The French Republic posthumously bestowed HI & RH Archduke Otto with the Chevalier de Ordre National de la Legion d' Honneur,
the highest decoration of France.The decoration was to signify the work of Otto von Habsburg for a united Europe and for enhancing
the German - French relations.
The Legion d'Honneur was handed over to Archduke Karl,eldest son of the deceased at the foot of the coffin of the late Archduke
in Pöcking yesterday by the Grand Chancellor of the Ordre National de la Legion d"Honneur,French Forces General Jean Louis Georgelin.
More details of the funerary arrangements have been announced.The funerary procession is expected to be the longest
in Austrian history with an expected lenght of 1.2 kilometer.
Today,saturday,is the Requiem in Pöcking,Bavaria,hometown of the late Archduke Otto.
Monday at 10.00AM the Requiem at the Theatinerkirche at the Odeons Square,Munich followed by a reception
hosted by the Prime-Minister of Bavaria at the Residenz,the Royal Palace opposite the Theatinerkirche.
Tuesday and wednesday the remains of the Archduke Otto will lay in repose in Mariazell,Austria and
a Requiem will be celebrated in the Wahlfartskirche,Mariazell on wednesday.
On thursday and friday the remains of Archduke Otto and Archduchess Regina will lay in repose at the
Kapuzinerkirche at the Neuer Markt,Vienna,where video-walls will allow a view inside the church for the
expected thousands who will pay their last respects.
During the night of july 15th to july 16th,friday to saturday,the remains of TI & RH will be moved to the
Stephans Dom,Vienna where a morning Mass is held at 07.30 after which the church will be closed in
order to get all arrangements in place including crème flower decarations as well as the wreaths of the
Children and grandchildren .
Starting at 13.00PM the invited guests will enter the Dom.Everyone who doesn't have one of the very
few places left in the Dom itself,can follow the Requiem on 4 video walls,2 at the Stephans Square,
1 at the Heldenplatz and 1 at the Neuen Markt.
It will be Sta
te Fun
eral attended by the President of Austria:Mr.Heinz Fischer,Chancellor Werner Fayman,
the governor of Nieder-Österreich and HSH Prince Hans-Adam of Liechtenstein.
His Eminence the Kardinal Christoph Schönborn will celebrate the Requiem while the Dom musicians will
perform the Requiem by Michael Haydn.Sixty priests and Bishops will co-celebrate the Requiem.
The Austrian Armed Forces will be Honorary Guard during the ceremonies.
The Requiem will start at 15.00PM local time,GMT + 1,EST + 6.Austrian national TV station ORF will
air it LIVE.I hope I can get a good link of them by that time.
After the Requiem the coffins with the remains of TI & RH will be taken in an open car, ( No carriage.) from
the Stephans Dom via the Graben,the Kohlmarkt to the Hofburg and from there via the Ring to the Kapuzinergruft,
the final resting place of the Imperial Family.
The "knocking on the door" ceremony at 19.00PM and the subsequent interment of TI & RH at the Kapuzinergruft
is a ceremony with only Habsburg Family members in attendance.
The ceremony consists of the Master of Ceremonies knocking on the door of the Crypt asking admittance of Otto and Regina
with their full titles and honours to which a monk inside answers "We do not know them".
The the Master of Ceremonies asks again,with mentioning of the title of Archduke and Archduchess,again the monk will deny
access with the words;"We do not know them",to which the master of ceremonies requests for the poor sinners Otto and
Regina to be admitted,after which the monk will say admittance is granted and open the doors to the Crypt.A ceremony dating
hundreds of years as was and is custom for the Habsburg Family.
The church in Pöcking,Bavaria where the late Archduke lies in repose at present,and more links:
http://www.oe24.at/oesterreich/chronik/slideshow/Hier-wird-Otto-Habsburg-aufgebahrt/33230634The Gruft chapel where HM the Empress Zita and her son Archduke Carl Ludwig are interred
as will Archduke Otto and Archduchess Regina on saturday july 16th.
http://www.anp-photo.com/search.pp?page=2&ShowPicture=15989447&pos=24http://www.anp-photo.com/search.pp?page=2&ShowPicture=15989396&pos=18The bust of the Blessed Emperor Karl I in the Gruft Chapel next to the tomb of his spouse Zita.
http://www.anp-photo.com/search.pp?page=2&ShowPicture=15989399&pos=19courtesy anp