Chapter 114: Wedding
Prime Minister Primó and Carlo could both understand the intentions of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Emperor Franz Joseph I.
Regardless of the considerations, neither would refuse Emperor Franz Joseph I’s request.
After all, the larger the scale of the navy and army dispatched by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the more it proved the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s emphasis on Archduchess Sophie.
Since the Austro-Hungarian Empire placed such importance on Archduchess Sophie, didn’t that mean the Austro-Hungarian Empire would also value Spain, this ally?
Although it offered no help at the national interest level, it could still leverage the situation diplomatically. Spain alone or the Austro-Hungarian Empire alone wasn’t that powerful, but if the two countries united, even superpowers like Britain, France, and Germany would have to carefully weigh the pros and cons.
This also made people inevitably grateful that Italy and Spain’s relationship was very good at this time, and the King of Italy was also Carlo’s father Vittorio Emanuele II.
If someone else were the King of Italy, it might not be possible to feel at ease about the armies invested by Spain and the Austro-Hungarian Empire in this bride-escorting operation.
If it were a particularly suspicious king, he might not sleep all night. After all, if these armies aimed for surprise, it would be enough to give Italy a hard time.
Fortunately, Italy at this time was also Spain’s ally, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire had no major designs on Italy. Otherwise, Italy, sandwiched between two countries, would become the most miserable party after this marriage alliance.
Since the Austro-Hungarian Empire had dispatched an army of over 5,000 to escort and protect, Spain naturally wouldn’t remain indifferent.
Prime Minister Primó made certain modifications to the bride-escorting process. After the bride-escorting fleet docked at the Port of Valencia, it would be escorted by an army of over 10,000 until reaching Madrid.
To ensure safety along the road from Valencia to Madrid, Prime Minister Primó specially approved an operation: a clearing action one month in advance along this route to prevent any possible accidents.
Finally, the time came to February
Carlo personally led the army through numerous difficulties to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and under the reluctant gazes of Emperor Franz Joseph I and Queen Sisi, he took Archduchess Sophie away and boarded the fleet heading to Spain.
The journey was very smooth. After arriving at the Port of Valencia, they boarded a modified royal train and leisurely traveled from Valencia to Madrid.
Madrid in February had already been meticulously decorated by the government, looking at a glance like it was preparing for some grand event.
The closer the view to the Madrid Royal Palace, the more one could feel the government’s emphasis on this wedding. It wasn’t just around the palace; even on the streets and alleys of Madrid’s districts, fluttering colorful flags and strikingly prominent Spanish flags could be seen.
Spain’s newspaper offices had been publishing news these past two days about the friendly relations between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Spain, as well as praise for Carlo and Archduchess Sophie’s perfect match of talent and beauty.
The Madrid Royal Palace was unusually lively on the wedding day. Not only did a large number of nobles squeeze to attend this wedding, but many officials and capitalists were also trying every means to secure a seat.
If their status truly wasn’t sufficient to attend the wedding, they would still try every means to send a congratulatory gift to the royal family to express their loyalty to the royal family and Carlo.
At this moment, it was already completely different from when Carlo had come to Spain before. Carlo’s throne was now firmly secured, so he was no longer that powerless king whom anyone could belittle.
Especially after this marriage alliance with the Austro-Hungarian Imperial Family, Carlo’s influence in Spain had risen limitlessly. The House of Savoy only had certain influence in Italy, but the Habsburg Family, to which the Austro-Hungarian Imperial Family belonged, possessed enormous influence across Europe.
It was no exaggeration to say that the Habsburg Family was currently the world’s number one family, more influential than families like Saxony-Coburg-Gotha and the Hohenzollern Family.
At the peak of the Habsburg Family, they had ruled Spain, the Two Sicilies, Hungary, Austria, and vast German regions, and held the only imperial title in Europe at the time, that of the Holy Roman Empire.
Of course, to this day, the Habsburg Family still held the title of Emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, though the current Habsburg Family was a collateral branch, full name Habsburg-Lorraine Dynasty.
The Habsburg Family had also once ruled Spain, starting from the early days of Spain’s birth.
The famous Iberian Marriage marked the formal union of Castile and Aragon into Spain, which was the origin of Spain’s birth.
The first king of Spain’s Habsburg Dynasty was the offspring of Juana, daughter of Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, the protagonists of the Iberian Marriage, and Prince Philip of the Holy Roman Empire.
The reason the Spanish throne fell into the hands of the Bourbon Dynasty was also the result of negotiations between the Habsburg Family and the Bourbon Dynasty after the War of the Spanish Succession.
Although the Bourbon Dynasty obtained the Spanish throne, it also returned the Netherlands under Spanish control, that is, the Low Countries, as well as the Kingdom of Naples, Sardinia, Sicily, and part of Italian territory to Austria.
Therefore, compared to the House of Savoy, a royal family with no prominent history, the Habsburg Dynasty’s history was far too illustrious, and it also had considerable influence on the Spanish people.
After Carlo’s marriage alliance with Archduchess Sophie of the Habsburg Family, this also meant that their future offspring would possess the Habsburg Family’s bloodline.
The Habsburg rule in Spain lasted nearly 200 years, longer than the Bourbon Dynasty’s rule in Spain.
Compared to the Bourbon family, which had a bad reputation in Spain, the Spanish people supported the Habsburg Family more. The Spanish people were also quite willing to see the marriage alliance between the king and the Habsburg Family.
After all, Spain under Habsburg rule was still the hegemon in Europe at the time, even more powerful than France.
Spain at that time also ruled vast areas including the Two Sicilies and the Netherlands; whether army strength or navy strength, it could be called the European Hegemon.
Unfortunately, while other countries were constantly growing stronger, Spain’s weakness was also constantly progressing.
The empire on which the sun never sets eventually became history, and Spain weakened again and again, trampled underfoot by rising stars like France and the United Kingdom.
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