"Thus Ended a Love" "Your majesty." "Your Majesty, it is 9 o'clock." "They are waiting for you in the Goblin room." "The Emperor's mother, his brothers, his sisters." "I am coming." "Her Majesty the Empress." "M. de Talleyrand" "Where is my son?" "The Emperor won't come." "I am charged to read out the Emperor's wishes." "His Majesty the Emperor Napoleon is forced to announce that his marriage to his beloved wife the Empress Josephine whom he owes 15 years of happiness" "is to be annulled." "The marriage is null and void, because at the civil marriage on the 19th Ventôse in the year 4, in today's calendar the 19th march 1796, no priest and no lawful witnesses were present, which had been necessary at the time according to the Republican laws," "but according to today's law is insufficient to confirm a valid marriage." "His Majesty the Emperor will pay the fine of 6 francs for having failed to summon witnesses." "His Majesty the Emperor wishes to ask the family council whether there are any objections?" "No objections." "I object." "I do." "The marriage is legal!" "I possess a lawful marriage certificate." "In 1804, his Eminence Cardinal Fesch has confirmed our civil marriage in church." "In this case, which has been anticipated... the marriage will be annulled for other reasons." "Her Majesty the Empress committed a forgery when submitting the marriage documents at the time, by claiming as year of birth 1767, and not as would have been correct, 1763, thus making herself four years younger, and concealing her real age before the husband," "which according to paragraph..." "You might as well annul all the marriages of Paris!" "Today we are satisfied with dissolving yours, Your Majesty." "I won't consent!" "I'll go to the Emperor!" "I won't let you chase me from the court!" "Josephine!" "You know as well as we all do:" "the Emperor doesn't chase you from the court." "The Emperor gets a divorce because he wants an heir." "He must have an heir to preserve the dynasty." "You, Josephine, are no longer... young enough to give him that heir." "That's why the Emperor is looking for another wife... for a mother of his son." "This son must continue the task... the Emperor has begun." "The Emperor's name can only live through his own son." "Do you want to refuse him this son?" "Do you want to refuse him this son?" "May I report to the Emperor now that Your Majesty consents to the divorce?" "Yes." "His Excellency, the Foreign Secretary Count Clemens Lothar Wenzel METTERNICH" " Vienna" "My task is done, now it's your turn." "Talleyrand" "Well, my dear Laurentz.." "you'll have to excuse me." "May I ask Your Excellency ... which orders Your Excellency wishes to wear on the portrait?" "Which orders?" "Well..." "Which orders?" "Let's take... the golden fleece." "The golden fleece?" "I beg your pardon, Your Excellency... you don't have that order." "Just paint it," "I'll be getting it soon." "Your Excellency, the Emperor's personal physician is here." "Say, Court Councilor..." "How are our marriageable Archduchesses?" "Excellent, Your Excellency, excellent." "First of all, there's the Archduchess Anna Therese... very delicious... very capricious... and she's 15 years old." "15 years?" "hmm." "She won't be up to her task yet." "Is that so?" "Then there's the Archduchess Sophie Charlotte." "No, she's already engaged." "That wouldn't be an obstacle." "Sophie Charlotte?" "Sophie Charlotte?" "Isn't she a bit tall?" "Yes, she's tall, 1.76." "Then she doesn't suit him." "Doesn't suit whom, Your Excellency?" "The man for whom she is destined." "Say... what about the little..." "Marie Louise?" "She's still down there in Hungary." "Yes I know." "What do they say about her?" "Your Excellency, she's turned out to be a most charming young girl... very delicious... very capricious... she plays the piano, she swims, paints, she speaks six languages:" "German, French, Italian..." "At the task for which I shall need her... languages aren't necessary." "The Emperor's personal physician." "Did you treat Her Imperial highness the Archduchess Marie Louise lately?" " I did." " Do you think her already capable of bearing children?" "Your Excellency!" "Your Excellency, I only treated Her Imperial highness because she had a cold." "Please answer my questions." "Everything indicates it." "The Archduchess is 19 years old... healthy, strong..." "Her mother had 13 children... her grandmother 17... the great-grandmother 26." "Thank you." "Take a dictation." "To M. de Talleyrand," "Prince of Beneventum, Duke of Dino, etc..." "I have the great honour to inform you... that our august monarch, the