The Empress ending explained: Does Elisabeth leave emperor Franzz Joseph in this Netflix series?

Katharina Eyssen's show The Empress premiered on Netflix on Thursday, September 29, 2022. Based on the Austrian Empress Elisabeth of Bavaria, nicknamed Sisi, The Empress season 1 follows the marriage of a wilful girl in 19th century Hungary, who remained conflicted between a life of royalty and expectations. The series is based on true events.

It features actors Devrim Lingnau as Empress Elisabeth, Philip Froissant as Emperor Franz Joseph, Melika Foroutan as Sophia, mother of Emperor Franz Joseph, Johannes Nussbaum as Archduke Maximilian, Elisa Schlott as Helene, Elisabeth's older sister, and Almila Bagriacik as Ava alias Leontine, Countess of Apafi, among others.

The Empress began with an impulsive yet compassionate Elisabeth, or Sisi, locking horns with he mother before the arrival of a potential suitor. Sisi was the complete opposite of her elder sister Helene, or Nene, who adhered to the rules and norms of society. Sisi rode horses, walked bare feet, wielded guns, and hunted in the woods – considered a total disappointment by her mother, who gave Sisi the ultimatum of finding a husband or being sent to the asylum.

However, things turned out to be relatively smooth for Sisi when she met her cousin and emperor Franz Joseph, and they fell in love. While Franz was to marry Helene, he tied the knot with 15-year-old Elisabeth, who became the Empress of Austria and the Queen of Hungary.

From the day of her wedding, Elisabeth started feeling uneasy in the royal setting and was regarded as a misfit by others, including the emperor's mother, Sophia.

The Empress portrayed the absurdities of royal life through Elisabeth's lens, including being subjected to fertility tests, making the couple wear robes on their wedding night, making Elisabeth drink egg yolk every morning to heighten her fertility, and even making her consume the placenta of a woman who had just given birth to her eighth son on one occasion.

Despite the restrictions, Elisabeth and Franz continued to have a blissful married life until Sophia realized that her influence over her son was waning because of his wife. Sophia and the ladies-in-waiting kept a check on signs of pregnancy since Elisabeth's only job was to produce an heir to the throne.

Elisabeth battled her personal crisis with royalty as the country was on the brink of war with France, Germany, and Russia. As descendants of Louis XVI and relatives of former French queen Marie Antoinette, Franz Joseph's relationship with the masses was strained.

His younger brother, Maximilian, took advantage of the anti-emperor sentiments and tried to dethrone his brother. Maximilian was also furious at Franz for marrying Elisabeth because he claimed to love her too.

The individuals' crises in the backdrop of a tumultuous time in Europe exacerbated the lives of the stakeholders, especially Elisabeth.

Continue reading to find out how The Empress ended.

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The Empress ending explained: Does Elisabeth leave emperor Franz Joseph in this Netflix series?

In episode 5 of The Empress, Elisabeth visited the commoners on the same day as thousands of men were deployed in the army to hold off Russia at the borders. Franz Joseph wanted to avoid war at all costs and focus on progress by bringing in the railways, but his efforts were thwarted after a furious Tsar Nicholas sent his troops to the border.

Elisabeth visited a foundry where she was upset to see the abysmal conditions of the workers. Elisabeth quickly recognized the signs of the ordinary people's rage against the royal family. In a bid to empathize, she not only entered a factory but also handed over her shoes to a girl.

The lady-in-waiting, who accompanied Elisabeth, was enraged at this sight and ordered the head of the guard to carry the empress out so that her feet did not touch the common soil. The sight of the guard carrying the empress, despite her reluctance, enraged the commoners.

At the palace, Elisabeth was accused of flouting rules of royal conduct, which included not touching any commoner, making no eye contact, and not engaging in casual conversation.

Even the royal family, including Franz Joseph, was unhappy with Elisabeth's actions, she tried to bring up the deplorable working conditions. However, her concerns were dismissed as exaggerations, and she started straying from royal life.

Subsequently, Sophia restricted Elisabeth's movements within the palace grounds. Elisabeth's heart broke when she was informed that Franz Joseph was aware of the restrictions and had also agreed to them. The crack between Elisabeth and Franz Joseph widened when the underground revolution planned to assassinate the royal family, and commoners started gathering outside palace gates.

Maximilian unsuccessfully attempted to bring forces together against his brother when Russia announced the withdrawal of its troops from the border.

Despite things looking good strategy-wise, Elisabeth decided to leave the palace and return to her home in Bayern after Franz Joseph accused her of consorting with Maximilian and his plans, an assumption that was planted by the younger brother in the older's mind. This confrontation was right before Elisabeth found out she was pregnant for the second time.

However, she not only decided to keep the news to herself but also packed her bags and left the palace. With hundreds of people standing outside the palace gates, the head of the guard asked the empress to turn around her carriage.

Elisabeth looked at the people and commanded the gates to be opened. The empress walked out alone as the guards, and the emperor watched. She proclaimed,

"I see you."

She followed it with a deep bow, and hugged some of them.

Elisabeth also took the occasion to announce her pregnancy, during which Franz Joseph walked out of the gates. It is unclear what happened right after the emperor walked out as The Empress ended right at that moment.

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All the episodes of The Empress are currently streaming on Netflix.