Portrait of Kaiser Karl von Habsburg, Zita Bourbon-Parma, and a young Prince Otto von Habsburg

Portrait of Kaiser Karl von Habsburg, Zita Bourbon-Parma, and a young Prince Otto von Habsburg

A painting made shortly after Karl von Habsburg's ascension to the throne of Austria-Hungary in 1916. On the bottom of the painting, the coat of arms of both Austria and Hungary are illustrated to show the united thrones of the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary. Showing unity was most important to do during the First World War as the ethnic tensions that already existed were being exacerbated by the war. At the top of the portrait is a single crown showing that the empire is united under a single crown, under the Habsburg family that is represented by a double-headed eagle that had been used as a symbol of the family ever since they had been elected to the position of Holy Roman Empire.

Jakob Ware

22 March 2020

English