Imperial Requiem: Four Royal Women and the Fall of the Age of Empires (85 page)

By the mid-1930s, Nazi Germany’s aggression was unmistakable. There was little doubt that Hitler’s ambitions would not be confined solely to his own country. Despite the growing tensions in Germany and Austria created by the Nazis, Empress Zita was eager to present all German peoples with a symbol of hope against Hitler. In September 1934, she announced her plan to return to Austria as quickly as possible in an effort to rally support for a Habsburg restoration to counterbalance Nazism. Her actions were even attracting attention in the United States, where the one newspaper reported, “Zita’s friends in Belgium said that she expects to be living in Austria by Christmas. It was said she would bring with her Archduke Otto, her son, claimant of the throne.” But even after so many years, some of the European governments were still anxious about Zita’s presence in Austria. “It was feared by many political observers here that if her coming is a prelude to re-establishment of the Hapsburg monarchy, Austria, Hungary and the nations of the little entente [
sic
] will be confronted with new problems which will lead to more bloodshed, involving middle Europe, and possibly the entire continent, in a war.” The countries that were most at risk from Nazi aggression like France “indicated that a restoration would be tolerated … if that restoration would strengthen the Austrian opposition to the Nazis.”
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In 1935, Hitler introduced military conscription, created a German air force, the
Luftwaffe, for the first time since 1918, and massively increased the size and scope of Germany’s army, which had been reduced to a fraction of its prewar size. In London, many perceived that Hitler was determined to see Europe dominated by Germany. Winston Churchill prophetically warned Parliament that Great Britain was entering “a corridor of deepening and darkening danger” in regards to Nazi Germany “along which [the country] should be forced to move, perhaps for months, perhaps for years.”
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Now finished his studies at Louvain, Archduke Otto began making regular, secret trips to Berlin to see exactly the extent of Hitler’s control. On more than one occasion, he only narrowly missed being arrested by the Gestapo, who viewed him as a serious threat to growing dreams of Nazi ascendancy in Austria. During his visits to Germany, Otto was unnerved to find that Augusta Victoria’s sons had joined the Nazis. Willy, the former crown prince, published a number of articles in the British media supporting Hitler. Even more unsettling were reports that Dona’s sons Eitel-Fritz and Oscar had joined the Sturmabteilung. More commonly known in English as the Brownshirts, these were Hitler’s elite paramilitary storm troopers. Many Hohenzollerns joined the Nazi ranks throughout the 1930s with the hope that Hitler would restore their dynasty to the throne. Hitler “hoped, by associating himself with the old ruling family, to strengthen his credentials as the legitimate successor to Prussia-Germany’s monarchical tradition.”
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Auwi was more devoted to the Nazi party than any of his brothers. In 1933, he became a pro-Nazi, Prussian member of the Reichstag. Around the same time, American newspapers announced that Hitler had chosen Auwi’s twenty-one-year-old son, Alexander, to be his eventual successor as head of the Third Reich. By 1939, Auwi had worked his way up to become second in command of one of Hitler’s secret police units, the Obergruppenführer. Otto recalled a particularly pointed meeting with Auwi and the impression he made.

Prince August Wilhelm was, in my eyes, a convinced Nazi but all the Hohenzollerns shared the illusion that Hitler would reinstate the monarchy once in power. I was certain that Hitler was only using them as a means to attract monarchist voters. I had seen how the Crown Prince had already supported Hitler against President Hindenburg and that fundamentally he wanted to do exactly the same thing with me as regards the Austrian voters. I had the great advantage of having already read
Mein Kampf
from start to finish and knew what his aims were. All this only reinforced my refusal to meet him … On the other hand, it would have been an interesting experience. In fact, this was the only interesting conversation I ever avoided in my life.
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There was royalist attention aimed at Hams Castle from all across Europe in the late 1930s. Many were wondering if Zita’s family would follow the Hohenzollerns and join the Nazis. If there was any doubt, Otto, using his authority as head of the family and with his mother’s support, published a letter making their position clear.

I absolutely reject [Nazi] fascism for Austria and see the solution only in a constitutional monarchy along democratic lines similar to that in England. I hope the Hapsburg law will soon be revoked by emergency decree, but I consider that the moment for a successful restoration is not yet ripe.… I refuse to be drawn into any adventurous
Putsch
[restoration] attempts.…

An un-Austrian movement [Nazism] has lately been created which promises everything to everyone, but really intends the most ruthless subjugation of the Austrian people.…
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Perhaps as a way to ensure Habsburg loyalty against Nazism, the Allied forces, led by France and Britain, restored to the Habsburgs a number of wealthy estates that had been seized under the Habsburg Law of 1919. Even the ban on certain members of the imperial family entering Austria was lifted. For the first time in nearly twenty years, the Habsburgs could afford to live comfortably once again.