Emperor Franz of Austria... will consent to a marriage with your sovereign, the Emperor Napoleon..." "But Your Excellency!" "The Emperor doesn't know anything about it yet!" "For the supreme destination, to become the future wife... of your sovereign, my august monarch... has chosen his eldest daughter, the Archduchess Marie Louise." "Come on, Anaranka!" "So, seven of diamonds next to the ace of spades:" "that means, seven days after full moon something will happen... but not the expected... but the contrary." "The jack of hearts, a slim young officer... he races along the highroad." "That's bad!" "Why?" "What is it?" "He won't come... the slim young officer." "Ferdinand!" "Franz Karl!" "We're acting the battle of Aspern and nobody wants to be Napoleon!" "Marie Louise, you'll be Napoleon." "Soldiers!" "Austrians!" "The battle of Aspern has been won, Napoleon has been defeated for the first time." "and then he defeated and destroyed us at Wagram..." "But your majesty!" "... entered Vienna with his troops ... and dictated to us the most humiliating peace." "Calm yourself, Mama." "You know it's bad for you to keep on talking about it." "The way it sounds... when you call me "Mama", Louise." "I can't get used to it." "But you're now my father's wife." "All the same, just call me Luigia... like you used to." "Alright, Luigia." "But you must be well-behaved, and not always think about that Napoleon." "Day and night I think about him." "And we all should think about him day and night... about what he has done to us..." "Luigia, but we are at peace with him now." "Peace?" "Which peace!" "Why can't we return to Vienna then?" "Why do we still have to hide out here in Hungary?" "It's because war isn't over yet!" "Because the thunderstorm can break out again any minute!" "You'll see, they'll call us back to Vienna very soon... and we'll be home again." "It'll all turn out well." "The father will arrange it, the Emperor." "Your Excellency, your Excellency!" "What's the matter?" "Why are you so upset?" "His Majesty the Emperor!" "In person!" "Gentlemen, I repeat, in all cabinet bulletins, stress our good relations with France." "Thank you." "You know why I'm here," "Metternich." "Yes Your Majesty, I know." "How could you!" "A member of the Austrian Imperial family and that lawyer's son from Corsica!" "Your Majesty, after five French campaigns against Austria which had all, if I may remind Your Majesty... ended with a victory for France... the differences in rank between the Bonaparte family and the Imperial Habsburg dynasty are negligible." "But I promised Marie Louise... that she can marry after her own free will." "I would like to keep that promise, Metternich." "Your Majesty, it is Napoleon's wish to take for a wife a Habsburg princess." "He wants to unite his young fame with the old traditions of your august house." "If the alliance won't take place... we'll have war in Europe again next year." "And how that war will end... everyone can guess." "Your Majesty, Napoleon's offer is no proposal for marriage... but an ultimatum!" "If you were an Austrian... you could never have advised me to this marriage!" "Your Majesty, in this matter I am no Austrian.... and no Rhinelander... but a European!" "But the two don't suit each other, the Bonaparte and my Marie Louise." "He's at least 20 years older than the girl." "Your Majesty, Napoleon is 41, the Archduchess 19." "I don't think the difference of age is that tragic... if Your Majesty would be so kind as to consider... it's the same age difference as... as between myself and my second wife..." "That's what you mean, isn't it?" "I know very well that I'm an old fool." "You don't have to remind me of it." "May I have your decision, Your Majesty?" "Decision!" "Do I still have anything to decide?" "You know, Metternich, you talk to my daughter." "But Your Majesty!" "Tell her the whole truth." "She herself shall decide." "But Your Majesty, I cannot discuss it with the Archduchess, she's still half a child!" "If she's old enough to become the mother of Bonaparte's children... she'll be old enough to talk about it." "But Your Majesty, please consider... the Archduchess will never consent of her own free will!" "She's totally under the influence of Her Majesty, the Empress." "And the Empress hates Napoleon most of all people on this world!" "How could I fight this overwhelming influence?" "That's your affair, Metternich... since you're such a diplomat." "This doesn't look good, Your Excellency." "Say, dear Court Councilor... is the Empress' brother, the Duke of Modena, in Vienna right now?" "Of course he's in