Editing Zita of Bourbon-Parma (section)

===Sixtus affair===
{{main|Sixtus Affair}}
By the spring of 1917, the War was dragging on towards its fourth year, and Zita's brother [[Prince Sixtus of Bourbon-Parma]], a serving officer in the Belgian Army, was a main mover behind a plan for Austria-Hungary to make a separate peace with France. Charles initiated contact with Sixtus through contacts in neutral Switzerland, and Zita wrote a letter inviting him to Vienna. Zita's mother, Maria Antonia, delivered the letter in person.<ref name="Brook-Shepherd"/>{{Rp|66}}

Sixtus arrived with conditions for talks which had been agreed with the French – the restoration to France of [[Alsace-Lorraine]] (annexed by Germany after the [[Franco-Prussian War]] in 1870); restoration of the independence of Belgium; independence for the kingdom of Serbia; and the handover of [[Constantinople]] to Russia.<ref name="Brook-Shepherd"/>{{Rp|61}} Charles agreed, in principle, to the first three points and wrote a letter to Sixtus dated 25 March 1917 which sent "the secret and unofficial message" to the President of France that "I will use all means and all my personal influence".<ref name="Brook-Shepherd"/>{{Rp|72}} This attempt at dynastic diplomacy eventually foundered. Germany refused to negotiate over Alsace-Lorraine,<ref name="Brook-Shepherd"/>{{Rp|73}} and, seeing a Russian collapse on the horizon, was loath to give up the war.<ref name="Brook-Shepherd"/>{{Rp|78}} Sixtus continued his efforts, even meeting [[David Lloyd George]] in London about Italy's territorial demands on Austria in the [[1915 Treaty of London]],<ref name="Brook-Shepherd"/>{{Rp|76}} but the Prime Minister could not persuade his generals that Britain should make peace with Austria.<ref name="Brook-Shepherd"/>{{Rp|78}} Zita managed a personal achievement during this time by stopping the German plans to send airplanes to bomb the home of the [[Albert I of Belgium|King]] and [[Elisabeth of Bavaria (1876–1965)|Queen]] of Belgium on their [[name day]]s.<ref name="Brook-Shepherd"/>{{Rp|74}}

In April 1918, after the German-Russian [[Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (Russia–Central Powers)|Treaty of Brest-Litovsk]], Austrian Foreign Minister [[Count Ottokar Czernin]] made a speech attacking incoming French Prime Minister [[Georges Clemenceau]] as being the main obstacle to a peace favouring the [[Central Powers]].<ref name="Brook-Shepherd"/>{{Rp|92–93}} Clemenceau was incensed and, after seeing Emperor Charles's letter of 24 March 1917, had it published.<ref name="Brook-Shepherd"/>{{Rp|95}} For a while, the life of Sixtus appeared to be in danger, and there were even fears that Germany might occupy Austria. Czernin persuaded Charles to send a 'Word of Honour' to Austria's allies saying that Sixtus had not been authorised to show the letter to the French Government, that Belgium had not been mentioned, and that Clemenceau had lied about the mentioning of Alsace.<ref name="Brook-Shepherd"/>{{Rp|99}} Czernin had actually been in contact with the German Embassy throughout the whole crisis and attempted to persuade the Emperor to step down because of the Affair. After failing to do so, Czernin resigned as Foreign Minister.<ref name="Brook-Shepherd"/>{{Rp|102}}