Have YOU been watching "The Empress?" Let us know below, and check out our playlist here: ua-cam.com/video/dvev6KSChZw/v-deo.html for more shocking true story videos!
Yes, I have. The series mainly captures the romantic side of the relationship and is only about Sissy’s early years at the Viennese court with it’s ups and downs.
Empress Sissy was such an icon during that time. She was literally Lady Di of her generation. Though Romy Schneider did an excellent job portraying her, I'm really interested on watching this show.
I started it. She has the essence of Romy, it's kind of spooky! I am watching it in German and my only complaint is that while it is incredibly impressive the way this actress can act so well without saying a word, she also comes across as very modern. But I guess they need to do that to keep the younger audience interested. It's good! If you like Romy, you will enjoy Empress!
She was a horrible person. Y’all really let a few movies hypnotize you into thinking she was anything but a selfish, arrogant, narcissistic, unfaithful woman and a terrible mother who literally bullied her kids and grandkids
One flaw. Sissi and Franz did in fact love each other and they remained faithful throughout their marriage. However, because of his mother and the strictness of court, Sissi disliked marriage. She was noted saying on more than one occasion “If only Franz weren’t the emperor.” In fact several historians have said that Sissi and Franz slept in the same bed throughout their marriage, they took trips together, ate together and spent all of their free time in each others company, this was unheard of in royal marriages at the time.
Through my search I’ve read that the Emperor was always very much in love with Sissi but she didn’t return the same sentiment…feeling wasn’t mutual for her. She even encouraged for him to sleep with other women as she traveled around the world, trying to get away from the Austrian Court as much as possible and her miserable marriage…especially since her and Sophia (monster in law) never got along…she tried to make Sissi’s life very unpleasant. Everything felt out of her hands and control for Sissi EXCEPT for her looks , this is why she felt into an obsessive compulsive disorder when it came to her looks, fitness regime etc.
@@carolinagoldgirl8706 I remember reading that to. And then I see a documentary by a historian that specialized in CeCe and her life. She went into detail how Sissi and Franz shared a bed, their entire marriage, which was unheard of in royal families, especially in that time period. She also said that Sissi had a very hard time getting close to Franz during their marriage because of her mother-in-law, and by the time her mother-in-law passed the damage was already done. But I don’t think Franz ever had a mistress. He did have a close, female friend that he supported and took care of but the relationship remained platonic. It was even recorded in history books that Sissi tolerated the platonic friendship between this actress and her husband, which gives a hint of jealousy.
@@zui589 exactly! Sissi was always cold with him…almost always because she simply wasn’t in love with him. Sissi encouraged all of his affairs which is unheard of lmao 🤣 she never got jealous. Regardless if they were platonic or romantic. It was rumored that Sissi was in an affair herself with a Hungarian man, but it was just rumors it never actually got proven.
I loved the first season and thought it was a great mix of fact and fiction! Of course the costumes are great fun to see and each actor does an absolutely terrific job in the part they were cast. Each character is so we'll developed and feels so human. I am anxiously waiting for season 2!
I am particularly impressed by the German actress Melika Foroutan who played the mother empress Sophie. Melika Foroutan was born in Teheran, Iran and fled with her parents to Germany after the Ayatollah regime took over. Today Foroutan is an accredited German actress who is often seen in German movies and TV productions. You should also keep an eye on Svenja Jung who played the role of countess Louise. I am pretty sure she has a big acting career ahead of her, as well. Bur also the rest of the cast is brilliant, absolutely worthwhile watching. Great acting, great costumes and production design reaching to the level of "The Crown" which is the benchmark for this genre.
The problem being with this show is that the biggest part of viewers will see it as historical fact (kind of like "The Crown") whereas it is highly fictionalised. I urge everyone to see it as such. First of all, their parents' marriage was deeply unhappy. Her father was mostly absent, her mother mostly pregnant. When Franz Josef proposed to her, she was 15 years old. Her mother strongly advised her against the marriage, but she said "Einem Kaiser gibt man keinen Korb" (one does not jilt a Kaiser). Her mother-in-law was not a dragon, and taking children away from their mothers was absolutely usual back then (Queen Victoria couldn't get rid of hers quickly enough). Yes, the Spanish Court Ceremonial was very VERY strict, but Elisabeth was also raised too lenient. It is also said that she suffered from Endometriosis, so having sexual relations with her husband must've been very painful and she avoided it as much as possible. Subsequently he had various mistresses and at one time infected Elisabeth with an STD. She hated Vienna, and tried to stay away as much as she could, sometimes for years. In later years she even arranged for Franz Josefs mistress, an actress named Katharina Schratt (who she labelled "fat and ugly" in letters). The austrian people also didn't worship her, she was more disliked because she was absent so much. Her beauty regime was not healthy, it speaks strongly of anorexia and OCD (not surprising with the fact that she had no say over her life whatsoever). She hated being surrounded by "ugly" people or women who were married. Her ladies-in-waiting were more often than not exchanged for these reasons. Yes, her life was not easy by all means, but it was a life which was usual for european high royalty. Don't make her out like some tragic heroine.
@@amnanasir473 i know! it's pretty clear but the costume is actually more accurate than this whatever this is. they actually tried to have Marie Antoinettesque clothes for the great. in this one its just modern fashion that doesn't make sense with bob hair cut really...
Most young Queens and Empresses hat to hand over their children to their mothers in law, woh cared for their education and formed them the way they regardes the right way (for the country).
It’s actually never confirmed that she had an STD…the musical “Elisabeth” by Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay, which claims to be “the true story”, alludes to this fact and infects the young emperor with the “French disease”, syphilis. It must be said that such a disease very soon leads to massive changes in appearance and would not go undetected by outsiders. The disease can also lead to miscarriages and be transmitted to children. Neither the empress nor the emperor (who eventually lived to the age of 86) made any mention of this. The great historians report nothing of this. Between 1875 and 1882, the empress took part in excessive horseback hunts and remained largely fit in old age. If she had been sexually ill, it would have been a different story. Her elbow and knee joint complaints were the result of rheumatism and sciatica, which is why she often had to use a walking stick in later years.
