Although religious but not superstitious, Archduchess Marianne sees the fragmentary information surrounding Princess Schwarzenberg as little more than senseless rumour. When the Imperial family gathers for an official court event, she seizes a moment to draw Amalia into her investigation, giving her a small task.
Dinners and suppers formed an important part of the daily routine and consumed roughly one-fifth to one-quarter of the annual court budget. Their character could vary greatly depending on how public they were. On official or religious occasions, grand stately galas were held, during which the Imperial couple dined publicly in the Rittersaal (the Knight’s Hall) before hundreds of onlookers. Every single dish ceremoniously passed through twenty-four pairs of hands before it reached the Imperial table. At the opposite end of the scale, intimate meals took place within the family circle or among a few close friends.
The confirmation of the young Archdukes fell somewhere between these contrasting types of dinner: neither a full state event nor a private family gathering. However, as it was a religious occasion, a remarkable number of courtiers, noble guests, and servants were involved.
The dishes described in this chapter are sourced from one of the many ‘imperial’ cookbooks available in the museum shops in Vienna.
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