Elisabeth of Austria: Sisi’s great-grandson reveals: This is what the Empress really was like
It is the legend from the fairy tale arose: Empress Elisabeth of Austria. SHE is a myth to this day and became an empress of hearts through the feature film “Sissi”. But the romanticized film has few parallels to the real Elisabeth of Austria, as a great-grandson tells. She was considered one of the most beautiful women of her time. And that despite the fact that she contradicted the ideal of beauty from back then. While women with curves were considered particularly beautiful at the time, the Empress paid meticulous attention to her wasp waist. In some cases it is reported that she is said to have even had an eating disorder. Today we also know that Elisabeth did excessive sport and was considered one of the best riders of her time. The last photo of the vain empress was taken in 1870 when Elisabeth was just 33 years old. After that, she no longer allowed herself to be photographed and only showed herself in public with a fan and a veil.
In the video above, a great-grandson of Sisi reveals even more details to show what the Empress really was like.
Franz Joseph falls in love with Elisabeth at first sight
At the age of 16, Elisabeth, who was born in Munich, married the Emperor of Austria, seven years her senior, in 1854. As shown in the film, Franz Joseph was supposed to get engaged to Elisabeth’s older sister Helene in Bavaria. But when he met Elisabeth in Bad Ischl in the summer of 1853, Franz Joseph instantly fell in love with her. Because the future empress was not yet 16 years old at the time of the engagement, the wedding was waited for another year. But the marriage of Franz Joseph and Elisabeth was not considered particularly happy. Elisabeth spent a lot of time traveling and also left the upbringing of their children to her mother-in-law. On September 10, 1898, Elisabeth fell victim to an assassin when he rammed an arrowhead into her heart. After her death, a world broke for Franz Joseph. “You don’t know what this woman was to me,” he is supposed to have said after Elisabeth’s death. He survived her for another 18 years. The story of the imperial couple remains a moving fate and a tragic death that co-founded a legend.