The Empress Carlota, a Belgian princess in Mexico

[marine2109]

The Empress Carlota, a Belgian princess in Mexico

La emperatriz Carlota, una princesa belga en México

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[LouisFerdinand]

When she first came to Mexico, Charlotte tried to take an active interest in her imperial duties. She toured the Yucatan and hosted charity events. Then she began to dislike Mexico City. She began to find it dirty and dangerous.

[LouisFerdinand]

This article http://www.reformation.org/maximilian-and-carlota.html declares: 
Carlota was the dominant personality in the marriage and had to persuade her husband to take the throne of Mexico?   

Do you believe this to be true?

[Curryong]

Well, of course the choice of Maximilian to be Emperor of Mexico had been Napoleon III's in his plan to establish Mexico as a sort of French fiefdom in the Americas backed by French troops, with Max as a puppet King. Like many of this Napoleon's plots circumstances overtook him and the scheme quickly unravelled.

Max had been Governor over the rapidly shrinking Hapsburg-ruled parts of Italy (not then of course a sovereign country) but he had finished with that and he and Charlotte were busy building a castle for their leisure time when this scheme was proposed. Max and his brother the Emperor Franz Josef both had great reservations but I do think that Charlotte pressed for it to come about.

She and Maximilian had been leading somewhat separate lives and were childless. He infected her with a sexually stransmitted disease after visiting brothels. She was, in her younger years, well-educated,  quite intellectual and capable of besting her husband in arguments, something I don't think he cared for.

However, her judgement wasn't good and she allowed herself to believe that she and Max would be able to lead good and useful lives in Mexico, among a people who wished for European influence. That was far from the truth and one of Napoleon's little tricks, but she fell for it and her husband allowed himself to be persuaded that it would be worthwhile. Franz Josef however insisted that he resign all his Austrian titles and ranks before they left.