I read the book, Sisi, that this show was partly based on and I loved it so much. It shocked me the changes they made but it still worked with setting the tense emotions in the characters and the connection to the issues happening outside the palace
@@RookiexLee Are you very familiar with her story? I agree that she comes across with a very strong personality, likely too strong, but let's not romanticize her personality. Similar to the way people are starting to see Princess Diana, and both having similar issues--Sissi had a terrible eating disorder that even her husband and ladies in waiting recognized, but couldn't do anything to stop it or help her. And she exercised for hours each day. Plus her vanity was pretty over the top! Did they say that there are no photos of her taken after she was around 40--she was always veiled and, or used a fan to hide her face and she refused to let someone photograph her ever again, as she was vain. I am sure we will see many parralels pointed out between two in the near future. I love Sissi and her story and have studied her at length for years now. With the current distance from the death of Diana due to time, and a whole new generation learning about her through Netflix, they will definitely see how much Sissi and Lady Di were alike. From the older sister/younger sisters, to the paparazzi always following her, to the affairs, and the depression and eating disorders. They probably would have gotten along!
As a child, I watched the Sisi movie on American television. The "American version" is an edited (shortened) compilation of all 3 German movies with the voices dubbed over in English. Even with this butchered version, I thought the movie was glorious, and it made a lasting impression on this young boy. I never forgot it. Fast forward 40 years...... and with internet shopping, I decided to search online for this movie. Much to my surprise I discovered it was THREE movies and in German! I bought the entire boxed set -- and it has proven to be one the best things I have ever purchased online. 👍😁
I have watched this series. I don’t know a lot about Sissi so I’m not able to judge on historical accuracy. From my knowledge of royal history in general, some thinga felt implausible (Sissi going into a really grubby factory). And some felt soapy. I still enjoyed the series. I especially liked the actress playing Sissi. She doesn’t look too modern for the role. She also felt real, like she captured Sissi’s wildness and unconventionality but also her conflict, sadness and vulnarability. Excellent acting, excellent casting.
Thank you for the reminder that "The Empress" exists and I need to watch. I'm a huge fan of the Kunze/Levay musical "Elisabeth", and went to Vienna a few years ago to visit the palaces and the Sisi Museum, and the Habsburg crypt. And I found that through the Takarazuka Revue fandom. It's one of Japan's biggest musicals, and the Takarazuka Revue have done it about a dozen times since the late 1990s. Sisi's life is fascinating, and often overly romanticized (as is Rudolf's - there are a few musicals about him/the Mayerling tragedy as well.), and I'm excited to see what the new series brings to the table.
It's interesting to have 2 similar series about Elisabeth (The Empress and Sisi). Both highly fictionalised and featuring costumes that are nothing like those of the era. It's like the costume designers of both series decided it was enough to feature massive skirts and forgot about all the other aspects of the fashions of the times.
The sad irony is that Franz Josef believed that it was his calling to be Emperor and would spend a few hours almost every day having appointments with his subjects from all corners of his Empire - no matter the rank and LISTENED to them doing his best to try to solve the problems they had brought to his attention. All that was required was for them to wear a suit or a regional traditional folk costume in his presence. OTOH, he disliked small talk &gossip and would eat like a firefighter with all the other diners at the table having no choice but to either eat at his speed OR have their plates removed by the servants the INSTANT he'd finished each course. This would eventually result in the nearby Hotel Sacher serving grand meals to the hungry diners (including their world famous torte cake). Yes, I believe as far as Sisi was concerned, he believed she could do no wrong so that's why he let her travel trying to find herself (regardless of her travel companions) instead of forcing her to stay in Vienna which she hated. It was a rather chilling happenstance that someone was able to photograph Sisi in Geneva shortly before her assassination since she'd expressly forbidden any photographs taken after her 30th birthday . When Franz Josef found out the tragic news he said 'No one knows how much I LOVED that woman!'
My grandmother was the one who first introduced me to the 1950s Sissi movies wtih Romy Schneider….and since then I’ve loved them. Me and my grandparents used to watch the movies together every time they were on tv, and to this day they’re still the best *for me.*
There are a few mistakes. It's house Wittelsbach, Elisabeth's sister was called Helene and Franz' mother Sophie was an Archduchess (Erzherzogin). And Sophie wasn't the dragon in law. The conflict with Sisi was not only her fault but Sisi's, too.
I agree. But Elisabeth was no duchess, she was a Princess in Bavaria. Her mother was the duchess. Both Sisi's mother and Franz-Josef's mother were sisters and daughers of the Bavarian King Maximilian I Josef. There were (and still are) two Wittelsbacher lines: the royal line (von Bayern) and the ducal line (in Bayern). Sis's mother was very unhappy in her marriage, because she had the impression, she was married beneath her status as the daugher of a king and she was in love with Dom Miguel of Braganca, who was in exile at that time and became Portugese King only five days after her marriage to Duke Maximilian in Bavaria.
@@MrsBlackPhoenix Very good comment, and historically correct. And yes, Ludovica was unhappy in her marriage. Maximillian did not take much care of his family and did not even shy away from preferring his two children he had with one of his mistresses to his "legal" ones. In fact, he was a drunkard and a womanizer. So Ludovica was eager to spare her daughters the shame of her own marriage by trying to marry them to men who were adequate to their status as princesses
"Sisi the Musical." If it were called "Elizabeth the Musical," Americans would think it is about Elizabeth II of the UK. (Oh well, they probably wouldn't know the difference....) 😁
@@markmh835 as a American not really. I would assume it was about Queen Elizabeth the 1st (UK queen) because most musicals are about past monarchs. To make changes for the sake of entertainment. For Empress Elisabeth/Sisi I read books about her. Because the spelling I have seen were her name was written with a S instead of a Z I know which one they were talking about.
I wanted to love the show, but I can't take the plastic sunglass moment @ 4:24. I could kind of put up with the wacky court hairdos & drab dip dye skirts, but the sunglasses was too much. Also, her sister having a horrendous bob haircut (WIG)?? C'mon!! Why do they feel the need to make it cool for the kids? I would rather historical shows stick to historical costumes, it totally throws me out of the story to see modern stuff.