Now that her son had come of age, Zita found she was not carrying as much political weight as she had in years gone by. Though she continued to be active, she found that, for the first time in years, she had the opportunity to pursue personal interests. An intelligent woman, she possessed a cultivated mind that could easily match wits with any scholar. Now in her forties, she had also become an avid reader. The shelves at Hams Castle were always being replenished with books the empress had purchased when she had the money. Not surprisingly, Zita’s literary tastes did not gravitate toward popular fiction or mainstream novels. Among her favorite topics were biographies and memoirs. She also occasionally enjoyed reading the classics by Homer, Aristotle, and Dante. This love of reading was something that Zita shared with Alexandra of Russia, who once lamented that she could not spend more time reading: “Alas I have not much free time, but when I find a spare moment I sit down and read. I am so fond of ‘Boehme’ and many of the German & Dutch theosophists of the 15th & 16th cent.”
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A love of literature was something Alexandra shared with her husband, Nicholas. In the days of the tsarist empire, the imperial librarian would bring in twenty new books each month from around the world for Nicholas and Alexandra to read. But one area where Zita and Alexandra held different views was periodicals. Zita detested them, believing that newspapers were “committed to the task of keeping humanity on edge and in a dyspeptic dither with the constant expectation of disaster.”
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The worsening global economic situation that helped give ascendancy to Nazism in Germany was also being felt in Britain. The Great Depression was causing unemployment to skyrocket, forcing the Labour Party government to deal with a crisis of extraordinary proportions. Conditions became so bad that the royal family cut short its summer holiday and returned to London, where King George forged a coalition of three political parties to form a national effort to combat the Depression. This coalition of the Conservative, Labour, and Liberal parties went on to win the 1931 election. George managed to avert a national disaster but at a high price. Exhausted from stress, the king fell ill with severe bronchitis, forcing him back on bed rest.

One of the last highlights in the denouement of King George’s reign was in May 1935, when celebrations were held in honor of his Silver Jubilee, marking twenty-five years on the throne. Twelve other English monarchs had reigned just as long, but none of them had marked the occasion. According to tradition, only golden anniversaries were celebrated. The special nature of this milestone led to the creation of the Jubilee Trust, set up by the monarchy, to raise money for charity. Within a few weeks, £1 million was raised. Across the British Empire, festivities were held in honor of the last reigning king-emperor and queen-empress in the world. “I had no idea I was so popular,” the king told Australian prime minister Robert Menzies.
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Contemporaries noted that the occasion was “the biggest money-spending festival since the war.”
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The celebrations in London brought together one of the last major gatherings in history of Old Europe’s surviving royals. The guest list included Queen Maud and King Haakon VII of Norway, George’s sister and brother-in-law, and his cousin and old flame Queen Marie of Romania.

On May 6, the royal family and visiting dignitaries attended a service of thanksgiving at Saint Paul’s Cathedral. The British politician Henry (“Chips”) Channon watched the procession of royals depart from Saint James’s Palace. Recalling the scene, Channon was in raptures over Queen Mary: “All eyes were on the Queen in her white and silvery splendour. Never has she looked so serene, so regally majestic, even so attractive. She completely eclipsed the King. Suddenly, she has become the best dressed woman in the world.”
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The queen did indeed look supremely majestic in her silver-and-white gown covered by a long cape with a high white collar. In place of her usual diamond tiara was a simple white hat with a high aigrette. “For them it was a wonderful experience,” wrote one of the queen’s biographers. “They realized at last they stood where Victoria and Edward and Alexandra had stood before them, high in the estimation of the people. Perhaps it meant more to Mary than it did her husband. Little May of Teck, the poor relation, the morganatic Princess, had made it to the top.”
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Mary recorded the memorable day in her journal for posterity.

Our Silver Jubilee. Crowds in the parks & streets quite early—At 10 we went downstairs & saw all the members of our family who were to take part in the various carriage processions. We left at 5 to 11 in the big open carriage with 6 grey horses—We had a marvellous reception from the crowds of people all the way to St Pauls [
sic
] Cathedral & back—The thanksgiving service at 11.30 was beautiful—Back before 1 & we all went on to the Balcony where the crowds cheered us—After luncheon we had to go on to the Balcony again.… After dinner we had to go out on the balcony again—A wonderful day.
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The monarchy in Britain had become so popular that the king and queen appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace every night for a week to greet the patriotic crowds. Even in the streets of London’s East End, which was famous for its socialist and republican views, George and Mary were cheered wildly by the people. Every day, they were driven in an open coach through the streets of London. Even in the poorest suburbs, they were met with excited crowds filled with flag-waving children and smiling faces. On May 9, the royal family assembled at Westminster Hall, where the king received a loyal address. The two thousand people who were gathered there sang the national anthem. Queen Maud, who had always been devoted to her beloved England, was thrilled to be back in London. Upon returning to Norway after the jubilee celebrations, she wrote to Queen Mary,