in the Austrian army during the war under the name Sister Irmgard (sometimes called Hildegard), treating wounded soldiers who came into her care. She established her own nursing staff, and donated much of her wealth to the purchasing of medical supplies.
According to the newspaper the Berliner Lokal-Anzeiger, in 1917 Isabella became engaged to the Viennese surgeon Paul Albrecht (1873–1928) until Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria
forbade the marriage. She thus never married again and died in La Tour-de-Peilz
, Switzerland on December 6, 1973.
Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen
Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen was a member of the House of Habsburg and the Supreme Commander of the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I.-Early life:...
and his wife Princess Isabella of Croÿ
Princess Isabella of Croÿ
Princess Isabella Hedwig Franziska Natalie of Croÿ was the daughter of Rudolf, Duke of Croÿ, and his wife Princess Natalie of Ligne.-Marriage and issue:...
. She was a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine (her grandfather, Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria
Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria
Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria-Teschen was the second son of Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen and Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg, and the maternal grandfather of King Alfonso XIII of Spain.A son of the "hero of Aspern" he started a military career in Infantry Regiment 57 in Brno...
, was a grandson of Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II
Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor
Leopold II , born Peter Leopold Joseph Anton Joachim Pius Gotthard, was Holy Roman Emperor and King of Hungary and Bohemia from 1790 to 1792, Archduke of Austria and Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1765 to 1790. He was a son of Emperor Francis I and his wife, Empress Maria Theresa...
).
Isabella was notable for her brief marriage to Prince Georg of Bavaria
Prince Georg of Bavaria
Prince Georg of Bavaria was a member of the Bavarian Royal House of Wittelsbach and a Catholic priest.- Birth and family :...
. Their separation and subsequent annulment were widely reported in newspapers. As a result of this and her later actions as a nurse in the Austrian army, Isabella became considered as a romantic figure; one publication called her "the most romantic heroine of the present war in Austria".
Family
Isabella was the seventh daughter of Archduke Friedrich, Duke of TeschenArchduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen
Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen was a member of the House of Habsburg and the Supreme Commander of the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I.-Early life:...
and his wife Princess Isabella of Croÿ
Princess Isabella of Croÿ
Princess Isabella Hedwig Franziska Natalie of Croÿ was the daughter of Rudolf, Duke of Croÿ, and his wife Princess Natalie of Ligne.-Marriage and issue:...
. Some of her siblings included Maria Anna, Princess of Bourbon-Parma
Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria (1882–1940)
Archduchess Maria Anna Isabelle Epiphanie Eugenie Gabriele of Austria, full German name: Maria Anna Isabelle Epiphanie Eugenie Gabriele, Erzherzogin von Österreich was a member of the Teschen branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine and an Archduchess of Austria and...
and Maria Christina, Hereditary Princess of Salm-Salm
Archduchess Maria Christina of Austria (1879–1962)
Archduchess Maria Christina Isabelle Natalie of Austria, full German name: Maria Christina Isabelle Natalie, Erzherzogin von Österreich was a member of the Teschen branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine and an Archduchess of Austria and Princess of Bohemia, Hungary, and Tuscany by...
.
Isabella's paternal grandparents were Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria
Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria
Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria-Teschen was the second son of Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen and Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg, and the maternal grandfather of King Alfonso XIII of Spain.A son of the "hero of Aspern" he started a military career in Infantry Regiment 57 in Brno...
and Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria
Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria
Elisabeth Franziska Maria, Archduchess of Austria, Princess of Hungary and Bohemia ....
. Her maternal grandparents were Rudolf, Duke of Croÿ and Princess Natalie of Ligne.
Marriage
Wedding ceremony
On 10 February 1912, Isabella married her distant cousin Prince Georg of BavariaPrince Georg of Bavaria
Prince Georg of Bavaria was a member of the Bavarian Royal House of Wittelsbach and a Catholic priest.- Birth and family :...
. He was the elder son of Prince Leopold of Bavaria
Prince Leopold of Bavaria
Leopold Maximilian Joseph Maria Arnulf, Prinz von Bayern was born in Munich, the son of Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria and his wife Archduchess Augusta of Austria...
and his wife Archduchess Gisela of Austria
Archduchess Gisela of Austria
Gisela Louise Marie, Princess Imperial and Archduchess of Austria, Princess of Hungary and Bohemia, Princess of Bavaria was the second daughter and eldest surviving child of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria and Empress Elisabeth...
