The cruiser was originally expected to bear the name Tegetthoff, but Germany changed course because the choice risked offending Italy. The replacement name still invoked an Austrian military figure, while the launch brought Hitler together with Miklós Horthy, Hungary's regent and a former commander of the battleship SMS Prinz Eugen. Horthy's wife performed the christening. The ceremony shows how a warship's name and launch could carry diplomatic meaning while preserving the memory of an earlier navy.
Notable Point · 52:55-54:24
Why Prinz Eugen was chosen over Tegetthoff
Germany dropped the proposed Tegetthoff name to avoid insulting Italy, then linked the launch to Miklós Horthy and the earlier SMS Prinz Eugen.