Troubles

"Baden!"

"The British Royal Family may look illustrious, but the help they can actually offer Friedrich is very limited—at most, they would give him some prestige on the surface.

The Duchy of Baden may seem unremarkable, but it holds considerable influence within the German Federal Empire. If Austria wants to unify the German lands, the Duchy of Baden is a crucial link," Franz explained.

When parents love their children deeply, they plan far ahead for them.

The Crown Prince's marriage would contribute to the Empire's cause of unification and would surely win the support of German nationalists, greatly raising Friedrich's reputation among the people.

After thinking it over, Empress Helen said, "Then Sophie Marie Victoria should be our first choice. She is just the right age, and we might get to hold a grandchild sooner."

Sure enough, men and women were never on the same wavelength. Franz's first consideration was political influence, while Empress Helen cared more about holding a grandchild.

Of course, the earlier the next generation was born, the more it could help Friedrich as well.

The House of Habsburg was deeply rooted; a marriage alliance would merely add flowers to brocade. So long as nothing foolish happened, Friedrich's position as heir would not be shaken.

Franz was still very confident about this marriage alliance. The Baden royal family had no reason to refuse. If the Kingdom of Hanover wished to integrate the German Federal Empire, Baden could not do without Austria's support.

Limited by its size, the Kingdom of Hanover held no absolute advantage over the domestic states, and there were simply too many of them. This meant they could not copy Austria's model.

Otherwise, it would be like the present situation: the small and medium-sized states occupied more than half the seats in the Imperial Parliament,