Scandalous Crown Princes Of Europe

The history books are filled with stories of the great and famous kings and queens of the ages. 

Given the esteemed and highly public role of royal rulers, it’s not surprising that the lives and dramas of sovereigns capture the imagination of the public, both during their lifetime and often for many generations beyond. 

Yet there are also times when the lives of the younger or more junior members of the royal family also make the headlines and the history books.

Scandalous Princes Of Europe

Given their proximity to the sovereigns of the ages, it’s easy to see why the lives and stories of history’s princes and princesses might also entertain and delight royal followers, or alternatively, how they might be discussed by the media of the time and debated by the politicians and those in positions of government. 

The princesses, princes and crown princes of Europe have been a fascinating collection of individuals and some have lived more high-profile lives than others, some experiencing a great deal of notoriety and even royal scandal. 

One of the most tragic of these scandalous crown princes of Europe was the heir to the mighty Austro-Hungarian Empire, whose troubled and complicated life ended in a shocking double suicide. 

Crown Prince Rudolph

Crown Prince Rudolph was born into a high-profile role as the eldest son and heir of the Emperor of Austria, the ruler of the great imperial Habsburg family.

By the time of his birth, Crown Prince Rudolph’s parents were already world-famous sovereigns, as well as celebrated personalities throughout Europe. 

His father was the Austrian Emperor, head of one of the great imperial dynasties of Europe and ruler of the great Austrian Empire. As such, he was one of the most famous and powerful imperial rulers in the world at the time. This role was also the planned destiny for the Crown Prince, as heir to the imperial crown. 

Crown Prince Rudolph’s mother had married into the famous Habsburg family, yet her beauty and charm had secured her position as one of the most famous, glamourous and popular imperial figures the world over. Known as Empress Sisi, she was renowned as a great beauty, with floor-length hair and a tiny waist, as well as exquisite facial features and a notoriously charming demeanour. 

Though the young Crown Prince was blessed with one of the most beautiful and enchanting women in the world as a mother, he would not enjoy a close and loving relationship with her. 

Due to the young age of Empress Sisi when she married and bore her first children, the Austrian court deemed it more suitable for the Crown Prince to be raised by a series of family members, tutors and nannies. This distance from his mother was believed to be one of the major factors that contributed to the later scandals and suicide of this tragic Crown Prince. 

Heir To The Imperial Crown Of Austria

While the absence of his mother and the strictness of his conservative father may have been sources of sadness for the young Crown Prince, this arrangement was not uncommon in the royal and imperial courts of Europe. 

Crown Prince of Austria, Prince Royal of Hungary and Bohemia – Károly Koller, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Being raised as the heir to a vast empire was a considerable undertaking, and a daunting prospect for any child.

Yet the nature of the young Crown Prince’s personality was particularly fragile – more akin to his sensitive and unpredictable mother than to the stoicism of his dutiful emperor father. 

Young Rudolph’s position as heir to the imperial crown and his apparent unsuitability for the role made for a challenging situation, and it was deemed that severe tutorship and training were required to harden his character in preparation for the burden of ruling over a vast empire. 

Sadly, the misguided appointment of a sadistic tutor subjected the sensitive young boy to ordeals that would affect his mental health and character for the rest of his life. 

A Troubled Crown Prince

After a difficult childhood, Crown Prince Rudolph began to play out the effects of his troubled upbringing like many teens and young adults – with shocking and even scandalous behaviour. 

Although there were romantic liaisons and public dalliances that disappointed his father and saddened his mother, the playboy activities of a young, wealthy and powerful Crown Prince were not all that unusual for the age. 

Along with the scandalous love affairs, however, were more troubling characteristics. Substance abuse and addiction became serious issues for the young Crown Prince. 

While these problems can be devastating for any individual and their families, as they played out in public and in such a prominent role on the world stage, the dramas of the Crown Prince became a deep source of personal sadness for the entire family, as well as a great concern for the future of the Austrian Empire.

Crown Prince Rudolph – Suicide & Aftermath

At the age of 30, the tragic tale of the Austrian Crown Prince reached its shocking and devastating conclusion.

After a scandalous love affair with his 17-year-old mistress, Baroness Marie von Vetsera, the couple were found dead in a hunting lodge a few miles south of Vienna, the home of the Austrian court and the imperial headquarters. 

Letters from the couple revealed that the deaths were part of a suicide pact, and the mental health of the Crown Prince was cited as the cause of the tragedy. 

The death of the heir to the imperial crown of the great Austro-Hungarian Empire led to shock and mass mourning across all of Europe. 

The family members were devastated – it’s claimed his mother, Empress Sisi, never recovered from the blow. 

The Crown Prince’s father, Emporer Franz Joseph, was equally distraught by the death of his son and heir, and had the site of the suicides turned into a convent, in a bid to offer spiritual healing for the soul of his son. 

The nations of Austria and Hungary also mourned the death of the man that many believed may have ushered in a new era of more liberal politics and a fresh approach to imperial rule. 

The world will never know how the nations of Europe may have been different, had Crown Prince Rudolph not suffered so severely from his mental health issues, widely regarded to be a result of the traumas of his childhood.

Instead, the history books have the sorrowful and poignant tale of one of the most tragic and scandalous Crown Princes of Europe.

If learning about this infamous prince has made you curious about acquiring a prestigious Noble Title of your own get in touch using the enquiry form in the sidebar or you can contact our Geneva office directly between 10.00-19.00, Monday to Friday on +41 225 181 360.