While there may be some needed revision to Sisi's story, if one thinks of what Romy Schneider had to portray, I fear that the constume designer of this series has done insufficient research into the clothes and hair styles of Austrian and European (royal) women of the time. There is abundent evidence out there for anyone who want's to know. It is such a shock to see so much post-WW2 fashion details in this series, which clearly weren't there in Sisi's day. My growing sense of disbelief and disappointment stopped me from watching further than episode 3.
Her comparison with Diana can be summed up like this; Both were noble, but free women who were picked up by royal families who wanted to prop up and modernize their image but their modernity and romantic image just highlighted how mind-boggingly ancient and anachronistic those dynasties were. The Austro-hungarian empire collapsed two years after Francis Joseph's death, 20 years after Sissi's and now that Charles III is getting on the throne, Diana's ghosts still haunts the royal family.
What a wonderful video! Thank you. You've given us a far better understanding of Elisabeth or Sisi, and how ultimately, it was her own decisions and actions or inactions, make her worth looking at. Not the beauty she was famed for. But for what she was as a girl, then woman, from bride to mother. How neglectful she was. And her constant need for escape and this fantasy of herself as a poet or as Titania.
Well done on the pronunciation of the names, especially of Gisela. Most people get that wrong, I know because I share Sisi’s second daughter’s name. 😉🇬🇧🇺🇦
Hold up....SiSi was basically assassinated because she was a last minute substitute? So the assassin killed because of her title? Not because she was oppressing a country or committing genocide?
Yes this is correct, but she longed for death too. Welcomed it gladly. At the end of her life she felt into a deep depression after her son’s death. In death, she found freedom and very little people can say that.
He was actually trying to assassinate someone else but lost track or something happened, can't remember the details. But Sissi was there, so he took advantage to kill any Royal than no one at all. But it is also thought she traveled the area purposely because it was known to be dangerous as there were assassinations and attempts being carried out at the time. She was advised not to travel as she was and she did it anyway, so it's speculated that she was hoping she'd be a target. She also didn't want to age.
No 1 is to be completely blamed or not. I believe that we are all doing the best we can. I can't imagine how difficult life was back then considering the limitations of education & communication.
I was interested in this story because of the connection it has with Mexico. Maximilian became the emperor of the second Mexican empire after emperor Napoleon III invited Maximilian to establish a new french monarchy in Mexico. Unfortunately that didn’t last for him and the Mexican republic took back the power of Mexico.
I was wondering if that was the same Maximilian when I heard the name. I was about to look it up and I found your comment right before I clicked off lol
Thanks to @Ms.VeronicaMarie for setting the record straight on the points she makes. I'm Austrian through my mother's line, and for a long time my only impression of Austria was Orson Welle's post-WWII masterpiece "The Third Man." Princess Elizabeth's story is engrossing.
Empress Sisi was the Princess Diana of the 19th century. Both were great beauties, had unhappy marriages, loved by the common people but shunned by the upper class, and had tragic endings.
Enjoyed watching but I do hate misleading history and very erratic costuming and hairstyling all the way from perfect to the ridiculous. Why not be consistent! Sisi's real story is dramatic enough not to need made up history.
I’m glad they casted someone who looks to young to be married, mother and empress. Usually they cast someone who looks way too old, Sisi having been 16 at her marriage.
Pfft, you gotta love how the Vienna historians are like: we tried to do her memory justice, and then it also cuts to some ugly memorial in Vienna and it was literally the place she hated the most and tried to escape all her life. Just look at memorials in comparison from Hungary where she is actually shown with care.
I am not from Austria/Germany but I think I saw some fairy tale (very losely) based on Sisi’s life. I remember that I was obsessed with her as a little girl… and I still remember reading about her being born(also a Capricorn♑️😂), she had lots of hair a teeth. The older I got the more I understood how hard her life must’ve been.
Her life was not hard. At all. She was just, unfortunately, not a healthy girl. Mentally or physically. Mental illness makes life difficult for anyone. Even if you are an Empress living in a Palace with a handsome, loving husband whom you chose (almost impossible back then!). A tragic story. But she had far from a hard life But yes, her hair was very long! Almost to the floor! She slept at night with it attached to the ceiling to relieve the pain from her neck (from the weight of it).
Sisi was fond of him tho and also she had kids young and the mother thought Sisi was too young to take care of them since she could barely take care of herself, plus they’re was nothing he could do about it historian’s found multiple letters of him begging his mother to let Sisi see their children.
@@carolinagoldgirl8706 he wasn’t a mommy’s bffr if you didn’t know much about mental health and someone was starving themselves and constantly getting themselves sick because of the things they were doing to their own body, would you trust them with a newborn baby?
That happened LONG after she gave birth the first two times, so, no, you’re wrong^. Sissi was 17 when she gave birth, and she wasn’t even allowed to name her children, and her aunt/MIL named the firstborn baby after herself. Sissi wasn’t even allowed to BREASTFEED her babies. ^Her children weren’t taken from her due to mental health, because her mental health became an issue long after. Sissi started getting obsessive about her looks, because it was the only thing she could control in her life. She didn’t have this obsession before getting married at 16. Her mental health was fine until all of this happened to her. And the usual “Keep getting pregnant, produce heirs” in royalty? She kept tightening her corset to inhumane levels. I think it’s safe to say that getting such a tiny waist worked in avoiding pregnancy. I recall reading that she was deemed too young for motherhood, yet…she was old enough to marry and get pregnant??? And how can anyone learn and get experience in motherhood if you keep them from their children? Sissi practically had nothing left for her, so OF COURSE she had depression and so many health problems. She had to leave to get better, and then she travelled the world to get away from Vienna. Sissi was closest to her last child Marie Valerie, whom she was allowed to raise and care for without interference, and she freely gave so much love and affection to the point that Marie was embarrassed by it as she grew up. This wouldn’t have happened if she were allowed to grow an attachment to her first three children by CARING for them and RAISING them herself. And Sissi let Marie’s marriage be one of love, whereas Sissi’s other children (taken from infancy away from Sissi) had dynastic marriages. This caused a rift between the siblings. Sissi had a happy childhood. All the problems started after she married Franz. And Franz WAS a mommy’s boy who couldn’t stand up to Mommy. He, the Emperor, couldn’t stand up in defense for his Empress whom he claimed to love so much even after Sissi’s assassination and death. As if 😒
I've not seen the Netflix series but I THINK I will because the guy playing Franz Joseph is *absolutely beautiful* 😍 lol. P.S. His mother was an absolute b1tch.
