Alfred, 2nd Prince of Montenuovo
Alfred Prince of Monte Nuovo ( born September 16, 1854 in Vienna, † September 6, 1927 ibid ) from the family of Monte Nuovo was 1909-1917 High Steward of the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I and Charles I.
Life
Alfred of Monte Nuovo was the son of William Albrecht of Monte Nuovo, the morganatic son of Archduchess Marie -Louise of Austria, the Emperor of the French Napoleon I Bonaparte and Adam Albert von Neipperg widow, a member of the Frankish- Swabian counts of Neipperg. Monte Nuovo studied law and history at the universities of Heidelberg and Bonn.
Alfred of Monte Nuovo adopted at a young age as ordnance officer in the occupation of Bosnia in part by Austro-Hungarian troops. 1896/97 he became Colonel - Hofmeister of Archduke Otto Franz Joseph of Austria, the younger brother of the heir to the throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria -Este. In this role, he tried to thwart the rights of succession of Franz Ferdinand on the Austria -Hungarian imperial crown in favor of the younger brother Otto Franz. In 1898 he was in the service of the imperial court in Vienna 2nd High Steward beside Rudolf von Liechtenstein. Due to the disease-related failures Liechtenstein Monte Nuovo took over most of its tasks and was de facto already then the first High Steward. After Liechtenstein death, he was in 1909 the first High Steward. Under Monte Nuovo service powers a variety of administrative reforms were imposed on the Hofbehörden for cost reasons, carried out renovation and modernization of residences and administrative buildings. His personal interests were his country seat lock on Margaret Moss, floriculture and the Court Theatre, where he patronized Gustav Mahler as conductor of the Court Opera.
Prince Monte Nuovo was a personal enemy of the Archduke heir to the throne, Franz Ferdinand, which after the assassination at Sarajevo was visible in sensational manner especially at the funeral and his wife Sophie Duchess of Hohenberg, née Countess Sophie Chotková of Chotkowa on 28 June 1914. The coffins of the heir Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his morganatic marriage joined by wife were laid after transfer from Bosnia in the chapel of the Hofburg in Vienna for two hours. The coffin of the Duchess Sophie had Montenuovo provide as Obersthofmeister a level lower than that of the Archduke heir to the throne, to emphasize the difference in rank. On the velvet cushion in front of her coffin lay for them as a former court lady, a black fan and a pair of white gloves, none of their medals and other decorations. Before the coffin of Archduke the emblems of his rank, archduke's, general's hat, saber and Medal were. After dark place without military escort and funeral parade with participation of the population transfer to Artstetten in Lower Austria.
In the Vienna public Obersthofmeister Prince Alfred Monte Nuovo was unpopular. He was attributed in the last years great influence on Emperor Franz Josef. In 1917, one year before the end of Austria -Hungary, he was dismissed by the Emperor Charles in favor of Konrad to Hohenlohe as his service. Monte Nuovo has received numerous awards and promotions throughout his life. In 1896 he became a privy councilor, 1900 holders of the Order of the Golden Fleece, and in 1908 he received the Grand Cross of the Order of St. Stephen.
Monte Nuovo was married to Countess Franziska Kinsky since 1879. From the couple had four children. He died of a heart attack in the Vienna Palais Monte Nuovo in the Löwelstraße 6 His body was transferred to Hungary and interred in the family vault of the Batthyány and Monte Nuovo in Bóly.
Reception
His memory in successive generations has been influenced by a portrayal of Max Ophüls in 1939 incurred Love Stories From Mayerling to Sarajevo, which traces the life of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie Chotková. Here Montenuovo appears, played by Aimé Clariond, as schemer, mimics the progressive heir, against whom he harbors a personal grudge from reactionary stubbornness and aversion with other sorts of intrigues Schmieder land and trying to destroy the happiness of love.