View source for Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria

{{Short description|Heir to the Austrian throne (1858–1889)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{for|the friend and patron of Beethoven|Archduke Rudolf of Austria (1788–1831)}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Rudolf
| title        = Crown Prince of Austria<br> Prince Royal of Hungary and Bohemia
| image        = File:Rudolf Crown Prince of Austria LOC.jpg
| image_size   = 230px
| full name    = {{langx|de|Rudolf Franz Karl Josef}}<br />{{langx|en|Rudolph Francis Charles Joseph}}
| caption      = Rudolf in 1887
| spouse       = {{marriage|[[Princess Stéphanie of Belgium]]|10 May 1881}}
| issue        = [[Elisabeth Marie, Princess Otto of Windisch-Graetz]]
| house        = [[Habsburg-Lorraine]]
| father       = [[Franz Joseph I of Austria]]
| mother       = [[Elisabeth in Bavaria]]
| birth_date   = {{Birth date|1858|8|21|df=y}}
| birth_place  = [[Schloss Laxenburg]], Laxenburg, Lower Austria, [[Austrian Empire]]
| death_date   = {{Death date and age|1889|1|30|1858|8|21|df=y}}
| death_place  = [[Mayerling]], Lower Austria, [[Austria-Hungary]]
| death_cause  = [[Mayerling incident|Self-inflicted gunshot wound]]
| burial_date  = 
| burial_place = [[Imperial Crypt]], Vienna
| occupation   = 
| signature    = Signatur Rudolf von Österreich-Ungarn.JPG
| religion     = [[Roman Catholicism]]
}}
'''Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria''' (Rudolf Franz Karl Josef; 21 August 1858 – 30 January 1889) was the only son and third child of [[Emperor Franz Joseph I]] and [[Empress Elisabeth of Austria]]. 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 (lover)|mistress]] [[Baroness Mary Vetsera]] at the [[Mayerling incident|Mayerling hunting lodge]].<ref>As documented in several autograph letters by the two unfortunate lovers [http://www.ansa.it/nuova_europa/it/notizie/nazioni/austria/2015/08/05/mistero-mayerling-lettere-inedite-fu-doppio-suicidio_11c9f597-3b87-4867-aa50-d1effde27b4e.html ANSA newsbrief (in Italian)]</ref> The ensuing scandal made international headlines.

==Background==
[[File:Austria Silver Medal 1881 Wedding of Crown Prince Rudolf & Stephanie of Belgium, obverse.jpg|left|thumb|Wedding medal 1881 by [[Josef Hermann Tautenhayn|Tautenhayn]], obverse]]
[[File:Austria Silver Medal 1881 Wedding of Crown Prince Rudolf & Stephanie of Belgium, reverse.jpg|thumb|left|The reverse of this wedding medal showing [[Hymen (god)|Hymen]] the god of marriage]]
[[File:Mayerling10.jpg|thumb|upright|Portrait by [[Eugen Felix]]]]
[[File:Garter encircled arms of Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria, KG.png|thumb|[[Order of the Garter|Garter]] encircled arms of Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria]]
Rudolf was born at [[Schloss Laxenburg]],<ref name=RudolfNHM>[http://www.nhm-wien.ac.at/NHM/Mineral/Rudolfe.htm "Crown Prince Rudolf (1858–1889)"] (museum notes), [[Natural History Museum, Vienna]], 2006.{{dead link|date=September 2024}}</ref> a castle near [[Vienna]], as the son of [[Franz Joseph I of Austria|Emperor Franz Joseph I]] and [[Elisabeth of Bavaria|Empress Elisabeth]]. He was named after the first Habsburg [[King of Germany]], [[Rudolf I of Germany|Rudolf I]], who reigned from 1273 to 1291.<ref>Timothy Snyder (2008) 'The Red Prince'', p. 9. {{ISBN|978-0-465-00237-5}}''</ref> Rudolf was raised together with his older sister [[Archduchess Gisela of Austria|Gisela]] and the two were very close. At the age of six, Rudolf was separated from his sister as he began his education to become a future [[Emperor of Austria]]. This did not change their relationship and Gisela remained close to him until she left Vienna upon her marriage to [[Prince Leopold of Bavaria]]. Rudolf's initial education under [[Leopold Gondrecourt]] was physically and emotionally abusive, and likely a contributing factor in his later suicide.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Coatman |first=Lucy |date=2022-03-18 |title=The history behind The Scandal at Mayerling |url=https://www.scottishballet.co.uk/rex-factor-podcast |access-date=2022-12-05 |publisher=[[Scottish Ballet]]}}</ref>