It's so terrible, arranged marriage still exists. Just imagine how many people suffered because they had to marry someone who is just not what they want...
Empress Elisabeth was a very tall extremely slim person ahead of her time by a century. When she walked into a room she grabbed everyone s attention towering over them. All these movies and series continue to FAIL to find an actress that does that magnificent woman …justice.
Netflix butchered this badley. Ok they didn't shoot anything in Austria or Hungary but the could have at least included some Austrians in the cast! Or get some actors that can learn another dialect...It's like the cast of the Crown would speak American english...
Until recently people in Bavaria didn't speak Stage-/TV-German, though, but Bavarian dialects. FYI, most areas in Austria belong to the Bavarian language family as well. As an Austrian living about an hour away from Possenhofen, where Elisabeth grew up, the terribly wrong accents in this series (not just Elisabeth but almost all actors, even the Austrian ones) almost made me stop the show multiple times. It seems that historical accuracy was not a high value in this production anyhow. Sunglasses, short haircuts and modern fashion elements are easier to put aside, though, than a wrong language in every dialog
Have YOU been watching "The Empress?" Let us know below, and check out our playlist here: ua-cam.com/video/dvev6KSChZw/v-deo.html for more shocking true story videos!
No I haven't
I'm ready to show the world that the empress is here
Yes, I have. The series mainly captures the romantic side of the relationship and is only about Sissy’s early years at the Viennese court with it’s ups and downs.
Watching now
Empress Sissy was such an icon during that time. She was literally Lady Di of her generation. Though Romy Schneider did an excellent job portraying her, I'm really interested on watching this show.
I started it. She has the essence of Romy, it's kind of spooky! I am watching it in German and my only complaint is that while it is incredibly impressive the way this actress can act so well without saying a word, she also comes across as very modern. But I guess they need to do that to keep the younger audience interested. It's good! If you like Romy, you will enjoy Empress!
I saw the first two movies with Romy. I have to see the last one.
She was a horrible person. Y’all really let a few movies hypnotize you into thinking she was anything but a selfish, arrogant, narcissistic, unfaithful woman and a terrible mother who literally bullied her kids and grandkids
@@mychannel-rt2gn And you know because you met her personally
@@mychannel-rt2gn
Sisi and Diana. Both mentally unstable and mindlessly worshipped by the masses.
One flaw. Sissi and Franz did in fact love each other and they remained faithful throughout their marriage. However, because of his mother and the strictness of court, Sissi disliked marriage. She was noted saying on more than one occasion “If only Franz weren’t the emperor.” In fact several historians have said that Sissi and Franz slept in the same bed throughout their marriage, they took trips together, ate together and spent all of their free time in each others company, this was unheard of in royal marriages at the time.
Through my search I’ve read that the Emperor was always very much in love with Sissi but she didn’t return the same sentiment…feeling wasn’t mutual for her. She even encouraged for him to sleep with other women as she traveled around the world, trying to get away from the Austrian Court as much as possible and her miserable marriage…especially since her and Sophia (monster in law) never got along…she tried to make Sissi’s life very unpleasant. Everything felt out of her hands and control for Sissi EXCEPT for her looks , this is why she felt into an obsessive compulsive disorder when it came to her looks, fitness regime etc.
@@carolinagoldgirl8706 I remember reading that to. And then I see a documentary by a historian that specialized in CeCe and her life. She went into detail how Sissi and Franz shared a bed, their entire marriage, which was unheard of in royal families, especially in that time period. She also said that Sissi had a very hard time getting close to Franz during their marriage because of her mother-in-law, and by the time her mother-in-law passed the damage was already done. But I don’t think Franz ever had a mistress. He did have a close, female friend that he supported and took care of but the relationship remained platonic. It was even recorded in history books that Sissi tolerated the platonic friendship between this actress and her husband, which gives a hint of jealousy.
Franz Joseph had several mistresses - for example Anna Nahiwski , last one Katharina Schratt was actually chosen by Sissi.
@@zui589 exactly! Sissi was always cold with him…almost always because she simply wasn’t in love with him. Sissi encouraged all of his affairs which is unheard of lmao 🤣 she never got jealous. Regardless if they were platonic or romantic. It was rumored that Sissi was in an affair herself with a Hungarian man, but it was just rumors it never actually got proven.
and how can you know if they remained faithful???Were you there?
I loved the first season and thought it was a great mix of fact and fiction! Of course the costumes are great fun to see and each actor does an absolutely terrific job in the part they were cast. Each character is so we'll developed and feels so human. I am anxiously waiting for season 2!
I am particularly impressed by the German actress Melika Foroutan who played the mother empress Sophie. Melika Foroutan was born in Teheran, Iran and fled with her parents to Germany after the Ayatollah regime took over. Today Foroutan is an accredited German actress who is often seen in German movies and TV productions. You should also keep an eye on Svenja Jung who played the role of countess Louise. I am pretty sure she has a big acting career ahead of her, as well. Bur also the rest of the cast is brilliant, absolutely worthwhile watching. Great acting, great costumes and production design reaching to the level of "The Crown" which is the benchmark for this genre.
