Story Highlights
- Historical event:
- 12 August 1914
- After war was declared, Austro-Hungarian ambassador Count Albert von Mensdorff-Pouilly-Dietrichstein was forced to leave Britain, while Sir Maurice William Ernest de Bunsen, the British ambassador in Vienna, was forced to leave Austria-Hungary.
On this day in 1914 Britain declared war on Austria-Hungary in WW1.
This put the multinational Central European empire at war with the world’s greatest colonial power.
The Austro-Hungarian ambassador at the time was the esteemed Count Albert con Mensdorff-Pouilly-Dietrichstein. He previously enjoyed a special status in London since he was the cousin of British king George V, grandson of Queen Victoria and grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II.
Namely, the father of Count Albert von Mensdorff-Pouilly-Dietrichstein was no less than the first cousin of Queen Victoria, as their mothers were sisters.
Despite his esteemed status, After war was declared, Austro-Hungarian ambassador Count Albert von Mensdorff-Pouilly-Dietrichstein was forced to leave Britain, since the two countries severed diplomatic ties.
Similarly, Sir Maurice William Ernest de Bunsen, the British ambassador in Vienna, was forced to leave Austria-Hungary.
