Above: Maria (Mizzi) Caspar (detail).

Source: Wikipemedia Commons.

3. Rudolf and Women (continued)

As with everyone else involved in the Mayerling drama there was no shortage of gossip and rumour surrounding Mizzi (or Mizi, or Mitzi) Caspar (or Kaspar). In 1963 author Walter Hummelberger set himself the task of finding out the truth about Maria Caspar (her real name) but he came away baffled. "It soon became clear that nothing truly verifiable was known about Maria Caspar" (Hummelberger 277).

She was often described as an actress, but Hummelberger could find no evidence that she had ever performed on the stage. Mizzi's niece confirmed that her aunt had no theatrical career.

It was also claimed that Mizzi was a model for many painters but Hummelberger could find no paintings or drawings of her, nor has any evidence, pictorial or otherwise, appeared since Hummelberger's time to suggest that Mizzi was ever an artist's model.

The only authenticated portrait of Mizzi is the photograph found among Rudolf's effects and verified by Mizzi's niece.

All that we know for certain is that Mizzi had a long-term relationship with Rudolf. She often accompanied him on his outings in Vienna and even on his trips to inspect military units elsewhere in the empire, the only official role that Franz Josef allowed him.

We do not know when and where Mizzi was born, but Hummelberger discovered that she applied for Austrian citizenship in February, 1889 and was granted it the following November.

In 1886 she purchased a house worth 60,000 florins, presumably financed by Rudolf. In one of his last letters Rudolf bequeathed her 30,000 florins and he may have left her more money through a secret arrangement with his friend and financial advisor, Baron Moritz von Hirsch.

Mizzi died on January 28, 1907. There were no published obituaries