The problem being with this show is that the biggest part of viewers will see it as historical fact (kind of like "The Crown") whereas it is highly fictionalised. I urge everyone to see it as such. First of all, their parents' marriage was deeply unhappy. Her father was mostly absent, her mother mostly pregnant. When Franz Josef proposed to her, she was 15 years old. Her mother strongly advised her against the marriage, but she said "Einem Kaiser gibt man keinen Korb" (one does not jilt a Kaiser). Her mother-in-law was not a dragon, and taking children away from their mothers was absolutely usual back then (Queen Victoria couldn't get rid of hers quickly enough). Yes, the Spanish Court Ceremonial was very VERY strict, but Elisabeth was also raised too lenient. It is also said that she suffered from Endometriosis, so having sexual relations with her husband must've been very painful and she avoided it as much as possible. Subsequently he had various mistresses and at one time infected Elisabeth with an STD. She hated Vienna, and tried to stay away as much as she could, sometimes for years. In later years she even arranged for Franz Josefs mistress, an actress named Katharina Schratt (who she labelled "fat and ugly" in letters). The austrian people also didn't worship her, she was more disliked because she was absent so much. Her beauty regime was not healthy, it speaks strongly of anorexia and OCD (not surprising with the fact that she had no say over her life whatsoever). She hated being surrounded by "ugly" people or women who were married. Her ladies-in-waiting were more often than not exchanged for these reasons. Yes, her life was not easy by all means, but it was a life which was usual for european high royalty. Don't make her out like some tragic heroine.
shame!! i know exactly what it was when i saw the costume!... it's worse then "the great"
@@samanthasmith61 the great never tried to be historicaly accurate, it’s written at thestart of every episode.
@@amnanasir473 i know! it's pretty clear but the costume is actually more accurate than this whatever this is. they actually tried to have Marie Antoinettesque clothes for the great.
in this one its just modern fashion that doesn't make sense with bob hair cut really...
Most young Queens and Empresses hat to hand over their children to their mothers in law, woh cared for their education and formed them the way they regardes the right way (for the country).
It’s actually never confirmed that she had an STD…the musical “Elisabeth” by Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay, which claims to be “the true story”, alludes to this fact and infects the young emperor with the “French disease”, syphilis. It must be said that such a disease very soon leads to massive changes in appearance and would not go undetected by outsiders. The disease can also lead to miscarriages and be transmitted to children. Neither the empress nor the emperor (who eventually lived to the age of 86) made any mention of this. The great historians report nothing of this. Between 1875 and 1882, the empress took part in excessive horseback hunts and remained largely fit in old age. If she had been sexually ill, it would have been a different story. Her elbow and knee joint complaints were the result of rheumatism and sciatica, which is why she often had to use a walking stick in later years.
Sissi's wardrobe is iconic, the wedding dress hurts my historian heart. Will I watch it??...probably
Yes me too. There is a replica in the Sisi museum in Vienna. I don't get why they made it look like the wedding dress she actually wore back then.
Love, love , love this series. So well done. Beautiful setting, costumes, and actors. Bravo!
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I read the book, Sisi, that this show was partly based on and I loved it so much. It shocked me the changes they made but it still worked with setting the tense emotions in the characters and the connection to the issues happening outside the palace
That book is fiction. I recommend reading “The Reluctant Empress” by Brigitte Hamann.
@@giovannirastrelli9821 Will do. Thank you for the recommendation
I’ve been interested in her since I read the Royal Diaries book when I was a kid. Glad more people are learning more about her.
Same
I dont think you want people to learn about her this way. Netflix makes her seen like a spoiled immature brat
@@RookiexLee I recommend the miniseries from 2009. It’s in German of course but there are subtitles.
@@Courtneybenson907 Which one? Can I find it online? I don't need subtitles. Is it on UA-cam? Thanks!
@@RookiexLee Are you very familiar with her story? I agree that she comes across with a very strong personality, likely too strong, but let's not romanticize her personality. Similar to the way people are starting to see Princess Diana, and both having similar issues--Sissi had a terrible eating disorder that even her husband and ladies in waiting recognized, but couldn't do anything to stop it or help her. And she exercised for hours each day. Plus her vanity was pretty over the top! Did they say that there are no photos of her taken after she was around 40--she was always veiled and, or used a fan to hide her face and she refused to let someone photograph her ever again, as she was vain.
I am sure we will see many parralels pointed out between two in the near future. I love Sissi and her story and have studied her at length for years now. With the current distance from the death of Diana due to time, and a whole new generation learning about her through Netflix, they will definitely see how much Sissi and Lady Di were alike. From the older sister/younger sisters, to the paparazzi always following her, to the affairs, and the depression and eating disorders. They probably would have gotten along!
Greetings From germany, the 50s movies with romy Schneider is one of our most beloved movies here
With the drinking game "Sissi Saufen" where you have to drink a shot every time anyone says "Sissi" or "eure Majestät" 🍻
In Italy too. The movies get rerun quite often (at least once a year) here, and always get a very high tv audience share.
I just watched that movie!
@@npeace312 Which one? There are multiple movies - 3 total, I believe.
As a child, I watched the Sisi movie on American television. The "American version" is an edited (shortened) compilation of all 3 German movies with the voices dubbed over in English. Even with this butchered version, I thought the movie was glorious, and it made a lasting impression on this young boy. I never forgot it.
Fast forward 40 years...... and with internet shopping, I decided to search online for this movie. Much to my surprise I discovered it was THREE movies and in German! I bought the entire boxed set -- and it has proven to be one the best things I have ever purchased online. 👍😁
I have watched this series. I don’t know a lot about Sissi so I’m not able to judge on historical accuracy. From my knowledge of royal history in general, some thinga felt implausible (Sissi going into a really grubby factory). And some felt soapy. I still enjoyed the series. I especially liked the actress playing Sissi. She doesn’t look too modern for the role. She also felt real, like she captured Sissi’s wildness and unconventionality but also her conflict, sadness and vulnarability. Excellent acting, excellent casting.
Exactly...I love both their performance: Sisi & Franz. I wouldn't continue to watch it if replaced by other actors❗️
As a child I learned my grandmothers , both born in Austro Hungarian Galicia, adored The Empress. my mom was named Elizabeth.
Your grandmothers? That’s amazing. How old are you?
Great great grandmother?
Che bello
@@lfrancechy4446 Nope. My babas, I'm 75. All my male ancestors were KuK Soldaten and proud of that. They arrived in America about 1900.
