Elisabeth was also adept at using her husband’s idolization of her to her own advantage.Īnother turning point in Elisabeth’s attempts at achieving a degree of independence came in 1865 with her ultimatum to Franz Joseph concerning the upbringing of her son Rudolf. Nonetheless, the relationship between the two was marked by great trust and respect. Franz Joseph’s love for his wife grew ever stronger, but his affection was not returned to the same degree by Elisabeth. Having been described as pretty but also shy and childlike when she married the emperor, the empress was now also developing into a great beauty. She began to demand her own space, ensuring for example that she and her husband had separate bedrooms, which was an unusual arrangement for married couples at the Viennese court. When Elisabeth returned to Vienna in 1861 all at court were greatly surprised to see that she had turned into a self-confident young woman. To encourage her he allowed Gisela and Rudolf to be taken to Venice, where they were reunited with their mother again after this lengthy separation. Franz Joseph again urged her to return, above all for the children’s sake. Soon after her return she had a relapse, prompting a four-month stay on Corfu. Six months later she was deemed to have been cured but postponed her return for another month in order to make a cruise on the Mediterranean, after which Franz Joseph urged her to come home. By contrast, Elisabeth had stumbled into the role, which was to remain alien to her for the rest of her life.Įlisabeth spent the winter of 1860/61 on Madeira recuperating physically and mentally. The ambitious Sophie had deliberately foregone this position, sacrificing her personal happiness to the good of the dynasty. The conflict was rooted in a completely different approach to the role of empress. The nature of the relationship between the two women has been explored at length by biographers. The young empress was able to ‘take a holiday’ from life at court and the domination of her mother-in-law in the form of extended stays at health spas. The mysterious illness from which Elisabeth was reported to be suffering from 1859 can to some extent also be seen as her way of escaping the pressures that beset her. Although she at first tried to fulfil the expectations that has been placed in her, she soon fell into a kind of passive resistance. After the first years of her marriage Elisabeth succumbed to a phase of resignation.
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