Empress Elisabeth "Sisi" of Austria

Please consider supporting me at / lindsayholiday and help me make more fascinating videos!
Enjoying the Netflix romantic drama "The Empress"? Check out the real story of Empress Elisabeth "Sisi" of Austria.
Elisabeth of Austria was a shy woman who’s beauty won the heart of Emperor Franz Joseph. She suffered under heavy expectations and a frankly evil mother in law. She was forced into a limelight she never wanted and into the path of an assassin.
This video is part of my 20 episode series profiling the most fascinating Queens of Europe.
Sources:
en.wikipedia.org
www.britannica.com
Music:
Brandenburg Concerto No4-1 BWV1049 - Classical Whimsical by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com/

[@edinagaspar722]

As a Hungarian, thank you for this video...we still are a big fan of her, she helped our country a lot to get into peace with Austria

[@savagedarksider5934]

She was A little girl, who, never grew up.

[@SmittnKittn007]

Have you ever taught to do someone like Nest ferch Rhys "The Helen of Wales"? She was a Welsh princess.

[@Geambasu169]

@@night6724 off course without Transylvania.

[@frostkiss2]

@@Geambasu169 Transylvania is a part of Romania, a completely different country from Hungary and Austria.

[@Geambasu169]

@@frostkiss2 Of course.

[@thedukeofskull1383]

The mother in law... Is she the first "Karen" ?

[@giovannirastrelli9821]

The Duke of Skull Well, she did take the kids and demanded to speak to Hungary’s manager.

[@thedukeofskull1383]

@@giovannirastrelli9821 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

[@YourDadsUnclesFriend]

Evgueni Mlodik Too soon.

[@AzurePearl1996]

Yes!

[@joelas87]

lol i'm dying lmfao

[@annbsirius1703]

It's true that many people with eating disorders develop them because it's something they can control when other parts of their lives are very out of their control. Thanks for mentioning that and Sisi's intelligence and charity. Some might just ridicule her for her vanity.

[@johnnotrealname8168]

She was vain as @#$%!

[@ametrineambrosia4929]

@@johnnotrealname8168 she had a love for others. And was intelligent, enjoying reading. I don't think she's vain.

[@johnnotrealname8168]

@@ametrineambrosia4929 Sure but she was not all that nice to her children or her husband, for reference her daughter wanted to be away from her after Sisi was able to leave to Hungary. Indeed she did...also none of this says anything about her vanity. She demanded so much money that Franz was only able to properly pay for it all after his uncle died. Many portray her as this sad figure but she was really petulant (She did not have to marry the Emperor and as we know she was not even the first choice.).

[@redadmiralofvalyria867]

@@johnnotrealname8168 ok but is that serious all you can say about her ( and with respect was the ever a royal who wasn't like sissi)

[@johnnotrealname8168]

@@redadmiralofvalyria867 Well no she did help get the Hungarians on side and so I do respect her for that (Are you serious? I mean...well @~?£ yes. I get that Louis XIV was too proud but Louis XV was not proud enough. Louis XVI was a pious man and so was Ferdinand I. Franz Josef was alright and well Kaiser Karl is a Saint.)

[@noraabb]

*A female royal breathes near any man she’s not married to* “it was rumored that they were lovers”

[@makaelaischillin]

@@dialuann878 Well, with Ferson....you have to think. Their letters are pretty strange.

[@ethiolove9444]

@@dialuann878 with von fersen yes..

[@alieunscripted]

Exactly what I thought

[@xristinapantazi6669]

I went to her castle in Corfu and it was so beautiful. She really appreciated nature and history

[@leafyapril]

Hope you don't mind me for asking but is it sort of a museum?

[@xristinapantazi6669]

@@leafyapril Yes.And the name of the castle is Achilleion from Achilles a warrior in mythology. (There are two statues of him at the gardens)

[@sarah3796]

Oh I would like to go there

[@leafyapril]

@@xristinapantazi6669 ahhh sounds so nice. I wanna go there one day!! :)

[@rodouladoulos1548]

I also have gone to Corfu to the Achilleion...and yes, it is just as beautiful as its owner..Thank you SI SI for coming to Greece and honouring us alsoo!!!!!

[@ImKevin]

I really felt bad for Elisabeth. And I'm very curious at Franz Joseph. . . why exactly would you have strong devotion to your wife if you did not notice just how horribly your mother was treating your wife?. I believe he simply just fell for Elisabeths beauty then her character and who she was as a person and I think that was his true fault. It's absolutely no wonder why he never got his love and feelings returned from Elisabeth.

[@virginagobetz4756]

I totally agree.

[@johannebrunner6477]

Parents can impact a marriage more than you could ever imagine.

[@milacruz3970]

His mother seemd to be tyrant. When men grow up with a mother like that they either go full on rebel and resentful or they never grow up and never dare to say anything to their mother. Also have in mind the guy's job was very much being a puppet and the mom probably raised him to be one of hers.

[@wheeface]

I think part of it also has to do with what they thought was proper. Not sure how accurate this is but I'm assuming this would be considered a "woman's issue", and it would not be proper for men to say a thing. Like the mother is the head and responsible for creating a perfect wife kind of thing

[@persgodiva]

He knew, but was himself raised by his mother and was very strongly devoted to her. Not just that but Sisi was his cousine, the daughter of his mother's younger sister. So there were several familiar relationships involved here.

[@danielaguiar7756]

For anyone who is interested, there is a German language musical about her called “Elisabeth” and it is amazing. Well worth checking out.