Influenced by his tutor [[Ferdinand von Hochstetter]] (who later became the first superintendent of the [[Imperial Natural History Museum]]), Rudolf became very interested in natural sciences, starting a mineral collection at an early age.<ref name="RudolfNHM" /> After his death, large portions of his mineral collection came into the possession of the University of Agriculture in Vienna, which is now known as the [[University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna]].<ref name="RudolfNHM" />

In 1877, Count Karl Albert von [[Bombelles]] was master of the young prince. Bombelles had been the custodian of Rudolf's aunt [[Carlota of Mexico|Empress Charlotte of Mexico]].<ref>{{ÖBL2|Karl-Albert|Bombelles|1832|1889|title=Bombelles, Karl Albert Gf. (1832–1889), Admiral, Musiker und Schriftsteller|year=1954|volume=1|page=101}}</ref>

In contrast with his deeply conservative father, Rudolf held [[Liberalism|liberal]] views that were closer to those of his mother. Nevertheless, his relationship with her was at times strained.<ref name="google.se">{{cite book|last1=Röhl|first1=John C. G.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=96OXsjFz-6EC&pg=PA643|title=Young Wilhelm|date=29 October 1998|publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9780521497527|access-date=27 January 2015}}</ref>

==Marriage==
In Vienna, on 10 May 1881, Rudolf married [[Princess Stéphanie of Belgium]], a daughter of King [[Leopold II of Belgium]], at [[Augustinian Church, Vienna|the Augustinian Church]] in Vienna. Although their marriage was initially a happy one, by the time their only child, the [[Archduchess Elisabeth Marie of Austria|Archduchess Elisabeth]] ("Erzsi"), was born on 2 September 1883, the couple had drifted apart.

After the birth of their child, Rudolf became increasingly unstable as he drank heavily and was having many affairs. This behaviour, however, was not entirely new as Rudolf had a long history of reckless promiscuity prior to his marriage.<ref>Greg King and Penny Wilson. [https://www.thehistoryreader.com/historical-figures/the-many-affairs-of-crown-prince-rudolf/ "The Many Affairs of Crown Prince Rudolf"]. ''The History Reader''.</ref>

In 1886, Rudolf became seriously ill and the couple was directed to the island of [[Lokrum|Lacroma]] (off present day Croatia) for his treatment. In transit, Stéphanie also became seriously ill and described "suffering terrible pain". The couple's diagnosis of [[peritonitis]] was kept secret by order of the Emperor.<ref>HRH Princess Stéphanie. ''I Was to Be Empress'', p. 197. Nicholson & Watson, 1937.</ref>

After intensive treatment, Stéphanie was able to recover from the illness but she was left unable to have children as the illness had destroyed her fallopian tubes.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hare|first=Judith|author-link=Judith Hare, Countess of Listowel|title=A Habsburg Tragedy – Crown Prince Rudolf|publisher=Ascent Books|year=1978|page=147}}</ref> Stéphanie's symptoms and outcome indicate Rudolf had most likely infected her with [[gonorrhoea]]. Rudolf himself did not improve with treatment and grew increasingly ill. It is likely he had contracted [[syphilis]] in addition to gonorrhoea. In order to cope with the effects of the disease, Rudolf began taking large doses of morphine.{{sfn|Hare|1978|page=205}}

By 1889, it was common knowledge at Court that Stéphanie would not have any more children due to the events of 1886, and that Rudolf's health was deteriorating.

==Murder-suicide==
{{Main|Mayerling incident}}
[[File:Baronesse Mary Vetsera 1888 (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Baroness Mary Vetsera]] in 1888]]
In 1886, Rudolf bought [[Mayerling]], a [[Jagdschloss|hunting lodge]].<ref name="csi">{{Cite web |url=http://www.habsburger.net/en/chapter/csi-mayerling-how-did-crown-prince-really-die |title=CSI Mayerling – How did the crown prince really die? |last=Schmöckel |first=Sonja |website=The World of the Habsburgs |language=en |access-date=29 January 2018}}</ref> In late 1888, the 30-year-old Crown Prince met the 17-year-old [[Baroness Mary Vetsera|Baroness Marie von Vetsera]], and began an affair with her.<ref>[[Princess Louise of Belgium|Louise of Coburg]], ''My Own Affairs'', George H. Doran Co., 1921, p. 120.</ref> On 30 January 1889, he and the young baroness were discovered dead in the lodge as a result of an apparent joint [[suicide]]. As suicide would prevent him from being given a church burial, Rudolf was officially declared to have been in a state of "mental unbalance", and he was buried in the [[Imperial Crypt]] ({{lang|de|Kaisergruft}}) of the [[Capuchin Church, Vienna|Capuchin Church]] in Vienna. Vetsera's body was smuggled out of Mayerling in the middle of the night and secretly buried in the village cemetery at [[Heiligenkreuz, Lower Austria|Heiligenkreuz]].<ref name="csi"/><ref name=Butkuviene>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.theviennareview.at/archives/2012/myths-of-mayerling|access-date=6 September 2024|title=Book Review: ''Myths of Mayerling Crime at Mayerling. The Life and Death of Mary Vetsera'', by Georg Markus; ''The Habsburgs' Tragedy'', by Leo Belmonto|last=Butkuviene |first=Gerda |date=11 March 2012 |magazine=[[The Vienna Review]]}}</ref> The Emperor had Mayerling converted into a penitential convent of [[Discalced Carmelites|Carmelite]] nuns and endowed a [[chantry]] so that daily prayers would eternally be said by the nuns for the repose of Rudolf's soul.<ref name=Butkuviene />

