The True Story Of The Woman Behind Netflix’s ‘The Empress’

Often remembered for her beauty, kindness, and philanthropic work (it’s safe to say that Sisi walked so Princess Diana could run), Sisi’s story is full of both triumph and tragedy. Though Netflix takes some liberties with the truth, they still do a wonderful job at portraying Sisi as a highly empathetic royal.

This is the true story of Empress Elisabeth of Austria.

Sisi’s Early Years

Elisabeth “Sisi” of Austria was born on December 24, 1837 in Bavaria (a part of modern-day Germany) to parents Duke Maximillian Joseph of Bavaria and Princess Ludovika of Bavaria. She was their third child and second daughter out of eight children who survived childbirth. The portrayal of her life before meeting Franz on The Empress is pretty accurate: She was always "rebellious" and loved horseback riding. She was also close to her older sister, Helene, but that relationship would change forever when she met Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria.

Sisi and Franz’s Courtship

In 1853, 15-year-old Elisabeth and 19-year-old Helene traveled to Austria with their mother in the hope that Helene would become engaged to Franz Joseph, their cousin (their mothers were sisters, which is depicted in the show) and 24-year-old Emperor of Austria. Unlike Sisi, Helene was noted to have a more reserved and submissive personality, making her the perfect candidate for Empress of Austria.

Franz’s mother, Archduchess Sophie of Austria, was an advocate for the potential marriage of Franz and Helene, but Franz was much more interested in Sisi for her natural beauty and rebellious personality. Though his mother insisted that he married Helene, he told her that he’d "either marry Elisabeth or never marry at all."

According to Vogue, Sisi was “surprised and a bit embarrassed by the whole ordeal,” and Helene was “devastated.” Not much is known of the sisters’ relationship afterward, leading many to believe that this ruined their once close relationship.

Franz and Sisi got married in Vienna on April 25, 1854. According to History, “During the wedding festivities, thousands lined Vienna’s streets, eager to catch a glimpse of the new teenage empress. But in her glass coach on the way to her new home in the sprawling Hofburg imperial palace, Sisi sobbed—overwhelmed and afraid.”

The people of Austria quickly became fascinated with Sisi, an obsession that would last until the day she died. 

Sisi’s Life at Court and Family with Franz 

10 months after their wedding, 17-year-old Sisi gave birth to her and Franz’s first child, Sophie, and had a second daughter named Gisela a year later. Sisi’s inability to produce an heir made her relationship with her mother-in-law tense, which left Sisi prone to melancholy.

Though not much is known about Sisi’s childhood, many historians believe it was carefree because she had a difficult time adjusting to the strict rules of the Viennese court. Though she enjoyed being a mother, Archduchess Sophie made sure that her grandchildren received the formal education and care from nannies that she believed royal children deserved, depriving Sisi of her children. 

Her melancholy turned into depression when her oldest daughter, Sophie, died in her arms when she was only two years old, leaving the young empress scarred for life. However, her luck took a turn a year later, when she finally gave birth to a son, Crown Prince Rudolf, in 1858. Similar to her granddaughters, Archduchess Sophie made sure that Rudolf received a strict education, emphasizing the military role in his education to prepare him to be the future Emperor of Austria. Sisi was against this for several reasons, but mainly because she believed that Rudolf was a sensitive soul and that a military education would be too rough on him. Sisi and Franz would have one more child together, Marie Valerie, who was born in 1868 in Hungary.

Sisi’s Obsession with Beauty 

Sisi was famous for many things, but she always has been and always will be considered a beauty icon. Due to the strict rules of the Viennese court, Sisi was famously obsessed over the one thing in her life that she could control: her appearance. 

She was so obsessed with diet and exercise that many believe she would have been diagnosed with anorexia if she were alive today. Her exercises consisted of horseback riding and intense cardio, making sure that she had gym equipment at every palace she resided in. Her strict diet consisted of oranges, milk, raw beef juice, and egg whites mixed with salt, and she often turned to laxatives when she felt like she was putting on too much weight. It’s estimated that she never weighed more than 50 kilos (roughly 110 pounds), and, at her smallest, she is rumored to have had a 16-inch waist.

She didn’t like to wear makeup and focused on an intense skincare routine to preserve her natural beauty. Her beauty routine consisted of elaborate face creams and masks with raw veal, and it’s rumored that she refused to sit for photographs or portraits after she turned 32 to preserve her image of eternal youth and beauty. She was perhaps the most famous for her long hair, which was often done up in elaborate braided updos that took hours to style, leaving her prone to headaches and migraines. To maintain her luscious locks, she washed her hair "every three weeks with a mixture of raw eggs and brandy."

The Annexation of Hungary

Though Sisi didn’t have a lot of political power (the Emperor of Austria had almost absolute power), she played a role in Austria’s annexation of Hungary, turning it into the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After she gave birth to Rudolf in 1858, she avoided the Viennese court by traveling throughout Europe, devoting herself to philanthropic work to help the mentally ill, and Hungary was one of her favorite spots. 

According to History, “Early in her reign, Sisi developed a deep interest in Hungary, then a rebellious part of her husband’s empire. She believed the Hungarian people deserved greater freedoms and respect, and collaborated with her close friend, the dashing Hungarian statesman Gyula Andrássy, to advance the Hungarian cause. She further alienated the Viennese aristocracy by filling her personal staff with Hungarian nationals.”

She took advantage of her role as empress to convince Emperor Franz Joseph to let Hungary join the empire in 1867, making Franz and Sisi King and Queen of Hungary. She was as beloved in Hungary as she was in Austria, and she was able to raise her youngest daughter in Hungary away from Archduchess Sophie and the strict Viennese court.

The Mayerling Incident

Though Sisi’s life was full of many ups and downs, the worst tragedy of her life was the Mayerling Incident. On January 30, 1889, Sisi’s only son and the heir to the throne, 30-year-old Rudolf, was found dead in his hunting lodge outside Vienna alongside his 17-year-old lover, Baroness Mary Vetsera.

Nobody is completely sure whether or not it was a suicide pact or murder-suicide that led to their deaths, but many believe that Rudolf was manipulative, killing Mary after she backed out of their suicide pact before taking his own life. This threw Sisi into a deep depression that would last the rest of her life, and she even told her youngest daughter that "Rudolf's bullet killed my faith." She wore black every day for the rest of her life to mourn her son.

Since Rudolf had not had any sons with his wife, Princess Stephanie of Belgium, the throne passed on to Sisi and Franz’s eldest nephew, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose assassination in 1914 was the tipping point for the start of World War I.

Sisi’s Later Years, Assassination

Sisi spent the rest of her life traveling around Europe, mainly performing charity work for refugees and the mentally ill. During a charity visit to Geneva, Switzerland, she was assassinated by Italian anarchist Luigi Lucheni and died on September 10, 1898. 

After Lucheni failed to kill Prince Henri of Orleans “in an act of protest against the ruling class,” he believed that “any royal would do” and stabbed Sisi with a small triangular file as she was on her way to board a ship. Sisi succumbed to her injuries only hours later, dying of internal bleeding. She was 60 years old.

Closing Thoughts

Long after her death, Sisi is still widely remembered in history and popular culture for her beauty and her kindness towards others, which often leads to comparisons between her and Princess Diana. She was a beautiful, tragic, and empathetic figure, leaving behind a legacy that will outlive her for centuries to come.

Netflix’s The Empress tells a highly fictionalized version of Sisi’s teenage years, but still captures her as the empathetic person she was. We can only hope that the second season will continue to capture her personality in their fictional narrative, leading viewers across the world to learn more about the tragically beautiful empress.

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