[@mabithebard]

Daniel Aguiar I’ve only seen the Takarazuka version, but yeah, it’s absolutely amazing.

[@jayt5808]

Daniel Aguiar it’s honestly such a good musical it’s one of my personal favorites

[@NisanAlexKarlca]

True . I love affair between Der Tod and Elisabeth

[@ChickenTenders]

YESSSS

[@davinademers9545]

Daniel Aguiar there also is a 3 film “die junge keizerin”

[@princekrazie]

Small correction: Sissi's hairdresser was a woman named Fanny Feifalik. Of course, an Empress cannot have a male hairdresser back in those days. I know a lot about Sissi, so anybody that wants to know more can ask me.

[@marycavender7136]

Thankyou. This was most interesting

[@marycavender7136]

It was new to me. I'm learning more about the mobility and history of Europe. I'd like to learn more is all. Are they not all bluebloods?

[@pheart2381]

Marie Antoinettes hairdresser was male!

[@princekrazie]

​@Devin Kind Omigod there are so many facts to tell about this very interesting Kaiserin (empress)!!! I don't know which ones to share. For example, she was an avid rider, one of the best of her time. She also wrote her memoirs addressed to her audience, instructing that they should be released to the public 60 years after her death. She was very athletic and had exercise bars and equipments installed in the residences that she stayed in. She had a tattoo of an anchor on her shoulder, which absolutely ENRAGED her husband's family, especially her husband!

[@virginagobetz4756]

@@pheart2381 Yes, M.Leonard.

[@essenceoftranquilityandcal5872]

Her beautiful dress looks like the one Christine Daae wore in the “Phantom of the Opera”. I thought I read somewhere that her dress was the inspiration for that dress

[@madeleinekrebs2719]

Finally!! That's what I was thinking! The hair too!

[@candeladiaz3107]

Essence of Tranquility and Calmness Yes, both her hair and costumes in the play are inspired by the empress

[@reshiejung]

yes i agree

[@scottibrown3274]

I think Joel Schumacher, the director of the 2004 film version of Phantom of the Opera, said that he saw a portrait of Sisi in that white dress and that’s how Christine Daaé became dressed during the “Think of Me” scene

[@doberman1ism]

Great observation.

[@annikesta8796]

Sophie is a very interesting character in herself. She was the one who kept the Austrian monarchy running. Her husband was removed from the throne because he was half-mad and incapable and she abdicated so Franz-Joseph could take over. Franz-Joseph wasn't his father but he was far from a good emperor. He constantly lost territories and was over all very bad at politics once his mother was gone. The saying that Sophie was the only man at court stems from her being the only one keeping Austria politically afloat by deciding for Franz-Joseph and then letting him execute things. Which is why, after being surrounded by imbeciles, she realized that she had to raise a strong grandson to succeed Franz-Joseph. The movies tend to demonize Sophie but if you read actual biographies of her and Sissi, most historians agree that both women did SOMETIMES dislike each other but were nowhere near as bad to each other as the media portrays it. It's a common misconception because all of those movies needed a villain. Also: Sophie practically had to raise Sissi while running Austria. She was 16 years old and uneducated in court life. Everyone always thought Helene would be empress so she was the only (formally) educated daughter. Elisabeth was too free spirited and of course antagonized everyone telling her (in the middle of puberty) that she couldn't do certain things. It's also suspected that she inherited some of the Wittelbach madness (lots of inbreeding within the family) so it could well be that the children were better off with Sophie while teenage Sissi was struggling with her intense depression as well as becoming a mother when she was still a child herself. If you look at it in modern terms, Sissi was a teen mom (16), first lady of her country, under intense pressure to get pregnant with a son, all while being heavily depressed and possibly bi-polar. Sophie stepped up to raise her grandchildren when Elisabeth was unable to do so. If you read historic accounts of the children, they all had a very complicated relationship with Sissi, who was prone to emotional abuse (calling her daughters fat piglets, completely neglecting Rudolph after she managed to take back control), but adored and heavily grieved for Sophie. In short: Sophie was a baddie and history still does her dirty

[@abigailzavala3556]

This is such a good take on Sophie!!

[@katlynwebb8474]

I wonder if the “aunt” really was a Witch as she is portrayed in the musical and books?

[@ainamilena1074]

Thanks for these interesting insights!!!

[@susie9893]

I still think it likely she was very intolerant no matter how good her motives towards her country. And does it really matter if your family retains a stranglehold on power if they're all miserable?? This is a true example of how power corrupts - it corrupts the mind and heart causing people to lose sight of what's truly important

[@EdithEsquivel]

Maybe the mother in law had her reasons. However, it is a fact that she tried to control too much. You have to let others run their own lives

[@ParisAlexandros]

On her way back from Portugal I'd say that she had a nervous breakdown/ panic attack that inspired the intense migraine

[@Dave_Sisson]

I have always suspected that she inherited some of the Wittelsbach insanity that other Bavarian royals suffered from. She may have passed that on to her son.

[@meixanthe]

I would get one too if I knew I was going back to prison :( I start a new job next week and when I got the news, I had a panic attack because I'm terrified of working thanks to a horrible first boss, so I understand her feelings completely

[@johnnotrealname8168]

@@Dave_Sisson Most of that "insanity" may not be real.

[@johnnotrealname8168]

@@meixanthe She was not. She pretty much had a free reign throughout the Empire and beyond, at least after the first couple years. Most of her children did not like her as a result.