Vetsera's private letters were discovered in a [[safe deposit box]] in an Austrian bank in 2015, and they revealed that she was preparing to commit suicide alongside Rudolf, out of love.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sensationsfund in der Schoellerbank: Österreichische Nationalbibliothek erhält verloren geglaubte Abschiedsbriefe von Mary Vetsera |lang=de |trans-title=Sensational discovery at Schoellerbank: Austrian National Library receives farewell letters from Mary Vetsera, believed to be lost |url=http://www.onb.ac.at/services/presse_23385.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150731165412/http://www.onb.ac.at/services/presse_23385.htm |date=31 July 2015 |archive-date=31 July 2015}}</ref>

==Aftermath of death==
Rudolf's death plunged his mother, Empress Elisabeth, into despair. She wore black or pearl grey, the colours of mourning, for the rest of her life and spent more and more time away from the imperial court in Vienna. Her daughter Gisela was afraid that she might also commit suicide.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Coatman |first=Lucy |date=2022-01-27 |title=Mater Dolorosa: Elisabeth in the Aftermath of Mayerling |url=https://teamqueens.org/2022/01/27/mater-dolorosa-elisabeth-in-the-aftermath-of-mayerling/ |access-date=2022-12-05 |website=Team Queens |language=en-GB}}</ref> In 1898, while Elisabeth was abroad in [[Geneva]], [[Switzerland]], she was murdered by an Italian anarchist, [[Luigi Lucheni]].<ref name="histclo.com">{{cite web|url=http://histclo.com/royal/ost/royal-ausrud.htm|title=European royalty Austria: Crown Prince Rudolf|access-date=27 January 2015}}</ref>

Rudolf's death had left Franz Joseph without a direct male heir. Franz-Joseph's younger brother, [[Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria|Archduke Karl Ludwig]], was next in line to the Austro-Hungarian throne,<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ip5DayYV0ecC&q=Rudolf,+Crown+Prince+of+Austria+impact+death&pg=PA13|title=Carl Menger's Lectures to Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria|isbn=9781781008065|access-date=27 January 2015|last1=Menger|first1=Carl|date=January 1994|publisher=Edward Elgar}}</ref> though it was falsely reported that he had renounced his succession rights.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Crown Prince's Successor|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|page=2|date=2 February 1889|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1889/02/02/archives/the-crown-princes-successor.html|access-date=6 September 2024}}</ref> In any case, his death in 1896 from typhoid made his eldest son, [[Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria|Archduke Franz Ferdinand]], the new [[heir presumptive]]. However, [[assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria|Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated]] in 1914 (an event that precipitated [[World War I]]), so when Emperor Franz-Joseph died in November 1916, he was succeeded instead by his grandnephew, [[Charles I of Austria]]. The demands of the American President, [[Woodrow Wilson]]{{citation needed|date=February 2020}} forced Emperor Charles I to renounce involvement in state affairs in Vienna in early November 1918. As a result, the Austro-Hungarian Empire ceased to exist and a republic came into being without revolution. Charles I and his family went into exile in Switzerland after spending a short time at [[Eckartsau|Castle Eckartsau]].

