The last photograph taken of Baroness Mary Vetsera (R). This is the dress in which she was buried. On the (L) is Countess Marie Larisch, a go-between for Mary and Rudolf.

Mary Freiin von Vetsera, (Baroness Mary von Vetsera), (March 19, 1871–January 30, 1889) was Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria's mistress, the daughter of Baron Alban Vetsera, a diplomat in foreign service at the Austrian court, and his wife Helene Baltazzi. The two lovers were found dead under mysterious circumstances at Emperor Franz Joseph's hunting lodge, (the incident is known as Mayerling, after the name of the lodge.) Download high resolution version (541x629, 312 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (541x629, 312 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Marie Louise, Countess Larisch von Moennich, niece and confidante of Empress Sisi, was born Marie Louise Elizabeth Mendel on 24 February 1858 at Augsburg, the illegitimate daughter of Ludwig Wilhelm, Duke in Bavaria (1831-1920) and actress Henrietta Mendel (1833-1891). ... March 19 is the 78th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (79th in leap years). ... 1871 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1889 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria (21 August 1858 - 30 January 1889) was the son and heir of Emperor Franz Josef of Austria and Elisabeth of Austria. ... Franz Joseph I Franz Joseph (in English also Francis Joseph) (August 18, 1830 - November 21, 1916) of the Habsburg Dynasty was Emperor of Austria and King of Bohemia from 1848 until 1916 and King of Hungary from 1867 until 1916. ... Mayerling is a hunting lodge in Lower Austria, where on January 30, 1889 Archduke Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria, only son of Emperor Franz Joseph and Elisabeth and heir to the Austro-Hungarian crown, was found dead with his mistress Baroness Marie Vetsera, apparently as a result of suicide. ...

It has been variously claimed that she was killed by Crown Prince Rudolf, who then killed himself; that they both killed themselves; that they killed one another; that the two of them were murdered; and that she either was or was not pregnant at the time of her death.

Her body was spirited out of Mayerling and interred in the Cistercian monastery at Heiligenkreuz. Helmut Flatzelsteiner exhumed her body (without permission); she was reinterred in her original grave in October 1993. Cistercians (OCist) (Latin Cistercenses), otherwise Gimey or White Monks (from the colour of the habit, over which is worn a black Catholic order of monks. ...

Notes

• Note regarding personal names: Freiin is a title, usually translated Baroness, not a first or middle name.