Sissy

The woman's name has become a legend in his lifetime, and after her tragic death has become a real aura of sanctity. What is the secret of its popularity? Most likely in her beauty and demeanor independently and unusual that it's not typical for persons imperial family. Elizabeth, Empress of Austria, was an unusual woman: their beauty is carefully guarded, afraid of old age and decay. Already 42 years she forbade herself to paint and photograph, wearing a veil and covered her face with an umbrella. Her life has largely remained a mystery, which caused her death after an avalanche of literary studies with conjectures and fantasies. A little later, the world saw and films about the most beautiful woman in Europe, and this deification does not subside until now.





September 10, 1898, Elizabeth of Austria or, as it was called close, Sissy, heading out of the hotel "Beau-Rivage" to the waterfront Mont Blanc to take the pleasure steamer "Geneva", plying on Lake Geneva. At this point, the crowd rushed her to an unknown person. Exclaiming: "Long live anarchy, death - society", he inflicted a mortal blow to the Empress in the chest with a file. With a dead body Empress rented two things that she did not leave, - an engagement ring worn on the finger it is not, and under clothing chain as a pendant, and a medallion with a lock of hair of his son. The survey revealed: the sharpest file has penetrated into the body by 85 millimeters and a pierced heart. The wound in the form of a V-shaped hole was barely noticeable, not a single drop of blood from her not emerged. At the trial of 25-year-old Luigi Lucheni said that "all have to work," and his mission was to destroy those who do not work. Luigi Lucheni was found hanged in his cell early in the morning, October 19, 1910.



Rhode Wittelsbach ruled in Bavaria (today - part of Germany) for more than seven centuries. In 1834, the family first daughter Helena, and three years later, on Christmas thing - the second, named Elizabeth.
Elizabeth was extremely impressionable and very friendly, which made her the darling of all the others, whoever they may be. All this was fine, but her mother - Duchess Louis, looking at his 12-year-old daughter, thinking about how it would be difficult to give this girl to marry, because it is, alas, not a beauty. Her round face was more like a lumberjack daughters face, or the baker.



In December 1848 the sister of Louis, the Austrian Archduchess Sophia crook persuaded her husband, Archduke Franz Karl, waive his rights to the Austrian crown in favor of their son Franz Joseph. In the same 1848, 18-year-old Franz Joseph became emperor. Sofia decided it was time to marry the young emperor. For its Bavarian sister Ludovica this did not come as a surprise. Her eldest daughter Helena was quite suitable match - and smart, and the Braves, however, were in her beautiful face some too tight and energetic for a 20-year-old girl features.

Helena (Nene)


August 15, 1853, burning with impatience to see the promise of beauty-bride, Franz Joseph rushed to the small town of Ischl, which was supposed to arrive Duchess Louis along with the eldest daughter Helena. On arrival at dinner she sat in front of Franz Joseph, who could not take his eyes off her. Beside him, Helena sadly poking a fork on a plate. At the first ball in violation of all rules of etiquette Franz Joseph, forgetting his bride, twice invited Elizabeth to the cotillion, that was then practically equivalent to a marriage proposal.

Emperor Franz Joseph


Of course, the handsome young emperor could not leave her indifferent. And then came the day of the wedding. In the carriage, Rubens painted the great, the couple arrived at the church. Elizabeth was a splendid dress, her hair adorned with magnificent tiara given to her. Trembling in anticipation of the upcoming ceremony, Elizabeth, coming out of the carriage, got caught on her door, and a diadem nearly fell off her head. "Be patient, - whispered groom - we quickly forget this nightmare."



Meanwhile in-law with her usual stiffness began to sculpt his likeness of the bride. She did not want to notice any features of the character of Elizabeth, nor her personal inclinations. Palace life and the relationship between approximate to the imperial court seemed to her the most striking manifestation of pretense and hypocrisy.
When it turned out that she was pregnant, Sofia began to instruct his son, claiming, first, swept away the wave marital fervor, and secondly, to persuade his wife to tinker with smaller parrots, it is no wonder they say that sometimes children are born like their favorite pets mothers. Therefore, Elizabeth, is much more useful to look at her husband, or, or, at worst, at her reflection in the mirror.