Vienna." "I see." "And you don't happen to know... where he might be staying at the moment?" "Your Excellency..." "Where else could he be staying!" "Maestro, I've an idea." "Prego prego, your Imperial Highness." "I think the whole finale could be made more exciting if you could arrange it that way, when... the whole ensemble... all the ladies... an arabesque to the right, an arabesque to the left then a chassé croisé... let's try it out, ladies, shall we ..." "You see, they're forming a corridor, and now through that corridor, from backstage the primadonna enters... elegant, gracious, pliable, as always, I think it can be very effective." "Certainly, Your Imperial Highness." "Let's try it again." "Good morning, Duke of Modena." "Your Excellency." "You here?" "Yes, by accident... en passant." "You've picked yourself a charming occupation." "What else can an abdicated duke do?" "I no longer have any regiments, so..." "I order about these..." "Very delicious!" "Very capricious!" "Tell me, Your Excellency, how is my affair?" "Bad, my dear, bad." "Napoleon has occupied your dukedom and doesn't think of a restitution." "What's going to become of me?" "Between us, Your Excellency..." "I am totally broke." "You are suffering from the Austrian malady, my dear." "Don't you know a remedy?" "I do." "I know a remedy." "Yes?" "One makes a large loan." "But Your Excellency!" "Who would give a loan to a ballet master?" "I would." "You, Your Excellency?" "Just contact my banker." "I have taken the liberty to transfer a larger sum to you." "Your Excellency, you are my savior!" "Once I've regained my dukedom you can ask any service of me in return." "I'm afraid I'll have to ask for it earlier than that." "You would do me a big favour... if you could occasionally visit your sister, the Empress, in Hungary." "In Hungary?" "My sister?" "Yes, it's a beautiful place... you could stay a few days on a visit... and it would be most suitable if you looked up your suffering sister, wouldn't it?" "Yes yes" "Besides, you'll meet there the future Empress of France." "Whom?" "The future Empress of France." "The Archduchess Marie Louise." "Marie Louise?" "little Marie Louise is... the future Empress of France." "Didn't you know?" "No idea." "Really?" "Does Marie Louise already know?" "Of course not." "And she isn't to learn yet about the high destination assigned to her." "Your Excellency..." "I don't think I'm wrong in supposing... that it isn't only for family reasons that you... encourage me to this voyage to Hungary?" "You are right, there are diplomatic reasons involved too." "I would like you to to make a bit of propaganda in Hungary." "Propaganda for..." "Napoleon." "For Napoleon?" "I?" "Yes." "Wouldn't that be a bit strange?" "that I of all people... for Napoleon since he took away everything from me..." "No no, you are the right man for it." "As guest in the palace, you can unobtrusively and discreetly... influence the Archduchess." "You see, the decision of her marriage with Napoleon is... irrevocable." "Only one must prepare the little Marie Louise in a careful way." "I rely entirely on your well-known intuition and tact." "Alright, I'll go to Hungary... if you think so, Your Excellency... to Marie Louise." "It's not an agreeable mission." "And give us today our daily bread." "And forgive us our trespasses." "As we forgive those who trespass against us." "And lead us not into temptation," "But deliver us from evil." "And from the Emperor Napoleon." "Amen" "What's going on there outside?" "Your Majesty," "I beg your pardon, a messenger has arrived." "His Imperial Highness the Duke of Modena is on his way." "He'll arrive any moment." "What?" "The Franz?" "But that's not possible!" "What on earth made him come here all of a sudden... from Vienna?" "Hurrah!" "From Vienna!" "The Franzl!" "I wonder what has happened... that he remembers his sister so suddenly?" "I don't know, Your Majesty." "after such a long time..." "Maybe he had to leave because of his debts?" "Or because of his eternal love affairs?" "What do you think, Marie Louise?" "Why has he come here so suddenly?" "Marie Louise!" "Why did he come here so suddenly?" "Well, I don't know." "I can't tell you the reason." "Annika!" "I have to change." "Be quick!" "Annika, burn your cards!" "He's coming." "Franz!" "Luigia!" "Franz, what a surprise!" "I am so glad!" "Be quick, Aranka!" "Why did you come all of a sudden?" "I thought it a good idea to look after my suffering sister." "That's sweet of you." "The children." "I think I'll have to present them, you'll hardly recognize them." "That's Ferdinand." " God bless