Ruqayyah Snyder
Empress Elisabeth of Austria, also known as Sisi or Sissi, was the wife of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. She was born on 24 December 1837 and became Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary when she married Franz Joseph on 24 April 1854, until her death in 1898. Elisabeth's life as Empress was marked by tragedy and unhappiness, as she struggled with the formalities and rigid rituals of court life, as well as personal losses and a difficult relationship with her husband. Despite this, she remains a legendary figure, celebrated for her beauty, eccentricity and intelligence.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Elisabeth |
| Nicknames | Sisi, Sissi |
| Born | 24 December 1837 |
| Birthplace | Munich, Bavaria |
| Parents | Duke Maximilian Joseph in Bavaria and Princess Ludovika of Bavaria |
| Became Empress | 24 April 1854 |
| Husband | Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria |
| Children | Crown Prince Rudolf, Sophie |
| Known for | Beauty, eccentricity, intelligence |
| Death | 10 September 1898 |
| Cause of Death | Assassination |
| Assassin | Luigi Lucheni |
| Tenure | 44 years |
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What You'll Learn
Empress Elisabeth's marriage to Emperor Franz Joseph I
On 24 April 1854, Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie, born Duchess of Bavaria, married her first cousin, Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. She was 16 at the time, while he was 23. The marriage produced four children: Crown Prince Rudolf (1858-1889), Gisela (1856-1932), Sophie (1855-1857), and Marie Valerie (1868-1924).
Elisabeth, nicknamed Sisi or Sissi, was born into the Bavarian House of Wittelsbach and enjoyed an informal upbringing. In contrast, her marriage to Franz Joseph thrust her into the much more formal Habsburg court life, which she found suffocating and for which she was unprepared. Early in the marriage, she was at odds with her mother-in-law, Archduchess Sophie, who was also her maternal aunt. Sophie took over the rearing of Elisabeth's daughters, one of whom, Sophie, died in infancy.
Franz Joseph, on the other hand, was born into the Habsburgs, Austria's longest-reigning dynasty. His mother, Archduchess Sophie, was extremely ambitious politically and played a pivotal role in arranging his marriage to Elisabeth. On the occasion of Franz Joseph's twenty-third birthday, she arranged a party and invited her sister, Princess Ludovika, along with her daughters Helene and Elisabeth. However, Franz Joseph fell in love with Elisabeth, and two days after their first meeting, he asked her to marry him.
The couple's engagement was announced before they left Bad Ischl, and their "dream wedding" took place six months later in Vienna. Despite the grand celebrations, the marriage was an unhappy arrangement for both parties. Elisabeth struggled with the strict protocol, intrigues, and official duties of court life. She often felt caged by the rigid rituals and turned to activities like smoking, riding, and gymnastics as a means of escape. Franz Joseph, meanwhile, was torn between his wife's wishes and the demands of his mother.
The couple's honeymoon at Laxenburg Palace was a disaster, with Franz Joseph spending his days at his desk while Elisabeth cried in the park. Over the years, they moved between various courts and homes, including the Imperial Palace, Schönbrunn in Vienna, the Innsbruck Hofburg, Leopoldskron Castle in Salzburg, and Schloss Hof. Elisabeth's tenure as empress lasted 44 years, the longest of any Austrian empress.
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Her life at the Habsburg court
Empress Elisabeth "Sisi" of Austria, born Duchess Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie in Bavaria, enjoyed an informal and unstructured upbringing before marrying her first cousin, Emperor Franz Joseph I, at the age of 16. This marriage brought her into the much more formal and rigid Habsburg court life, for which she was unprepared and which she found suffocating.
Elisabeth's new life as empress at the Viennese Court was marked by strict daily routines, hierarchies, continual intrigues, and official duties that restricted her lifestyle. She had to comply with the strict regulations and rituals of the Viennese court, which she found disagreeable and unpleasant. The young and spirited empress felt caged by these rigid rituals and the dullness of royal life. The honeymoon at Laxenburg Palace was a disaster, with the young emperor spending his days at his desk while his wife cried in the park.
Elisabeth's mother-in-law, Archduchess Sophie, attempted to groom her as an empress according to her own ideas, which further contributed to Elisabeth's unhappiness at court. Sophie was domineering and took over the rearing of Elisabeth's daughters, one of whom, Sophie, died in infancy. The birth of a son, Crown Prince Rudolf, improved Elisabeth's standing at court, but her health suffered under the strain. Elisabeth's spouse, Franz Joseph, lacked understanding for her needs and fears, and she increasingly refused to play her allotted role at the Viennese Court. Her introverted character and shyness in public made her dislike of official appearances and social conventions understandable, as she was constantly the focus of attention in the imperial capital.
