Above: Mary Vetsara (1871-1889)

Source: Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek (Austrian National Library)

10. The Crisis (continued)

As she prepared for her final assignation with Rudolf, Mary made calculated gestures that observers would recognize as significant only after her death.

At the German Embassy reception, Mary sought out Count Hoyos twice, much to his surprise. "I am struck in retrospect that the Baroness Mary Vetsera. a lady whom I knew very slightly, twice addressed me that evening. The young lady of about twenty this ttme attracted my attention by her great beauty. Her eyes, which seemed to me much larger, glittered almost mysteriously. and her whole person seemed on fire" (Judtmann 45).

At this same reception, according to legend, Mary snubbed Princess Stephanie by staring impudently at her and refusing to curtsy until Helene yanked her down. This seems unlikely since witnesses like Count Hoyos and others who were in a position to know make no mention of the supposed snub.

Moreover, would Mary have so deliberately and publicly embarrassed Rudolf? In her memoirs Princess Stephanie does not mention any snub and refers to Mary sympathetically as "a poor misguided girl" (Judtmann 46).

The most striking of Mary's gestures took place at the end of her journey to Mayerling, when she gave Josef her watch and ring with the words "Take this as a souvenir; this is the last time anyway!" (Konhäuser).