When you name your newest river cruise ship after the Archduchess of Austria, you need to find a godmother fit for royalty. So Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection took things to the next logical step for their third and upcoming Super Ship, S.S. Maria Theresa: they announced a royal godmother.
Performing the time-honoured role of godmother for the S.S. Maria Theresa will be a direct descendant of Maria Theresa of the powerful Habsburg-Lothringen dynasty, Princess Anita von Hohenberg – the great-granddaughter of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Duchess Sophie von Hohenberg.
Princess Anita will christen the S.S. Maria Theresa in Amsterdam on March 26, 2015. She hails from a long line of Habsburgs, one of Europe’s oldest sovereign families, with lineage dating back to the 15th century. The much beloved Maria Theresa, for whom Uniworld’s S.S. Maria Theresa is named in honour of, was the Archduchess of Austria and Empress of the Holy Roman Empire from 1740 to 1780. She was the only female ruler of the Habsburg Empire, as well as one of its most successful.
For the past three decades, Princess Anita has served as the Managing Director and owner of the centuries-old Artstetten Castle and Estate in Lower Austria. The former summer residence of the Imperial family, the castle today is open to the public and serves as the final resting place of the Heir to the Throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Este and his wife, Duchess Sophie von Hohenberg, whose assassination in Sarajevo in 1914 set off a chain of events that led to the start of World War I. Visitors from around the world come to see the castle each year, including many Uniworld guests, who are invited to tour the castle and crypt and share a glass of Champagne with Princess Anita at an exclusive private reception.
“It’s a great honor for me to represent the Habsburg family in Amsterdam and to christen Uniworld’s new Super Ship, S.S. Maria Theresa, in honor of the great Maria Theresa,” states Princess Anita von Hohenberg. “My family and I are also very thankful to welcome so many people from all over the world to the Artstetten Castle. We have had so many amicable encounters with Uniworld guests during our hosted receptions. It’s a great pleasure to get to know them and share more about Austria and European history and life in the European Union today. We find many of the guests’ ancestry rooted in Central Europe, so they are fascinated by the history of the Habsburgs.”
“We are absolutely ecstatic to have Princess Anita von Hohenberg as the godmother of our newest Super Ship, S.S. Maria Theresa,” said Guy Young, president of Uniworld. “There is no one more deserving of this honor than the direct descendent of Maria Theresa herself, who ruled for 40 years over an extraordinary and far-reaching empire.”
When she sets sail this spring, Uniworld’s S.S. Maria Theresa will cruise the Danube River through the heart of Maria Theresa’s vast former empire on Uniworld’s European Jewels voyage from Budapest to Amsterdam. She will also serve the line’s popular Tulips & Windmills, European Holiday Markets, and Grand Christmas & New Year’s Cruise itineraries.
Contact one of our specialists to reserve a spot on these great sailings.
