The Empress takeaway: Who was the real Austrian empress, Elisabeth?

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, The Empress season 1 follows the story of a girl who does not wish to live by the books and must pay the price for it.

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 took place in the backdrop of a conflicted Europe, which was still reeling from the effects of the French Revolution. Emperor Franz Joseph's family, also the relatives of Marie Antoinette, the last queen of France before the French Revolution, were not in the good books of the masses.

Antoinette is a renowned historical figure, not for being guillotined but for the words that led to her execution. She had proclaimed:

"If they can't eat bread, let them have cake."

Read on to learn more about Elisabeth.

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The Empress takeaway: Everything you need to know about Austrian empress Elisabeth

Elisabeth was born to the Bavarian Duke and Duchess and the royal Bavarian House of Wittelsbach in 1837. According to Vogue, Elisabeth spent her childhood in the countryside outside of Munich.

Although she never aspired to rule in the Habsburg empire, Elisabeth was married to 23-year-old Emperor Franz Joseph. Franz was supposed to be married to Elisabeth's elder sister Helene but fell in love with 15-year-old Sisi when she visited the Austrian resort of Bad Ischl to meet him.

However, Elisabeth was a misfit in the royal setting. Vogue noted instances of Elisabeth stirring a scandal during her reception when she embraced her cousins with hugs instead of the norm of kisses on the forehead. Such gait, combined with her affinity for the commoners, made Elisabeth desirable outside the palace gates.

However, Elisabeth could not stay in the good books of Franz Joseph's mother, Archduchess Sophia.

The Empress highlighted the tiff between Sophia and Elisabeth. The root cause of contention was the shift in power between the both. However, it must be noted that the beloved queen's life was not all rosy, and she had secrets of her own.

Elisabeth and Franz Joseph gave birth to four children: Sophia, Gisela, Rudolf, and Marie Valerie. The firstborn and the eldest, Sophia, died when she was two years old. Sophia's death took a mental toll on Elisabeth, who became physically drained after four pregnancies and subsequently strayed from public life.

The Vogue report further highlighted that Elisabeth was particular about her public image, especially the circulated photos. She refused to be photographed after 30 because she was obsessed with her youthful appearance. Elisabeth also resorted to an assortment of natural elements that helped restore her beauty.

However, the empress dealt with an eating disorder, maintained a slender waistline of 18 inches, and consequently was labeled a narcissist.

Despite her personal battles, Elisabeth was exceptionally kind to the commoners and others. She helped those wounded in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 and also convinced Franz Joseph to pardon Italian rebels.

Ironically, Elisabeth was assassinated by an Italian anarchist named Luigi Lucheni in Geneva in 1898. She died at the age of 60.

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Some are noting similarities between The Empress and The Crown. While this is not unfounded, there are stark dissimilarities between both shows. While The Crown was set in the 20th century, The Empress narrates tales from the 19th century. This exhibited apparent changes in the political and social climate within which both shows were set.

Additionally, there is a stark contrast with regards to how both shows treat their female protagonists - while The Crown heralds Queen Elizabeth's reign as a powerful one, The Empress continually reminds viewers that women are unfit for leadership positions and must provide their opinions implicitly.

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