Elisabeth's life at the Habsburg court was also marked by tragedy. She lost her infant daughter, Sophie, and later her only son, Rudolf, to a murder-suicide in 1889. Elisabeth took to escaping to Hungary in extreme bouts of sadness to recover from her grief and escape her unhappy marriage. She also found solace in books, reading and writing late into the night, with a particular interest in history, philosophy, and literature. She was a fan of the German lyric poet and radical political thinker Heinrich Heine, whose letters she collected and who inspired her to write poetry.
Elisabeth's life at court was also characterised by her defiance of traditional gender norms. She took up smoking, riding, and gymnastics during her marriage, which caused her to become the subject of gossip. She was a skilled horsewoman and followed a strict fitness routine, which was unusual for a woman of her time and status. She also had a deep love for the sea and sailing, even getting an anchor tattooed on her shoulder while in Greece. Elisabeth's final act of defiance was her refusal to have any portraits of herself taken after the age of 30 or 40, so that she could remain forever young in the eyes of those who knew her.
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The birth of her son, Crown Prince Rudolf
Empress Elisabeth "Sisi" of Austria, born Duchess Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie in Bavaria on 24 December 1837, became the Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary following her marriage to Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria on 24 April 1854.
Rudolf received an extensive education and travelled widely. He had liberal and anticlerical views, which alienated him from his conservative father and the prime minister, Eduard, Count von Taaffe. Rudolf's political isolation deepened as his reformist ideas were stifled by his father. He published two books on his travels and sponsored a monumental survey of Austria-Hungary, titled "Österreich-Ungarn in Wort und Bild" ("Austria-Hungary in Word and Picture").
In Vienna, on 10 May 1881, Rudolf married Princess Stéphanie of Belgium, a daughter of King Leopold II. Although initially a happy marriage, the couple drifted apart by the time their only child, the Archduchess Elisabeth ("Erzsi"), was born on 2 September 1883. After the birth of their child, Rudolf's behaviour became increasingly unstable as he drank heavily and had many affairs. In 1886, Rudolf became seriously ill, and the couple travelled to the island of Lacroma (off present-day Croatia) for his treatment.
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Elisabeth's love for the sea and sailing
Empress Elisabeth of Austria, also known as Sisi, was famed for her beauty, setting fashion trends, and her love of horse riding and travelling. She was also known for her rebellious behaviour, such as smoking, getting a tattoo, and avoiding public duties. During her reign, she connected more with common people than the average royal.
Elisabeth's body was carried back to the Hôtel Beau-Rivage by six sailors on a stretcher improvised from a sail, cushions, and two oars. Her coffin was made of two inner coffins of lead and a third exterior one in bronze, which was carried back to Vienna aboard a funeral train. The entire empire was in deep mourning, with eighty-two sovereigns and high-ranking nobles following her funeral cortege to the Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church.
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Her tragic assassination in Geneva
Empress Elisabeth of Austria, also known as Sisi, was born on 24 December 1837 and died on 10 September 1898. She was 60 years old.
On Saturday, 10 September 1898, Sisi and Countess Sztáray left the hotel on foot to walk to the steamship Genève for Montreux. Sisi despised processions, so she insisted that they walk without the other members of her entourage. As they walked along the promenade, 25-year-old Italian anarchist Luigi Lucheni approached them. He ran towards them and stabbed Sisi directly into her heart with a self-made weapon composed of a small, sharp file. Sisi thought that Lucheni had merely knocked her over, and she hurried with her chambermaid to the ship. It was only on board that she collapsed and died. Her last words were, "What actually happened?"
Lucheni was caught and confessed immediately. He was brought to a Geneva court on 11 November 1898 and incarcerated for life.
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Frequently asked questions
Sisi became Empress of Austria when she married Emperor Franz Joseph I on 24 April 1854.
Sisi was Empress of Austria for 44 years, from 1854 until her death in 1898.
Sisi's time as Empress of Austria ended when she was assassinated by an Italian anarchist, Luigi Lucheni, in Geneva in 1898.
Sisi was popular with her subjects, particularly the Hungarians, who admired her for helping to bring about the Compromise of 1867. However, she offended the Viennese aristocracy by her impatience with the rigid etiquette of the court.
