Holy Roman Empire

After reviewing the materials, Franz had to admit that Frederick’s luck was truly unfortunate. There were very few suitable candidates for him, leaving almost no room for choice.

In the current international situation, the most suitable match for the Habsburg dynasty would have been the Russian royal family. Unfortunately, there were no princesses of an appropriate age.

Alexander II’s daughters were already married, and Alexander III’s daughters were still infants and whether they would even survive was uncertain. Frederick certainly couldn’t wait that long.

The French royal family also had no princesses, though that didn’t matter much. The House of Bonaparte wasn’t even on Franz’s radar.

As the bastion of conservatism, Austrian society would never accept a crown princess from an upstart background, nor would the Austrian nobility tolerate a woman of insufficiently noble blood becoming the wife of the crown prince.

The House of Bonaparte’s rise was too recent. Napoleon I had made too many enemies, and Napoleon III, being an elected emperor, challenged the traditional hereditary system.

To the legitimate European aristocracy, this was a breach of proper order. As a result, the House of Bonaparte was ostracized by Europe’s noble circles. Even at the height of the French Empire’s power, they were never fully accepted into the main circle.

The Habsburg dynasty, as beneficiaries of the hereditary system, naturally opposed “outsiders” like the Bonaparte family.

Empress Helene asked, “Franz, who do you think among them is the best match for Frederick?”

Franz replied, “Let’s use the process of elimination. Any of Queen Victoria’s granddaughters or their descendants are out of the question.”

There's no avoiding it since hemophilia is not something to be trifled with. In the original timeline, the decline of European monarchies wasn’t solely due to the World Wars. Hemophilia was also a significant factor.

In this sense, Queen Victoria made a remarkable contribution to the republican movements in Europe. If not for hemophilia claiming many royal heirs, monarchies might not have declined so quickly.

Empress Helene asked with confusion, “Why?”

Franz patiently explained, “You’ve heard of the ‘royal disease,’ haven’t you?”

Helene nodded and replied, “I’ve heard of it. It’s said to be a dreadful curse upon the royal families.”

Franz shook his head and said, “It’s no curse. I had people investigate the patterns of this so-called royal disease in detail.

What’s interesting is that all those afflicted are male and are descendants of Queen Victoria, her daughters, or her granddaughters.

According to experts, the royal disease is a maternally inherited condition. Women carry the genetic defect, and it manifests in males.

From the data collected, the likelihood of the disease appearing is alarmingly high. For Frederick’s descendants’ sake, it’s better if we steer clear of those families.”

Helene, incredulous, asked, “How can that be? Is it something to do with the British...”

Franz said, “No, this is unlikely to be intentional. With the level of British medical knowledge, there’s no way they could control the spread of a virus.

Besides, what would they gain from it? If the royal families across Europe were all afflicted, wouldn’t they fear the rise of a unifying monarch who might consolidate the entire continent under one rule?”

The phrase “European royals are one big family” isn’t just a joke. Intermarriages among royal families are so intricate that having claims to multiple thrones is a standard occurrence.

The Habsburg dynasty is a prime example. If there were mass extinction events among Europe’s royal heirs, Franz might even find himself inheriting a few more crowns.

From a conspiracy theory perspective, whoever benefits most would be the prime suspect. By that logic, Franz thought he himself had a greater likelihood of being blamed than the British.

Seeing Empress Helene’s alarm, Franz reassured her, “All right, Helene, no need to panic. It’s just the royal disease. As long as we avoid it, there’s nothing to fear.”

After a while, Empress Helen calmed down and asked, “Do you think the British royal family knows about this?”

Franz shook his head, “I have no idea. But even if they do, I doubt anyone would talk about it publicly. Let’s not dwell on it. As long as it doesn’t affect us, let them deal with it. If we were to expose this secret, we’d make mortal enemies of the British royal family.”

Helene nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. She knew that if they uncovered this secret, they wouldn’t only offend the British royals. The other royal families affected by hemophilia might also resent them for not having revealed it earlier. That’s human nature, after all.

Under the pressure of the “royal disease,” the pool of candidates was instantly reduced by a quarter. One couldn’t help but marvel at how powerful the “Grandmother of Europe” truly was.

Franz said, “Next, we’ll eliminate those who are politically unsuitable. I’m more familiar with this area, so leave it to me!”

Politics is the most critical factor in royal marriages. Mishandling this aspect wouldn’t bring allies but trouble instead.

For example, while the Houses of Bourbon and Orléans have suitable princesses who are well-matched in status, Frederick cannot marry them.

If the Habsburg dynasty’s heir married into one of France’s former royal families, it would undoubtedly drive Napoleon IV to the brink. Such a union would directly threaten his rule.

Since Franz had no intention of restoring France’s former monarchy, there was no reason to invite unnecessary trouble.

Once the political factors were sorted out, the next consideration was status. The information wasn’t solely for Frederick but also for his three younger brothers.

Without waiting for Franz to speak, Empress Helene sorted the remaining candidates into two groups based on their rank. Frederick, as the crown prince, needed a wife who was perfectly matched in status which left very few options.

When Franz married Empress Helene, it was shortly after Austria annexed the Kingdom of Bavaria. To avoid appearing overly aggressive, the marriage served as a gesture of goodwill toward the Bavarian royal family.

This gesture was also intended to reassure the domestic nobility and the Bavarian people, easing their concerns.

In retrospect, the marriage proved highly successful. Everyone quickly settled down. The Bavarian royal family devoted themselves to managing the Kingdom of Lombardy, while the Bavarian populace accepted the change in monarch without resistance.

The current situation was clearly different. The remaining states within the empire were all well-behaved, and Franz had no intention of reallocating any thrones. Naturally, there was no need for Frederick to marry a princess from a side branch just to appease anyone.

If it were a princess from a direct line, that would be more acceptable. However, a princess from a side branch not only lacked the appropriate status but also offered minimal political benefit, making such a match meaningless.

With this in mind, the number of suitable candidates was reduced significantly. Among them, the British royal family accounted for half of the options. Crown Prince Edward’s three daughters were all on the list.

They were Princess Louise who was born in 1867, Princess Victoria who was born in 1868, and Princess Maud who was born in 1869.

(Author’s Note: Hemophilia carriers inherit the condition maternally.)

Looking at the information, Franz couldn’t help but be impressed. Having a child every year was a level of efficiency not easily achieved by most people.

Apart from being slightly young, these candidates met all other requirements. Politically, Britain and Austria were currently enjoying a honeymoon period. Despite occasional betrayals, the two nations remained allies.

Another strong candidate was Princess Sophia Maria Victoria of Baden, born in 1862 and now 15 years old.

She wasn’t just perfectly at the appropriate age. Politically, a marriage with her would strengthen Austria’s influence in the German Federal Empire.

Thus, it was almost certain that Frederick’s wife would be chosen between Princess Sophia Maria Victoria of Baden and Princess Louise of Britain.

Of course, there were still a few backup options, such as the daughters of Nicholas I of Montenegro, often referred to as the “Father-in-Law of Europe.” However, Montenegro’s small size and limited influence meant such matches lacked the political value required.

Empress Helene asked, “So it’s down to just two. Franz, who do you think is more suitable?”

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