Motherhood Of Elisabeth Of Austria: A Royal Challenge

Empress Elisabeth of Austria, also known as Sisi, was a beloved Austrian monarch. She was born into the royal Bavarian House of Wittelsbach on 24 December 1837 and married her first cousin, Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, at the age of 16. Elisabeth's life as empress was filled with personal tragedy, ill health, and a difficult relationship with her domineering mother-in-law, Archduchess Sophie. Despite this, she was considered beautiful and elegant, with a passion for riding and gymnastics, and was popular with her subjects. She had four children: three daughters, two of whom died in infancy, and a son, Crown Prince Rudolf, who died by suicide in 1889. Elisabeth's life ended in tragedy when she was assassinated by an anarchist in Geneva in 1898.

Elisabeth's relationship with her mother-in-law, Archduchess Sophie

Elisabeth of Austria's relationship with her mother-in-law, Archduchess Sophie, was strained and complex. As Elisabeth's aunt, Archduchess Sophie was also her senior at the Habsburg court, and the two women had conflicting views on an empress's role. Archduchess Sophie was a strong-willed, authoritarian figure, known as "the only man at court", who dominated her inexperienced son, Emperor Franz Joseph I, and exerted considerable political influence.

Archduchess Sophie took charge of the upbringing of Elisabeth's first two children, Sophie and Gisela, without Elisabeth's consent, and even named the first child after herself. This caused friction between the two women, with Elisabeth begging her husband to intervene, to no avail. Elisabeth eventually began to openly express her wishes to her mother-in-law and took her daughters with her when she travelled. However, the death of her eldest child, Sophie, in 1857, at the age of two, changed the family dynamics. Archduchess Sophie held Elisabeth indirectly responsible for the child's death, and she suffered a breakdown, locking herself away for days or riding until she was exhausted to avoid having to think. Sophie's death also settled the matter of the children, who were raised by Archduchess Sophie without opposition.

Elisabeth's relationship with her mother-in-law was also affected by their differing views on Hungary. Archduchess Sophie despised the Hungarians, considering them "a horde of revolutionary hotheads", whereas Elisabeth felt a deep kinship with the country and its people, which led her to learn Hungarian. Archduchess Sophie's neo-absolutist ideals were further challenged by the Austro-Hungarian Compromise and the introduction of the constitutional monarchy in 1867. She withdrew from court life and died in 1872.

Despite their differences, Archduchess Sophie is usually described quite pleasantly in her diary and letters, and their relationship was not as malevolent as it is sometimes portrayed.

The birth of her first child, Sophie

Empress Elisabeth of Austria, also known as Sisi or Sissi, gave birth to her first child, Sophie Friederike Dorothea Maria Josepha, on 5 March 1855, just 10 months after her wedding to Emperor Franz Joseph I. The birth of Sophie, who was named after her mother-in-law, Archduchess Sophie, was a surprise to Elisabeth, who was still only 17 years old at the time.

Archduchess Sophie, who was also Elisabeth's maternal aunt, took complete charge of the baby, refusing to allow Elisabeth to breastfeed or care for her own child. She even named the child without consulting the mother. This dynamic continued when Elisabeth gave birth to a second daughter, Gisela, a year later. The Archduchess took this baby away from Elisabeth as well, and the pressure on Elisabeth to produce a male heir intensified.

In 1857, Elisabeth, her husband, and their two daughters travelled to Hungary for the first time. Tragically, both children fell ill during the trip, and while Gisela recovered quickly, two-year-old Sophie grew steadily weaker and died, likely of typhus. Sophie's death devastated Elisabeth, who was already prone to bouts of melancholy, and it pushed her into periods of heavy depression that would haunt her for the rest of her life.

After Sophie's death, Elisabeth became pregnant for the third time, and in August 1858, she finally gave birth to an heir, Rudolf. The birth of a son improved Elisabeth's standing at court, but her health suffered under the strain, and she often sought refuge in Hungary, where she felt a deep kinship with the people.

Elisabeth's mental health

Empress Elisabeth of Austria, also known as Sisi or Sissi, suffered from poor mental health throughout her life. She was described as ""extremely unhappy" by her courtiers, and her mental health issues were likely exacerbated by her loveless marriage, the death of her son, and her controlling mother-in-law.

In 1857, Elisabeth's daughter Sophie fell ill and died during a family trip to Hungary. This tragedy pushed Elisabeth into periods of heavy depression, and she distanced herself from her other daughter, Gisela. However, she soon became pregnant again, and in 1858, she gave birth to a son, Rudolf. The birth of a male heir improved Elisabeth's standing at court, but her health continued to suffer under the strain.

The death of her son, Rudolf, in 1889, was a blow from which Elisabeth never fully recovered. Rudolf was found dead at his hunting lodge alongside his teenage mistress, Baroness Mary Vetsera, in what appeared to be a murder-suicide pact. Elisabeth fell into a deep depression, wearing black for the rest of her life and retreating even further from public life. She became more restless and reckless in her travels, often travelling without protection.