[@annabeckman4386]

It is fascinating to hear but also so tragic. I can’t even imagine my mother in law taking my children away. AND THEN my husband not telling off his mom!! That would be so unbelievably difficult, no wonder she was depressed!!! I would never have forgiven my MIL if she acted that way and then my child died at 2 years old. Oh, it just gets me so angry!! Poor Empress.....😭😭😭

[@mrnord4096]

Well the emperor was never the smartest He managed to start ww1 two year before His death

[@virginagobetz4756]

@@mrnord4096 Not the sharpest knife in the drawer huh?

[@mrnord4096]

@@virginagobetz4756 nope He really wasnt and the one leading His Army was...a Bit Like him

[@anti-ethniccleansing465]

MegaGman50 That’s for betas that never properly grow up. Franz reeks of beta. What a wretched mommy’s boy that he never put his mother in her place, for the sake of his own wife and children. Just shameful.

[@Stefanie3]

@@anti-ethniccleansing465 And yet it still works this way. I doubt that the Queen would have spoken against her mother.

[@juliedurby8333]

As an American student, I had absolutely no idea this woman existed. So when I went to study in Austria for four months, I just kept seeing the same man and woman in all of the gift shops: Mozart, and this beautiful young woman in a while dress with fancy Padme-esque hair. It wasn't until I visited the Schönbrunn palace that I finally learned who "Sissy" was.

[@italoluder]

For me as european its absolutely buffling that you never heard of her. Glad you know her now ;)

[@anonymousforever]

@@italoluder and I am baffled that as a European you have no idea how ignorant Americans are. Their ignorance is legendary everywhere.

[@franzi3215]

@@anonymousforever It's true. Americans hardly acknowledge European culture, but that's just the way they're educated. As a German it's impossible to me to not know Sissi, especially because of the movies that are always shown (and watched) at christmas time

[@italoluder]

@@anonymousforever i didnt wanna put it that way 😂😉

[@ldoetsch]

@@franzi3215 Not true franzi, our schools do not teach us. We want to know.

[@jadap8494]

I love empress Sisi she’s like Austria’s princess Diana

[@thebiglich]

Except Sisi is part of the reason of his son's suicide

[@MySweetiii]

majomember1000 what happened?

[@thebiglich]

@@MySweetiii in the book Royal Rebel it is explained what are the main factors of Rudolph's suicide. It includes failure in politics, bad marriage, childhood abuse and the total lack of love from his parents

[@fredrika27]

@@thebiglich You can blame the lack of love on the grandmother!!!

[@kathi3093]

fredrika27 Rudolph acually loved his grandmother Sophie, ist was his mother who never wanted to see him or her other daughters; she only loved her youngest daughter Marie Valerie

[@huldrrrr9486]

Tbf Sisi did eventually get control back from Sophia and access to her children, but she didn't do much with it, being a distant mother and to caught up in her long travels and anxieties, seeing them rarely (he even seemed to have some disdain for them, calling her eldest daughter and gandchildren ugly and comparing them to a sow and her piglets). Sophia was difficult and stern, but she meant well. They were both interesting but complicated characters And there's no proof that Andrassy was Marie Valeries's father

[@kahlangross849]

I wish there was more to explain about Sophia. History can be pretty biased, and growing up around some domineering women in my life as well has unfortunately made me personally on Sissi’s side of history. Sofia could have possibly meant well, but Sissi was probably distant from her children due to the mental strain that her mother-in-law and the Austrian court caused.

[@AlexS-oj8qf]

Exactly, Marie Valerie grow to resemble Franz Joseph more than Sissi so the question of her illegitimacy is not there anymore.

[@fhol]

Sisi i was definitely beautiful, too young and unprepared for her role as empress, bur she was also a complete loss for Austria then, instead of doing charity work and maybe really promoting mental health she was traveling all the time all over Europe, from Corfu to Ireland, wasting millions of Gulden that Austria-Hungary did not have at the time. Fleeing from any responsibility even when she had reached a position of status and influence, she did nothing with it. What a pity she was not allowed to say no to the emperor - while she enjoyed being adored, she made it very clear that she did not want this role, and was more or less forced into the marriage.

[@thunderbird1921]

@@fhol From what I've read, she actually did love Franz Joseph, but hated being an Empress. She is said to have wept to her family "if only he was just a prince and not the Emperor". Both of them were too young when they took over TBH. It certainly did not help of course that Franz Joseph's mother was a tyrant to both of them.

[@tamarakiss5943]

It was very normal at the time to not personally bring up your children. Even noble families had nannies, breastfeed nannies and tutors for their kids and she was a royal. It would have been scandalous to do the chores of a mother by a woman born in high status. To judge her by today's standard and what's "normal" nowadays for a mother-daughter relationship, is silly and makes no point imo.

[@ryliel5292]

As someone who suffers from, and is diagnosed with anorexia, I can confirm that fatphobia, never wanting to be seen (especially by large groups of people), and an obsession with doing anything (no matter the health risks) to stay beautiful/skinny are some of the most unknown but very common symptoms of an ED.

[@mortalclown3812]

Here's hoping you find empathetic treatment; this disease killed a friend of mine decades ago. It still breaks my heart remembering her. She was one of the kindest, most aware people I've ever known. Blessings to you.

[@ryliel5292]

@@mortalclown3812 Blessings to you too.

