Empress and Queen Elisabeth 'Sissi' of Austria's children | Tragic Lifestories

Empress Elisabeth of Austria & Queen of Hungary's four children mainly led tumultuous & tragic lifes. Some were cut short, some survived world wars. We will dive into their lifes in this video!

Main Source:
The Habsburgs by Martyn Rady
The Habsburgs by Dorothy Gies McGuigan (Absolute recommendation to read!!)

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[historyfoxy]

Did you enjoy the video? Let me know in the comments!
I'm wishing you a Merry Christmas and peaceful holidays!

[dorothyblair]

I always understood that decisions about the care and education of Sisi's oldest children were taken without recourse to Sisi by her mother in law, Sisi had no say in the matter, and did not choose for it to be this way. With her last and youngest child she insisted on having the input in her upbringing that was denied her with her previous children. At least that is what I have always understood from other historical commentators.

[kithale]

I visited the Kaisergruft in Vienna and saw Rudolph and Sisi's tombs. It is well worth a visit not only historically but also for the wonderful scupture and decor. Vienna is a truly wonderful city which I visit every few years.

[cassandraralph]

Another interesting and educational video! I had never really thought about Sissi's children. But what difficult and ultimately tragic lives they had. They were very much the products of their backgrounds. Thank you again! 😊

[MichielBLKorte]

The difference between Sisi's daughters and their relationship to their mother is amazing. Gisela (who also looks a lot like her father) was raised by her paternal grandmother, and as her mother was always fleeing court from an unhappy marriage and rigid royal life, they were not close. Gisela really was a daddy's girl. Franz Joseph even kept her first pair of shoes and a poem she had written him in his official office at the palace.

Elisabeth could never get over the fact that Gisela was ugly in her opinion and resembled her father in both personality and looks. When Sisi's favourite brother Mapperl announced that he was in love with a princess who was already engaged to Prince Leopold, Sisi stepped in. She called Leopold and offered him her 16-year-old daughter. He couldn't refuse an Empress' offer, and so they were married, clearing the way for Mapperl and Amalie. Sisi always detested the fact that she had pressured into a political marriage as a teen, but had no trouble marrying off her own daughter and not even being there at the wedding.

Valerie was so much Elisabeth's favourite that she was called "The Only One" by courtiers, because she was the only child Sisi raised and talked about. She was also born 10 years after the last child and Sisi was mature enough to actually want a child this time. Valerie was also artistic like Sisi and shared her beauty. Elisabeth hoped to always keep her near in her tumultous, travelling lifestyle, but oddly enough, being raised by her mother made Valerie long for simple domesticity. She adored and admired her older sister Gisela, which Elisabeth could never understand, for being a compassionate and doting mother, daughter and sister. When Valerie announced she wanted to marry, Elisabeth was shocked and did everything to stop it (compare this to her treatment of Gisela), but ironically Valerie had inherited her stubbornness and married anyways.

Up 'till Rudolf's death, Elisabeth's will dictated that all her possesions would go to Rudolf and his daughter. After his suicide, she had to change it. She wanted to leave everything to Rudolf's daughter and Valerie, but her courtiers reminded her that she had no legal grounds to include her one daughter and exclude another as they were of the exact same rank. When Sisi died, two-fifths of her possesions went to both her daughters, and one-fifth to her granddaughter.

It is comforting to know that despite their different upbringing, huge age gap and them each being one parent's favourite, Gisela and Valerie were very close for their entire lives. Gisela was devestated when her little sister died.

[gentleauroraasmr]

I think for the fact Sisi older children were not raised by Sisi due to Sophie is the reason for the strainined relationship. Sisi became a stranger to her own kids because despite the Good intentions that may have been disguise under the act. It actually turned out to be horrible..you can't take a child away from a mother and then expect the relationship will be good when you decide to give them back. Doesn't work that way and leads to resentment. Her life as empress and queen was hard enough, imagine taking the joy she could've find maybe caring for her kids?

[carolannemckenzie]

It is likely that Rudolf's "mental confusion" was caused by syphilis, which was usually listed in British death certificates as GPI - general paralysis of the insane. Thank you for another great video. I'm feasting on them in rainy Scotland tonight 😁

[vernonsheldon-witter]

The sad fact is that while the beauty of Empress Sissi made her, like Princess Diana was in our age, a center of world admiration, she was at heart self-centered and not a remarkably good Mother. When I was a kid, I saw the Romy Schneider version but the newer biographies shed a much more problematic and different light on her and her personality.

[Belgisch_Monarchist]

Great video,
I love learning about the Habsburgs and wittelsbachs.

[markaden]

I read in the new book "Under the Spell of a Myth: Empress Sisi in Greece" that her bond to Valerie was close but her fav daughter felt suffocated by her mother's love... Touching how the two daughters visited their depressed mother in Corfu!

[caroalfonzo]

I wonder why the last minutes of the video the picture of Marie Valerie is not shown? So interesting information about the children to end up without imagenes... 🤷‍♀️

[reganmichelle]

Another beautiful video, I learned a lot!

[grumpylizzard]

I would have clicked on the like button if I could have seen the last five minutes.

[aprilbrown]

Very interesting! It was refreshing to hear about her children! I mostly only really heard about Rudolf, and the other 3 were mentioned but not as detailed!

[kdodson]

I loved 🥰 this video! I’ve watched several videos about Empress Sissi, but nothing ever so detailed and fascinating about her children! So thankful I stumbled upon your channel tonight! European Royalty is my thing. Ty for new, interesting, entertaining content that holds my attention 🤗🤗🤗!!!!

[Meggie]

Marie Valerie was really pretty indeed. She had gorgeous hair and eyes like her mother.

[leonieharry]

Super gemacht, vielen Dank! Sehr interessant

[timheymans.]

So sad that both Sissy and Romy (the actress) both lost their sons at a relatively young age!

[annettedierks]

Different books I've read have said the children's care was taken over by their paternal grandmother

[TheKingsofFrance]

Another extremely interesting video ! Thank you for sharing ! I would definitely like to hear more about Sisi. Maybe her husband and her mother in law ? How about her parents ?