Grim Facts About Mary Vetsera, The Doomed Mistress
Mary Vetsera was a noblewoman from an ambitious family that had grand intentions of climbing the Austro-Hungarian social ladder. A hopeless romantic, Mary herself would embrace her family’s dreams as her own.
Only, instead of a happily ever after, she met a tragic and grisly end.
1. Her Parents Had A Scandalous Backstory
Mary Vetsera was born in the Austro-Hungarian Empire on March 19, 1871. Her parents were new-money wealthy...even though her father had been her orphaned mother's guardian as she grew up. Unfortunately, this messed-up romance was just the beginning of Mary's tragic luck in love.
2. Her Mother Was A Social Climber
Mary's mother Eleni had one goal in life: social climbing. She was endlessly embarrassed of her new-money status, and insisted that her daughters act as high-class as possible.
As such, Mary grew up in an incredibly strict household where manners and “properness” were rigorously enforced, closely mirroring the stuffy Austrian royal court at the time. But that wasn't all.
3. She Was A Pawn
Mary's mother didn't stop at good manners; she also wanted her daughters to marry into a higher class, thus giving the family more credibility. This goal turned desperate overnight. Although Mary had an older brother, Laci, who could have helped the family name in forging a diplomatic career, he perished in 1881, leaving the family with only daughters to focus on.
Her mother wasted no time turning Mary into the perfect bride-to-be.
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4. She Was The Perfect Bride
Mary’s mother’s ambitions for her daughters stretched even into their schooling. Mary received her education at a Viennese convent, the Institute for the Daughters of the Nobility.
As its name might suggest, the young girls in attendance learned manners and etiquette in preparation to become the wives of noblemen.
But when Mary got out of the school, the real gauntlet began.