[@naureenhoda2628]

Just curious.. What do u mean by fatphobia? To me it seems that u believe that not wanting to be fat is fatphobia

[@ryliel5292]

@@naureenhoda2628 thats a general idea of fatphobia. Not wanting to be fat, in terms of an eating disorder, means not wanting to interact with fat people and thinking your better than them. So it does mean not wanting to be fat, but also alot more. Hope this helps :)

[@jente2658]

Every Christmas, my family sits down in front of the fire and watches 'Sissi'. It's a tradition in the Netherlands (don't ask me why). This year, it was only broadcast on a German channel, so the subtitles were in German. We didn't mind. Thank you for teaching me some more about this incredible woman.

[@markmh835]

Writing from the USA: I remember watching the movie "Sissi" (starring Romy Schneider) on TV as a child. -- perhaps twice -- and the memory stayed with me forever because the movie was so romantic and sumptuous. About 2 years ago I discovered the movie(s) was available on DVD in a boxed set. The movie I had seen on TV was an edited condensed version which was dubbed over in English. In reality, the "movie" is a set of 3 movies, in German (with English subtitles), 3 times longer than what I had seen. In its totality, the movie was even more spectacular than what I had remembered. Of course, the movie takes massive historical license with the facts presented in Lindsay's clip here. In the movie, Sissi and her husband were madly in love with each other. And her retreat to Portugal was done to recover from a case of Tuberculosis. Many other historical inaccuracies as well.

[@annbsirius1703]

The " Sound of Music" was shown on TV here in the US for many years around Christmas time. Except for a few seasonal references in the song "My Favorite Things" , there is nothing about Christmas in it, but some people still like to watch it at Christmas time. Maybe "Sissi" aired in the Netherlands around Christmas and that's why. Or there might have been a good Christmas scene. I'll have to find a way to watch it !

[@floralovespringandflowers6227]

@@annbsirius1703 Honestly it is airing in Germany on Christmas too. All the time. I think that is because these movies were made after WWII where something happened in Austro-German filmindustry which is called "retreat into privacy" or a huge longing for some cozyness. Basically Germany and Austria did a hell lot of so called "Heimatfilme". Movies which emphazised cozyness, home, the concept of "Heimat" and so on. Basically all people are happy in these movies and if not at the beginning then in the end; good and bad are easy to distinguish and so on. The Sissi movies are part of these movies. And all those movies are a reaction on WWII. I still know that as I child I always wondered why my Granny told me all the time how bad the war was and war in general and how everything was destroyed, family members dead and how many invalids were there, but at the same time there were movies (sometimes only made 5 years after the war), where you saw nothing of that and all people were sparkling happy. I really wondered about that as a child. And that is because Austrians and Germans basically fled from their war experiences (and maybe often also crimes) into an idealized cinematic world. I think that is why Sissi is shown at Christmas. These movies are nice, cozy, dresses nice and although Sophie is mean, Sissi and Franz are madly in love and so on. If anyone wants to read more about it, there have been written tons of books about the Heimatfilme and why they occured. 😊 I hope that explains it to you guys. 😊 It is not that there were only these movies made but there were a lot of these.

[@emmamocker7810]

The movies are shown on Christmas because Sisis birthday is on Christmas Eve. There is also a great Austrian musical about her called „Elisabeth“. In Austria many little Girls, like me, looked up to Sisi and were shocked when we realized that she wasn’t at all like in the movies

[@hoimmyk]

Als kind keek ik ook vaak naar Sissi met mijn moeder, ook met Kerstmis. Hoe is deze traditie ontstaan?🤭🤭 Ik denk door RTL5?🤷🏼‍♀️

[@jadesketch1726]

I never even knew that history could be so interesting im so glad that these types of videos exist

[@mortalclown3812]

Books have even more. ♡

[@lizzybearstar1661]

Me as well. I'm so happy that people love to learn

[@sarasanserif7440]

Whose here after Netflix’s “The Empress” to get the real story of Sisi? Always thought the actress’s portrayal of her was very OOC considering the real Sisi was shy and introverted.

[@ISouza-qs9yy]

🙋🏾‍♀️True and until now the actress is not too thin yet . I think the anorexia’s still not begun .

[@linajurgensen4698]

All the sisi movies are not 100% accurate. But it doesn’t matter the Netflix series is still awesome.❤️

[@elizabethmcguire1366]

One thing is for sure, even after all these years everyone still loves Empress Sisi. You couldn't walk anywhere in city centre of Vienna without see Sisi things. I got the chance to go to Schönbrunn and in one of Sisi's Room they had a figure that showed one of her dresses and how long her hair was.

[@anapehar7734]

I remember that room!!! it was amazing, i'll never forget it 😍

[@Affection87]

It's a common interpretation that her mother in law took her children. But some researchers say that she rather stepped in because Sissi was too young to take care of them. And that a noble woman at that time did not breastfeed should be common knowledge.

[@johnnotrealname8168]

Wet Nurses did that. However in the Middle-Ages some women did, as in Queens to great effect. I agree with that interpretation but there were Royals even younger who took better care of their Children.

[@tsarina24honolulu87]

Some did though. It depends.

[@johnnotrealname8168]

@@tsarina24honolulu87 Most did not, it was not a common thing.

[@skd7028]

It seems to be something royal families did. Viz Catherine the Great lost her son to her mother in law as well

[@tsarina24honolulu87]

@@skd7028 there are portraits of queens nursing their babies.

[@nano15j]

I just want to make one point. The Archduchess Sophie, Sissi's mother in law, was not wicked. This is a very much romanticised narrative of their relationship. While both didn't get along at first, mainly because of their very different characters and outlooks on life, they did have a good(ish) relationship later on. Letters from Sophie to her friends actually shows her praising and caring about Sissi.

