Prayer of the king

Portraits of rulers were often used for wartime propaganda. Among the pictures of Emperor Franz Joseph, his picture of praying remained the best in the memory. Posterity saw this image as a representation of the grave dilemma of the ruler accused of starting the war. “I’ve thought about everything, I’ve considered everything,” reads the caption of many pictures. In fact, it does not depict the ruler in meditation, but in prayer. Contemporary postcards and other sources also interpreted the image in this way. By the way, the ruler was deeply religious, so the picture fits his personality well.

Several cap badges were made with the motif of the picture, in simpler and more ornate forms. The badge presented here is one of the more ornate, more expensive pieces. Like all patriotic badges, this one was a trade item, anyone could buy it and pin it on their clothes.