== Legend ==
Rudolf (also known as Ludolf or Ludó in folklore) was a figure in folk stories in [[Hungary]]. Legend has it, that it was his father who sentenced him to death, as he was a Hungarophile and defied his [[Anti-Hungarian sentiment|Hungarophobic]] father's will. However, the latter secretly pardoned him and buried a [[Wax sculpture|waxwork]] in his place, and the real Ludó lived out his life in [[South America]]. The legend's popularity peaked during the [[interwar period]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Magyar Néprajzi Lexikon / |url=http://mek.niif.hu/02100/02115/html/4-1058.html |access-date=2024-12-20 |website=mek.niif.hu |language=en}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
* In famed author [[André Gide|André Gide's]] novel "Lafcadio's Adventures," there's a fictionalized conspiracy behind the Mayerling Incident whereas it was the Archduke's cousin who killed him and his young lover, titled Maria Wettsyera and called the Archduke's "young bride,"<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gide |first=André |title=Lafcadio's Adventures |orig-date=1925 |publisher=Vintage Books |year=1960 |edition=Translation |location=New York |pages=93 |language=en}}</ref>
* ''[[Mayerling (1936 film)|Mayerling]]'', a 1936 film directed by [[Anatole Litvak]], with [[Charles Boyer]] and [[Danielle Darrieux]], based on a novel by [[Claude Anet]].
* ''[[Sarajevo (1940 French film)|Sarajevo]]'' (1940), a film directed [[Max Ophüls]] starts with Rudolf's death.
* The fictionalized musical ''[[Marinka (operetta)|Marinka]]'' (1945), with book by [[George Marion Jr.]], and [[Karl Farkas]], lyrics by George Marion Jr., music by [[Emmerich Kálmán]].
* ''[[Mayerling (1957 film)|Mayerling]]'', a 1957 film, starring [[Mel Ferrer]] as Crown Prince Rudolf, [[Audrey Hepburn]] as Baroness Mary Vetsara with [[Lorne Greene]] as Kaiser Franz Josef.
* ''[[Mayerling (1968 film)|Mayerling]]'', a 1968 film, starring [[Omar Sharif]] as Crown Prince Rudolf, [[Catherine Deneuve]] as Mary with [[James Mason]] as Kaiser Franz Josef and [[Ava Gardner]] as Empress Elisabeth.
* Japanese [[Takarazuka Revue]]'s "Utakata no Koi"/"Ephemeral Love", based on the 1968 film.
*''Requiem for a Crown Prince'', one-hour episode of the British documentary/drama series ''[[Fall of Eagles]]'' (1974), directed by James Furman and written by David Turner, tracks in detail the events of 30 January 1889 and the following few days at Mayerling.
* [[Miklós Jancsó]]'s 1975 film ''[[Vizi privati, pubbliche virtù]]'' (''Private Vices, Public Virtues''), a reinterpretation in which the lovers and their friends are murdered by imperial authorities for treason and immorality.
* [[Kenneth MacMillan]]'s 1978 ballet, [[Mayerling (ballet)|''Mayerling'']].
* Japanese manga by [[You Higuri|Higuri You]], "Tenshi no Hitsugi" (Angel's Coffin) (2000).
* [[The Crown Prince (2006 film)|The Crown Prince]], a 2006 television film in two parts directed by [[Robert Dornhelm]].
* Composer [[Frank Wildhorn]]'s musical ''[[Rudolf (musical)|Rudolf – Affaire Mayerling]]'' (2006), produced in some territories as ''The Last Kiss'' or ''Rudolf – The Last Kiss''.
* The play ''Rudolf'' (2011) by David Logan dramatises the last few weeks of the life of Crown Prince Rudolf.<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/5779956|isbn=9780980655100|title=Rudolf: A play in two acts|year=2011|publisher=Brisbane Dramatic Arts Company}}</ref>
* A highly fictionalized version of the incident at Mayerling is depicted in the 2006 film [[The Illusionist (2006 film)|''The Illusionist'']]. Crown Prince Leopold (played by [[Rufus Sewell]]) is a fictional analog of Rudolf.
*''[[The Empress (TV series)|The Empress]]'' is a German historical drama television series based on the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, starring [[Devrim Lingnau]] in the title role, and Philip Froissant as Emperor Franz Joseph.
* ''[[Corsage (film)|Corsage]]'', a 2022 film, starred {{interlanguage link|Aaron Friesz|de|Aaron Friesz}} as Crown Prince Rudolph with [[Vicky Krieps]] as Empress Elisabeth.