you, Franzl." " Servus, Ferdl." "That's Leopoldine." " God bless you, Franzl." " Servus, Poldi." "Wipe your nose, Ferdl!" "Aren't you ashamed, the Austrian crown prince with a snotty nose!" "This is Maria Clementine." "God bless you, Franz." "Kiss your hand, Maria Clementine." "Ready?" "And that's Maria Anna." "God bless you, Maria Anna." "Did you bring us a present?" "Marie Louise!" "God bless you, Franzl." "Won't you shake hands?" "Upon my soul ..." "I wouldn't have recognized you." "I kiss your hand, Marie Louise." "Did you think I'd stay the little Pamperlitsch forever?" "Like I used to... when we saw each other the last time?" "You've become a real lady." "You've turned out well too, Franzl." "It suits you, the uniform." "Come on children, you must go to bed now." "How children have grown up." "Well, time flies... doesn't it?" "It's nice here... very nice... really pretty..." "We haven't seen each other for a long time, Marie Louise." "On the 29th June it'll be four years." "Do you know where we met the last time?" "Of course, it had been..." "At the family ball, at Schönbrunn." "At Schönbrunn, right." "We danced." "But you were my first dance partner." "I know, I know." "As your eldest cousin I led you to the dance... by the way, we are no longer cousins... since your father married my sister." "Now we are..." "what are we?" "I am your niece, you are my uncle." "You are my niece, I am the uncle, right." "Don't you want to kiss your old uncle?" "With pleasure." "I knew it... that you would keep your promise." "Marie Louise..." "I'll always think of you..." "I promise... and one day I'll come... and I'll fetch you." "Will you wait for me?" "Yes, I'll wait for you." "Good morning, Marie Louise." "Good morning, Franzl." "Do sit down.." "and talk." "We are terribly curious about the news." "News?" "Well..." "What news could there be?" "How is the Emperor?" "He writes so rarely, and... what's going on in Vienna?" "Can't we return yet?" "Well, I think... you'll be able to return soon now." "The danger of war has passed completely and besides... everything's as usual in Vienna." "The newspapers rail against the students... the students rail against the military and the bourgeoisie... and on Sunday they all sit together in the wine-gardens... and rail against Metternich." "Yes, the Metternich..." "Is he still the big master?" "yes yes" "He too has his worries nowadays... with the Prussians, with the Russians and... and of course with Napoleon." "You know that Napoleon got a divorce, don't you?" "From Josephine." "What are you saying?" "He got a divorce?" "That's just like him!" "Now that's he's on top of everything... he abandons the wife with whom he'd been united for 15 years." "You mustn't say that, Luigia." "Napoleon behaved like a perfect gentleman in this affair:" "he showered Josephine with riches... he gave her the Elysée for her residence..." "Malmaison as country estate..." "Navarra for a hunting place... he allowed her 3 million yearly apanage ..." "I don't understand you, Franzl!" "You even find excuses for him?" "Because he gave her palaces and money?" "He hasn't given her just that." "He gave her his tears too." "After the divorce, Napoleon shut himself in his room and cried." "He sent flowers and love letters to Josephine daily." "Why did he get a divorce then... if he still loved her?" "Because he... because he'll take another wife, a... a younger woman, who can give him that which... which Josephine cannot give him any more." "And who'll be his new wife?" "Some princess... of some European dynasty." "She'll be the first lady of all Europe..." "Napoleon will lay the world at her feet, he'll cover her with all the treasures of this world, he'll carry her on his hands, he'll adore her, she'll be the mother of the future Emperor of France," "a great and powerful Empress." "Poor new Empress." "What's the matter with him?" "Franzl?" "Please stay!" "What was the matter?" "Why did you run away so suddenly?" "Do you regret already that you have come?" "Well..." "Why should I regret it, Marie Louise?" "You mustn't be angry because of last night." "I had been just..." "Look here, Franzl..." "I've waited for you for so long... and when you were really here..." "I was crazy with happiness... with joy that you haven't forgotten your promise." "Marie Louise..." "I must tell you something." "I know what you are going to say." "I know you have been reckless... made acquaintances with such... actresses ... ballet girls, but that doesn't mean anything ..." "A young man has to enjoy life." "And it's so beautiful... that you're here and everything