Hapsburg Wedding in Washington DC

My, how the world has changed. Who would have ever thought that a member of the House of Hapsburg-Lorraine would marry a common-born American in the capital city of the United States? Well it did happen, last Saturday (almost a week ago) and God bless them. Has their ever been such a wedding ceremony? Bridesmaids arriving in a stretch Hummer for a traditional Catholic mass (in Latin) between an American girl and an "Imperial and Royal Highness"...how times have changed and yet, stayed the same. The groom was HIRH Archduke Imre of Austria and the bride was longtime pro-Life Catholic activist Kathleen Walker. They were married at St Mary Mother of God Catholic Church where a holy relic and a special shrine had just recently been established for Blessed Emperor Charles I of Austria-Hungary. So, quite an appropriate setting. One thing that stands out to me, and the Austro-Hungarian loyalists should be applauded for this, is the total lack of controversy over the titles of the groom and the status of this marriage. The leadership of the House of Hapsburg, some time back, decided to disregard the traditional house rules on marriage inequality and also did some tinkering with the use of titles so that there are now a tremendous number of archdukes. Yet, this has caused no major complaints, at least from what I have seen. Oh, to be sure, people have fussed over it who have absolutely nothing to do with the House of Hapsburg and who, frankly, could care less about the Imperial-Royal legacy or the former Austria-Hungary. These people mean nothing and can and should be easily ignored. No, what impresses me is the lack of strife within the family itself and among the many ardent supporters of the House of Hapsburg. After all, particularly among non-reigning imperial or royal families, how many times have we seen unequal marriages or changes of that nature cause harsh and damaging divisions amongst both the families and loyal monarchists? Too often for my taste and I am ever so pleasantly surprised that the Hapsburgs seem immune to this terrible disease that has afflicted so many others.

The wedding itself was kept very low-key. Actually, I'm not sure how much media would have turned up had they known since, when it comes to royalty, unless you belong to the House of Windsor, the American networks don't seem to care at all. When Prince William got married there was wall-to-wall coverage but when Prince Albert II of Monaco (who is half of American) tied the knot, there wasn't even the slightest peep. No, for this Hapsburg wedding, one knew about it if you considered it important, if you are 'one of the club' who still mourn the loss of Austria-Hungary. Still, for such a low-key affair there was quite an illustrious turnout of guests. The Duke and Duchess of Braganza attended (you know, the couple who should be the King and Queen of Portugal), Princess Alexandra and Prince Sebastian of Luxembourg, members of the Houses of Liechtenstein, Nassau and numerous others. Of course many Archdukes and Archduchesses were in attendance (I was glad to see Archduchess Gabriella -she's such a cutie). The couple are two modern young people, married in the New World and yet, from the guest-list to the traditional Latin mass, this was a very Old World sort of wedding. Better yet, it was a wedding that represented traditional values; of monarchy and of religion. The bride is well known in Catholic circles for her media presence and work for the pro-Life movement and both the bride and the groom collaborated on an article stressing the importance of 'saving' yourself for marriage and standing up for traditional values. We wish them all the success in the world and a lifetime of happiness. Their behavior and example should inspire monarchists and all traditionally-minded people everywhere. They seem an excellent couple, with their priorities in order and they have gotten off to a wonderful start.

Andreas Hofer

One of the greatest though somewhat lesser-known figures to come out of the Napoleonic Wars was the Austrian innkeeper Andreas Hofer. He set such an example of religious devotion and monarchist loyalty that his memory was still being invoked in the Hapsburg Empire during World War I. Born in 1767 in the Tyrol region he seemed quite ordinary for much of his life. He ran and inn, worked as a merchant and served in government on the local level. When the War of the Third Coalition broke out with Napoleonic France he joined the Austrain militia, first as a sharpshooter but later rising to the rank of captain. When the Tyrol was handed over to the French ally Bavaria in 1805 as a spoil of war he joined the anti-Bavarian underground. Four years later he led a delegation to Vienna to ask the Emperor Francis II for his support. The devout mountain man was not impressed by the morals of the great city and famously said that, "my Anne Gertrude would not approve of this". However, he met with the Emperor and Francis assured his loyal subject of his support.

Hofer went back to the Tyrol and raised a rebellion against the French and Bavarians, fighting for "God, Emperor and Fatherland". He and his troops quickly overran the local Bavarian garrisons and defeated a number of French troops in the area. Things seemed to be going well until the great Austrian Archduke Charles was defeated by Napoleon and Austrian forces retreated from the area. Napoleon was then able to help the Bavarians regain control. However, Hofer was nothing if not persistent and as soon as the French left he renewed his attacks. In time the loyal peasants, Austrian soldiers and even some clerics under Hofer's command numbered nearly 20,000. A respectable army for an innkeeper. Again his forces drove the Bavarians out of the Tyrol and captured Innsbruck. Only the day before his forces entered the city he had been given a letter from Emperor Francis II vowing not to sign any treaty that would renounce the Tyrol.

Andreas Hofer, thinking his work was at an end, returned home to his wife and family but the fortunes of war would soon turn again. By mid-summer another armistice had been signed that gave the Tyrol to Bavaria and French troops marched back into Innsbruck. Reluctantly but with the determination of a true monarchist patriot Andreas Hofer rallied his forces yet again and led a fearsome charge against the French forces of Marshal Lefebvre. After 12 hours of vicious fighting the French were defeated and Andreas Hofer again marched triumphantly into Innsbruck. This time Hofer took charge of the administration himself in the name of Emperor Francis II. He saw to the government and even some diplomacy when he sent emissaries to Great Britain for help. The Emperor decorated him for his victory and again promised not to abandon the Tyrol.

It is to the credit of Andreas Hofer that he forever kept faith with a monarch who could not always keep faith with him. By October the Tyrol had again been handed over to the Franco-Bavarians in another peace treaty and Hofer was forced to retreat into the mountains. The French put a huge price on his head and in January 1810 he was betrayed by a neighbor and captured by a troop of French-allied Italians. Andreas Hofer was taken to Mantua and executed by firing squad, some said on orders from Napoleon though the French Emperor later claimed that he had never ordered it. In any event he died a hero for the Austrian Empire and the Hapsburg Emperor raised his family to the nobility. His brave death only increased his fame and across Austria and southern Germany the memory of Andreas Hofer became a rallying cry for the forces that united in the final defeat of the French. A large monument topped by a statue of Andreas Hofer stands near Innsbruck bearing the words, "For God, Emperor and Fatherland".