The Madness Of Empress Elizabeth Of Austria: A Historical Inquiry

Empress Elisabeth of Austria, also known as Sisi, was a complex woman. She was thrust into a formal and stifling royal life at the age of 16 when she married her cousin, Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. Elisabeth suffered from various mental and physical health issues throughout her life, including severe depression, anxiety, and an eating disorder. She was also obsessed with maintaining her youthful figure and beauty, which took a toll on her health. Elisabeth's life was filled with tragedy, including the death of her infant daughter and the loss of her only son in a murder-suicide. She found solace in her love for Hungary and her political work, but ultimately, her story ended in tragedy when she was assassinated in 1898.

Postpartum depression and nervous exhaustion

Empress Elisabeth of Austria, also known as Sissi, was reported to have suffered from a mysterious illness in 1859. This illness allowed her to escape the pressures of court life and the domination of her mother-in-law, the Archduchess Sophie. Sissi spent time recuperating in Madeira and Corfu, and was deemed cured in 1861. However, upon her return, she suffered a relapse.

While it is unclear whether Empress Elisabeth's illness was physical or mental, there are some indications that she may have experienced postpartum depression and nervous exhaustion. After the birth of her daughter, she experienced a period of resignation and passive resistance to the expectations placed on her. She also suffered the sudden death of her infant daughter, Sophie, which caused her a great deal of emotional pain.

Postpartum depression is a form of depression that can occur after giving birth. It is characterised by persistent feelings of sadness, low mood, and hopelessness. Nervous exhaustion, also known as mental exhaustion or fatigue, can be caused by intense mental activity without adequate rest. It is often associated with demanding or high-pressure jobs, long work hours, and a lack of work-life balance.

Empress Elisabeth may have experienced symptoms of both postpartum depression and nervous exhaustion. She struggled with the expectations and duties of court life, which she found unpleasant and dull. She also had an overbearing mother-in-law and a dull husband, contributing to her unhappiness. She escaped to Hungary during extreme bouts of sadness and grief, indicating a need to recover from mental exhaustion.

Furthermore, Elisabeth's rigorous beauty routines and exercise regimen may have contributed to nervous exhaustion. She reportedly had a three-hour hair ritual and maintained a weight of approximately 110 pounds even after four pregnancies. The pressure to maintain her good looks and manage her demanding routines may have taken a toll on her mental health.

Eating disorder

Empress Elisabeth of Austria, also known as Sisi or Sissi, is thought to have suffered from an eating disorder, specifically anorexia nervosa, in addition to severe depression.

Sisi's marriage to Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria at the age of 16 was an unhappy one, and she is said to have cried as she passed through the streets of Austria following her nuptials. She had a difficult relationship with her overbearing mother-in-law, Archduchess Sophie, and found the dullness of court life unpleasant. She was unprepared for the formality of Habsburg court life, and her eccentricities, such as taking up smoking, riding, and gymnastics, caused her to become the subject of gossip.

Sisi is remembered for her beauty, and her good looks and elegance were credited with retaining public interest in the Austrian court. However, she suffered from a lack of stimulation from palace life, and the pressure to maintain her appearance took a toll on her mental health. She undertook a vigorous exercise regime, including gymnastics, hour-long horse riding, and forced marching, and practised demanding beauty routines, including a three-hour hair ritual. She also fasted and restricted her food intake to maintain her weight at approximately 110 pounds and her waist at 16 inches, even after four pregnancies.

Fellow courtiers described her as "graceful, but too slender" and "extremely unhappy". The documents on Sisi's life suggest that cultural, historical, and psychodynamic factors played a role in her disorder.

Extreme beauty and exercise regimes

Empress Elisabeth of Austria, also known as Sisi, was considered one of the most beautiful women of 19th-century Europe. However, she was not always regarded as such. In her youth, she was described as having a "round peasant face" and a "boyish" figure.

Sisi's most recognisable attribute was her thick, chestnut hair, which grew all the way down to her feet. She considered her hair her "crowning glory" and was proud of it above all else. The daily care of her hair was a time-consuming process, requiring at least three hours of ministrations from her hairdresser, Franziska (or Fanny) Feifalik. Every morning, after a cold bath, massage, light breakfast, and rigorous exercise, Sisi would sit down for her hair to be combed, braided, and twisted up into an elegant style on the crown of her head.

In addition to her lengthy haircare routine, Sisi also had a demanding skincare regimen. Obsessed with keeping wrinkles and other signs of ageing at bay, she applied crushed strawberries to her hands, neck, and face, and slept in a mask lined with raw veal. She also took warm olive oil baths to keep her skin soft and supple, and bathed with distilled water.

