Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria
Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria was the only son and third child of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria and Duchess Elisabeth of Bavaria (Sisi). He was heir apparent to the imperial throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire from birth. In 1889, he died in a suicide pact with his mistress Mary Vetsera at the Mayerling hunting lodge. The ensuing scandal made international headlines.
Rudolf in 1887
Wedding medal 1881 by Tautenhayn, obverse
The reverse of this wedding medal showing Hymen the god of marriage
Portrait by Eugen Felix
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the ruler of the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 2 December 1848 until his death in 1916. In the early part of his reign, his realms and territories were referred to as the Austrian Empire, but were reconstituted as the dual monarchy of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1867. From 1 May 1850 to 24 August 1866, he was also president of the German Confederation.
Franz Joseph in the uniform of a Hungarian field marshal, c. 1892
Franz Joseph and his mother Archduchess Sophie, by Joseph Karl Stieler
Franz Joseph's family gathered in prayer, 1839
The Battle of Győr on 28 June 1849. Franz Joseph enters Győr leading the Austrian troops.