Royal Guests and Relatives gathered from around Europe to celebrate the Wedding of Archduke Charles of Austria-Este and Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma at Schloss Schwarzau on this day in 1911, who became became the last Emperor and Empress of Austria-Hungary.
Archduke Charles of Austria-Este, son of Archduke Otto of Austria and Princess Maria Josepha of Saxony, married Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma, daughter of Robert I, Duke of Parma and his second wife, Princess Maria Antonia of Portugal, at Schloss Schwarzau . The couple became Emperor and Empress of Austria in 1918, only to be deposed two years later. The Emperor died in 1922 and Empress Zita in 1989.
The wedding day’s events have been recorded in great detail for posterity. The colourful press reports recorded every detail. Kaiserwetter, in other words, bright sunshine, greeted the crowds of guests. The most eagerly awaited attendee at the wedding was the Emperor himself, Franz Joseph, of whom every surviving account has a special mention. The Emperor arrived by special court train and was greeted with a huge ovation, and the so-called ‘Emperor’s Gate’ was reopened after 30 years. The small chapel of Schwarzau Castle was the venue for the nuptial ceremony. It is noted in several places that seventy gilded chairs awaited the participants, and a massive chair of honour for Franz Joseph was set up to the left of the altar.[9] The Pope’s representative, Papal Major General Gaetano Bisleti, celebrated the ceremony in French. The groom wore his dragoon captain’s uniform, and on his chest hung the Order of the Golden Fleece, along with the military medal and the order of the King of Saxony. The couple’s wedding ring bore, next to their names, a line from the deeply religious Charles’ favourite prayer: ‘Sub tuum praesidium confugimus, sancta Dei Genitrix’
The ceremony ended with the blessing of Pope Pius X: “In the many bitter hours of life, which will surely not spare you, may your faith in God be your support and may happy family life always be your refuge”.The newlyweds then received their congratulations in the castle, followed by the wedding lunch, where Francis Joseph toasted them: “The wedding which has filled us all with joy and which we have gathered here today to celebrate is a great joy and great satisfaction. Archduke Charles has chosen Princess Zita of Parma as his life partner. I salute him and his heart for this choice, and I welcome Archduchess Zita with inward joy as a member of the family of my house […]”.
Princess Zita wore her Köchert Diamond Tiara and the Order of the Starry Cross, both gifts from Emperor Franz Joseph.
According to reports, the bride’s dress was made of heavy satin (Duchesse) material with a three-metre-long fin, on which were sewn silver embroidered Bourbon lilies and orange blossoms surrounded by myrtle garlands. Zita’s four sisters held the long tail during the procession to the chapel. The waist part of the dress was made of the same lace worn by her grandmother, the Queen of Portugal, at her wedding, and a bouquet of myrtles was placed at the bust. Princess Zita’s hairstyle was simple, yet made glamorous by wearing a myrtle wreath with a lace Brussels veil that reached down to the fin. The headpiece was adorned with the diamond tiara that Franz Joseph had given Zita
Some guests arrived several days before the wedding and stayed in the surrounding castles and villas. In attendance were King Frederick Augustus III of Saxon, Franz Ferdinand and his wife, members of the Habsburg, Parma, Bragança, Spanish Bourbon, Orléans, Liechtenstein, Saxe-Koburg, Wittelsbach, Württemberg families and descendants of several princely and count families. The Hungarian guests appeared at the event in Hungarian court dress, ‘díszmagyar’.
The Dowager Duchess of Parma, the mother of the bride, wore the Bourbon-Parma Tiara and Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria wore the Habsburg Fringe Tiara.
Köchert Diamond Tiara 
Habsburg Crown Pearls
Jet Tiara
Empress Zita’s Diamond Tiara
Habsburg Pearl and Diamond Bandeau
Diamond Necklace
Habsburg Ruby Parure
Diamond Stars
Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images
The Wedding of Archduke Charles of Austria-Este and Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma (wearing her Diamond Tiara) at Schloss Schwarzau on this day in 1911. The couple became Emperor and Empress of Austria in 1918, only to be deposed two years later. The Emperor died in 1922 and Empress Zita in 1989.
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(You can spot the Bourbon-Parma Tiara and the Habsburg Fringe Tiara in the background)
Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma was a Beautiful Bride