Thank you for the reminder that "The Empress" exists and I need to watch. I'm a huge fan of the Kunze/Levay musical "Elisabeth", and went to Vienna a few years ago to visit the palaces and the Sisi Museum, and the Habsburg crypt. And I found that through the Takarazuka Revue fandom. It's one of Japan's biggest musicals, and the Takarazuka Revue have done it about a dozen times since the late 1990s. Sisi's life is fascinating, and often overly romanticized (as is Rudolf's - there are a few musicals about him/the Mayerling tragedy as well.), and I'm excited to see what the new series brings to the table.
... we never saw The Musical
It's interesting to have 2 similar series about Elisabeth (The Empress and Sisi). Both highly fictionalised and featuring costumes that are nothing like those of the era. It's like the costume designers of both series decided it was enough to feature massive skirts and forgot about all the other aspects of the fashions of the times.
I actually stopped watching because the costumes were too unbearable
@@blueturtle1813 They really were awful.
At leadt there is always the miniseries with Cristiana Capotondi
I had no idea what the costumes should look like😮
The sad irony is that Franz Josef believed that it was his calling to be Emperor and would spend a few hours almost every day having appointments with his subjects from all corners of his Empire - no matter the rank and LISTENED to them doing his best to try to solve the problems they had brought to his attention. All that was required was for them to wear a suit or a regional traditional folk costume in his presence. OTOH, he disliked small talk &gossip and would eat like a firefighter with all the other diners at the table having no choice but to either eat at his speed OR have their plates removed by the servants the INSTANT he'd finished each course. This would eventually result in the nearby Hotel Sacher serving grand meals to the hungry diners (including their world famous torte cake).
Yes, I believe as far as Sisi was concerned, he believed she could do no wrong so that's why he let her travel trying to find herself (regardless of her travel companions) instead of forcing her to stay in Vienna which she hated. It was a rather chilling happenstance that someone was able to photograph Sisi in Geneva shortly before her assassination since she'd expressly forbidden any photographs taken after her 30th birthday . When Franz Josef found out the tragic news he said 'No one knows how much I LOVED that woman!'
My grandmother was the one who first introduced me to the 1950s Sissi movies wtih Romy Schneider….and since then I’ve loved them. Me and my grandparents used to watch the movies together every time they were on tv, and to this day they’re still the best *for me.*
Yes, I love love love love that series. Karl Heinz Bohm was wonderful in the movies too. I ❤❤❤ Romy!
... like. i. WaTched ThaT TV Serie wiTh my Grandma very
ofTen
There are a few mistakes. It's house Wittelsbach, Elisabeth's sister was called Helene and Franz' mother Sophie was an Archduchess (Erzherzogin). And Sophie wasn't the dragon in law. The conflict with Sisi was not only her fault but Sisi's, too.
Agree. Read and know history. Thank you
You must never dealt with an Monster in law.
I agree. But Elisabeth was no duchess, she was a Princess in Bavaria. Her mother was the duchess. Both Sisi's mother and Franz-Josef's mother were sisters and daughers of the Bavarian King Maximilian I Josef. There were (and still are) two Wittelsbacher lines: the royal line (von Bayern) and the ducal line (in Bayern). Sis's mother was very unhappy in her marriage, because she had the impression, she was married beneath her status as the daugher of a king and she was in love with Dom Miguel of Braganca, who was in exile at that time and became Portugese King only five days after her marriage to Duke Maximilian in Bavaria.
@@MrsBlackPhoenix Very good comment, and historically correct. And yes, Ludovica was unhappy in her marriage. Maximillian did not take much care of his family and did not even shy away from preferring his two children he had with one of his mistresses to his "legal" ones. In fact, he was a drunkard and a womanizer. So Ludovica was eager to spare her daughters the shame of her own marriage by trying to marry them to men who were adequate to their status as princesses
I loved this show. I hope they have a season two!
They announced it!!
@@amandasallada6772 YES!
I'm... already in love with this series 😩💕
I love that you included a portion of Lindsay’s video 😂 for a split second I was like Wait did I just see this?
I’d love to know if they asked for Lindsay’s permission to do that. At least they credited her in the clips.
The amazing “Elisabeth the Musical” needs to be produced in America!
"Sisi the Musical."
If it were called "Elizabeth the Musical," Americans would think it is about Elizabeth II of the UK. (Oh well, they probably wouldn't know the difference....) 😁
@@markmh835 as a American not really. I would assume it was about Queen Elizabeth the 1st (UK queen) because most musicals are about past monarchs. To make changes for the sake of entertainment.
For Empress Elisabeth/Sisi I read books about her. Because the spelling I have seen were her name was written with a S instead of a Z I know which one they were talking about.
Let's not. "Rebecca" was a nightmare that never came to be and "Tanz der Vampire" was a major trainwreck.
I don't like musicals. So unrealistic.
I wanted to love the show, but I can't take the plastic sunglass moment @ 4:24. I could kind of put up with the wacky court hairdos & drab dip dye skirts, but the sunglasses was too much. Also, her sister having a horrendous bob haircut (WIG)?? C'mon!! Why do they feel the need to make it cool for the kids? I would rather historical shows stick to historical costumes, it totally throws me out of the story to see modern stuff.
and WHAT was the dress the sister wore with that bobbed wig? and yeah, the sunglasses.
I love the show, and I was a fan of the Empress Sisi from an Italian Series. Hope we can have a second season.
What's the name of that Italian series, please?
@@evaduran3308 I saw it on UA-cam it´s called Sisi/La Principessa Sisi (2009(
Where can we get this version of the series? Been trying to get it in ENG. Thanks :)
@@lesliea.6440 sorry is only subtitle in English.
Ahhh childhood memories. The intro song is still in my head
Simon Whistler is so charismatic. I can't get enough of his videos.
I read that the whole 'monster-in-law' was at least a little bit overblown.
While there may be some needed revision to Sisi's story, if one thinks of what Romy Schneider had to portray, I fear that the constume designer of this series has done insufficient research into the clothes and hair styles of Austrian and European (royal) women of the time. There is abundent evidence out there for anyone who want's to know. It is such a shock to see so much post-WW2 fashion details in this series, which clearly weren't there in Sisi's day. My growing sense of disbelief and disappointment stopped me from watching further than episode 3.
They probably did that on purpose. Or because it was cheaper.