==Titles, styles and honours==
===Titles and styles===
* 21 August 1858 – 30 January 1889: ''His Imperial and Royal Highness'' The Crown Prince of Austria, Hungary, Bohemia and Croatia<ref name="harmonische Wahlkapitulation">{{cite book|title=Kaiser Joseph II. harmonische Wahlkapitulation mit allen den vorhergehenden Wahlkapitulationen der vorigen Kaiser und Könige}} Since 1780 official title used for princes ("''zu Ungarn, Böhmen, Dalmatien, Kroatien, Slawonien, Königlicher Erbprinz''")</ref>

===Honours===
;Domestic<ref name = "HofUndStaat">''[http://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=shb&datum=1889&page=5&size=45 Hof- und Staats-Handbuch der Österreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie]'' (1889), Genealogy pp. 1–2</ref>
* [[Order of the Golden Fleece#Austrian Order|Knight of the Golden Fleece]], ''1858''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.antiquesatoz.com/sgfleece/knights5.htm |title=Chevaliers de la Toisón d'Or – Knights of the Golden Fleece |last= Boettger|first=T. F.|website=La Confrérie Amicale|access-date=25 June 2019}}</ref>
* Grand Cross of the [[Order of St. Stephen of Hungary|Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen]], ''1877''<ref>[http://tornai.com/rendtagok.htm "A Szent István Rend tagjai"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101222022855/http://tornai.com/rendtagok.htm|date=22 December 2010}}</ref>

