Archduchess Mathilde of Austria: A Beautiful Princess and her Tragic Death

Princess Mathilde of Austria. Images from Wikimedia Commons

Mathilde Marie Adelgunde Alexandra was born on January 25, 1849 in Vienna, Austria, the second daughter and third child of Archduke Albert, Duke of Teschen, and his wife Princess Hildegard of Bavaria. Mathilde’s family was close to the Imperial family, her mother, Princess Hildegard of Bavaria, being Empress Elisabeth’s cousin. She also maintained a circle of close friends, which included Archduchess Marie Therese, who would later become Queen of Bavaria.

A distant cousin of the Italian Habsburg line, Archduke Ludwig Salvator, fell in love with Mathilde and wanted to marry her, but an engagement never materialized. Very little is known about the life of Archduchess Mathilde, but it seems she showed interest in both the arts and science. She visited the theatre, galleries and art exhibitions. It was before one such visit that tragedy struck.

Mathilde was on her way to become the wife of Umberto of Savoy and eventually become Queen of Italy, however an unfortunate event got in the way of the anticipated union. On May 22, 1867, the family was getting ready to attend a gala night at the theater when Mathilde’s gauze dress caught fire after allegedly hiding a cigarette from her disapproving father.  By the time the fire was put out, the archduchess already had second to third degree burns on her neck, arms, back, and legs.

An article published on Harper’s Weekly and quoted by Moniek Bloks, narrates what happened that tragic evening:

On the 22d of May, as she was standing at a window in the palace in Vienna, talking with her young cousin the Archduke Frederick, she suddenly felt a burning heat, and screamed out. Her attendants hastened toward her, and perceived that the unfortunate lady was in flames. From some cause unknown, for it is said there was neither fire nor light in the room, her clothes had taken fire, and her back, arm, neck, and the lower extremities were seriously burned before the flames could be extinguished. It was supposed that she must have trodden on a match which had been carelessly dropped on the floor. At the same time of the accident the worst results were apprehended, in consequence of the inflammation that supervened, but a few days later it was announced that the unfavourable symptoms were subsiding, and hopes of her recovery were entertained. The prolonged suffering was, however, too much for her system, and she expired on June 6, at eight o’clock.

Mathilde initially survived the burns, but since treatment for such a case was not as available as it is today, she succumbed to her injuries on June 6, 1867. She was just 18 years old. Her remains were buried in the Imperial Crypt beside her mother and brother.