You missed the white 50s pillbox, and a few frocks that looked as if they'd been thrown together on the set. Maybe they were.
@@MistbornPrincessexactly unlike a princess at all
Her comparison with Diana can be summed up like this;
Both were noble, but free women who were picked up by royal families who wanted to prop up and modernize their image but their modernity and romantic image just highlighted how mind-boggingly ancient and anachronistic those dynasties were.
The Austro-hungarian empire collapsed two years after Francis Joseph's death, 20 years after Sissi's and now that Charles III is getting on the throne, Diana's ghosts still haunts the royal family.
Sisi and Diana were both mentally unstable Covert Narcissists and should not have been allowed to infiltrate either house.
What a wonderful video! Thank you. You've given us a far better understanding of Elisabeth or Sisi, and how ultimately, it was her own decisions and actions or inactions, make her worth looking at. Not the beauty she was famed for. But for what she was as a girl, then woman, from bride to mother. How neglectful she was. And her constant need for escape and this fantasy of herself as a poet or as Titania.
Sorry, wrong video! This was meant for Ivadora's video.
Loved this series!!! Please make a second part!!
I’m glad I came upon this as I definitely want to watch this. So beautiful, yet so much sadness …..
... we are
no
Unhappy woman ... never were
I know some liberties are taken on the series, but i loved it!
Emperor Francis' brother, Maximilian, is portrayed as a Bohemian, which is not true. He was a great scholar of botany, and very serious
this series is so good, I want another season.
This is a.spectacular series, and compliments the mini-series from the 1950s nicely.
I am doubtful on how Alexander II was portrayed in this series. Yes, he was a ladies man but he was smooth, well mannered and not arrogant
I just visited the Sisi Museum which is across the hall from the Spanish Riding School. Saw it all!
I saw Corsage. A very interesting take on her.
I mean, I could just watch the Biographics video with how much Simon is in this one 😅
And Lindsey Holiday.
It's great! I fallow both of these Historical pages!
Well done on the pronunciation of the names, especially of Gisela. Most people get that wrong, I know because I share Sisi’s second daughter’s name. 😉🇬🇧🇺🇦
I hope the show gets another season
Another season is coming I'm watching the first season for the third time can't wait for more seasons💝
Helena ended up being the only child of ludivika to have a happy marriage
Hold up....SiSi was basically assassinated because she was a last minute substitute? So the assassin killed because of her title? Not because she was oppressing a country or committing genocide?
That is correct. So sad...... Being in the wrong place at the wrong time..... 😢
Yes this is correct, but she longed for death too. Welcomed it gladly. At the end of her life she felt into a deep depression after her son’s death. In death, she found freedom and very little people can say that.
ironically, the tight corset she had saved or delay it, the moments after they opened her tight corset she died.
He was actually trying to assassinate someone else but lost track or something happened, can't remember the details. But Sissi was there, so he took advantage to kill any Royal than no one at all.
But it is also thought she traveled the area purposely because it was known to be dangerous as there were assassinations and attempts being carried out at the time. She was advised not to travel as she was and she did it anyway, so it's speculated that she was hoping she'd be a target. She also didn't want to age.
Yes, for real. And the assassin was really shocked after he realized whom he had killed, so he even apologized 😮
I've read about the Empress for years and that Netflix thing is the biggest crock I've ever seen!
You pronunciation is excellent
Loved the show!!!
No 1 is to be completely blamed or not. I believe that we are all doing the best we can. I can't imagine how difficult life was back then considering the limitations of education & communication.
I have not heard of her and I am intrigued to watch this series.
Cant wait for the 2nd season❤
I was interested in this story because of the connection it has with Mexico. Maximilian became the emperor of the second Mexican empire after emperor Napoleon III invited Maximilian to establish a new french monarchy in Mexico. Unfortunately that didn’t last for him and the Mexican republic took back the power of Mexico.
I was wondering if that was the same Maximilian when I heard the name. I was about to look it up and I found your comment right before I clicked off lol
Internet’s fav fact boi making an appearance! Surprised you didn’t link his video.
Thanks to @Ms.VeronicaMarie for setting the record straight on the points she makes. I'm Austrian through my mother's line, and for a long time my only impression of Austria was Orson Welle's post-WWII masterpiece "The Third Man." Princess Elizabeth's story is engrossing.
Episode 6..
So emotional when she opened the gates ,went out to the crying bcoz she saw the people's cry for help
Thanks! Please do a top ten outfits of the empress! ❤
I really enjoyed this show. I wish we could see the second season in the US. Any chance?
Clothes (mostly women apparel) + hairstyles from the 21st century. Why bother make a show portraying the 19th century then?
Empress Sisi was the Princess Diana of the 19th century. Both were great beauties, had unhappy marriages, loved by the common people but shunned by the upper class, and had tragic endings.
Both mentally unstable, terrible wives, bad absentee mothers, eating disorders, from unstable families.
Enjoyed watching but I do hate misleading history and very erratic costuming and hairstyling all the way from perfect to the ridiculous. Why not be consistent! Sisi's real story is dramatic enough not to need made up history.
All of us have danced with death, but no one like Elisabeth!
Simon Whisler of Biografics, Geografics, top10, today i found out and many more🙌👏
I learned about Sissi because of him!
I’m glad they casted someone who looks to young to be married, mother and empress.
Usually they cast someone who looks way too old, Sisi having been 16 at her marriage.
very nice video. I love it
Love this show! Hope it lasts and doesn’t get cancelled.
Loved this show.
Pfft, you gotta love how the Vienna historians are like: we tried to do her memory justice, and then it also cuts to some ugly memorial in Vienna and it was literally the place she hated the most and tried to escape all her life. Just look at memorials in comparison from Hungary where she is actually shown with care.
Such an excellent series. Lavish.
LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!
When do season two appear on Netflix, waiting for it.
Loved the show
So basically all of her problems of the Empress started when she met the Emperor and her truely evil mother in law.
