Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Early Life) Quiz

Answer: Munich

Elisabeth was born into the Wittelsbach family which ruled Bavaria at the time. Her father was a Duke and a General in the Army. Her cousin was 'Mad' King Ludwig who built Schloss Neuschwanstein.

Answer: Helene

Ludovika, Helene and Elisabeth took a trip to Bad Ischl in order for Helene and Franz Joseph to meet. However, Franz fell in love with her younger sister, Elisabeth, instead. This complicated matters for both sisters: Elisabeth was young and had had never been prepared for such a position as Empress of Austria. For Helene, it meant that it would be very hard to find another suitor for her (she was already considered 'old' to be making a new match) and had spent a lot of time learning French and other things which an Empress of Austria would have had to know.

Answer: circus

Duke Max was the eccentric of the family and enjoyed entertaining his family (and guests) at the palace with his riding. The courtyard was transformed into a circus complete with box seats. However, many of the 'high' aristocracy family members looked down on him and the family as the 'poor relations' because of his eccentric ways.

However, Duke Max was extremely popular to the common people and when the royal family in Bavaria was in danger of being executed by mobs, they fled to Duke Max's palace... as it was the least-likely palace the commoners would storm!

Answer: Ferdinand I

Ferdinand I had become quite feeble-minded by the time Franz Joseph reached his majority and abdicated. Franz Joseph's father, Franz Carl, was persuaded by his wife Sophie to renounce his claim on the throne in favour of his son. (Franz Carl had never been very healthy and throughout her marriage it had been Sophie who had 'taken charge' of their affairs... a way of life that she did not give up once Franz Joseph became Emperor and married Elisabeth.)

Answer: Mothers were sisters

Ludovika (Elisabeth's mother) and Sophie (Franz Joseph's mother and Archduchess) were both born to the Bavarian King Max I and Karoline of Baden. They had to get a Papal dispensation for them to be married.

Answer: Bavaria

This was done in Munich a month before the wedding and foreshadowed her future life full of court protocol.

Answer: Crimean War

Perhaps because he was distracted by the upcoming nuptials, Franz Joseph made some politically bad decisions which further isolated Austria from the politics of the rest of Europe. Austria had been on good terms with both sides in the conflict. Because he did not take Russia's side, Austria lost Czar Nicholas' support. And because he took so long to help Prussia, that country didn't take too kindly to Austria's actions.

Answer: Augustinerkirche

They were married in the evening of April 24, 1854 after having become engaged in August of the previous year. St. Stephen's Cathedral is where, in the morning of the wedding, a mass was said which was attended by the elites. Schoenbrunn Castle was the main residence of the Emperor while in Vienna. One feature which was quite odd at the time of the Schoenbrunn was that the Emperor and Empress actually shared a bedroom!

Answer: Sophie and Ludovika

The mothers (some have speculated mainly Sophie) decided to interrupt the couple's meal to see how they were. Being polite, the couple asked the mothers to join them for the meal. Of course, the two mothers 'couldn't refuse' and ended up speaking to their own child, at length, about what had occurred the night before. (And actually, it wouldn't be until the third night that the wedding was consumated. And as rumours flew around the castle easily, everyone knew this fact.) Sophie's 'interrupting' was a sign that she was not going to relinquish the control she had over her son (and the country - Sophie was called the "Secret Empress" because she 'ruled' the family...something Elisabeth would come to hare).

Answer: Sisi

In fact, many books and movies about her life use her nickname in place of the name Elisabeth.