Maximilian of Habsburg and his wife Carlota disembarked from the frigate Novara, in the port of Veracruz.

Maximilian of Habsburg was the second emperor of Mexico. He arrived in the country after the French invasion for the second time, in the early 1960s.

Was the On May 28, 1864, when Maximilian and his wife, Empress Charlotte, they arrived at the port of Veracruz. The reception by the people of the port was not the best, because very few people witnessed the arrival of European monarchs.

In the book I will say goodbye to the gentlemen, daily life in the time of Maximilian and CarlotaFrom the writer Orlando Ortiz, It is explained that on May 28, at 5:30 a.m., the imperial couple disembarked from the frigate Novara. They say that at this dawn, the emperor wore Black tailcoat, white pants, waistcoat of the same color and black tie. The entourage wore clothes similar to those of the prince, and with him they went to the tedeum they offered him in the parish of Puerto Jarocho. Later, before boarding a train that would take them to their next destination, he wore a white suit.

“The reception had been alarmingly cold, despite the fact that the city must have been happy and excited to receive Their Majesties by order of supreme authority,” reads the book. Also, it is highlighted Carlota was reportedly upset because the ladies of the town did not show up to honor her.

The emperors and their entourage were afraid of contracting one of the diseases characteristic of the unhealthy climate of Veracruz, so they remained in the port the time necessary to comply with the formalities.

The princes brushed off the fact that coastal authorities had spent more than 23 thousand pesos to give a “cat’s hand” to the municipal palace, in addition to a heavy outlay to subsidize decorations, pay for banquets, dances, and other activities intended to entertain the emperors for two days. According to Ortiz’s book, the reception budget added, in total, 54 thousand 954 pesos.

By penetrating into Mexican territory, the emperor won the sympathy of certain sectors of the population, in addition, other sectors, such as the natives, were forced by the priests of the city to Go see the emperors pass by.

The establishment of the establishment of the Second Empire of Mexico. “A year in advance – before Maximilian accepted the throne – and with uncommon skill, a campaign of “product launch” which has generated an expectation among potential consumers”. This was done by positioning it as the ideal and almost divine marriage; she possessed a singular beauty, while Maximiliano was handsome and intelligent, but if that wasn’t enough, both were “really” European princesthat is to say, by birth, and not by having purchased the title, as was the case with certain specimens of the native aristocracy.

Maximiliano and Carlota's empire in Mexico extended from 1864 to 1867 (Image from the book "Photography under the empire of Maximilian)
Maximiliano and Carlota’s empire in Mexico extended from 1864 to 1867 (Image taken from the book “La photographie sous l’empire de Maximiliano)

But if the said strategy perfectly covered the profile of a group in society, its effectiveness could not be extended to others by irradiation or by carom effect. For the middle and lower strata of the population, the news and background of their majesties was not enough, they needed another motivation. For this reason, the rumor began to spread that, in Orizaba and Puebla, the Archduke and Princess, owing to the excitement of being well received, habThey threw many gold coins into the jubilant crowd, “handfuls and more handfuls of gold”.

For the inhabitants of the capital, this argument proved to be a strong incentive, and many came to the arrival of the emperors in the hope that Maximilian and Carlota, once again excited by the good reception, would throw gold coins, something they did not arrive.

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