In summary, Empress Elisabeth of Austria's mental health was fragile throughout her life, and she struggled with anxiety, depression, and disordered eating. Her unhappiness was likely exacerbated by the constraints of court life, her difficult relationship with her mother-in-law, and the tragedies she experienced, particularly the death of her son.

The death of her son, Rudolf

Empress Elisabeth of Austria, also known as Sisi, was the mother of Crown Prince Rudolf, the only son and third child of her marriage to Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. Rudolf was born on 21 August 1858 and died on 30 January 1889 in a murder-suicide pact with his mistress, Baroness Mary Vetsera, at his hunting lodge in Mayerling. The death of her son was a tragedy from which Elisabeth never fully recovered.

The Death of Crown Prince Rudolf

Elisabeth and Franz Joseph received the devastating news of Rudolf's death on a cold, grey morning in Vienna. The Empress, who was abroad in Geneva at the time, was informed of the tragedy first, and it was left to her to break the news to her husband. The couple's shock and grief were compounded by confusion, as the circumstances of Rudolf's death were shrouded in secrecy and conjecture. While it was known that he had died from a wound to the head, it was unclear whether he had been murdered or had taken his own life.

The death of her son had a profound impact on Elisabeth, who turned to her favourite poets for solace. She later declared:

> In every human life, there is a moment when one dies inwardly and that need not necessarily be the time when death actually takes place. This moment to her was when they brought her the news of her son's death. She was never the same afterward.

Elisabeth's despair was heart-breaking, and she herself admitted that she had "no longer the strength to live nor the desire to die". The Empress's mental health suffered greatly, and she began to exhibit symptoms of serious heart trouble. She also developed an aversion to her daughter-in-law, Crown Princess Stephanie, and her granddaughter, Archduchess Elisabeth, holding them responsible for Rudolf's way of life and tragic fate.

Elisabeth's relationship with her husband also suffered in the aftermath of their son's death. She craved solitude and often wounded Franz Joseph with her desire to be alone. She retreated from court life and travelled widely, unaccompanied by her family. She also had a palace, Achilleion, built on the Greek island of Corfu, which served as a refuge.

The Mayerling Incident

The scandal surrounding Rudolf's death became known as the "Mayerling Incident", after the location of his hunting lodge. The scandal made international headlines, and the Emperor had the lodge converted into a convent of Carmelite nuns, who were to pray eternally for the repose of Rudolf's soul.

Legacy

Rudolf's death left his parents without a direct male heir, and it was only after the death of Franz Joseph's younger brother, Archduke Karl Ludwig, in 1896, that the succession was secured through his son, Archduke Franz Ferdinand. However, Franz Ferdinand's assassination in 1914 precipitated World War I, and the eventual end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Elisabeth's beauty and self-image

Empress Elisabeth of Austria, also known as Sisi or Sissi, was widely acknowledged as one of the most beautiful women of 19th-century Europe. Her good looks and elegant features were often credited with retaining public interest in the Austrian court.

However, Sisi was not considered a great beauty in her youth. Some biographers have referred to her as having a "round peasant face" and a boyish figure. She was highly sensitive to any perceived deficiencies in her appearance, and this sensitivity, combined with the pressure to maintain her famous 15-inch waist, took a significant toll on her well-being. She developed an eating disorder and suffered from severe depression, or 'melancholy' as it was then known.

Sisi embarked on a lifetime of starvation diets and extreme beauty and exercise routines. She was fanatical about maintaining a slim figure, and kept her weight at approximately 110 pounds (50kg) for most of her life. She wrapped herself in damp cloths above the hips to reduce inches and was constantly, and often unhealthily, dieting. Some evening meals consisted of little more than a thin gravy, and she would sometimes eat nothing but eggs, oranges, and raw milk for weeks on end. She also partook in vast quantities of rigorous exercise, including gymnastics, fencing, and long hikes, as well as her beloved horseback riding.

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 nothing so much as the cascade of hair that enveloped her like a cloak. The care and maintenance of these tremendous tresses required a time commitment of no less than three hours per day. Every morning, after a cold bath, massage, light breakfast, and rigorous exercise, she sat down to have her hair combed, braided, and twisted up into elegant splendour by her hairdresser, Fanny Feifalik. Sisi's Greek tutor Konstantin Christomanos described the ritual:

> Behind the Empress’s armchair stood the hairdresser…With her white hands she burrowed in the waves of hair, raised them and ran her fingertips over them as she might over velvet and silk, twisted them around her arms like rivers she wanted to capture because they did not want to run but to fly.

After braiding Sisi's hair, Feifalik was required to give an account to her mistress of all the hairs that had broken or fallen out during the process, presenting them in a silver bowl for inspection. Sisi forbade anyone but Feifalik from touching her hair, even refusing to appear at official functions if Feifalik was unavailable to style it.

Sisi's skincare regimen was equally involved. 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 inside with raw veal. She soaked in warm olive oil baths to keep her skin soft and supple, and for everyday bathing, she used distilled water to wash with. She also slept without any pillows, on the advice of someone who had once persuaded her that it would benefit her beauty.

Sisi's extreme diet, exercise, and beauty rituals took over her life. She once said: "Children are the curse of a woman, for when they come, they drive away Beauty, which is the best gift of the gods."

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