;Foreign<ref name = "HofUndStaat"/>
{{columns-list|colwidth=25em|
* {{Flag|Baden}}:<ref>''Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Baden'' (1876), "Großherzogliche Orden" [https://digital.blb-karlsruhe.de/blbihd/periodical/pageview/1874640 pp. 59], [https://digital.blb-karlsruhe.de/blbihd/periodical/pageview/1874652 71]</ref>
** Knight of the [[House Order of Fidelity]], ''1873''
** [[Order of the Zähringer Lion|Grand Cross of the Zähringer Lion]], ''1873''
* {{Flagcountry|Kingdom of Bavaria}}: [[Order of St. Hubert|Knight of St. Hubert]], in Diamonds, ''1868''<ref>{{cite book|title=Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Königreichs Bayern: 1870|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2zBRAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA10|year=1870|publisher=Landesamt|page=10}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Belgium}}: Grand Cordon of the [[Order of Leopold (Belgium)|Order of Leopold]], ''1880'' – wedding gift<ref>Koophandel (De) 6 March 1880{{incomplete short citation|date=September 2024}}</ref>
* {{Flagcountry|Empire of Brazil}}: [[Order of the Southern Cross|Grand Cross of the Southern Cross]]
* {{Flag|Denmark}}: [[Order of the Elephant|Knight of the Elephant]], ''24 November 1873''<ref>{{cite book|author=Jørgen Pedersen|title=Riddere af Elefantordenen, 1559–2009|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=glw-AQAAIAAJ|year=2009|publisher=Syddansk Universitetsforlag|language=da|isbn=978-87-7674-434-2|page=472}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|Saxe-Coburg and Gotha}} {{flagicon|Saxe-Altenburg}} {{flagicon|Saxe-Meiningen}} [[Ernestine duchies]]: Grand Cross of the [[Saxe-Ernestine House Order]]
* {{Flagcountry|Second French Empire}}: Grand Cross of the [[Legion of Honour]]
* {{Flagicon|Greece|royal}} [[Kingdom of Greece|Greece]]: [[Order of the Redeemer|Grand Cross of the Redeemer]]
* {{flagicon|Grand Duchy of Hesse}} [[Hesse and by Rhine]]: Grand Cross of the [[Ludwig Order]], ''21 August 1865''<ref>''[https://archive.org/details/hofundstaatshan00gergoog/page/n36 Staatshandbuch für das Großherzogtum Hessen und bei Rhein]'' (1879), "Großherzogliche Orden und Ehrenzeichen ", p. 12</ref>
* {{Flagcountry|Kingdom of Italy}}: [[Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation|Knight of the Annunciation]], ''6 May 1881''<ref name="dell'interno1884">{{cite book|author=Italia : Ministero dell'interno|title=Calendario generale del Regno d'Italia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nI42-d6rlRQC&pg=PR1|year=1884|publisher=Unione tipografico-editrice|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=nI42-d6rlRQC&pg=PA48 48]}}</ref>
** {{Flagicon|Duchy of Parma}} [[House of Bourbon-Parma|Parmese Ducal Family]]: [[Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George|Grand Cross of the Constantinian Order of St. George]]<ref>[http://www.constantinianorder.org/the-order/necrologies-from-1969.html Membership of the Constantinian Order] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921113315/http://www.constantinianorder.org/the-order/necrologies-from-1969.html |date=21 September 2013 |data=21 September 2013 }}</ref>
** {{Flagicon|Tuscany|habsburg}} [[Grand Duchy of Tuscany|Tuscan Grand Ducal Family]]: [[Order of Saint Joseph|Grand Cross of St. Joseph]]
* {{flag|Sovereign Military Order of Malta}}: Bailiff Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion
* {{Flagcountry|Empire of Japan}}: Grand Cordon of the [[Order of the Chrysanthemum]], ''14 February 1881''<ref>{{cite book|author=刑部芳則|title=明治時代の勲章外交儀礼|url=http://meijiseitoku.org/pdf/f54-5.pdf|year=2017|publisher=明治聖徳記念学会紀要|language=ja|page=143}}</ref>
* {{Flagicon image|Flagge Großherzogtümer Mecklenburg.svg}} [[Mecklenburg]]: [[House Order of the Wendish Crown|Grand Cross of the Wendish Crown]], with Crown in Ore
* {{Flagcountry|Second Mexican Empire}}: [[Mexican Imperial Orders#Order of the Mexican Eagle|Grand Cross of the Mexican Eagle]], ''1865''<ref>{{citation|title=Almanaque imperial para el año 1866|year=1866|language=es|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VOAxAQAAMAAJ|chapter=Seccion IV: Ordenes del Imperio|page=243|access-date=29 April 2020}}</ref>
* {{flagcountry|Principality of Montenegro}}: Grand Cross of the [[Order of Prince Danilo I]]
* {{Flagicon|Nassau}} [[Duchy of Nassau|Nassau Ducal Family]]: [[Order of the Golden Lion of Nassau|Knight of the Gold Lion of Nassau]]
* {{Flag|Netherlands}}: [[Order of the Netherlands Lion|Grand Cross of the Netherlands Lion]]
* {{Flag|Ottoman Empire}}: [[Order of Osmanieh]], 1st Class
* {{Flag|Tunisia}}: Husainid Family Order, in Diamonds
* {{flagicon image|Early 20th Century Qajar Flag.svg}} [[Qajar Iran|Persia]]: Order of the August Portrait, in Diamonds, ''1 August 1873''<ref>{{cite book|author=Naser al-Din Shah Qajar|author-link=Naser al-Din Shah Qajar|translator=[[James Redhouse]] |title=The Diary of H.M. The Shah of Persia during his tour through Europe in A.D. 1873: A verbatim translation |date=1874 |publisher=John Murray |location=London |page=325 |chapter=Chapter VI: Italy, Austria |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/diaryofhmshahofp00nasiuoft/page/324 }}</ref>
* {{Flagcountry|Kingdom of Portugal}}: Grand Cross of the [[Sash of the Two Orders]]
* {{flagicon image|Flag of the Kingdom of Prussia (1803-1892).svg}} [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]]:
** [[Order of the Black Eagle|Knight of the Black Eagle]], ''21 August 1864''<ref>{{cite book|title=Königlich Preußische Ordens-Liste|volume=1|chapter-url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878831&view=1up&seq=5&skin=2021|page=[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878831&view=1up&seq=14&skin=2021 6]|lang=German|chapter=Schwarzer Adler-orden|location=Berlin|publisher=Königliche Generals-Ordens-Kommission|year=1886}}</ref>
** Grand Commander's Cross of the [[Royal House Order of Hohenzollern]]
* {{Flagcountry|Russian Empire|1858}}:
** [[Order of St. Andrew|Knight of St. Andrew]], ''1878''
** [[Order of St. Alexander Nevsky|Knight of St. Alexander Nevsky]]
** [[Order of the White Eagle (Russian Empire)|Knight of the White Eagle]]
** [[Order of St. Anna|Knight of St. Anna]], 1st Class
** [[Order of Saint Stanislaus (House of Romanov)|Knight of St. Stanislaus]], 1st Class
* {{Flagcountry|Kingdom of Romania}}: [[Order of the Star of Romania|Grand Cross of the Star of Romania]]
* {{Flag|San Marino}}: Grand Cross of the [[Order of San Marino]]
* {{flagcountry|Principality of Serbia}}: [[Order of the Cross of Takovo|Grand Cross of the Cross of Takovo]]
* {{Flag|Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach}}: [[Order of the White Falcon|Grand Cross of the White Falcon]], ''1873''<ref>''[https://zs.thulb.uni-jena.de/rsc/viewer/jportal_derivate_00183988/Staatshandbuch_Film_Nr_15_0021.tif Staatshandbuch für das Großherzogtum Sachsen / Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191007030638/https://zs.thulb.uni-jena.de/rsc/viewer/jportal_derivate_00183988/Staatshandbuch_Film_Nr_15_0021.tif |date=7 October 2019 }}'' (1885), "Großherzogliche Hausorden" p. 14</ref>
* {{Flagcountry|Kingdom of Saxony}}: [[Order of the Rue Crown|Knight of the Rue Crown]], ''1876''<ref>{{cite book|author=Sachsen|title=Staatshandbuch für den Freistaat Sachsen: 1877|url= http://opacplus.bsb-muenchen.de/title/9530891/ft/bsb11356859?page=7|year=1877|publisher=Heinrich|page=[http://opacplus.bsb-muenchen.de/title/9530891/ft/bsb11356859?page=25 3]}}</ref>
* {{Flagicon|Thailand|1855}} [[Siam]]:
** [[Order of the White Elephant|Grand Cross of the White Elephant]]
** [[Order of the Crown of Siam|Grand Cross of the Crown of Siam]]
* {{Flag|Spain|1785}}: Grand Cross of the [[Order of Charles III]], ''5 June 1875''<ref>{{cite book|chapter-url=http://hemerotecadigital.bne.es/issue.vm?id=0000941464&search=&lang=es|chapter=Real y distinguida orden de Carlos III|title=Guía Oficial de España|date=1887|access-date=21 March 2019|page=153|language=es}}</ref>
* {{Flagicon|Sweden|1844}} {{flagicon|Norway|1844}} [[Sweden-Norway]]: [[Order of the Seraphim|Knight of the Seraphim]], ''15 April 1879''<ref>{{citation|title=Sveriges statskalender|year=1881|page=378|url=https://runeberg.org/statskal/1881/0404.html|via=runeberg.org|access-date=6 January 2018|language=sv}}</ref>
* {{Flagcountry|United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland}}:
** [[Order of the Garter|Stranger Knight Companion of the Garter]], ''20 June 1887''<ref name=p68>Shaw, Wm. A. (1906) ''The Knights of England'', '''I''', London, [https://archive.org/stream/cu31924092537418#page/n157/mode/2up p. 68]</ref>
** [[Queen Victoria Golden Jubilee Medal|Queen Victoria Golden Jubilee Medal in gold]], ''1887''
* {{Flag|Württemberg}}: [[Order of the Crown (Württemberg)|Grand Cross of the Württemberg Crown]], ''1873''<ref>''[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_cc1CAAAAYAAJ/page/n65 Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Württemberg]'' (1886/7), "Königliche Orden" p. 22</ref>
}}

