Empire Rising: Spain

Chapter 123: Chapter 111: 1872

For the Spanish Government in 1871, only two things were of utmost importance: the development of the national industry and Carlo’s marriage preparations.

Carlo was surprised to find that the government valued this marriage even more than he did, with the political wedding process and scale personally overseen by Prime Minister Prim.

But upon reflection, it made perfect sense. This marriage wasn’t just about the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s Royal Family and the Spanish Royal Family, but also concerned the Austro-Hungarian Empire Government and the Spanish Government.

Prime Minister Prim’s long-anticipated reforms finally had strong support, so how could this not make Prime Minister Prim excited?

To maintain good relations with the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the original scale of the wedding was repeatedly modified by Prime Minister Prim, turning it into an ultra-large-scale wedding with funds deployed exceeding 5 million Pessetas.

Do not underestimate 5 million Pessetas; its total value was close to 200,000 Pounds. This amount could purchase an ironclad warship at that time, making it overly extravagant to spend all of this on a wedding.

Of course, this was still excluding many hidden expenses. If all costs were accounted for, the wedding might cost around tens of millions of Pessetas.

The government valued this wedding primarily because of the future Spanish Queen Sophie’s status in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Among Franz Joseph I’s four children, the first three had better relations. Grand Duchess Sophie, her sister Grand Duchess Gisela, and her brother Grand Duke Rudolf were all raised by their grandmother Princess Sophie of Bavaria.

Thanks to growing up together, the sibling’s relationship was excellent, even notably close.

Grand Duchess Sophie and Grand Duchess Gisela were very fond of their brother Grand Duke Rudolf, who was also the future heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire throne.

For the Spanish Government, nothing was more important than building a good relationship with Grand Duchess Sophie. Winning her favor could potentially earn more support from the Austro-Hungarian Empire through her relationship with Grand Duke Rudolf.

Both the current Emperor and the future Emperor of Austria-Hungary were closely related to the Spanish Queen, which suggested that the close relationship between Spain and Austria-Hungary could be sustained for a long time.

Speaking of the wedding process, Carlo had initially planned to travel from Spain to France, then to Italy, before reaching the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and return for the bride-fetching route.

However, after thinking it through, the French might be unwilling to allow Carlo to lead the army to the Austro-Hungarian Empire unless he led only a small contingent.

But to show off conspicuously with only a small troops contingent would be somewhat akin to treating his life as a game. If some extremists decided to risk their lives for an assassination attempt on Carlo, or merely wanted to disrupt the wedding, it could be a real setback for Carlo.

After all, this marriage between Spain and the Austro-Hungarian Empire would attract the attention of numerous countries. Any disturbances during the wedding could potentially draw ridicule from other nations.

Ultimately, after careful deliberation, it was decided to deploy the Navy for the bride-fetching journey, starting in Valencia upon arrival in Spain and then transitioning to train travel, heading all the way to Madrid.

To highlight the grandeur of the royal wedding, Carlo’s usual royal train carriage would also undergo certain modifications to ensure comfort while maintaining safety.

Carlo’s marriage was also a positive event for Prime Minister Prim. After all, Prime Minister Prim’s reforms couldn’t proceed without the King’s support, nor could they without a stable Spanish situation.

Currently lonely, if anything sudden were to happen, it would cause immeasurable turbulence for Spain.

If the painstakingly stabilized Spain were to be plunged into civil war again, Prime Minister Prim would have nowhere to cry.

For the present Prime Minister Prim, the stability of Spain was highly preferred. No matter whom Carlo chose to marry, if it could extend the royal family, it would be a good affair.

Moreover, Grand Duchess Sophie’s identity and status were also beneficial for Spain’s development, making it even more advantageous.

Carlo was surprised to find that, besides preparing this wedding, he seemed to have nothing else to do.

All of Spain was wholeheartedly preparing for this wedding, with people eagerly anticipating the union between the royal families of Spain and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, making the wedding a focal point of attention across Spain.

Time quietly slipped away, as 1871 became history, and 1872 swiftly arrived.

On January 1, 1872, Carlo handed the letter he had long written to his subordinate, instructing them to send it to Grand Duchess Sophie in Vienna, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Time was fleeting; there was only one last month before Carlo’s wedding with Grand Duchess Sophie.

In February 1872, the wedding of Carlo and Grand Duchess Sophie would be held in Madrid, symbolizing the union of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Spain as new allies after the wedding.

Austria-Hungary also valued this wedding very much.

The Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph I made grand gestures, deploying both the army and navy for escort protection.

A troop of up to 5,000 soldiers would escort Grand Duchess Sophie and her party all the way from the Schönbrunn Palace to the southern port, then leave aboard a Spanish warship.

But that’s not all; during the fleet’s return to Spain, the Austro-Hungarian Navy would also accompany for protection, simultaneously showcasing the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s national strength to other countries.

Franz Joseph I’s actions weren’t without purpose. Since Austria was defeated by Prussia last time, the nation’s prestige had indeed suffered significant loss.

Even though the French were also defeated by Prussia subsequently, it still didn’t change some views of Austria-Hungary as already weakened.

Franz Joseph I did this to demonstrate the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s military prowess to other smaller European nations.

Let them understand thoroughly that although Austria-Hungary couldn’t beat the German Empire, it remained a far-off superpower compared to them.

The Five Great European Powers weren’t merely in name, and compared to the other lesser powers, Austria-Hungary still possessed the strength, remaining a formidable global force.

Of course, Austria-Hungary needed to inquire about Spain’s stance in advance before doing so. Since Austria-Hungary didn’t intend to flaunt power to Spain, in future times, Spain would continue being a crucial ally to Austria-Hungary.