With the new series on Netflix The Empress many have become fascinated by the story of the main character of the show Empress Elisabeth of Austria. The 6 episode series depicts the beginning and early stages of the marriage between Empress Elisabeth and her husband Emperor Franz Joseph l. However, before her royal marriage in Vienna, Elisabeth was born and grew up in Munich. As a child Elisabeth´s nickname was “Sissi” and she enjoyed a very unrestrained and unstructured childhood. Contrary to life she lived in the Viennese royal palace, Elisabeth enjoyed hunting, riding and exploring the nature surrounding her family's summer home Possenhofen Castle.
However, in 1853 when the arranged marriage between Franz Joseph and Elisabeth was finalized, everything changed for the young Sissi. She went from being a Duchess in Munich to being the Empress of Austria. A great change which proved to be a challenging task as it meant that Elisabeth could not enjoy liberties previously permitted during her time in Munich. When she moved into the Viennese royal palace Shönnbrunn, a whole new form of etiquette and rules was imposed on the new empress. All of which she had to learn without fault. Elisabeth married into one of the most prominent royal families of Europe, the Habsburg family. The Habsburgs family tree displays a pristine royal pedigree counting various links to other royal families around the world. The family used royal marriages ,between its own family members and other royals around the world, as an effective tool for international relations. A strategy which went so far as to cause a distinctive royal feature called the “Habsburg jaw”. Rumor has it that there were so many Habsburgs marrying into other royal courts, that a distinct Habsburg Jaw was being introduced in the genealogy of the other royal families.
One of the most notorious Habsburg marriages abroad was the marriage between king Louis XVl of France and Marie Anttoinette. Much like Empress Elizabeth, after her marriage in 1770, Marie Antoinette went from being a relatively minor noble (archduchess of Austria) to becoming the “Dauphine” of France. Similarly, this entailed a whole new set of etiquette and rules set by the French court at Versailles. However, what differs between the two Queen´s, apart from their different generations, is the subsequent French Revolution. The infamous French Revolution resulted in the demise of the French royal family including Marie Anoinette. Despite attempts to save the last Queen of France, the Habsburgs failed. Oblivious to the fact that they would one day face destruction as well.
I truly recommend The empress to anyone who is interested in historical fiction and drama. Despite the series being a heavy dramatization of true historic events, it makes for great entertainment. It is very interesting to see the story of the willful Empress Elisabeth of Austria, or Sissi, come to life through such an amazing production.
By Oliver