Elisabeth was Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary by marriage to Emperor Franz Joseph I. She was born into the royal Bavarian House of Wittelsbach. Nicknamed Sisi, she enjoyed an informal upbringing before marrying Emperor Franz Joseph I at the age of sixteen.

What illness did Sisi have?

The life of Empress Sisi

She was a princess from the House of Wittelsbach and married Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria at the mere age of 17. In 1854 she became Empress of Austria and later Queen of Hungary. Empress Sisi, a keen traveler, suffered a lung disease, which urged her to live in a mild climate.

Is Sissi based on a true story?

TRUE! Sophie of Habsbourg (mother of Franz Joseph) and Ludovika of Bavaria (Sisi's mother) were sisters and had planned a marriage between their children Franz Joseph and Helene. But during a family weekend in Bad Ischl, Franz Joseph fell in love with Helena's younger sister Elisabeth (Sisi).