Pretty much yes. Other than that, she had a happy childhood.
not really, she probably has mental issue
I really interested on watching this show 🌹
and yet royal parents not seeing their children WAS COMMON PRACTICE and that for CENTURIES BEFOREHAND
I am not from Austria/Germany but I think I saw some fairy tale (very losely) based on Sisi’s life. I remember that I was obsessed with her as a little girl… and I still remember reading about her being born(also a Capricorn♑️😂), she had lots of hair a teeth. The older I got the more I understood how hard her life must’ve been.
You mean the Fox cartoon “Princess Sissi?”
Her life was not hard. At all. She was just, unfortunately, not a healthy girl. Mentally or physically. Mental illness makes life difficult for anyone. Even if you are an Empress living in a Palace with a handsome, loving husband whom you chose (almost impossible back then!). A tragic story. But she had far from a hard life
But yes, her hair was very long! Almost to the floor! She slept at night with it attached to the ceiling to relieve the pain from her neck (from the weight of it).
Sisi was a combination of Grace Kelly, Eva Gardner and Lady Di. She was the ultimate tragic beauty.
is season 2 out
She looks nothing like the real Sisi…
waiting for season 2 :')
Is it any surprise she didn't have affection for the husband who let his mother steal her children away from her?
He was a mommy’s boy. He didn’t want to upset his mom. I can see why Sissi would feel like that suppressed.
Sisi was fond of him tho and also she had kids young and the mother thought Sisi was too young to take care of them since she could barely take care of herself, plus they’re was nothing he could do about it historian’s found multiple letters of him begging his mother to let Sisi see their children.
@@carolinagoldgirl8706 he wasn’t a mommy’s bffr if you didn’t know much about mental health and someone was starving themselves and constantly getting themselves sick because of the things they were doing to their own body, would you trust them with a newborn baby?
That happened LONG after she gave birth the first two times, so, no, you’re wrong^. Sissi was 17 when she gave birth, and she wasn’t even allowed to name her children, and her aunt/MIL named the firstborn baby after herself. Sissi wasn’t even allowed to BREASTFEED her babies.
^Her children weren’t taken from her due to mental health, because her mental health became an issue long after.
Sissi started getting obsessive about her looks, because it was the only thing she could control in her life.
She didn’t have this obsession before getting married at 16. Her mental health was fine until all of this happened to her.
And the usual “Keep getting pregnant, produce heirs” in royalty? She kept tightening her corset to inhumane levels. I think it’s safe to say that getting such a tiny waist worked in avoiding pregnancy.
I recall reading that she was deemed too young for motherhood, yet…she was old enough to marry and get pregnant???
And how can anyone learn and get experience in motherhood if you keep them from their children?
Sissi practically had nothing left for her, so OF COURSE she had depression and so many health problems. She had to leave to get better, and then she travelled the world to get away from Vienna.
Sissi was closest to her last child Marie Valerie, whom she was allowed to raise and care for without interference, and she freely gave so much love and affection to the point that Marie was embarrassed by it as she grew up.
This wouldn’t have happened if she were allowed to grow an attachment to her first three children by CARING for them and RAISING them herself.
And Sissi let Marie’s marriage be one of love, whereas Sissi’s other children (taken from infancy away from Sissi) had dynastic marriages. This caused a rift between the siblings.
Sissi had a happy childhood. All the problems started after she married Franz. And Franz WAS a mommy’s boy who couldn’t stand up to Mommy. He, the Emperor, couldn’t stand up in defense for his Empress whom he claimed to love so much even after Sissi’s assassination and death. As if 😒
such a good excuse to be a horrible person
8:47 Oh Sissi you were right: he is one of the best poets ever :D
awesome show!
I prefer the #sissi version it's much better ❤
watching and love
How did I miss that they were 1st cousins when I watched it?!?!
You could make a 20 Angela Lansbury moment from movie and TV
...who Else has
Girl NamEn
Angela? I have
no. Idea
I've not seen the Netflix series but I THINK I will because the guy playing Franz Joseph is *absolutely beautiful* 😍 lol. P.S. His mother was an absolute b1tch.
Historical fact is always sassed up and rewritten as nearly pure fiction.
It's so terrible, arranged marriage still exists. Just imagine how many people suffered because they had to marry someone who is just not what they want...
The mother in law is archduchess Sophie, not princess Sophie
She was princess of Bavaria. With that said, her title at this time was archduchess, that's true.
I read this all on wikipedia. It's like an exact copy. -_-
Eleezabed of the Veetzelbach lineage? Nails on chalkboard
I'm so dumb. I'm just now realizing that this wasn't an English series.
Empress Elisabeth was a very tall extremely slim person ahead of her time by a century. When she walked into a room she grabbed everyone s attention towering over them. All these movies and series continue to FAIL to find an actress that does that magnificent woman …justice.
i love this
Netflix butchered this badley. Ok they didn't shoot anything in Austria or Hungary but the could have at least included some Austrians in the cast! Or get some actors that can learn another dialect...It's like the cast of the Crown would speak American english...
Sisi was German, Bavaria is in modern day Germany and she was born in Munich
Until recently people in Bavaria didn't speak Stage-/TV-German, though, but Bavarian dialects. FYI, most areas in Austria belong to the Bavarian language family as well. As an Austrian living about an hour away from Possenhofen, where Elisabeth grew up, the terribly wrong accents in this series (not just Elisabeth but almost all actors, even the Austrian ones) almost made me stop the show multiple times. It seems that historical accuracy was not a high value in this production anyhow. Sunglasses, short haircuts and modern fashion elements are easier to put aside, though, than a wrong language in every dialog
9:24 Meyerling 😂😂😂😂 MAyerling. Always research for yourself…
Poor Siri, she had a tumultuous life!
You did a good job with most names, but it‘s „Sissi“, not „Ceecee“ 😊
The actress did not do justice the beauty of the real Empress.
The only ones who ever came close were Romy Schneider and Pia Douwes.
The miniseries Sissi made in 2009 was much better. The actress and actor in Sissi (2009) were better looking.
@@September_Rains Though still not perfect.
Excessive exercise, her mother-in-law and smoking could also be the reason for her poor health not her fasting 🤔
... We make
no
Diets never
Did. even am Smoking unTil Teenage age
. 14 and?
my lungs are moRE ThEn okay