Elisabeth Of Austria: Her Siblings And Family

Empress Elisabeth of Austria, also known as Sisi or Sissi, was the third child of ten children born to Princess Maria Ludovika and Duke Maximilian in Bavaria. She had eight siblings: Ludwig (Louis), Helene (Nené), Carl Theodor (Gackel), Marie, Mathilde (Spatz), Sophie, and Max Emanuel (Mapperl).

Elisabeth's parents had ten children, five of whom were girls

Empress Elisabeth of Austria, also known as Sisi or Sissi, was the fourth child of ten children, five of whom were girls. Her parents were Princess Maria Ludovika and Duke Maximilian in Bavaria.

Elisabeth's sisters were:

• Helene (called Nené), born in 1834. She was the eldest daughter and was initially intended to marry Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria, her cousin. However, he fell in love with Elisabeth instead. Helene later married Maximilian Anton von Thurn und Taxis and had four children with him before he died of a severe kidney ailment. She then became the head of the Thurn and Taxis family.
• Marie Sophie Amalie, Duchess in Bavaria, born in 1841. She was the last Queen of the Two Sicilies through her marriage to Crown Prince Franz. She was known for causing a stir and provoking others. She gave birth to a daughter out of wedlock in 1862, whom she gave up for adoption.
• Mathilde Ludovika in Bavaria (called Spatz), born in 1843. She was a pretty and delicate woman with a high-pitched voice, which earned her the nickname "The Sparrow". She was married to Count Ludwig von Trani for 25 years and had one daughter with him.
• Sophie, born in 1847. She had several suitors, including Duke Philip of Württemberg, Prince Louis of Portugal, and Louis Victor of Austria, but her cousin and childhood friend Ludwig II was also considered a candidate. She married Ferdinand von Alecon and had a son with him. She suffered from depression and died in a fire in Paris at the age of 50.
• Sophie Charlotte, born in 1847. She was the youngest of the five sisters and a close friend of her cousin, King Ludwig II of Bavaria. They shared a love of Richard Wagner's music and nature. She was engaged to Ludwig for eight months before he broke it off. She later married Duke Ferdinand von Alencon and had two children with him. Like her sister, she suffered from severe depression and was admitted to a private clinic for treatment. She died in 1897 when the burning roof of a charity bazaar collapsed on her.

Elisabeth also had four brothers: Ludwig Wilhelm, Carl Theodor (called Gackel), Maximilian Emanuel (called Mapperl), and an unnamed brother who died in infancy.

Her older sister Helene was initially intended to marry Franz Joseph I of Austria

Empress Elisabeth of Austria, also known as Sisi, was born into royalty as the third child and second daughter of Duke Maximilian Joseph in Bavaria and Princess Ludovika of Bavaria. She had several siblings, including an older sister named Helene, who was born in 1834.

Helene, nicknamed Néné, was initially intended to marry her cousin, Franz Joseph I of Austria. In 1853, Archduchess Sophie, the mother of Franz Joseph, arranged a meeting between her son and Helene, the eldest daughter of her sister, Princess Ludovika. The plan was for Franz Joseph to propose to Helene. However, when the two met, they felt ill at ease in each other's company, and he was instantly infatuated with Helene's younger sister, Elisabeth.

Franz Joseph defied his mother's wishes and informed her that if he could not have Elisabeth, he would not marry at all. Five days after meeting Elisabeth, their betrothal was officially announced. The couple married eight months later, on 24 April 1854, when Elisabeth was just 16 years old.

Helene, on the other hand, remained unmarried until she was 22 years old, when her mother arranged for her to meet the wealthy Maximilian Anton, Hereditary Prince of Thurn and Taxis. They married in 1858, and their marriage is considered to have been a happy one. However, it was sadly cut short by Maximilian's death from chronic kidney disease in 1867. Helene took over the leadership of the Thurn and Taxis family business until her son reached his majority. She died in 1890 at the age of 56 from stomach cancer.

Elisabeth was close to her younger brother, Carl Theodor, who became a well-known ophthalmologist

Empress Elisabeth of Austria, also known as Sisi, was the fourth child of ten children. She had a close relationship with her younger brother, Carl Theodor (1839-1909), who was known as Gackel.

Carl Theodor became a well-known ophthalmologist and founded the private Herzog Carl Theodor Eye Clinic in Munich, which is one of the oldest eye clinics in Bavaria. He performed around 5,000 cataract operations. The building, which predates the clinic, is a listed site.

Carl Theodor's second wife, Marie-José, supported him in his work. She assisted him with surgeries and managed the clinic's organisation. Marie-José also ensured the clinic's continuation after Carl Theodor's death by setting up the Duke Carl Theodor Eye Clinic Foundation.

Her younger sister Sophie lived an unhappy life and died in a fire in Paris

Empress Elisabeth of Austria, also known as Sisi, had a younger sister named Sophie. Sophie lived a tragic life and died at the age of 50 in 1897.

Sophie was born in 1847 as the daughter of Princess Maria Ludovika and Duke Maximilian in Bavaria. She had several suitors, including Duke Philipp of Württemberg, Prince Louis of Portugal, and Ludwig Viktor of Austria. Her cousin and childhood friend, Ludwig II, was also considered a candidate, but he broke off the engagement. Sophie married Ferdinand von Alençon, a grandson of the last French king. The couple lived in exile in England, where Sophie was unhappy. After giving birth to a son, they moved to France. Sophie began to suffer from depression and was admitted to a mental hospital, which she left cured seven months later.

Tragically, Sophie died in a fire in Paris. Her life and death were marked by unhappiness and depression.

Her youngest brother, Maximilian Emanuel, died at 44 from a gastric haemorrhage

Empress Elisabeth of Austria, also known as Sisi, was the fourth child of ten children. Her youngest brother, Maximilian Emanuel, was born on 7 December 1849 in Munich. He was the tenth and youngest child of Duke Maximilian Joseph in Bavaria and Princess Ludovika of Bavaria.

Maximilian Emanuel was a German prince of the House of Wittelsbach. He expressed an interest in the army from a young age, becoming a second lieutenant in the 2nd Royal Bavarian Uhlans in 1865. He participated in the War of 1866 on the side of Austria, fighting in the battles of Hünfeld and Hammelburg. In 1875, he married Princess Amalie of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and the couple had three children.

In 1893, Maximilian Emanuel developed severe gastric bleeding and passed away at the relatively young age of 44.

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