The 70th Birthday of Archduchess Alexandra of Austria

On 10 July 1952 at Beloeil, Archduchess Alexandra Maria Anna Philippa Othonia of Austria was born as the second child and first daughter of Archduke Carl Ludwig of Austria (1918-2007) and Archduchess Yolande (b.1923; née Princess de Ligne), who wed in 1950. Archduchess Alexandra had an older brother and two younger siblings: Archduke Rudolph (b.1950; married Baroness Marie Hélène de Villenfagne de Vogelsanck), Archduke Carl Christian (b.1954; married Princess Marie Astrid of Luxembourg), and Archduchess Constanza (b.1957; married Fürst Franz Josef von Auersperg-Trautson). 

The Riesle/Habsburg family.

Hector Riesle, a thirty-one year-old former professor of legal history and philosophy, presented his credentials to Pope Paul as the first ambassador nominated by the Chilean junta. In his brief address, Riesle noted that Chile “having recently suffered the greatest crisis in its history, now looks to the future with renewed hope.” After mentioning that the Government of Chile is determined to achieve national unity on the basis of solidarity of free men, the new ambassador stated that his government was well aware that this will be impossible without a moral renewal comprising “freedom, responsibility, respect, understanding and brotherhood, cemented in the natural and inviolable rights of the human person.” Riesle closed his remarks with a special greeting to the Pope from the government junta. Seizing on Riesle’s description of the recent crisis, in his reply, Pope Paul recalled his interest in and preoccupation for Chile, “We have not ceased and will not cease to follow with the same lively and paternal solicitude the problems and the difficulties still existing.”