Austria (Empress of)

Empress Elisabeth, wife of Franz Joseph, Emperor of Austria, who on 10 September 1898 fell dead under the treacherous dagger blow of the anarchist Lucheni, first visited Madeira in 1860 and stayed on the island for about five months. Her doctors had advised her to seek a temperate climate in which to spend the winter, where she could also escape for a while the burdens of the demanding etiquette of the court and so make a complete recovery of her shaken health. Funchal was the resort chosen for this purpose, and the house preferred for her residence was the Quinta Vigia (‘lookout estate’). With its enviable situation, beautiful gardens, commanding position above the sea and fine view over the whole amphitheatre of the city, it was considered one of the most splendid residences in Madeira.

On 29 November 1860, at about six in the morning, the steamer Victoria & Albert, the property of Queen Victoria of England, entered the harbour of Funchal with the Empress of Austria on board.

As she had expressed the wish that her landing should take place without any ceremony, it lacked the brilliance and grandeur that the local authorities had wished to give it. Even so, the illustrious visitor received all the military honours and the other official marks of respect required on such occasions. The senior authorities of the district went aboard the Victoria & Albert to present their compliments and welcome to the empress, and they accompanied her to her residence. The landing took place at the Cais da Pontinha (‘little point’).

The empress was only 23 years old and was then in the full splendour of her great beauty and most radiant youth. This, together with her sublime virtues and her kind heart, deeply compassionate towards the unfortunate, aroused the greatest enthusiasm everywhere, and she was always the object of great demonstrations of esteem and affection.

On 7 December 1860 the Portuguese corvette Sagres anchored in our harbour, bringing the Count of Linhares, who had come to Madeira on behalf of Pedro V to greet the illustrious visitor.

On 17 April 1861 Prince Dom Luís, later King of Portugal, arrived in Funchal, charged by the monarch with accompanying the Empress on her departure from Portuguese territory. Dom Luís had come in the corvette Bartolomeu Dias, which he commanded, and on the 21st he gave a magnificent luncheon on board for Her Imperial Majesty.

Elisabeth of Austria embarked on 28 April on the same steamer that had brought her to this island. The Bartolomeu Dias, the steamer Osborne and an English warship sailed in company, escorting the Victoria & Albert as far as the port of Gibraltar.

Emperor Franz Joseph thanked the diocesan prelate, the civil governor, the president of the Council, the harbour master and the Austrian consul for the honours and other marks of esteem shown to his wife. A few years before her death, Empress Elisabeth visited this island again, by then already suffering from the mental disturbances that stayed with her to the end of her life.