Empress Elisabeth of Austria
A restless Habsburg beauty who turned her personal misery into a myth of tragic glamour, haunting the imperial court she despised.
1837–1898 (age 61)·Habsburg consort from 1854 to 1898·Birthday: December 24
Biography
Born into the Bavarian ducal house of Wittelsbach, the young Elisabeth was an unexpected choice for the Austrian emperor. Her marriage to Franz Joseph I in 1854 thrust the free-spirited teenager into the rigid, ceremonial world of the Vienna court, a cage she would spend her life trying to escape. Sisi, as she was known, became famous for her obsessive beauty rituals, her waist-length chestnut hair, and her athletic prowess in riding and fencing. She cultivated an image of melancholy distance, traveling incessantly to avoid her duties and the stifling influence of her mother-in-law. Her political influence was subtle but significant; she was a passionate advocate for the Hungarian cause, playing a key role in the 1867 compromise that created the Austro-Hungarian Empire and made her its queen. Her later years were marked by profound depression and personal loss, including the suicide of her only son. Her life ended violently in 1898, stabbed by an anarchist in Geneva, cementing her transformation from a historical figure into a romantic, tragic icon.
#1 When Empress Was Born
The biggest hits of 1837
Empress's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1837Born
1842Started school
1850Became a teenager
1853Could drive
1855Could vote
1858Turned 21
1867Turned 30
President: Andrew Johnson
1877Turned 40
President: Rutherford B. Hayes
1887Turned 50
President: Grover Cleveland
1897Turned 60
President: William McKinley
1898Died at 61
Spanish-American War; US emerges as a world power
President: William McKinley
Key Achievements
- Instrumental in fostering the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, becoming the first crowned Queen of Hungary in centuries.
- Cultivated a global image as a style and beauty icon, with her elaborate hair and famously slender figure setting European trends.
- Commissioned the construction of the Achilleion palace in Corfu, a personal retreat reflecting her love for Greek culture and mythology.
Did You Know?
She had a small star tattooed on her shoulder, a highly unusual practice for 19th-century royalty.
Her hair was so long and heavy that her hairdressing sessions, which included egg yolk and cognac treatments, could last three hours.
She was an exceptional equestrian and would often ride for hours on end as a form of escape and exercise.
She wrote reams of romantic, often dark poetry throughout her life, much of which was published posthumously.
“I wish to be alone. I want to be like the sea, with its ebb and flow, free and untamed.”
