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Katharina Eyssen's show The Empress premiered on Netflix on Thursday, September 29, 2022. Based on the life of the Austrian Empress Elisabeth of Bavaria, nicknamed Sisi, season 1 follows the story of a girl who wants to live beyond boundaries.
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.
Based on the life of the Austrian Empress, The Empress is set in a conflicted Europe, which was still reeling from the effects of the French Revolution.
In the same genre, The Crown, on the other hand, began with developments in the royal family of the U.K. after the death of King George VI and the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
Read on to find out if there are any similarities between The Empress and The Crown.
The Empress takeaway: How does it differ from The Crown?
A brief overview of the plot of The Empress
The show began with the marriage of a teenage Elisabeth to Emperor Franz Joseph. Franz Joseph was supposed to marry Elisabeth's elder sister Helene but fell for the younger one instead.
Although Elisabeth married into royalty, she never actively sought recognition in the emperor's court. However, the baggage of being the empress crept up when she had to follow the rules and live by a code of conduct.
The restrictions kept Elisabeth at loggerheads with the palace and created obstacles in her marriage to Franz Joseph. As the show highlighted, Archduchess Sophia, Franz Joseph's mother, felt her influence over the emperor was waning away because of Elisabeth.
Meanwhile, war from three prongs knocked on the empire's door and compelled Franz Joseph to take a stand. From within the family, Franz Joseph's younger brother, Maximilian, conspired behind his brother's back to overthrow him and take his stead.
Are there any similarities between The Empress and The Crown?
The Empress and The Crown are Netflix shows dealing with the monarchies of two countries. While the former is based in the 19th century Habsburg empire, The Crown followed the life of Queen Elizabeth II after her coronation in the 20th century.
The Crown is an award-winning series that will enter season 5. Although it primarily revolves around the Queen, it has also developed parallel storylines revolving around members of the British royal family, including the troubled marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. It also depicted other prominent developments in the U.K.
On the other hand, The Empress just saw its season 1 drop on the streamer. It specifically deals with the life of Elisabeth, of the Bavarian House of Wittelsbach, and married into the Habsburg court of Franz Joseph.
The show began by throwing light on Elisabeth's days before her marriage but did not delve deep into her childhood. While the show is set in the historical background of the aftermath of the French Revolution, there is little focus on the politics of that time.
A primary reason could be the absence of women's direct involvement in ascending to the throne. Although Archduchess Sophia, Franz Joseph's mother, influenced her son, she could never directly claim the throne, according to the norm of the nineteenth century.
The only similarity between the two shows could be their female protagonists. Elisabeth and Princess Diana (from season 4 of The Crown) shared common traits, including an affinity for commoners, a disregard for the royal code of conduct that often landed them in trouble, the need to look presentable in front of cameras, as well as their respective personal battles with the royal family and eating disorders.
Both Princess Diana and Empress Elisabeth died peculiar deaths. While an Italian anarchist assassinated Elisabeth in 1898, Princess Diana died in a car crash in 1997.
All the episodes of The Empress are currently streaming on Netflix.