. The wedding took place at the Schönbrunn Palace
Schönbrunn Palace
Schönbrunn Palace is a former imperial 1,441-room Rococo summer residence in Vienna, Austria. One of the most important cultural monuments in the country, since the 1960s it has been one of the major tourist attractions in Vienna...
in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, and was attended by many important figures, including Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...
, Prince Georg's maternal grandfather. Before the wedding, Isabella renounced all rights of succession to the Austrian and Hungarian thrones, an act required of all archduchesses when they married, regardless of the groom's rank. She solemnly made her renunciation in front of the entire Viennese court.
It is believed that Isabella had second thoughts even before the marriage, but was forced to go through with the plans regardless. On the evening before the wedding, a mysterious fire broke out; it was extinguished before the building was destroyed, but not before it destroyed her wedding dress and vast trousseau
Dowry
A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...
. Isabella reportedly used the fire as an excuse to postpone the wedding, indicating her guilt by some. One account states, "The bride, rebellious and tearful, showed in every action that she hated her husband".
Separation
The couple honeymoonHoneymoon
-History:One early reference to a honeymoon is in Deuteronomy 24:5 “When a man is newly wed, he need not go out on a military expedition, nor shall any public duty be imposed on him...
ed in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, Paris, and Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
but separated before they returned to Bavaria. Sources state that they quarreled all through the honeymoon and became irreconcilable. Upon their return, the couple took up residence in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, where Isabella first experienced Bavarian court life. They lived there for three days before Isabella left the city for her Viennese
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
home to stay with her mother, and refused to return. Family members tried to bring about a reconciliation, and there seemed to be hopes for a resolution for a small period of time. When these failed, Georg's father Prince Leopold
Prince Leopold of Bavaria
Leopold Maximilian Joseph Maria Arnulf, Prinz von Bayern was born in Munich, the son of Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria and his wife Archduchess Augusta of Austria...
even took a special journey to Vienna to convince Isabella to return. In the end however, all efforts failed. The two were very different in character and disposition, and Isabella reportedly felt she had been slighted by members of the Bavarian royal court. The reason officially assigned stated that their separation was due to the "incompatibility based upon fundamental differences of character". On 11 October 1912, the Lord Chamberlain
Lord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State....
to Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria
Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria
Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria , was the de facto ruler of Bavaria from 1886 to 1912, due to the incapacity of his nephews, King Ludwig II and King Otto.-Early life:...
made an official announcement concerning the couple. While he declared the Prince Regent's opposition to an annulment
Annulment
Annulment is a legal procedure for declaring a marriage null and void. Unlike divorce, it is usually retroactive, meaning that an annulled marriage is considered to be invalid from the beginning almost as if it had never taken place...
as a means of separation, he also stated his consent for a divorce:
"Public attention has recently and repeatedly been called to the deeply regrettable domestic conflict which has arisen between Prince George of Bavaria and his wife, Princess Isabelle. It is hereby stated that all reports to the effect that there is ground for declaring the marriage null and void are entirely unfounded. It is the truth from the very beginning there has been profound incompatibility between the couple, which springs from differences in their character, and on account of which the marital relationship between them has been utterly destroyed. If a dissolution of the marriage should take place, it could only be by way of divorce."
On 17 January 1913, the union was officially dissolved by the Royal Bavarian Supreme Court. Despite the Lord Chamberlain's previous declaration to the contrary, it was annulled by the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
on the grounds of non-consummation on 5 March of that same year. Georg later became ordained as a Catholic priest.
Later life
Upon her annulment, Isabella recovered all claims to the Habsburg and Hungarian thrones that she had previously renounced. Like earlier archduchesses, who were either widowed or separated from their husbands, it was assumed that Isabella would join a convent. She chose another path however.In the months leading up to World War I, it was discovered that there was a great lack of skilled nurses available for service in wartime. The Red Cross accordingly opened several schools in Austria-Hungary in order to train more nurses. In 1913, Isabella underwent training at one of the largest Vienna hospitals for the poor, and planned afterwards to join the Red Cross. She immediately became a nurse in the Austrian army during the war under the name Sister Irmgard (sometimes called Hildegard), treating wounded soldiers who came into her care. She established her own nursing staff, and donated much of her wealth to the purchasing of medical supplies.
According to the newspaper the Berliner Lokal-Anzeiger, in 1917 Isabella became engaged to the Viennese surgeon Paul Albrecht (1873–1928) until Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...
forbade the marriage. She thus never married again and died in La Tour-de-Peilz
La Tour-de-Peilz
La Tour-de-Peilz is a municipality in Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut District in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. The city is located on Lake Geneva between Montreux and Vevey .-History:...
, Switzerland on December 6, 1973.