| Elisabeth of Bavaria (24 December 1837 Munich/München/D 10 September 1898 Genf/Geneva/CH) was Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary as spouse of Francis Joseph I. As such, she held also the titles Queen of Bohemia, Queen of Croatia and others. From an early age, she was called Sisi by family and friends (not "Sissi" like in the film). Elisabeth was born in Munich, Bavaria as Duchess Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie in Bavaria. She was the fourth child of Duke Maximilian Joseph in Bavaria and her mother was Princess Ludovika of Bavaria. Her family home was Possenhofen Castle. 1853 Elisabeth accompanied her mother and her 18-year-old sister, Duchess Helene, on a trip to the resort of Bad Ischl, Upper Austria. Her mother hoped Helene would attract the attention of their maternal first cousin, 22-year-old Francis Joseph, then Emperor of Austria. Instead, Francis Joseph chose the 15-year old Elisabeth, and the couple were married a year later in Vienna at St. Augustine's Church on 24 April 1854. While Elisabeth had limited influence on Austro-Hungarian politics, she has become a historical icon. Elisabeth is considered to have been a free spirit who abhorred conventional court protocol and at the same time a tragic figure; she has inspired filmmakers and theatrical producers alike. The Empress wrote poetry (such as the "Nordseelieder" and "Winterlieder", both inspirations from her favorite German poet, Heinrich Heine). Shaping a fantasy in poetry, she referred to herself as Titania ... |
