Netflix's period drama "Empress" offers a prestige TV treatment to Empress Elisabeth of Austria, one of Europe's most charming monarchs.1 Back in 2024-11-22 Season 2, the German series is a must-see show for fans of Bridgerton and the Crown, and for history buffs to discover the new Royal. It follows the life of a rebellious empress following her whirlwind courtship with Emperor Franz Joseph I as she struggles to adapt to a strict court lifestyle and her demanding new roles.

After watching the international Emmy Award-winning series, some fans may wonder if Elisabeth's real life was as gilded and tragic as depicted in the fictional show. Below we will separate the facts from fiction in the life of the Austrian Empress Elisabeth.

Elisabeth von Wittelsbach Born in the Wittelsbach family in Bavaria in 1837-12-24. She was the 3rd child of Duke Maximilian Joseph and Princess Ludovica of Bavaria, who were just as quirky in real life as the show. She was called Sisi by her family and grew up in the Bavarian countryside and loved to ride horses and play in the forest.

Empress Sisi is one of the most famous Habsburg monarchies, and she is famous for both her rebellious behavior as an empress - she smoked, tattooed, exercised strenuous exercise like gymnastics and avoided public duties — and the personal tragedy she faced. During her reign, she was known not only for her love of Hungary, but also for her connection with the public more than the average royal family. Before Netflix Empress, her life was recorded in several books and films, including the Sissi Film Trilogy and the Corsage in 2022.

In real life, Elisabeth married her first cousin Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, in a union that was not intended to happen first, instead, their mother planned that Franz would marry Elisabeth's sister Helen, as seen by the Empress. However, in the biography of Bridget Hamann "The Reluctant Empress: The Biography of Empress Elisabeth of Austria", Franz immediately became obsessed with Elisabeth after seeing her for the first time in her mother's drawing room.

Franz later sought Elisabeth's hand through the appropriate channel — he told his mother to ask her mother. When Sisi learned of his interest, she reportedly said: "I love the Emperor. Unless he is emperor. Still, the pair married in 1854 at 4.25 am, when she was 16 and he was 23.

As seen by the Empress, Elisabeth was miserable in life as the court of the Habsburg family, where she was overwhelmed by crowds in public and closely monitored in private. According to Haman's biography, she hated most court procedures, such as forcing women to dress or handing out shoes after wearing them. Also, she and Franz had a very different character, and he constantly worked nearby.

Elisabeth also had to fight with her mother-in-law, Grand Duke Sophie. Sophie was known for being formidable; she reportedly orchestrated Franz's rise to the throne and advised him of his entire reign.

But per Hamann, Elisabeth probably began to understand her mother-in-law with time. She once said to a woman waiting for what Sophie often means: "The road was difficult, the road was tough.

The royal couple eventually welcomed 4 children, but the family was often plagued by tragedy. The eldest daughter, named Sophie after her grandmother, died of illness in 1957 while traveling in Hungary with her parents and her 10-month-old sister, Gisela, at the age of 2. Some historians theorize that Sophie died of typhoid fever, as can be seen in the Empress, but her cause of death is not certain.

Elisabeth gave birth to her only son, Rudolf, in 1858-8, and her youngest daughter, Marie Valerie, in 1868. Elisabeth's mother-in-law Sophie continued to be in charge of the care of her grandchildren, and Sisi spent her time mostly away from Vienna following a nervous breakdown in 1862.History.com She also suffered from mental illness and disorderly eating throughout her life.Reportedly, she refused to allow portraits of herself past the age of 40 and photos past the age of 30.

In 1889, when his 30・year・old son Rudolph was found dead in a hunting hut with his 17-year-old mistress, Baroness Marie von Vesera, another tragedy was later determined that the lovers had died together in a murder-suicide pact. Because Rudolph had no heir, the crown was handed over to his uncle, Grand Duke Karl Ludwig, and his eldest son, Grand Duke Franz Ferdinand.

In 1989-9, Elisabeth traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, under the supposed name. あたりHistory.com The Italian anarchist Luigi Luceni approached Sisi while on board the ship, after news reported that she was in the country, "a small triangular yas."She collapsed shortly after boarding the ship and later died of internal bleeding at the age of 60.