First published in 1937, this is German-born American author Bertita Harding’s biography of Franz Joseph I (1830-1916), Austria’s longest-reigning Emperor and King of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia (1848-1916), and his wife Elisabeth of Austria (1837-1898). Illustrated with superb photographs, many of them previously never seen. “Here is one of the great dramas and romances and tragedies of history. [...]Tremendously vital and human and a warmer picture of Franz Joseph than previously encountered...”—Kirkus Review

The real-life tale behind Netflix's Empress Sisi and the Anarchist, whose assassination in 1898 shocked the world. Empress Elisabeth of Austria, known to her family as 'Sisi', belongs to a famous love story of European royalty. In 1853 the Emperor Franz Josef, the most eligible bachelor in Europe, fell in love with her at first sight when she was 15. They were married the next year. On the surface, it was a fairy-tale marriage, all the more poignant, with hindsight, because her tragic death augured the twilight years of the Habsburg Empire. First published in 1988, Brigitte Hamann's definitive biography tells Elisabeth's story from her birth into Bavarian nobility to her assassination at the hands of an Italian anarchist. In her lifetime she was idolised solely for her grace and beauty; but Hamann shows us a stronger character, bitter at her marriage, seeking independence, and struggling against the powerful influence of her mother-in-law, the Archduchess Sophie.

In 1848, an 18-year-old boy assumed the throne of Austria, one of the most powerful countries in Europe. He would be its last significant emperor, the only monarch to serve two countries, and the last cogent head of the prestigious Habsburg dynasty. Emperor Franz Joseph's reign was marked by revolutions, often fueled by rising liberalism and nationalism, and wars orchestrated by conquering architects such as Napoleon, Metternich, and Bismarck. This book gives attention to these political and cultural events, but it is moreover a biography of Emperor Franz Joseph and his enigmatic wife, Empress Elisabeth.

"It began like a fairy tale and ended as a tragedy. The story of Bavarian Princess Elisabeth in the bloom of her youth, who hoped in vain to find her happiness in the Viennese court, who captivated her contemporaries, and who continues to fascinate the public even today. The Habsburg Empire had their aspirations for the radiant fairy tale couple 'Sissi' and Fraz Joseph, and the beauty and charm of the young empress captured the hearts of her subjects. Her marriage to the dutiful monarch, however, did not give Sissi much happiness. Following the birth of her children, Elisabeth preferred to spend her life far away from her husband and to live in accordance with her own personal interests. This is the profound portrait of two extraordinary people, whose fate shaped the image of an epoch."--p. [4] of cover.

*NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Discover the “captivating, absorbing, and beautifully told” (Kathleen Grissom) love story of Sisi, the Austro-Hungarian empress and wife of Emperor Franz Joseph—perfect for fans of the Netflix series The Empress! The year is 1853, and the Habsburgs are Europe’s most powerful ruling family. With his empire stretching from Austria to Russia, from Germany to Italy, Emperor Franz Joseph is young, rich, and ready to marry. Fifteen-year-old Elisabeth, “Sisi,” Duchess of Bavaria, travels to the Habsburg Court with her older sister, who is betrothed to the young emperor. But shortly after her arrival at court, Sisi finds herself in an unexpected dilemma: she has inadvertently fallen for and won the heart of her sister’s groom. Franz Joseph reneges on his earlier proposal and declares his intention to marry Sisi instead. Thrust onto the throne of Europe’s most treacherous imperial court, Sisi upsets political and familial loyalties in her quest to win, and keep, the love of her emperor, her people, and of the world. With Pataki’s rich period detail and cast of complex, bewitching characters, The Accidental Empress offers “another absolutely compelling story” (Mary Higgins Clark) with this glimpse into one of history’s most intriguing royal families, shedding new light on the glittering Hapsburg Empire and its most mesmerizing, most beloved “Fairy Queen.”

Extremely interesting biography of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, the beautifland mysterious Queen who was the Romantic idol of 19th-century Europe and wasassassinated in 1898.