[@lasttimecommenting]

So it's not romanticised at all? If the narrative is romanticised then it was made to seem better than it really was. Whereas, I think you're trying to say the narrative is typically made to seem worse than it really was. Maybe you mean to say it was over-dramatised?

[@nano15j]

@@lasttimecommenting Good point! The relationship with the Archduchess Sophie would indeed have been over-dramatised as you said.

[@carolinpurayidom4570]

She just came from a different upbringing and it was stifling to sissi

[@kmuturi238]

The little fact that she didn't die in pain pacified me somehow

[@lrose1310]

Sissi's actually pronounced "See-see"

[@mereilles4069]

I think she did a really good Job pronouncing it, atleast with how i grew up hearing it (im german)

[@mrnord4096]

Me too im Bavarian Like she is and we Always called her Sissi

[@TheSaristudios]

It’s more like “C C” than “sissy”. My daughters nick name is Sisi. But it doesn’t bother me when people mispronounce anything, if they see it for the first time how are they supposed to know? It’s like children pronouncing Pokémon names for the first time lol

[@starlinguk]

Not in the movies she ain't.

[@lrose1310]

Sorry, I didn't mean to come off as if I'm offended or anything. I just thought I'd let her know. I enjoyed the video and wasn't that bothered really. I just remembered it cause when I went to Austria to visit my friend, we visited Schönbrunn and she ended up talking a lot about Sissi afterwards.

[@Mira83hm]

as a Hungarian I must say my eyes are in tears if I see her, we still love you Sisi, Irma was Hungarian btw. She was our beloved queen as well. There are a lot of statues about her in Hungary. She was happy here, free. ty for the video. :)

[@jitkap2334]

But then you treated Slovaks same way like Austrians treated you...

[@ne8Tsc]

@@jitkap2334 and Romanians in Transilvania

[@goddessIv]

@@ne8Tsc And the how did the Romanians treat the Hungarians after WWII? Awful, there are hardly any Hungarians left in Transylvania.

[@goddessIv]

@@ne8Tsc And not many Germans or other ethnicities native to Transylvania. You chased most of them away and assimilated even more. Same goes for the Slovaks.

[@airotkivagrav1965]

@@jitkap2334 And how do you Slovaks hate Hungarians now.....Though it ws more than 100 years before... Look into the mirror.

[@notyourbusinessssss]

Elisabeth has fascinated me ever since I read her Royal Diaries book in 6th grade. I feel like I could watch a 90 minute documentary on her and still want to know more...

[@agentmarschmellow5872]

Allie well she is my bf great great grandma haha

[@AlexS-oj8qf]

There is good Drama about Sissi here in KZbin, the channel is called German Period Drama

[@abbyguuuurl]

Same! That’s how I first learned about her too☺️

[@vittoriogirolimetto6083]

How is named the book that contain her diaries?

[@sabrinastratton1991]

@@vittoriogirolimetto6083 The Royal Diaries are fiction based on historical figures like Anastasia Romanov, Sissi, Eleanor of Aquatine, So-Dok of Three Kingdoms Korea, and Cleopatra to name a few. Very fun series to read as a pre teen

[@brigetteuili2391]

Franz was too much of a mama's boy.

[@ellylovely205]

And, that was her destiny!

[@Drowningindisappointment]

My cousins lived in Austria. When I was little we used to stay at a hotel that had a chair from Sisi's bedroom I used to clip plastic gemmed clips into my hair, sit in her chair and pretend I was Sisi

[@NC-ij9rb]

She was so beautiful

[@savagedarksider5934]

I like her older sister more; Helene and Maria sophie analie.

[@MegaMesozoic]

@@savagedarksider5934 All five Wittelsbach sisters - Helen, Elisabeth (Sisi), Marie, Mathilde and Sophie - were beautiful.

[@MegaMesozoic]

@@savagedarksider5934 All five Wittelsbach sisters - Helen, Elisabeth (Sisi), Marie, Mathilde and Sophie - were beautiful!

[@savagedarksider5934]

@@MegaMesozoic I agree, but I just refer Helene and Marie more.

[@ErisstheGoddessofmanhwas]

True she was the most beautiful

[@valery5360]

I'm Austrian and I can say you did a very good job of covering her! she was a super fascinating person and beautiful soul, so sad her life wasn't what she wanted at all

[@bali.talks.shares]

I am austrian, born in Vienna, I was fascinated as a little girl by Sisi. Vienna is so elegant and classy due to her grace and infuence. SHe contributed so much in a large scale to Austria, Hungary and humanity

[@thyanhnguyen5056]

"But he would not upset his mother." Oh now I know where all the Mammy's boys in this world came from

[@monabohamad2242]

Lol😅

[@johnnotrealname8168]

King Louis XIV? There were many such relationships. Such as King Louis IX and his mother.

[@monabohamad2242]

@@johnnotrealname8168 King Louis XIV or IX or is it both??🤔

[@johnnotrealname8168]

@@monabohamad2242 Both. Anne of Austria, King Louis XIV's mother, spent an unusually long time with her son and they had a very strong bond, not that Louis did not go against his mother. Edit: "While Anne got the Parliament to annul King Louis XIII's Will, which appointed a regency Council though she was at the head, she gave most power to Cardinal Richelieu's successor as Chief Minister Cardinal Mazarin to deal with policy and whatnot so that she instilled in her Son love of Art, Dance (Ballet), Food and a belief in his Divine Right to Rule, as God's gift." King Louis IX's mother was Blanche of Castile, that should be enough: "I love you, my dear son, as much as a mother can love her child; but I would rather see you dead at my feet than that you should ever commit a mortal sin." As a general rule do not presume that Royals did not love their children, if not their spouse, many went into depression after losing them due to stillbirths or young deaths.

