The long life of Zita of Bourbon-Parma is filled with tragedy and tough moments, while also sporting love and a zest for learning, not just of intellectual subjects, but also survival and acceptance. Her love life began and ended with Archduke Charles of Austria-Este. Being the Duchess of Austria-Hungary during the mid-1910s, she and her husband were met with many challenges and had to make various choices in order to ensure the safety of their country, for example. Despite the hardships, Zita lived long.
Charles IV: King of Bohemia and the "Romans"
Charles IV鈥檚 efforts helped to elevate the city of Prague to new heights, establishing it as the intellectual and cultural center of Central Europe. Yet, his reign was marked by political disagreements and failures to centralize the government. One major, yet brief, threat to Charles IV鈥檚 authority came from Louis IV, the excommunicated emperor Charles IV replaced. Another major aspect of Charles IV鈥檚 authority was the elevation of Prague as a major player on the world stage for centuries to come.