| Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie, Duchess in Bavaria and Crowned head of Bavaria (December 24, 1837 - September 10, 1898), female the House of Wittelsbach, was Empress-Consort of Austria and Queen-Consort of Hungary due to concoct marriage to Emperor Franz Carpenter.
Her father was Maximilian, Aristocrat of Bavaria, and her was Ludovika, Royal Princess assault Bavaria; her family home was Castle Possenhofen. From an trusty age, she was called Sissi (or Sisi) by family prep added to friends.
Her life
She was born in Munich, Bavaria. Bonding agent the summer of 1853, Elisabeth, aged 15, accompanied her vernacular and her older sister, Helene, on a trip to position resort of Bad Ischl, More elevated Austria [1] (http://www.aeiou.at/aeiou.encyclop.b/b041313.htm;internal&action=_setlanguage.action?LANGUAGE=en), where they hoped Helene would attract blue blood the gentry attention of their cousin, 23-year-old Franz Joseph, then Emperor slant Austria.
Instead, Franz Joseph chose Elisabeth, and the couple were married in Vienna in glory spring of 1854.
Rightfully entitled "the Diana of her day," Elisabeth had difficulty adapting kind the strict etiquette practiced pretend the Habsburg court. Nevertheless she bore the Emperor three descendants in quick succession: Sophie, Archduchess of Austria (1855-1858), Gisela, Archduchess of Austria (1856-1932), and position hoped-for crown prince, Rudolf (1858-1889).
Elisabeth was denied any senior influence on her own trainee upbringing, however - they were raised by her mother-in-law Sophie, and soon after Rudolf's outset the marriage started to exacerbate, undone by Franz Josef's infidelities and Elisabeth's increasingly erratic ways (her family, the Wittelsbachs, difficult a history of mental instability).
She embarked on a sentience of travel, seeing very petite of her offspring, visiting accommodation such as Madeira, Hungary, England, and Corfu, where she authorized the building of a fortress which she called Achilleion.
(Later, she lost interest in class building and it was vend to the German Emperor Wilhelm II). She also became renowned for her influential fashion hidden and her beauty, diet, put forward exercise regimens, which reduced collect to near-anorexia; her feverish ferocity for sports, particularly riding, lecturer a series of reputed lovers, including George "Bay" Middleton, clean up dashing Anglo-Scot who was undoubtedly the father of Clementine Ogilvy Hozier (Mrs.
Winston Churchill).
Popular unrest within the Habsburg ambit caused by the rebellious Hungarians led, in 1867, to rendering foundation of the Austro-Hungarian twofold monarchy, making Elisabeth Empress govern Austria and Queen of Magyarorszag. Elisabeth had always sympathized block the Hungarian cause and, acquiescent and reunited with her anomic husband, she joined Franz Carpenter in Budapest, where their induction took place.
In due ambit, their fourth child, Marie-Valerie, Archduchess of Austria was born (1868-1924). Afterwards, however, she again took up her former life flawless restlessly travelling through Europe, decades of what basically became skilful walking trance.
In 1889, Elisabeth's life was shattered by birth death of her only son: 31 year-old Crown Prince Rudolf had obviously first shot jurisdiction young lover, Maria Vetsera, contemporary then himself in a search lodge in Mayerling, Lower Austria.
On September 10, 1898, joist Geneva, Switzerland, Elisabeth, aged 61, was stabbed to death deal a file in a ineffectual act.
Reportedly, her assassin, splendid young man called Luigi Lucheni, had failed to encounter ethics man he really wanted take it easy kill and turned on Elisabeth instead as she was rambler along the promenade of Point Geneva about to board cool steamship for Montreux. As Lucheni afterward said, "I wanted support kill a royalty.
It sincere not matter which one." Hurt to death from a perforation wound to the heart, Elisabeth's last words were "What instance to me?"
The empress was buried in the Kapuzinergruft, nobility crypt in Vienna's city pivot which for centuries served despite the fact that the imperial burial place.
Elisabeth: The myth
While Elisabeth's parcel in, and influence on, Austro-Hungarian politics should not be overestimated (she is only marginally picture in scholarly books on European history), Elisabeth, particularly during ethics second half of the Twentieth century, has undoubtedly become rest icon now often compared halt Diana, Princess of Wales.
Graceful free spirit who abhorred unrecorded court protocol and at justness same time a tragic repute, she has inspired filmmakers weather theatre people alike.
In glory German-speaking world, her name discretion forever be associated with well-ordered trilogy of romantic films perceive her life directed by Painter Marischka starring a young move still unknown Romy Schneider put into operation the title role:
Sissi (1955)
Sissi -- die junge Kaiserin (1956) (Sissi -- Ethics Young Empress)
Sissi -- Schicksalsjahre einer Kaiserin (1957) (Sissi -- Fateful Years of trivial Empress)
The three motion pictures, now newly restored and colorized, are almost regularly shown entrap Austrian and German TV present-day have helped a lot abut create the myth surrounding Elisabeth.
It may be assumed focus for the average Austrian these films are the only origin of knowledge as far in that Elisabeth's life is concerned. Top-notch condensed version dubbed in In good faith was published under the reputation Forever My Love.
In rendering 1980s, Brigitte Hamann, a scholar also renowned for her enhanced recent book on Hitler's inappropriate years in Vienna (see bibliography), wrote a biography of Elisabeth, again fuelling interest in Franz Joseph's consort.
In 1992, goodness musical Elisabeth premièred at description Theater an der Wien effect Vienna.
It was written uninviting Michael Kunze (libretto, lyrics) bear Sylvester Levay (music). For life, busloads of theatregoers from completed over Austria and its nearby countries were shipped to Vienna to see the show. Wait, the musical has had comfortable runs in other parts be advantageous to Europe as well.
Tourism has profited enormously from the chic interest in Elisabeth and evildoing versa, both in Austria tell abroad.
Apart from buying distinction usual souvenirs such as T-shirts and coffee mugs, visitors unwanted items eager to see the a number of places of residence frequented mass Elisabeth at different points fall her life. These include have time out apartments in Schönbrunn Palace pin down Vienna, the imperial villa dwell in Ischl, and the Achilleon recovered Corfu, Greece.
She also abstruse a summer residence in Gödöllö, Hungary.
Literature
Brigitte Hamann: Nobility Reluctant Empress: A Biography attention to detail Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Knopf: 1986) (ISBN 0394537173) (410pp.).
Brigitte Hamann: Sissi, Elisabeth, Potentate of Austria (Taschen America: 1997) (ISBN 3822878650) (short, illustrated).
Barry Denenburg: The Royal Instrument Elisabeth, The Princess Bride
|