[@Recartloaded]

He hadn’t known Elisabeth for that long and he didn’t want to disappoint his only form of support

[@claflin7973]

I’m very glad to know that she didn’t die in pain. She struggled so much, but she accomplished so many things to help other people and lived a life truly her own.

[@Lionstar16]

I'm currently reading a biography about Sisi called 'The Reluctant Empress' by Brigitte Hamann - it's a really good read about the difficult life of this complex woman.

[@morayluke]

This is my next book thanks

[@aditikabir60]

Thanks for the name of the book.

[@birgithofe-haidbauer3610]

Brigitte Hamann was a wonderful historian and biographer. Her book about Bertha von Suttner is also highly recommended!

[@PrincessQ-fj9ly]

Thank you for suggesting the biography. I'm going to see if I can find that book. 😊

[@belindabaker9240]

I read it. It is a very good biography. Can definitely recommend it. Well balanced and insightful.

[@neojol07]

I visited Schonbrunn palace a year ago while studying in Vienna.She was one of the most talked about person during the tour,they even had a mannequin fitted with an imitation of her long brown hair.I'm happy that her memory has been well preserved.

[@goddessIv]

Sissi is still very loved in Hungary. I’m from a place called Erzsébet (Elizabeth city) named after her and there’s my favorite statue of her as well. Her statues are everywhere in Hungary, even in the Mátyás church of Budapest. Me and my siblings grew up watching the TV series, Sissi, with Romy Schneider (we just loved it so much, we must have seen in it countless times). May both rest in peace. 🕊 Great video btw, I'd just like to make 1 correction if I may; at 4.05 you are showing modern day Hungary (that is post WWII from 1945 onwards). However, Hungary was a 900 years old Kingdom by this time with very different borders than this post WWII map you've included in your video. Other than that, great job!

[@airotkivagrav1965]

you are right about the map, terrible....

[@princekrazie]

Omigod it's Sissi! I really expected you to do it chronologically, from medieval to modern! I love the musical about her!

[@antheiheiant]

Wait?? There is a musical???

[@Valfara770]

@@antheiheiant Yes, it is called "Elisabeth". It's in german, not sure if there are other language versions. It stays mostly to the facts, just adds in some bits. And the music is gorgeous!

[@annamo9354]

@@Valfara770 They've tried to bring it to Broadway but it flopped as Americans don't know about Elisabeth. Some of the songs you can get in English tho, like " I belong to me".

[@phantomv5627]

They never brought it to America. The reason why they didn’t was because of the Tanz Der Vampire American production; Sylvester Legacy didn’t want it to come because of the god awful American production of TDV.

[@phantomv5627]

@@Valfara770 Yes, there are more than 7+ language versions that are out there with full bootlegs :)

[@lizzdoe2821]

Yay!!!!! Thank you again Lindsay!!!! Another wonderful video!!! Your narration makes us feel like we know Elizabeth. It makes it easy to sympathize with her and her life. ❤️. Keep up your Wonderful work!!!

[@HattieMcDanielonaMoon]

Yes! I'm so happy that you uploaded another video!

[@thebelissima64]

Thank you for this video. I became fascinated with Empress Elisabeth when I watched the legendary Sissi movie trilogy with Romy Schneider. I know it was much of a fairytale but it was filmed after the war and the producers wanted to get people’s minds off the horrors they had endured. I had the pleasure of going to Vienna to see the Sissi museum at Schonbrünn Palace and Hofburg Palace. I went to see the Kaiservilla in Bad Ischl and went to Salzburg to see the location that served as Possenhoffen in the Sissi movies. The place is a hotel called Schloss Fuschl where they have a Sissi museum. Unfortunately the real Possenhoffen Castle in Bavaria was converted to flats is not available to the public. It was unforgettable to visit the places where the real Empress Elisabeth and Romy Schneider were 💕

[@luvsupreme]

Your videos add so much value to KZbin. Thank you for your hard work. Much appreciated. 👏🏾

[@andreabartels3176]

I read in a biography that Sisi enlisted her mother-in-laws help, when it came to the upbringing of her only son Rudolf. He education would be given to male teachers when he was six years old, but they were so strict that the child was miserable. Sisi and Sophie teamed up and they managed to change the teachers of the crown prince, to someone who was able to encourage learning and being a confidant to the boy.

[@Recartloaded]

Sophie and Elisabeth did not “team up” Sophie knew what was happening and allowed it, it was Elisabeth that threatened her husband that she would leave Vienna permanently if he didn’t change Rudolph’s education.

[@EmpressCosplay]

Favourite Empress! 😂 So happy to have replicas of her dresses in my possession ❤️ We'll go to Vienna in summer again and have a photoshoot at Schönbrunn palace ❤️❤️❤️ But the thing with Sophie is... She is always painted as such a monster, but... She was just a totally normal woman of the time. It was common that the royal mothers did not care for the children.

[@princekrazie]

Omigod please post pictures of the replicas!!!

[@EmpressCosplay]

@@princekrazie You can see them on my IG, @empresscosplay. Still need some photoshoots with my late Victorian dresses 🙈 We're currently working on another Worth Star Gown (historically accurate and not Musical-related)

[@princekrazie]

@@EmpressCosplay omigod omigod omigod! What's the difference between the real "Sternenkleid" and the musical gown?

