I was born on December 24,1837 in Munich, Bavaria as Duchess Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie of Bavaria. I was the fifth child born to Duke Maximilian Joseph, my father, and Princess Ludovika, my mother. We lived in a beautiful castle called Possenhofen Castle where I grew up with my siblings. Unlike other princesses, my childhood consisted of running around and horse-playing. While other royals my age would have private tutors and learn about the government they would rule one day, I learned how to ride horses and play in open fields. If I were asked of whom I favored more, I would’ve said my father. Because I raised like a country girl instead of a disciplined, well-mannered princess, my strict and firm mother would always force me into a life of aristocracy. My father, on the other hand, was the person that was very free willed and though he spent much of his time traveling, he would always find time to play with us. I never was one to become a royal or even act as one, but when I was chosen to become the wife of Franz Joseph I obliged only because of the fact that he chose me over my sister Helene. Life as the wife of a king was very hard for me. Especially with my mother-in-law who was as stern as my own mother, learning to become a diligent queen was even worse than strict rules I had to follow when being a princess. I had four children, Sophie, Gisela, Rudolf, and Marie Valerie. Sophie died when she was only two and Gisela and Rudolf were raised by my mother-in-law, therefore they grew up as disciplined, future leaders. The only child that I could say was my own was Marie Valerie. She was born after I left Vienna, when I found out about my husband’s cheating habits. Rudolf was the successor to our throne as he became Prince Rudolf of Austria. I was proud of all my children for having such successful lives, but I was always distant from them. Even my closest, Marie Valerie, could not fill the loneliness I felt in my heart. I wrote many poems, though they were not intended for any publication, only for my thoughts to be written on paper. The one thing that I especially enjoyed doing was to care for my physique. To maintain the small waist that I had, I endured many exercises and did not eat on many occasions. At the time, however, not eating and going through vigorous exercises didn’t seem like a disease. My body was already frail, but I was only making it worse. In a different perspective, my live would seem perfect and it probably was, but the pain of loneliness was one that I had to endure alone.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

An Empty Shell

My life on the outside looked picture perfect and happy, but it was quite the opposite. My sweet little daughter Sophie died at age 2 which brought me to great shock to see my child dead before my eyes. My brother-in-law, Emperor Maximilian I was shot which drove his wife, Charlotte, insane. One of my closest friends, King Ludwig II was locked up from diagnosis of a mental illness. Then my son Rudolf committed suicide with his wife. The death of half of my children was not something I could bear. Among those deaths, I was diagnosed with a lung disease which only weakened my already frail body. My life became nonexistent to me as it was filled with grief and loneliness. Thoughts of suicide swarmed my mind and through these emotions, I began writing poetry. It wasn’t a hobby, nor something that I wanted to pursue as a job, but just a release of emotions that I felt while going through life. I kept my poems in a poetic diary where no other eyes could see my thoughts. I once wrote:
“I wander lonely in this world,
Delight and life long time averted,
No confidant to share my inner self,
A matching soul never revealed.”
I loved my family, I had many friends, but they weren’t people that satisfied my loneliness.
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Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Books vs. Looks


I was never much of a “politics” type person. After Franz’s coronation of becoming King of Hungary, I realized that my role as the wife of a king would not be significant. Marie Valerie was soon born after, she was the only child that was not raised by Sophie, of which I was grateful, at least one child that I could call mine. The world of politics was only getting bigger but the thought of it indulging into my world was not satisfying to me. I focused more on my beauty and my appearance towards the people. My features that i have built up consisted of: 172 cm (6ft. 7in.) of height, with 65 cm hips, I weighed about 50 km (110lbs). But my biggest pride and joy was my heel-length hair. I would brush it everyday and style it in such a manner that it would start trends throughout the community. My beauty didn’t come from just sitting around and reading about politics, it came from routine exercises and diets that were kept constant. I exercised many hours a day to maintain my physique. I chose looks instead of books because it was what I was more passionate about. Being named on of the most beautiful monarchs does not happen overnight. 

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Happily Ever After?

At first, my marriage to Franz seemed something to be proud for, until I met my mother-in-law. There is not just one word to describe Sophie, she is stubborn, strict, vicious, nosy, grouchy, sourpuss, typical mother-in-law that probably finds joy in torturing me into doing her bidding. After Sophie, Gisela, and Rudolf was born, I tried to keep away from my mother-in-law’s influence on them. (Thought dear Sophie never experienced this due to her death at age two) Very unfortunately, they were under watchful eye like a hawk by Sophie. I had no help from Franz either, he was always away from home on trips. Franz was an affectionate man, but also an arrogant one. He spoke extremely proudly of himself and always boasted but yet in front of his mother Franz was reserved and didn’t speak much; his face would be stern and show no hints of emotions at all. I never noticed much of his flirtations with other women until it got very severe. Daily life at Vienna was miserable for my own husband would only bore me, my mother-in-law would constantly be shaping and remolding me into becoming a disciplined empress, and my children were being manipulated by the same woman that tortured me! I finally decided to leave Vienna when I heard of stories of such disturbing content. (Franz was having relationships with other women!) After the shock of discovering such news, I decided to travel to other places to seclude myself from that family.
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The Almost Perfect Day


My trip to Bad Ischl had the most outrageous turn of events. One that makes me extremely giddy but also sympathetic for my dear sister Helene. Mother and Helene had been planning the trip to Bad Ischl for weeks to impress the Austrian emperor Franz Joseph I. Helene was always late to appointments but she was fair and older than I, which made her more mature and a much more suitable bride for Franz Joseph, but quite surprisingly, mother told us that night that the emperor had preferred me over Helene! Our engagement was the very next day and Franz and I were to be married in Vienna. I could not hold my excitement for my engagement but I felt such sympathy for my sister. Helene must have been devastated when Franz chose me, a younger girl rather than a grown women she must’ve thought! I was afraid that she would be mad at me and I was right, she enclosed herself in her room and only came out for supper. (her other meals were sent to her by her maids) I felt as if I was walking on thin ice with her, one wrong step and our whole relationship would come crashing down. Franz and I finally married on April 24, 1854 in the St. Augustine Church in Vienna. The wedding was absolutely wonderful and magnificent. This day is one that I will never forget, if only I were to be in better terms with Helene, the day would have been perfect.

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