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–If the Austro-Hungarian Empire still existed, 25- year old Ferdinand Habsburg would have been its ruler. Instead, he’s a race-car driver—

    The Schonbrunn Palace is a 1,441-room palace in Vienna, Austria, with manicured gardens, mazes, one of the world’s oldest zoos and one of the largest baroque orangeries. For Ferdinand Habsburg-Lothringen, it could have been his home.

    Ferdinand Habsburg is the 25-year-old heir apparent to the house of Habsburg-Lorraine. His great-grandfather, Charles I, was the last emperor of Austria and the king of Hungary. Before him, his ancestors presided over a vast global empire for more than 600 years.

    But in 1918, Austria became a republic and the Habsburgs were dethroned. Today, some members of the former royal family, like Ferdinand and his 22-year-old sister Gloria, are living in Austria just as ordinary citizens. Every once in a while, this can feel weird in a way that’s unique to the Habsburgs. “(At the palace) There is a bedroom that would have been mine if I was the crown prince,” he says. “The first time I visited, on a class trip when I was 14, I just thought, ‘I would never arrange my room like that.'”

    When Ferdinand Habsburg visits the Capuchin crypt in Vienna, the place where his grandparents lie and where he and his father, Karl Von Habsburg, will most likely be laid to rest, he has to pay the $10 entrance fee just like any other tourist. “It’s a little crazy,” he says, laughing. “It’s my lying place but I still have to pay to visit.”

    MONARCHY’S ROLE

    What most monarchs around the world do is walkabouts, tours and ribbon cuttings.

    Habsburg, however, has no palaces, crowns or golden carriages. But he has his titles: Archduke of Austria, the royal prince of Hungary, and would’ve been addressed as Imperial and Royal Highness if only Austrian law hadn’t made it illegal.

    He also has no role in the government or any position in the diplomatic power. Yet, he sometimes meets up with the Pope and represents the family at Vatican gatherings. He also moves around in some royal circles– “I know the royal family in Bulgaria quite well because my sister went to school with some” — but feels uncomfortable being part of others.

THE EXTENDED FAMILY

    Being a royal must have been hard work, Habsburg acknowledges. “My grandfather was the last crown prince. As a kid, he had to have all the training, which included learning ten languages. It’s all events and openings and hospital visits,” he says while acknowledging the happiness of his freedom. “I’m proud of my family and what they’ve done. But I get to live a different life.” He adds.

    Habsburg’s parents are divorced. He lives with his sister Gloria in Vienna, while another sister, Eleonore, lives in England with her husband. The Habsburgs- about 600 of them living today — try to keep in touch. “We have a WhatsApp group,” Hapsburg says. “I can travel anywhere in the world, and I text the group and say where I’m going and when, and there is a house I can stay at. It’s like a free Airbnb for us Hapsburgs.”

   SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

    Overall, Habsburg feels, he has a responsibility to serve people, whether it’s his family or the Europeans, in whichever way he can. He’s a race-car driver, participating in the FIA World Endurance Championship. As part of that, he has a campaign, ‘Drive Fast, Act Faster’, which encourages motor racing teams to reduce and offset their carbon emissions.

    His current team, WRT, has switched to green energy at its factory and uses fuel made from waste products of the wine industry. He’s also not second-guessing his family’s circumstances when he says.

    “I’ve had the privilege to grow up without that feeling of loss.” He adds.

    “My dad kind of gave me permission to enjoy it, all the history.”

   But does he wonder what it would be like if the empire had still existed? “It’s like, ‘Hmm, that would have been interesting,”‘ he says and concludes. “Then I go back to living my life.”

Such is life … so unpredictable.

Courtesy …  The New York Times

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By Kamlesh Tripathi

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Short stories, Book reviews and Articles published in Bhavan’s Journal: 1. Reality and Perception, 15.10.19; 2. Sending the Wrong Message, 31.5.20; 3. Eagle versus Scholars June, 15 & 20 2020; 4. Indica, 15.8.20; 5. The Story of King Chitraketu, August 31 2020; 6. Breaking Through the Chakravyuh, September 30 2020. 7. The Questioning Spouse, October 31, 2020; 8. Happy Days, November 15, 2020; 9. The Karma Cycle of Paddy and Wheat, December 15, 2020; 10. Power Vs Influence, January 31, 2021; 11. Three Refugees, March 15, 2021; 12. Rise and Fall of Ajatashatru, March 31, 2021; 13. Reformed Ruler, May 15, 2021; 14. A Lasting Name, May 31, 2021; 15. Are Animals Better Teachers? June 16, 2021; 16. Book Review: The Gram Swaraj, 1.7.21; 17. Right Age for Achievements, 15.7.21; 18. Big Things Have Small Beginnings, 15.8.21; 19. Where is Gangaridai?, 15.9.21; 20. Confront the Donkey Within You 30.9.21; 21. Know Your Strengths 15.10.21; 22. Poverty 15.11.21; 23. Top View 30.11.21; 24. The Bansuriwala 15.1.22; 25. Sale of Alaska 15.2.22; 26. The Dimasa Kingdom 28.2.22; 27. Buried Treasure 15.4.22; 28. The Kingdom of Pragjyotisha 30.4.22; 29. Who is more useful? 15.5.22; 30. The White Swan from Lake Mansarovar 30.6.22; 31. Bhool Bhulayya 15.9.22; 32. Good Karma 30.9.22; 33. Good Name vs Bad Name 15.10.22; 34. Uttarapath—The Grand Trunk Road 1.12.22; 35. When Gods Get Angry 1.1.23; 36. Holinshed’s Chronicles 15.1.23; 37. Theogony 15.2.23; 38. Poem: Mother 14.5.23

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