The Imperial Sled – Party at Vienna January 1815

The Imperial Sled – Party at Vienna January 1815
from Ackermann’s Repository 1816

[as reprinted from the original article that appeared in 1816 – Ackermann’s Repository]

As the short paper in our last number respecting the favourite winter amusement of the Continent has given so much satisfaction to our readers, we trust that we shall render an acceptable service introducing, in the present, a description of the memorable sledge-party which took place at Vienna on the 22d January, 1815, and which was graced by the presence of many of the sovereigns and princes of Europe.

A detachment of cavalry, several officers of the court, and a large sledge with trumpeters, followed by the richly decorated sledge of Count Trautmannsdorf, master of the horse, opened the cavalcade. Then came the other sledges in the following order: —

The Emperor of Austria with the Empress of Russia.
The Emperor of Russia with the Dowager Princess of Auersperg.
The King of Denmark with the Grand-Duchess Maria of Russia.
The King of Prussia with the Countess Julie Zichy Festitits.
The Grand-Duke of Baden with the Dowager Countess Lazansky.
Prince Charles of Bavaria with the Countess Saurau-Hunyady.
The Archduke Palatine with the Grand-Duchess Catharine, Duchess of Oldenburg.
Prince William of Prussia with the Countess Fuchs-Gallenberg.
The Hereditary Prince of Austria with the Archduchess Clementina.
The Archduke Rainer with Countess Herberstein-Moltke-Kollowrat.
The Archduke Lewis with Countess Cavriani Esterhazy.
The Duke of Holstein-Beck with Countess Fritsch.
The Archduke Anthony with Princess Caroline of Furstenberg.
The Prince of Trautmannsdorf with his daughter, Countess Maria Anna.
The Archduke Ferdinand with Baroness von Hohenegg.
The Archduke John with Countess Cavriani.
The Hereditary Prince of Wurtemberg with the Princess Lichtenstein-Esterhazy.
The Duke of Saxe-Weimar with Countess Odonell-Gaisruck.
Count Wrbna with Countess Wallujeff.
The Archduke Charles with the Dowager Countess Esterhazy-Roisin.
Prince Leopold of Sicily with Countess Mniszek-Lubomirska.
The Hereditary Prince of Bavaria with Countess Keglevits-Zichy.
Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen with the Princess of Esterhazy-Taxis.
Count Charles Zichy with Countess Zichy-Szecseny.
Prince Windischgratz with Countess Verian-Windischgratz.
Prince Augustus of Prussia with Countess Bathyany-Szecseny.
Count Nicholas Esterhazy with Countess Esterhazy-Festitits.
The Duke of Saxe-Coburg with Countess Wallstein-Rzewuska.
The Prince of Auersberg with Countess Sturzka.
Count Francis Zichy with Lady Castlereagh.
Prince Paul Esterhazy with Lady Kadcliff.
Count Charles Zichy with Countess Beust.

The sledges of the emperors and kings were in the form of a phaeton, as represented in the annexed engraving. The body was covered both inside and out with green velvet, bordered with rich gold fringe and tassels. The fore part was adorned by a plume of white and black ostrich feathers. The parts supporting the body were profusely decorated with carving, and gilt all over. The sledges of the two kings resembled these, but were not so highly embellished; and those of the other princes and nobles, most of whom belonged to the court, were all painted light green, lined with black velvet, enriched with gold fringe.

The sledges of the two emperors, and those of the kings of Denmark and Prussia, were surrounded by pages in very tasteful dresses, Hungarian guards in state uniform, imperial equerries, and other attendants on horseback. Those of the other sovereign princes and archdukes were attended by pages and equerries; and the rest were followed by outriders.

Some spare sledges, and a large one with Turkish music, closed the procession.

Each sledge was drawn by two horses, the first four by dapple-greys of extraordinary beauty. Those of the emperors’ sledges had housings of green velvet, richly embroidered and adorned with fringe and tassels. All the harness was covered with gold. Upon the head and back were plumes of white and black ostrich feathers.

The cavalcade set out from the palace about two o’clock in the afternoon, and proceeded through the principal streets of Vienna to the imperial palace of Schonbrunn, about four miles from the capital, where a dinner was provided for the illustrious party, of which also the Empress of Austria, the King and Queen of Bavaria, and the Archduchess Leopoldine of Austria, partook. After dinner the company repaired to the theatre in the palace of Schonbrunn, where an opera, with ballets composed for the occasion, was performed. On leaving the theatre, the party mounted their sledges, and returned by torch-light, in the same order as they had gone, to the imperial palace at Vienna. The pleasures of the day were not clouded by any accident; an the spectable has left an agreeable impression upon the minds of all by who it was witnessed.