==Ancestors==
{{ahnentafel
|collapsed=yes |align=center
| boxstyle_1 = background-color: #fcc;
| boxstyle_2 = background-color: #fb9;
| boxstyle_3 = background-color: #ffc;
| boxstyle_4 = background-color: #bfc;
| 1 = 1. '''Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria'''
| 2 = 2. [[Franz Joseph I of Austria]]
| 3 = 3. [[Empress Elisabeth of Austria|Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria]]
| 4 = 4. [[Archduke Franz Karl of Austria]]<ref name="BLKO-Franz Joseph">{{BLKO|wstitle=Habsburg, Franz Joseph I.|volume=6|page=227}}</ref>
| 5 = 5. [[Princess Sophie of Bavaria]]<ref name="BLKO-Franz Joseph"/>
| 6 = 6. [[Duke Maximilian Joseph in Bavaria]]<ref name="BLKO-Elisabeth Amalia">{{BLKO|wstitle=Habsburg, Elisabeth Amalia Eugenia|volume=6|page=173}}</ref>
| 7 = 7. [[Princess Ludovika of Bavaria]]<ref name="BLKO-Elisabeth Amalia"/>
| 8 = 8. [[Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor]]<ref name="BLKO-Franz Karl">{{BLKO|wstitle=Habsburg, Franz Karl Joseph|volume=6|page=257}}</ref>
| 9 = 9. [[Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily|Princess Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily]]<ref name="BLKO-Franz Karl"/>
| 10 = 10. [[Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria]]<ref name="BLKO-Sophie">{{BLKO|wstitle=Habsburg, Sophie (geb. 27. Jänner 1805)|volume=7|page=149}}</ref>
| 11 = 11. [[Caroline of Baden|Princess Caroline of Baden]]<ref name="BLKO-Sophie"/> 
| 12 = 12. [[Duke Pius August in Bavaria]]<ref name="NDB-Maximilian">{{NDB|16|495|496|Maximilian, Herzog in Bayern (Pseudonym Phantasus)|Körner, Hans-Michael|118967592}}</ref>
| 13 = 13. [[Princess Amélie Louise of Arenberg]]<ref name="NDB-Maximilian"/>
| 14 = 14. [[Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria]] (= 10)
| 15 = 15. [[Caroline of Baden|Princess Caroline of Baden]] (= 11)
}}