[@EmpressCosplay]

@@princekrazie Almost everything xD The shape of the bodice (musical bodice is almost rococo conical, not hourglass shaped). The skirt in the musical is bell shaped, original would have had an elliptical crinoline. The sleeves are different. The stars on the original have been silver, while all replica dresses feature gold stars (dude, you can't imagine how many historical sources I have read to get confirmation on the god damned star colour) The Musical has rhinestones on the stars, the original was just metallic thread embroidery. The Musical has a bertha, original didn't (a bertha was symmetrical on back and front, any you would have seen it on the portrait. No way the thing sported a Bertha.) Original has a train, musical doesn't. The size and amount of the stars is different. Also, her hair does not appear to be braided in the portrait, but rather arranged and sewn into place. (We have spent so many hours researching that goddamned dress, it's not even funny anymore.) Additional fun fact: Her sister Helene had the same dress and Elisabeth and her twinned their outfits at a wedding they attended. Fun fact No 2: After the death of her son, Elisabeth had almost all of her dresses burnt. This was also presumably the fate of this gown.

[@nicholealderfer191]

Empress Cosplay that was a very interesting and informative post, thank you.

[@lesliegums5119]

Spectacular and the costumes were outstanding. The ballgown in the 5th episode was so over the top exquisite. Loved the story and appreciate history being brought to life as accurately as possible in most masterpiece series. Watched ep 1-5 on a cold winter Sunday afternoon. Bravo.

[@Me-zm7cr]

Bravo @LindsayHoliday! Well done. You captured her life so well in less than 15 minutes

[@cece6337]

One of my faves. Thank you for this.

[@madelinegoode5237]

Seriously so well done, thank you for your work on this!

[@marla591]

Thank you for this video. I loved how you told Sisi's story! Well done!

[@margineancrina2195]

Just wanted to mention that her friend who wrote the poem, Carmen Sylva, is actually Queen Elisabeth, the first queen of Romania.Carmen Sylva was her literary name.

[@lalaparmz8987]

Been waiting for this. Got my notif bell on just to make sure.

[@Cerbie]

I truly love your videos. I love history and the way you present the information is so understandable

[@Liz86000]

I really liked this video, but she DID in fact love her husband, as they were many letters where she was asking him if he still loved her, and he replied lovingly as well. So even if they were problems (and he did get a mistress while she was away), they did love each other.

[@wilmafistfit4788]

Liz86000 🙄

[@wilmafistfit4788]

Liz86000 as if you personally knew their relationship

[@Liz86000]

Wilma FistFit Lol, you’re right, it does sound like that. But I did read the letters though, and part of her journal / poetry, so I guess that’s why I’m confident they loved each other.

[@lem.006]

@@Liz86000 Can you please tell me where to find/read those letters? I kept hearing about this and wanted to read the letters but I couldn't find them.

[@Liz86000]

@@lem.006 It was in a book, a biography I read in French (I'm French) of her. They were poems too I remember.

[@saralee8463]

I was first introduced to "Sissi" as a child through Romey Schneider. The french version was such a delight! Am pleased to have found this historical piece on the true monach.

[@amelielambert2337]

Thank you for this moving glimpse into her life 😊

[@bunnywavyxx9524]

Please do more about history! This video was lovely and insightful ❤

[@ivetteinfused]

Just discovered your channel. I'm a big fan of royalty, and now have a great library of well presented and entertaining videos to enjoy. Love your channel! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@tebarekabdul-hussain7580]

May I just say that this is becoming my favourite youtube channel

[@Friedsteel]

After visiting Austria several years ago .. I saw her portrait in the marvelous white gown and was immediately captivated by her beauty and the story of her life. She was a thorn in the side of her mother -in law for "only having 4 children' and refusing to have more, always off riding horses and staying beautiful.. is what I learned. Thank you for this documentary. She is to date my favorite Royal.

[@OrkosUA]

We Ukrainians, who lived under rule of Austria Hungary referred to her as "Наша Пані Цісарева"(Nasha Pani Tsisareva), which roughly translates to "Our (Good) Lady Empress" out of great respect.

[@jamesvikingofscotland5827]

Prayers to you, mate. Love from the U.K

[@lizvlx]

We all love her so much. Hi from Vienna.

[@divinegraphicdesigns]

Thank you for this beautifully made video of Sisi❤️

[@x0xtran9x0x]

Yess!! There’s so few doc about her! She’s such a rare beauty and rare documentary too

[@thebiglich]

Austrians and Hungarians wrote much about her

[@lem.006]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4SyoH5-aZmqntk

[@anti-ethniccleansing465]

x0xtran9x0x How do you figure she is a “rare beauty?” European women are consistently the most gorgeous beauties on the planet.

[@triplehearts914]

@@anti-ethniccleansing465 as pretty as European women are, not all of them have ankle length chestnut hair like sissi did. She was a rare beauty indeed.

[@wilmafistfit4788]

I adore these videos! So well researched and always such great royal choice topics

[@thebiglich]

Not really. This video lacks both Brigitte Hamann's and John Salvendy's findings about her and her hostility

[@leis7454]

she was so interesting. Thanks for sharing this video 💙

[@e.k5855]

I’m from a small town just outside of Dublin in Ireland and 2020 marks 200 years of my small town and an elderly Austrian woman came to my secondary school as a representative for Sisi talking about how much she loved my small town. At least I think it was this Austrian empress Sisi!