is just like on the day ..." "Marie Louise... what we have told each other at the time in Schönbrunn... that had certainly been very beautiful." "But after all we both were quite young at the time." "And today..." "What is today?" "Today everything has changed." "Why?" "Listen, Marie Louise:" "I am a duke without an office, without a dukedom." "You are the Austrian Emperor's daughter." "It isn't just for the two of us to decide..." "And it might be possible that your father... had certain plans with you..." "Father doesn't have plans with me." "But maybe he has." "And you wouldn't know about them." "Listen, Marie Louise." "I just told you... that Napoleon will take a princess for his wife." "It might be possible that... that you have been chosen." "What a silly idea, Franz!" "I would never be chosen for anything like that!" "But how can you be so sure?" "Because Father has promised me... that I can marry the man..." "I chose." "And whom I chose... that you know." "Or is it that you don't want me?" "No, I want you." "No matter what'll become of it." "Herr von Metternich reporting." "He may come in." "May I inform Your Majesty about the agreement between myself and the Paris cabinet regarding the wedding ceremonies?" "Please." "The wedding will take place on the 11th March in the court chapel of St. August." "The service will be conducted by His Eminence the Prince Archbishop of Vienna with greatest ecclesiastic attendance." "Since the august bridegroom, His Majesty the Emperor Napoleon... cannot be present in person at the wedding ceremony in Vienna... the Paris cabinet asks us for candidates... who might lead the bride to the altar as proxy." "I suggest one of the cousins of Her Imperial Highness the Archduchess Marie Louise." " Perhaps the Duke Franz of Modena?" " No!" "Please suggest another candidate." "Whom would like to appoint, Your Majesty?" "Anybody else, but not the Modena." "Then I suggest His Imperial Highness the Archduke Karl to act as bridegroom proxy." "As you please." "May I ask for Your Majesty's approval of the protocol?" "Thank you, Your Majesty." "Your Majesty has today received a letter from the Empress from Hungary." "May I humbly ask whether the letter contains anything of importance, regarding myself?" "So, you have even me watched by your spies..." "Herr von Metternich?" "It is my duty, as bestowed upon me by Your Majesty, to be informed about everything in Austria." "Thank you." "May I humbly ask Your Majesty... what your majesty intends to answer to this letter?" "The truth." "The children must stay downstairs, no one must come up!" "I'll tell them." "What's the matter?" "Why are you so upset?" "The Empress had a severe attack." "Good Heavens!" "Who is with her?" "You mustn't go in, Your Imperial Highness!" "The doctor is with her." "How on earth did it happen?" "She had been feeling so well last night." "Late last night an express messenger arrived from Vienna." "Afterwards Her Majesty had a long talk with her brother." "With the Duke of Modena?" "Yes." "Her Majesty was terribly upset." "Here, take it away." "Have you seen the Duke of Modena?" "Your Imperial Highness... the Duke has left for Vienna." "For Vienna?" "Yes." "After his talk with the Empress he jumped on his horse and rode off." "The fever is very high, Your Imperial Highness... but hopefully it'll drop soon." "Her Majesty must have had very bad news." "There couldn't be any other explanation for this sudden attack." "Luigia!" "Marie Louise..." "I'm here, Luigia." "No!" "No!" "I don't want it!" "I don't want it!" "I don't want it!" "Napoleon..." "Napoleon... with Marie Louise..." "Napoleon..." "No!" "No!" "I don't want it!" "Napoleon!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "Your Majesty!" "Jesus Maria!" "You must arrange the audience, Count!" "I've been in the saddle for 24 hours." "I must speak with His Majesty at once!" "But your Imperial Highness, it's late." "And others have been waiting longer." "You haven't even an appointment, I can't possible let you pass through." "Announce me to His Majesty at once!" "I must return to Hungary today." "What I have to tell the Emperor is at least as important as what those gentlemen over there have to say." "Your Imperial Highness, impossible!" "If you will excuse me..." "Count!" "If I don't stand before the Emperor within a few minutes... then something will happen you haven't seen in your wildest dreams!" "I will run through the city streets," "I'll scream into anybody's face... that you all want to barter away a young girl... that Metternich has trapped the Emperor... because that genius of a