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px">
File:Young Crown Prince Rudolf.jpg|Crown Prince Rudolf during his early adulthood, c. 1879.
File:Stefanie en Rudolf.jpg|Official engagement photo of Crown Prince Rudolf and Princess Stéphanie of Belgium, 1881.
File:Görlich - Allegory on the betrothal of Crown Prince Rudolf and Stephanie of Belgium.jpg|Painting "Allegory on the betrothal of Crown Prince Rudolf and Stephanie of Belgium" by Sophia and Marie Görlich, dated 1881.
File:Mayerling 1889.jpg|Mayerling Lodge as it appeared before Crown Prince Rudolf's death there in 1889.
File:Mayerling.final letter.jpg|Crown Prince Rudolf's letter of farewell to his wife.
File:Crown Prince Rudolf 1889.jpg|Crown Prince Rudolf placed in a bed for private viewing by his family at the [[Hofburg]] palace in Vienna. His head had to be bandaged in order to cover gunshot wounds. When he later lay-in-state, his skull was reconstructed using wax so that his appearance was normal.
File:Wien - Kapuzinergruft, Franz-Joseph-Gruft.JPG|Crown Prince Rudolf's coffin lies to the right of his parents' coffins in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna.
File:Miklós Ligeti- Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria.jpg|Statue in memory of Crown Prince Rudolf in the [[City Park (Budapest)|City Park]] of Budapest.
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Lake Rudolf]], an earlier name for Lake Turkana, Kenya
*[[Mount Rudolf]] and Rudolf Glacier, New Zealand
*[[Rudolf Island]], northernmost island of the Franz Josef Archipelago, Russia
*[[Alma Vetsera Hayne]], a New York socialite who claimed to be the daughter of Rudolf and Mary Vetsera
*[[List of heirs to the Austrian throne]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Barkeley, Richard. ''The Road to Mayerling: Life and Death of Crown Prince Rudolph of Austria''. London: Macmillan, 1958.
* Franzel, Emil. ''Crown Prince Rudolph and the Mayerling Tragedy: Fact and Fiction''. Vienna : V. Herold, 1974.
* [[Brigitte Hamann|Hamann, Brigitte]]. ''Kronprinz Rudolf: Ein Leben''. Vienna: Amalthea, 2005, {{ISBN|3-85002-540-3}}.
* Lonyay, Károly. ''Rudolph: The Tragedy of Mayerling''. New York: Scribner, 1949.
* Morton, Frederic. ''A Nervous Splendor: Vienna 1888/1889''. Penguin 1979
* Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria. ''Majestät, ich warne Sie... Geheime und private Schriften''. Edited by [[Brigitte Hamann]]. Vienna: Amalthea, 1979, {{ISBN|3-85002-110-6}} (reprinted Munich: Piper, 1998, {{ISBN|3-492-20824-X}}).
* Salvendy, John T. ''Royal Rebel: A Psychological Portrait of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria-Hungary''. Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America, 1988.

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[http://www.xs4all.nl/~androom/dead/story004.htm A profile of Marie Vetsera]
*[https://www.imdb.com/find/?s=all&q=Mayerling IMDb on various Mayerling Films]
*[http://www.mayerling.info Crown Prince Rudolfs death]
* {{PM20|FID=pe/015116}}

{{S-start}}
{{S-hou|[[House of Habsburg-Lorraine]]|21 August|1858|30 January|1889|[[House of Habsburg]]|name=Rudolf von Habsburg-Lorraine}}
{{S-roy|at-hu}}
{{S-bef|before = [[Maximilian I of Mexico|Ferdinand Maximilian]]}}
{{S-ttl|title  = [[List of heirs to the Austrian throne|Heir to the Austrian throne]]|years=21 August 1858 – 30 January 1889}}
{{S-aft|after  = [[Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria|Karl Ludwig]]}}
{{S-end}}

{{Austrian archdukes}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria}}
[[Category:Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria| ]]
[[Category:House of Habsburg-Lorraine]]
[[Category:Heirs apparent who never acceded]]
[[Category:Austrian Roman Catholics]]
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[[Category:1858 births]]
[[Category:1889 deaths]]
[[Category:1880s suicides]]
[[Category:People from Laxenburg]]
[[Category:Austrian princes]]
[[Category:Franz Joseph I of Austria]]
[[Category:Burials at the Imperial Crypt]]
[[Category:Male suicides]]
[[Category:Sons of emperors]]
[[Category:Sons of kings]]
[[Category:Crown princes]]
<!-- Honours -->
[[Category:Knights of the Golden Fleece of Austria]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary]]
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[[Category:Extra Knights Companion of the Garter]]
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[[Category:Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour]]
[[Category:Knights of the Order of Saint Joseph]]
[[Category:Royalty who died by suicide]]