His Most Apostolic Majesty awaits his throne: Habsburg reloaded? Immigrants set to swell Vienna. The immigrants in question come from Catholic and Orthodox Eastern Europe, not Muslim lands. Who better to lead such a realm than the son of Blessed Charles of Austria, His Most Apostolic Majesty Otto von Habsburg?
The hand of His Most Apostolic Majesty penned this most brilliant and important treatise, Monarchy vs. Republic, which might be summed up by this quote of His Most Apostolic Majesty's that I used to bolster An Incomplete and Entirely Unoriginal Political Observation of mine a couple years ago:
- I am often asked if I am a republican or a monarchist. I am neither, I am a legitimist: I am for legitimate government. You could never have a monarchy in Switzerland, and it would be asinine to imagine Spain as a republic.
10 comments:
By giving only Switzerland and Spain as examples, this quotation has always seemed to me like a bit of a cop-out. I accept Switzerland's republican status too. But what about Austria and Hungary? Is it not "asinine" for them to be republics? I hold that it is---and humbly wish that HI&RH had been more forthright over his long life about advocating restoration.
Hello, Theodore. Great to hear from you. I think that His Apostolic and Imperial Majesty was showing restraint and moderation in his words. After all, his whole being upholds the tradition of monarchy which governed Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, etc., for so long. I hope the socialists don't exile him again. Perhaps he has chosen restraint as an option to exile or possible assassination. Perhaps it is more important to him to live among his people than to be inflammatory. I don't know. Let us give him the benefit of the doubt.
Yes, you're correct; I just find it hard to be patient! I've met enough eastern Europeans with favorable sentiments towards the Habsburgs that I'm convinced that restoration would not be impossible if Europe's "silent monarchists" were organized and motivated.
It seems to me that the problem with contemporary European royalty, reigning and non-reigning, is not that they don't have a strong sense of duty--they do--but rather that they seem to interpret their duty as being to work within the current democratic/republican system rather than to oppose it. Understandable, but sometimes frustrating!
I do not think it would be impossible, either. But timing is everything. To act hastily or prematurely would be disastrous for the Habsburgs and their adherents. Remember that although many in England had a sentimental attachment to the Stuarts, few came out to fight for Prince Charles Edward in 1745, although he was only a two or three days march from London.
The anti-Christian sentiments in many parts of Europe are so strong and I think some of that has to change before the Habsburg throne can be restored.
What an excellent person and dignitary he is! But sadly, Otto von Habsburg is very elderly now; if his reign were to be restored soon, it would be all for his successor, his son Karl. He's not so good a character. He is separated from his spouse (like most celebrities, I suppose), and if you can believe it, he was once a game show host--and not a very successful one, at that. I imagine his politics is similar to his father's, though.
~Georgette
Hi, Georgette. I do not think that is Karl, I think that is someone else. I thought that Karl and his wife just had another baby, but I could be mistaken. They are both very devout Catholics from everything I have heard. They were married at the shrine of Mariazell. Oh dear, I hope tey are not separated.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_von_Habsburg-Lothringen
Karl and his sons.
You may be right, perhaps it is not true. It was on Wikipedia under Karl's entry there. But not everything online is necessarily true, for sure!
You were right, Georgette. According to the Karl Habsburg Wikipedia entry, at the very bottom it mentions his TV gameshow host career and at Otto's Wiki entry, it says Karl and his wife are separated:
Archduke Karl of Austria-Hungary (born 11 January 1961), the presumptive future head of the Habsburg family, married Baroness Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza (daughter of Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza) in 1993. They have two daughters and a son. They separated amicably in 2003.
Eleonore (1994-)
Ferdinand Zvonimir (1997-)
Gloria (1999-)
So sad.
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