The Real Monarch Who Broke All The Rules And Inspired Netflix's "The Empress"
Our obsession with royalty goes back much further than King Charles and his family. People have always yearned for a glimpse behind the velvet curtain... just to discover that life as a royal can be cruel and demanding for those in power, especially for queens. And if you’re looking to learn about a queen with a storied past then look no further than Empress Elisabeth of Austria — whose dramatic story is depicted in Netflix's hit show The Empress. Known for her stunning beauty and strange habits, Elisabeth had a lust for life that couldn’t be contained by palace walls. But it was an attitude that would ultimately lead to tragedy.
An untamed young woman
The dramatic story all began on Christmas Eve in 1837, when Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie was born — and she was soon considered to be eccentric. Her father was known for his odd ways, including his decision to teach her horseback riding rather than sending her to school.
Stealing the heart of an emperor
But Elisabeth — later nicknamed Sisi — wouldn’t have become empress if she hadn’t met and married Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria. That’s something we’re sure her sister, Helene, stewed about for years. Helene was meant to marry Franz, but when he met Elisabeth — as depicted in The Empress — he switched sisters.
A thirst for freedom and adventure
Like her father, Elisabeth loved adventure and freedom more than anything else. And that remained true even when she became empress. She once said, “If I arrived at a place and knew that I could never leave it again, the whole stay would become hell despite being paradise.”
A young bride
Franz Joseph and Elisabeth married eight months after their first official meeting. That meant that Elisabeth took the crown when she was just 16 years old. She soon discovered that she was several months pregnant, however... just one month after the wedding.
