Carlota of Mexico, born Marie Charlotte Amélie Augustine Victoire Clémentine Léopoldine, was the only daughter of Leopold I of Belgium and Louise of Orléans. She became the Empress of Mexico when her husband, Maximilian of Habsburg, was installed as the Emperor of Mexico by French forces during the Second French Intervention in Mexico.
Born on June 7, 1840, in Laeken, Belgium, Charlotte was educated in politics, history, and languages, preparing her for a role in high society or royalty. Her parents ensured she was well-versed in the arts, music, and literature, which would later influence her courtly life in Mexico.
Charlotte married Archduke Maximilian of Austria in 1857. After a series of political maneuvers and the intervention of Napoleon III, Maximilian accepted the throne of Mexico in 1864, and Charlotte was crowned Empress alongside him. Their reign, however, was fraught with challenges:
Carlota attempted to gain support for her husband's regime by traveling to Europe in 1866 to secure backing from Napoleon III and other European leaders. However, she was met with refusal, which deeply affected her mental health. Upon returning to Mexico, she found the situation deteriorating:
Maximilian was captured and executed in 1867, and Carlota, unable to rule or escape the country, was sent back to Europe by her husband's supporters. She lived the rest of her life in seclusion in Belgium, never fully recovering her mental health.
Carlota of Mexico's tragic story is often overshadowed by the broader historical context of the Second French Intervention in Mexico and the Reign of Maximilian and Carlota. Her efforts to establish a constitutional monarchy in Mexico were genuine, but they were ultimately doomed by external and internal political pressures. Her life has been the subject of numerous books, films, and operas, reflecting on the personal and political tragedy of her reign.