Page "Zita of Bourbon-Parma" Paragraph 9

In the close vicinity of Schwarzau castle was the Villa Wartholz, residence of Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria, Zita ’ s maternal aunt.

She was the stepmother of Archduke Otto, who died in 1906, and the step-grandmother of Archduke Charles of Austria-Este, at that time second-in-line to the Austrian throne.

The two daughters of Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria were Zita ’ s first cousins and Charles ’ half-aunts.

They had met as children but did not see one another for almost ten years, as each pursued their education.

In 1909, his Dragoon regiment was stationed at Brandeis an der Elbe ( Brandýs nad Labem ), from where he visited his aunt at Franzensbad.

It was during one of these visits that Charles and Zita became reacquainted.

Charles was under pressure to marry ( Franz Ferdinand, his uncle and first-in-line, had married morganatically, and his children were excluded from the throne ) and Zita had a suitably royal genealogy.

Zita later recalled, " We were of course glad to meet again and became close friends.

On my side feelings developed gradually over the next two years.

He seemed to have made his mind up much more quickly, however, and became even more keen when, in the autumn of 1910, rumours spread about that I had got engaged to a distant Spanish relative, Don Jaime, the Duke of Madrid.

On hearing this, the Archduke came down post haste from his regiment at Brandeis and sought out his grandmother, Archduchess Maria Theresa, who was also my aunt and the natural confidante in such matters.

He asked if the rumor was true and when told it was not, he replied, ' Well, I had better hurry in any case or she will get engaged to someone else.

'"