[@5mommy4ever]

thank you for this video! I saw the mini series about her life in German in 1986; now I realize some of it was true and of course, much fictionalized. This was enchanting history! I am stunned by how similar to Sisi's did Diana Spencer's life unfold

[@anapehar7734]

I've been incredibly fascinated by her for the past 10 years, since my early teens, and it was so nice to revise all the information through your video 😊 as a kid, when I visited Schonbrun with my family for the first time, I bought a postcard with her image, and her dress was 3D, made of real fabric. Even though it was probably around 2 or 3 euros, it is still one of my most prized and favorite travel memories 😁♥

[@casuallyexhausted4610]

Carmen Sylva was pseudonim used by the Queen Elisabeth of Romania, she and Queen Maria were really extraordinary and it would be great if you could do a video on any of them.

[@corinadarie6658]

Yes, I would also like this a lot😍 I love both so much, especially Queen Maria. I am really happy we got to have such queens.

[@mariadina3329]

Maybe a series with all of Romania's Queens would be nice:Queen Elizabeth,Queen Maria and Queen Elena.All three of them have a fascinating story

[@ciannaelizabeth]

You make royal history fun to learn🙆🏾‍♀️

[@sharontruzao3147]

Just came here after watching Netflix’s Empress show about her, I was immediately fascinated by her. Amazing story!

[@partypartyyeah1306]

Same !!

[@amarie_2]

Watch the musical.

[@phantomv5627]

Please watch the musical! It’s a beautiful way of telling the story :) it even comes with subtitles

[@deenagara9151]

I knew her when I was at the Schoenbrunn Palace back in 2007 and the Romy Schneider movie. Yes, it was the portrait at 10:21 was the very first time I knew her and FUN FACT: Christine Daae wore this dress, including the diamond hair clips during the Think of Me from the 2004 Phantom of the Opera.

[@mamakjacsmith24]

Dee Nagara I noticed this because I am a huge Phantom of The Opera Fan 😍. Now we know where this hairstyle came from . Emmy Rossum truly wore this hairstyle proudly and beautifully as this woman did ❤️❤️❤️

[@MauriceNeuhaus]

Thanks so much …. I love watching your videos. I know it is a ton of work to put them together, so here is just a small token of my appreciation.

[@rax0018]

As an austrian I had to immediately click on this video. I mean it's Sisi!

[@justinemarie9710]

Loving the videos! 👑

[@charlesvanderhoog7056]

Sissy made an indelible impression wherever she went. In my hometown she slept one night in a hotel in Swiss style and to this day everyone only talks about her stay-over although many people from society have stayed there one time or another. Thousands were forgotten, everyone, in fact, except her.

[@LisaMurphy]

Thank you for doing this video. Very well done!

[@tracilyn3518]

I love it!!!! Thank you for the history lesson!!!! I love learning about the royals

[@karenjohannegjerdevik9396]

Wanted to learn about her for a while! Thanks!!

[@julianamejia6284]

I went to her castle in Austria and heard the whole story. I remember feeling that Franz was so in love with Sissi but she was just so tired. She had a very hard life.

[@elmienliebenberg9145]

I absolutely love this channel! 💕💕💕

[@secretstoasafestressfreetr1286]

Love history! Thank you for sharing. ❤

[@BrokebackBob]

Fascinating and the best of KZbin!

[@NITO43]

I love royal history and I love ur channel! ♥️

[@bitchimgordie]

I absolutely adore your channel. Your videos are so interesting.

[@juliamacdonald3767]

This was interesting and well done. Good pacing, good amount of information. Thanks.

[@cassandraralph5906]

What a tragic story, truly heartbreaking, and yet, she managed to do amazing things for the Hungarian people!

[@balint9238]

Elisabeth never made Gödöllő her primary residence, tho she spent a lot of time there! She gave birth to Marie Valerie (The "Hungarian Child") at Buda Castle, not Gödöllő.

[@samanthakarl8916]

Did she really give birth in the castle? I didn't know that

[@keelieinwonderland]

I know of her from the musical, this was amazing thank you for this

[@acncowner3409]

Another great vid lindsay 👍

[@mayamaher2936]

Amazing! Would absolutely LOVE to see a video about Catherine the Great. THANK YOU!

[@samcook5807]

OMG YESS IVE BEEN WAITING SO LONG😁😁😁

[@tarikmehmedika2754]

Amazimg video, and your voice is astonishingly beautiful :) thank you for the knowledge you share with us all :)

[@sunshinecity8351]

Thank you for this, very informative. The empress holidayed a lot in Opatija, modern day Croatia.

[@catherinepowell5845]

Please do a video on Mary Queen of Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@rike8789]

Catherine Powell that is a very good idea!!

[@MaryamofShomal]

Love this Empress and I love the way you told her story!!

[@patriciatolliver4057]

Patty-I really enjoyed this video. I am a history nerd, so this was perfect.

[@artscraftymama]

I remember reading all about her as a child and loved the entire book collection... “Sisi face à son destin” etc.

[@JR-sx3gl]

All women in my family loved the Sissi trilogy and could not stop watching it. I get it is an idealised version of events, but it is so charming and romantic. And Romy is just breathtaking. I've seen the Netflix version and to my surprise they actually put one accurate fact in it: the incident with the dresses.

[@holaramirez]

In 2016 we visited her beautiful castle in Corfu. A must see.

[@andrewswift2727]

I REALLY enjoy your videos. Thanks.

[@lynnb3965]

I LOVE your videos, they are addicting!!