Sisi was fanatical about maintaining a slim figure, and she employed various methods to achieve this. She wrapped damp cloths above her hips to reduce inches and often dieted, sometimes unhealthily. Some of her meals consisted of little more than thin gravy, while at other times, she would only eat pressed extracts of raw chicken, partridge, venison, and beef, or subsist on eggs, oranges, and raw milk for weeks on end.

As she aged, Sisi only increased the physical demands on her poorly nourished body. She tortured her body with hours of physical exercise, including gymnastics, riding, and weightlifting. She also embarked on long, forced marches that were more akin to military speed walks than leisurely strolls.

Sisi's extreme dieting and exercise did yield results. For roughly 30 years, an unheard-of length of time, her reputation as a great beauty persisted. Even after four pregnancies, she kept her weight at approximately 110 pounds and maintained a 16-inch waist for the rest of her life.

However, her extreme beauty and exercise regimes came at a cost. Sisi suffered from an eating disorder and severe depression, or 'melancholy' as it was called in the 19th century, due to the pressure to maintain her good looks and the lack of stimulation from palace life. She was described by fellow courtiers as being "graceful, but too slender" and "extremely unhappy".

Relationship with her mother-in-law

Empress Elisabeth of Austria, also known as Sisi or Sissi, had a strained relationship with her mother-in-law, Archduchess Sophia. Sophia was the domineering mother of Emperor Franz Joseph I, whom Elisabeth married at the age of 16. The marriage brought Elisabeth into the formal Habsburg court life, which she found unpleasant and stifling. Early in the marriage, she clashed with Sophia, who took over the rearing of Elisabeth's daughters, including one who died in infancy. Sophia also refused to allow Elisabeth to breastfeed or care for her children. When Elisabeth gave birth to a son, Crown Prince Rudolf, her standing at court improved, but her health suffered.

Elisabeth's relationship with her mother-in-law was marked by conflict due to their differing approaches to the role of empress. Sophia was ambitious and had deliberately foregone the position, sacrificing her personal happiness for the good of the dynasty. On the other hand, Elisabeth had stumbled into the role, which remained alien to her. She often escaped the pressures of court life and the domination of her mother-in-law by spending extended periods at health spas and travelling.

Elisabeth's interest in Hungary and her endeavours in bringing about the Compromise of 1867 also caused tension with Sophia, who despised the Hungarians. Despite their differences, Elisabeth's health improved whenever she was away from her husband and mother-in-law, indicating that her illnesses were partly psychosomatic.

The death of her son

Empress Elisabeth of Austria, also known as Sisi or Sissi, was the daughter of the Bavarian Duke Maximilian Joseph. In 1853, she met her cousin, Emperor Franz Joseph I, and the two were married in 1854 when she was just 16. This marriage brought an end to her informal, unstructured childhood and thrust her into the formal Habsburg court life, which she found suffocating.

Elisabeth's life was marred by tragedy. Her daughter, Sophie, died in infancy, and the Empress was prevented from breastfeeding or caring for the child by her domineering mother-in-law, Archduchess Sophia. She suffered from poor mental health, including severe depression, and endured a difficult relationship with her husband. She also faced conflicts with her mother-in-law, who took over the rearing of Elisabeth's daughters.

The birth of her son and heir, Crown Prince Rudolf, in 1858 improved Elisabeth's standing at court. However, she continued to struggle with her mental health, and her nervous attacks, fasting, and severe exercise regime took a toll on her physical health. She often escaped to Hungary, where she found a more relaxed environment and developed a deep kinship with the country.

In 1889, Elisabeth's life was shattered by the death of her only son, Rudolf, in a murder-suicide at his hunting lodge in Mayerling. Rudolf was found dead alongside his young lover, Baroness Mary Vetsera. This tragedy was a blow from which the Empress never fully recovered. She withdrew from court duties and travelled widely without her family. She had a palace built on the Greek island of Corfu, which served as a refuge, but she soon lost interest in it.

Elisabeth's mental health struggles and eccentric lifestyle have been well-documented. She was obsessed with maintaining her youthful figure and beauty, following a restrictive diet, wearing extremely tight-laced corsets, and practising demanding beauty routines. She also had a tattoo of an anchor on her shoulder to reflect her love of the sea.

Despite her struggles, Elisabeth was considered a beautiful and powerful woman, capturing the imagination of many. She was known for her intelligence and interest in history, philosophy, and literature. She was also a skilled horsewoman and enjoyed creative pursuits.

Elisabeth's tragic life ended in an equally tragic death when she was assassinated in 1898 by an Italian anarchist, Luigi Lucheni, who stabbed her in the heart while she was visiting Geneva, Switzerland. She was 60 years old.

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