Mitzi and Mary

Mitzi Caspar and Mary Vetsera certainly never met. Mitzi Caspar was Rudolf's long-standing paramour. She was supposed to have been an actress but no mention can be found of her in any playbills of the time. I think 'chorus girl' is more likely, or rather a chorus girl who drifted into prostitution as many of them did in those days.
Mitzi was always available when Rudolf had to take command of some of those meaningless military manoeuvres/exercises based near various God-forsaken garrison towns in Galicia. She would happily 'shack up' with him while he was on his tours of duty. Rudolf was very fond of her and actually spent a last night with her before travelling to Mayerling. He had also once asked her to be his 'companion in death' but Mitzi flatly refused and actually went to inform the police about it. No-one actually thought to tell the Emperor of Rudolf's 'death-wish' and the information was simply filed away. 
Mitzi didn't often keep her mouth shut on the subject of Rudolf it seems. This proved very handy for the secret police who were keeping him under surveillance a lot of the time. The Crown Prince's maverick stand on various crucial political issues was considered rather subversive to say the least. 

(Note: Rudolf opposed the plan for Austria to enter into an alliance with Germany (he loathed his cousin Prince Wilhelm of Prussia) and he was also a fervent admirer of the French Republic. In Emperor Franz Joseph's opinion alone, those sort of views would make Rudolf 'Public Enemy, No 1', so it's no wonder that the powers that be wanted to keep a close eye on him.

                           Sketch entitled 'Bitch-slap between Mitzi Caspar and Mary Vetsera'

Anyway, enough of politics and back to a little divertissement of my own devising, if you don't mind. Yes, I couldn't resist drawing this! Mitzi has ambushed Mary in her dressing room. Mary may well be preparing herself for another tryst with Rudolf in this instance.I think it would have been a most interesting scrap, Mary biting and scratching and Mitzi employing more of a 'sucker' punch, who knows?  There is certainly no love lost between these too. Mary would have looked down on Mitzi (hey, MV also publicly disparaged the Crown Princess, ffs!) who she would not think fit to wipe her button boots with. 
Mitzi would have seen Mary as a society strumpet 'on the make' and not a good thing for Rudolf. Mitzi knew her place and Mary just didn't bother with those sort of concerns.
'Be happy...only marry for love.' Mary had written to her sister during that fateful stay at Mayerling.