Imperial Mexico

The arms of Emperor Agustin

Genealogical information on the present-day descendants of Agustín de Iturbide, the first Emperor of Mexico, is limited and seems to have been first published in the 1994 booklet The Imperial House of Mexico: The House of Iturbide which was compiled by Charles Mikos de Tarrodhaza, Teodoro Amcrlincky Zirion and David Williamson. This fact is recognised in the introduction which states:

 

“The ambition of the authors of this booklet is to set the genealogical table straight and to act as a source of record and reference for scholars who may wish to expand upon this neglected subject and dynasty.”

 

The genealogical information contained within the booklet has then been repeated countless times in various genealogical and news sources. Unfortunately, somehow various pieces of information in the 1994 booklet appear to be incorrect. Josef N Kunz and I have investigated the genealogy and attempt to present an accurate account of the Götzen-Iturbide family, the present-day heirs of Agustín de Iturbide.

 

The Imperial House of Mexico was founded by Don Agustín de Iturbide y Arámburu; born 27 September 1783, the leader and hero of Mexico's war of independence. He was proclaimed “by Divine Providence and by the Congress of the Nation, first Constitutional Emperor of Mexico" on 19 May 1822.

Emperor Agustin

On 22 June 1822 the Mexican Congress decreed that the crown was to be hereditary and specified the emperor’s eldest son Agustín Jerónimo de Iturbide y Huarte as heir apparent with the title Prince Imperial (Imperial Highness), the title Mexican Prince/Princess (Highness) was to be borne by the emperor’s other children, the title Prince of the Union (Highness) was bestowed on his father and Princess de Iturbide (Highness) on his sister. Emperor Agustín was crowned on 21 July 1822 at the Mexico City Cathedral before being forced to abdicate early the following year on 19 March 1823. After a period in exile in Europe he attempted to return to Mexico where he was captured and executed by firing squad on 19 July 1824. 

 

Forty years later with the French Army occupying Mexico, conservative and monarchist factions in the country sought to revive the monarchy under Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph of Austria who, having renounced for himself and any descendants all rights to the Austrian throne on 9 April 1864, formally accepted their offer of the throne of Mexico on 10 April 1864 as Maximiliano I, Emperor of Mexico.

 

On 16 September 1865 the Emperor Maximiliano signed a decree awarding the ad personam titles of Prince/Princess de Iturbide (Highness) to Don Agustín de Iturbide y Green and his cousin Don Salvador de Iturbide y Marzán, the two grandsons of Emperor Agustín, and to their aunt Dona Josefa de Iturbide y Huarte, the daughter of the late Emperor Agustín. The Emperor also assumed the guardianship of the two princes along with Princess Dona Josefa who was appointed co-guardian.

 

Emperor Maximiliano

Emperor Maximiliano was deposed by republican forces on 15 May 1867 and executed by firing squad on 19 June 1867. Upon his death the Mexican line of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine became extinct leaving the descendants of Emperor Agustín as the only possible heirs to the Mexican throne.

 

In 1867 the primogeniture Iturbide heir was the late Emperor’s ward, Prince Don Agustín de Iturbide y Green. Upon his death in 1925 the House of Iturbide became extinct in the male line, the next primogeniture heir was Maria Josepha Sophia de Iturbide, the eldest and only surviving daughter of Prince Don Salvador de Iturbide y Marzán. Via her first marriage to Baron Johann Tunkl von Aschbrunn und Hohenstadt she had two daughters both of whom carried the Iturbide surname, Maria Anna who never married, and Maria Gisella who had issue via her second marriage with Count Gustav von Götzen.

Prince Agustín de Iturbide y Green

Maria Gisella’s son Maximilian Gustav Richard Albrecht Augustin (known as Richard) is the current heir and carries the Iturbide name as part of his legal surname ‘Graf von Götzen-Iturbide’. In addition to the Iturbide heritage, he is also the senior member of Prussian line of von Gotzen’s who received the title of Count (German: Graf) in the Kingdom of Prussia on 3 May 1794 and later lived in Hungary. Richard studied economics at Oxford University and in 1975 first became involved in the stock markets going onto work for Drexel Burnham Lambert and Michael Laurie Securities. He moved to Hungary in 1989 where he established a property company and later served as chairman of Balanced Asset Management Ltd which was involved in the Hungarian and Central European stock markets. Richard has also written several books and articles on property and the stock markets.

 

Richard was married on 8 December 1998 at the West Surrey Register Office to Annette Rosemarie Radtke (born October 1966), a daughter of Joachim Kurt Richard Radtke. Annette worked as a language teacher and has also owned a health clinic in Budapest. The couple have two children Ferdinand Leopold Maximilian Gustav Salvator; born 26 August 1992 in Cologne, and Isabella Emanuela Helena Charlotte; born 9 September 1997 in Frimley.

  

Ferdinand studied history and political science at the University of Glasgow and European politics at the University of Maastricht and now works in internet marketing. Isabella studied at Leiden University and the Erasmus University Rotterdam.

 

The Götzen-Iturbide family live in Western Europe and do not use any titles, make any claims or participate in any events commemorating Mexico's imperial past. Nor have they ever spoken publicly about how they feel about their famous ancestor or his role in helping Mexico achieve independence. In terms of a national identity, Ferdinand von Götzen-Iturbide has  stated he identifies as being half British and half German, although he does acknowledge he comes from a very mixed background. In day-to-day life the family also tend to just use the surname ‘Götzen’.

Given the void this leaves, many modern-day Mexican monarchists look to Archduke Carlos Felipe of Austria, who was born and resides in Mexico, as the de facto representative and guardian of the imperial legacy of Mexico given he is active in raising awareness of the history of the Mexican Empire. Archduke Carlos Felipe is a descendant of Archduke Franz Karl of Austria, a brother of Emperor Maximiliano. 

 

Given their low profile several false photos purporting to be of Maximilian Gustav Richard Albrecht Augustin Graf von Götzen-Iturbide have appeared online and gained traction. One shows Matthew Festing, the 79th Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta, and more recently a photo of Gennadiy Chyzhykov, President of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has been used by a Facebook page called “Casa de Götzen-Iturbide // Haus Von Götzen-Iturbide”, which is a hoax. No known public photograph of either Richard or his mother is known to exist.

Matthew Festing

Gennadiy Chyzhykov

Through the Götzen side of the family, Richard’s closet noble cousins are Johannes, Hereditary Prince of Schwarzenberg, Alexander, Count of Schönburg-Glauchau and Albert, Prince of Thurn and Taxis. More distantly Richard is a cousin of King Simeon II of Bulgaria, who was interviewed by his son Ferdinand in 2013 while at university, and of the senior line of the House of Orleans and Bragança which is currently headed by Prince Dom Pedro Carlos of Orleans and Bragança.

 

 

House of Gotzen-Iturbide

 

 

Maximilian Gustav Richard Albrecht Augustin Graf von Götzen-Iturbide; born 4 September 1954, Hungary, son of Gustav, Count von Götzen and Maria Gisella de Iturbide, Baroness Tunkl von Aschbrunn und Hohenstadt. Married 8 December 1998 at the West Surrey Register Office, Annette Rosemarie Radtke (born October 1966, Germany), daughter of Joachim Kurt Richard Radtke.

 

Children:

 

a) Ferdinand Leopold Maximilian Gustav Salvator Graf von Götzen-Iturbide; born 26 August 1992, Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia.

 

b) Isabella Emanuela Helena Charlotte Gräfin von Götzen-Iturbide; born 9 September 1997, Frimley, Surrey.