Magdolna Purgly

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Spouse of the Regent of Hungary
Assumed role
1 March 1920 – 15 October 1944
MonarchVacant
Preceded byIlona Mezviczky (Spouse of the Head of State of Hungary)
Succeeded byGizella Lutz
Personal details
Born
Magdolna Vilma Benedikta Purgly de Jószáshely

(1881-06-10)10 June 1881
Sofronya, Kingdom of Hungary, Austria-Hungary
Died8 January 1959(1959-01-08) (aged 77)
Estoril, Lisbon, Portugal
Spouse
​
(m. 1901)​
Children4, including István and Miklós

Magdolna Vilma Benedikta Purgly de Jószáshely (10 June 1881 – 8 January 1959) was the wife of Admiral Miklós Horthy.

Early life

She was born as the youngest daughter of Hungarian nobleman Janos Purgly de Jószáshelyi (1839-1911) and his wife Ilona Vásárhelyi de Kézdivásárhely (1841-1896). She was confined to talking with suitors until she was an adult by her parents. She met a fellow nobleman[1] Miklós Horthy, who was 13 years her senior, when accompanying his brother-in-law who was a friend of her family. Horthy's military background and many experiences attracted Magdolna. The attraction was mutual.

They were married on 22 July 1901 at

Franz Josef I at the Court in Vienna, for five years, where Horthy and his wife and children had an official apartment in the Hofburg.[4]

World War I

Magdolna Horthy and her children spent the years of

rear-admiral only from mutual acquaintances. At the end of October 1918 Horthy, Magdolna and the four children were forced to leave Pola since it had been ceded by the victorious Allies to the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes; brigands were roaming the streets as it had been announced that all Austrian and Hungarian property was to be confiscated and now belonged to the new State. Horthy records "we shut up the house in which we had spent so many happy years, the house which had seen the birth of my children, and left never to return. All the household goods, silver, carpets, pictures, were left behind."[5] With Magdolna's family's lands in Arad having been in that part of Hungary were lost to Romania, Horthy, Magdolna and their children travelled to Vienna and subsequently in November to Horthy's estate at Kenderes in Hungary.[6]

1919–1920

Horthy prepared for a more peaceful life in his family's estate, with his wife's approval.

Count

communist regime from Hungary. On 1 March 1920, Horthy was later elected Regent of Hungary by the National Parliament at Budapest and Magdolna became styled "Her Serene Highness" (Hungarian
: Főméltóságú Asszony).

Under Horthy's Regency

The early years of the Regency

In the next few years, the foremost goal of her life was to provide a safe and calm home for Miklós Horthy. Madam Horthy appeared in public extremely rarely. In essence, the family had a modest life when taking into account Horthy's position; the highest point of it was the annual garden-party. Their residence was in the Buda Castle when they were in Budapest and they took up nine rooms (of 814 in total). The Horthy family's retreat was at Kenderes Castle.

After 1935

After 1935, Mrs. Horthy appeared in public more frequently. Her goal was to ensure that Horthy would remain Regent. The greatest danger to his position came from extreme-right groups like the

Felvidék
.

From 1940, she lived in perpetual anxiety and was not able shake off the thought that the Regency was threatened by events, and she feared to think how it might end. In private company, she often said: "we came to power in a decent way, through the door, but I fear that we will only get out of here through the window". Her concern did not materialize word for word, but it is true that the Horthy family left the Castle of Buda on 17 October 1944 after her husband's deposition by the Arrow Cross Party with Nazi assistance.

Post-War life

After the end of World War II, the family lived in Weilheim in Oberbayern for four years. This period was unfavorable to Magdolna's health. Due to her son's diplomatic skill, the family managed to move to Estoril, Portugal, where she died in 1959, two years after her husband's death.

References

  1. ^ Horthy Memoirs 1957/2000, p.11n.
  2. ^ Horthy Memoirs, 1957/2000, p.39.
  3. ^ Horthy Memoirs, 1957/2000, p.40-1.
  4. ^ Horthy Memoirs, 1957/2000, p.49-50.
  5. ^ Horthy Memoirs, 1957/2000, p.107-8.
  6. ^ Horthy Memoirs, 1957/2000, p.117.
  • Memoirs of Admiral Nicholas Horthy annotated by Andrew L. Simon, 2000, original manuscript copyright 1957 to Ilona Bowden.
    ISBN 0-96657343-9
  • História Magazine Archived 14 August 2020 at the Wayback Machine, issue 2000/02.
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