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Princess Royal | |
| Predecessor: | Princess Rose Kroshbon |
| Successor: | Position Vacant |
| King: | Alexander I of Switzerland |
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Minister of State | |
| Predecessor: | Sir Alexander Kohleschmied |
| Successor: | Lady Kate Kohleschmied |
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Director of State | |
| Predecessor: | Princess Seraphina Kroshbon |
| Successor: | Lady Maggie Kohleschmied |
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Minister of State (Austria) | |
| Predecessor: | Position Established |
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Personal Details | |
| Born: | 12 August 1725 (age 34) |
| Nationality: | Austrian, Swiss |
| Alma mater: | University of Zurich |
| Profession: | Princess, Politician |
| Religion: | Roman Catholicism |
Princess Cara Kroshbon (12 August 1735) is the daughter of Prince Richard Kroshbon and adopted daughter of his wife, Empress Hannah Maria Theresa Clemente of Austria. As such, Cara is currently both an Archduchess of Austria, as well as a Princess of Switzerland.
As a member of both the Royal Houses of Kroshbon and Clemente, she is the niece of former King Ferdinand Clemente of Spain, Princess Halle Clemente of Spain, King Alexander Kroshbon I of Switzerland, Princess Rose Kroshbon of Switzerland, King Benjamin Clemente of France, and King Frederick Augustus II of Poland. She is also the granddaughter of former King Phillip Clemente of Spain and former King William II of Switzerland.
Early Life[]
Cara Kroshbon was born in 1725 to Prince Richard Kroshbon as his illegitimate daughter born out of wedlock with a young daughter of King Phillip of Spain The Prince had been travelling across Europe alongside his father and eldest brother, Benjamin and was known to be brash and had a knack for antics that annoyed his father. Richard refused to abandon his daughter and brought her along with the army, eventually forcing his father to allow him to raise her in Berne. When King William finally relented, she was allowed to be raised alongside the other royals.
When she reached of age, she was allowed to attend the University of Zurich, where she studied international diplomacy, hoping to find a career as an Ambassador. She graduated in 1747, and promptly left Switzerland alongside her father, due to the ascension of David I of Switzerland to the throne, and his distaste for any challengers. They resettled in Vienna for a year, with Cara finding work within the Royal Court. Although King David would soon be replaced by King Alexander in Switzerland, whom she and her father were close to, she elected to remain in Vienna as her father returned to Switzerland to become Crown prince.
Political Career[]
By 1750, she had become an Austrian diplomat due to her close ties to the Empress. She was dispatched to the Kingdom of Spain, where she served as Ambassador for fourteen months. Following the return of Prince Ezequiel Clemente, the King's younger brother, who had been ousted earlier that year, and the departure of King Ferdinand's eldest daughter and true heir, Princess Akimi Clemente, alongside her retainers, Cara returned to Switzerland, where she joined her uncle's court. Although her father had been removed from the line of succession in early 1751, and sent to Austria as the husband of the Empress, Cara was very close to her uncle and became one of his principal advisors on Spanish policy, much to the chagrin of his more conservative counselors.
When Princess Rose Kroshbon departed Switzerland to become Queen of Spain, and became estranged from her brother, Cara's stocks rose rapidly. While Sir Alexander Kohleschmied was instated as Minister of State replacing Rose, Cara became the Director of State, and increasingly took on a more prominent role. She undermined the Minister constantly, and helped to engineer his defeat in the 1751 General Election. Following his defeat, Kohleschmied resigned his posts and returned to Venice alongside the Minister of Defense, Sir Will Kohleschmied.
With the post of Foreign minister vacated, Cara was named Minister of State in Lord Benjamin Wolfe's Cabinet. She would soon attain almost free reign in terms of foreign policy, due to her close relationship to the King, and the isolationist policies undertaken by the Wolfe government. She also acted as head of Swiss Intelligence in an unofficial capacity at this time, and was instrumental in keeping her uncle aware of all the relevant events. She was considered the best Swiss spymaster since Prince Ryan Kroshbon, who was Prime Minister a year prior and had held connections to the illusive British intelligence through his relationship with Lord Joseph Grey and Lord Nathaniel Huntington, the British Southern & Northern Secretaries.
After two and a half years in the capacity of Minister, she resigned her position in March 1754, and returned to Vienna, where she was appointed as Foreign Minister following her father's coup, a post she continues to serve in to this day.
Titles, Styles, Honours, and Arms[]
Titles and Styles[]
Austria
- 22 October 1751 - present: Her Royal Highness, Archduchess Cara Sofia Kroshbon
Switzerland
- 12 August 1735 - present: Her Highness, Princess Cara Sofia Kroshbon
She used the official title of "Queen of Bohemia, Princess of Switzerland, Princess of Carrara, Archduchess of Austria, and Duchess of Massa".
Signature[]