At the appointed time the Empress gave birth to a daughter. As long as a woman in labor comes to life, newborn, without consulting with the mother, named Sofia and immediately taken to the apartment-in-law. It's almost unfortunate dobilo Elizabeth. Franz Joseph, seeing that his wife's mental strength to the limit and fearing for her life, decided to take her home. In a favorite and endlessly snivshemsya Possenhofene Elizabeth Franz Joseph simply did not recognize his sad recluse. She was extremely happy and literally shone from her overwhelming joy. Paint is a "happy" life in the palace, she was not going to.
Oh, Helena, rejoice - she said her sister - I saved you from a very unhappy fate, and would give everything to now change places with you


In the summer of 1856, Elizabeth gave birth to another girl named Gisela. But it is also claimed in-law apartment. For the first time marriage victory remained with Elizabeth, but this victory was Pyrrhic. Clearly realizing that she is deprived of its former influence on his son, Sofia generally no longer hide their hostility to the daughter. Relations between them have acquired an intolerable character. Only extraordinary events briefly smoothed open hostility. In 1858, the eldest daughter Sophia died, and in August of the same year it harder grief was mitigated by the long-awaited birth of an heir, named Rudolf.

Crown Prince Rudolf


After the birth of their fourth child, Sissi, experienced all the hardships of "luxury" Imperial Life began cautiously avoid fulfilling marital duties, pleading fatigue, employment, resorting to thousands of innocent, but so annoying male female tricks. The strongest challenge for Sissi - like her at home, calling the whole of Europe, was the death of his only son, Crown Prince. It happened January 30, 1889. Since the funeral of his son, February 5, 1889 in the family vault of the Habsburgs in Vienna and began the sorrowful journey of Elizabeth throughout Europe.



She frantically rushed to the Old World, constantly moving from one country to another. France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Bavaria, Poland. Nowhere could not find peace haired beauty - Empress, melancholy and pensive. Everywhere behind her followed a huge string of protection, workers, doctors. So ordered her formidable emperor and king, loses his temper at any fiddling about, but who loved his wife without measure.



She became more and more withdrawn, did not wear light-colored clothes. Only spiritually close person in this difficult period, for it was still a cousin Ludwig II, King of Bavaria. Evil tongues talking nonsense, that communication brother - the king and sister - Empress was more than platonic, but it could not be true, though, because Ludwig hated women. Unable to reverse himself, he even broke the engagement with sister Elizabeth - Sofia. When he was still barred from the throne, he settled down in one of the lakes in the palace park. On the second day after the suicide of a brother "came" to Elizabeth. Argue that at this point in the bedroom on the floor formed a puddle of water.



Elizabeth did not frighten his coming, and to be sure that she was not asleep, during the conversation, she held the hand of Ludwig. The hand was cold and wet. Only confused him muttering: "I see that it is burning, it was all on fire, I can not help it:" On the question of Elizabeth, whom he sees Ludwig said that because of the smoke can not see the face. Then the Empress asked how she will die and will suffer? "No, - he said - your soul will go through a tiny hole in the heart." As it turned out, Ludwig predicted real events. After his death, in 1897, at a charity bazaar in Paris, burned his ex-fiancee, Duchess Sofia and Elizabeth herself died of wounds inflicted by her straight in the heart.



After the death of his wife, Emperor Franz Joseph was silent for a few months, with no one talking, and then life went on as routine. That's just the "first citizen of the state" has never visited the theaters, concerts and entertainment. He outlived all of his family and died at the age of 86, leaving the throne to his nephew Franz Ferdinand. Above the fireplace in his office always hung wife in full growth, and every few years a court painter to paint faded it updated.