diplomat has no better idea to save Europe's peace... than through the sacrifice of a young and innocent woman." "We'll see if the whole town won't be talking about it then, just like we do now!" "Will you announce me to His Majesty now?" "Let's start..." "I beg Your Majesty's pardon..." "His Imperial Highness the Duke of Modena is here... and humbly asks to be received." "The Modena?" "Let him wait." "Are there any news from Hungary?" "From Metternich?" "No Your Majesty." "There couldn't possibly be any news yet." "Her Imperial Highness." "Herr von Metternich?" "You've come to tell me that I have to be the Empress of France." "Your Imperial Highness is wrong." "I've come to ask you... whether you want to be the Empress of France." "This is not the moment for diplomatic conversation." "I ask you to tell me what they demand of me." "Only, Your Imperial Highness, what you are ready to do of your own free will." "I emphasize:" "of your own free will!" "Herr von Metternich, of my own free will...." "I shall remain an Austrian... and marry the man..." "I love... and who loves me." "I thank your Imperial Highness for this answer... and I'll hurry back to Vienna... to inform your father of your decision." "May I ask for your permission... to take leave?" "Herr von Metternich!" "One moment please." "And what is my father's wish?" "His Majesty your father... only wishes to come to a decision... regarding the inquiry of the Paris cabinet... whether your Imperial Highness would be willing... to become Napoleon's wife." "It really is just a question or your saying "yes", Your Imperial Highness... or... your "no"." "And what will happen if I say no?" "Well, then... then Napoleon will declare war on your father for the sixth time, because he'd never accept a refusal of his courtship, never!" "That sixth war would mean the certain end of the Habsburg dynasty in Austria." "An empire which has existed hundreds of years would cease to exist, be reduced to a minor French province." "And all this because a young Archduchess in love... said "no"." "I can't, Herr von Metternich!" "I can't do it, Herr Metternich!" "I belong to another." "The Duke of Modena." "You've come in a personal matter, Franz?" "Yes Your Majesty." "You've been in Hungary?" "Yes Your Majesty." "And you've seen my children?" "Yes Your Majesty." "And you've seen Marie Louise?" "Yes Your Majesty." "You love Marie Louise?" "Yes Your Majesty." "You know what she is destined for?" "Yes Your Majesty." "Be reasonable, Franz!" "You know our house's history." "The way you're crying here with me... at all times an Austrian princess has been crying... and again and again a heartless minister stood before her... and had to tell her:" "there is no other way!" "there is no other way!" "Napoleon is the ruler of the world today, and your father is a beggar with a crown." "He has nothing else to oppose the mighty French Emperor but the old motto of his house:" "bella gerant alii tu felix Austria nube!" "Let others fight wars." " You, happy Austria..." " Marry!" "Herr von Metternich... tell my father..." "I am his obedient daughter and agree to become the Emperor Napoleon's wife" "Do you have anything else to tell me now, Franz?" "No Your Majesty." "From Paris, for you." "I'll fetch you when it's time." "Read it." "You've always spoken for him... for Napoleon." "Go on, read it" "To Her Imperial Highness, the Archduchess Marie Louise" "The brilliant qualities which adorn your person have confirmed me in my wish to serve you and honour you by addressing myself to the Emperor, your august father, to ask him to entrust his daughter's happiness to me." "I can only hope, that the feelings accompanying this request may touch you in an agreeable way." "May I flatter myself that you consent not only in obedience to your parents?" "If Your Imperial Highness has only the slightest feelings of sympathy for me" "I will cultivate them with much devotion and undertake the trouble to please you in everything till one day I will have gained your love." "This aim I have set myself." "I ask your Imperial Highness to be gracious with me." "Napoleon" "He's taken so much away from me." "Why should he let me keep you?" "May I ask you something, Franz?" "Did you know about it?" "Before you came to Hungary... that I..." "Yes." "Then I thank you... for the few beautiful days you gave to me." "They were the most beautiful days of my life." "You, happy Austria, marry!" "With that motto you won't fraternize countries, Herr von Metternich... and give eternal peace to the world." "Bear your cross." "Thus Ended a Love" "Subtitles by serdar202"