An Empress' Pristine Appearance Concealed A Grim Family Reality

Our obsession with royalty goes back way further than Queen Elizabeth II. All over the world and for centuries and centuries, people have yearned for a glimpse behind the velvet curtain — only to discover that life as a royal isn’t all fancy dresses and fine dining. It can be cruel, grueling, and demanding of those in power. And few rulers knew that hard truth better than Empress Elisabeth of Austria. Known for her stunning beauty and strange habits, she had a zest for life that couldn’t be contained by palace walls...a quirk that ultimately threatened her life.

Not your ordinary princess

Born on Christmas Eve in 1837, Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie was immediately considered eccentric. Her father was known for his odd ways, including his decision to teach her horseback riding instead of sending her to school. 

A marriage switcheroo

Elisabeth wouldn’t have become empress if she hadn’t met and married Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria, something we’re sure her sister, Helene, stewed about for years. Helene was meant to marry Franz, but when he met Elisabeth, he switched sisters.

Taste for adventure

Like her father, Elisabeth loved adventure and freedom more than anything else, even when she became Empress. She once said, “If I arrived at a place and knew that I could never leave it again, the whole stay would become hell despite being paradise."

Teenage ruler

Franz Joseph and Elisabeth married eight months after their official meeting, meaning Elisabeth took the crown at just 16 years old. With no ready access to birth control, however, she discovered she was a few months pregnant...one month after the wedding.