Elisabeth of Bavaria, Queen of Hungary, Budapest
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Nebel.com
N 47° 29.440 E 019° 02.752
34T E 352804 N 5261543
Statue of Elisabeth of Bavaria, Queen of Hungary in Budapest
Waymark Code: WMAANH
Location: Hungary
Date Posted: 12/14/2010
Views: 34
Elisabeth of Bavaria (24 December 1837 – 10 September 1898) was Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary as the spouse of Francis Joseph I. As such, she held also the titles Queen of Bohemia, Queen of Croatia and others. From an early age, she was called “Sisi” by family and friends.
While Elisabeth had limited influence on Austro-Hungarian politics, she has become a historical icon. Elisabeth is considered to have been a non-conformist who abhorred conventional court protocol and at the same time a tragic figure; she has inspired filmmakers and theatrical producers alike.
Elisabeth was born in Munich, Bavaria as Duchess Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie in Bavaria. She was the fourth child of Duke Maximilian Joseph in Bavaria and her mother was Princess Ludovika of Bavaria. Her family home was Possenhofen Castle.
In 1853 Elisabeth accompanied her mother and her 18-year-old sister, Duchess Helene, on a trip to the resort of Bad Ischl, Upper Austria. Her mother hoped Helene would attract the attention of their maternal first cousin, 23-year-old Francis Joseph, then Emperor of Austria. Instead, Francis Joseph chose the 15-year old Elisabeth, and the couple were married a year later in Vienna at St. Augustine's Church on 24 April 1854.
In 1867, national unrest within the Habsburg monarchy caused by the rebellious Hungarians led to the founding of the Austro–Hungarian double monarchy. Elisabeth had always sympathized with the Hungarian cause. Reconciled and reunited with her alienated husband, she joined Francis Joseph in Budapest, where their coronation took place. Following the imperial couple's reconciliation, Elisabeth gave birth to their fourth child, Archduchess Marie Valerie (1868–1924).
On 10 September 1898, in Geneva, Switzerland, Elisabeth, aged 60, was stabbed in the heart with a sharpened file by a young anarchist named Luigi Lucheni, in an act of "propaganda of the deed". When attacked, she had been walking along the promenade of Lake Geneva about to board the steamship Genève for Montreux with her lady-of-courtesy, Countess Sztaray. She boarded the ship, unaware of the severity of her condition. The strong pressure from her corset had contained the bleeding until the garment was removed.
Reportedly, her assassin had hoped to kill a prince from the House of Orléans and, failing to find him, turned to Elisabeth instead. Lucheni afterwards said, "I wanted to kill a royal. It did not matter which one."
The empress was buried in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna's city centre. For centuries it has served as the Imperial burial place.
Monarch Ranking: Emperor / Empress
Proper Title and Name of Monarch: Duchess Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie in Bavaria
Country or Empire of Influence: Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary, Bohemia and Croatia
Website for additonal information: [Web Link]
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