Empress Elisabeth

 is a character on The Empress. She is portrayed by Devrim Lingnau.

Biography
Elisabeth "Sisi" was a princess of Bavaria. After her marriage to Emperor Franz Joseph, she became the Empress of Austria.

Throughout The Empress
Elisabeth was free-spirited and enjoyed writing poems. Her mother, Princess Ludovika, arranged for Elisabeth to meet with suitors, but she ran away each time, angering her mother, who was already suffering from an ulcer. One time, Elisabeth snuck out with her horse, Puck, during which Puck's leg was injured. At the stables, her father, Duke Maximilian determined that the horse would not recover and shot the horse. Ludovika was angry at Elisabeth for running off again and threatened to send Elisabeth to a mental asylum if she continued to defy rules.

Elisabeth joined her mother and sister's trip to Bad Ischl to visit Emperor Franz Joseph on his birthday, as it had been agreed by both families that Franz and Helene would marry.

After arriving at Ischl, her family realised that their trunk of fancy clothes were left behind and had to greet the Emperor and his family in funeral clothes.

Elisabeth met Emperor Franz first when she was saving a little bird in the garden. The two found a liking towards each other. When the two families officially met to have lunch, Franz sat with Duchess Helene, his bride-to-be, and their mothers, while Elisabeth sat with Archduke Maximillian, Franz's mischevious younger brother and the Italian baroness Maximillian was seeing. When Maximillian made unnecessary comments, Elisabeth was quick to rebut him, which intrigued Maximillian and he later tried to pursue her. During a walk in the garden, Maximilian gave Elisabeth a flower, but she acted as if the flower was for the Italian baroness.

In the afternoon, when Franz was wandering around the building, he found Elisabeth lying on the floor to cool herself. He joined her and the two shared an intimate moment where Elisabeth told him about a strand of Puck's hair that she had pinned on her hair. However, the meeting ended coldly after Elisabeth asked about a scar on his neck.

At night, Franz called Elisabeth to his room to drink champagne with him. He told Elisabeth that she made him feel alive and that she reminded him of what he was like before he became emperor. Elisabeth was happy about Franz's feelings, but she initially denied his advances as he was supposed to marry her sister. Nevertheless, Franz convinced her that he wanted her and that he was done following other people's wishes.

Hence, in the morning, Emperor Franz announced that he would like to ask for Elisabeth's hand in marriage. This surprised everyone. Helene who was disappointed at the news ran away and Elisabeth chased after her. Helene even asked Elisabeth to refuse the proposal but Elisabeth told her that she had never felt this way before. This put a strain on the two sisters' relationship.

Elisabeth, Helene, Ludovika and Maximilian arrived at Schönbrunn Palace, where they were greeted by Franz and Sophie.

When Esterházy and Sophie brought Elisabeth to a room filled with dresses and showed her the latest fashions, Luzi was seen hiding under one of the dresses. Sophie then gifted Elisabeth a necklace that has been in the family for generations. While looking at Elisabeth wearing the necklace, Sophie had a flashback to a time she played with a little girl, who called her "Mama."

Countess Esterházy and the Court Mistresses worked hard to prepare for the royal wedding. The Court Mistresses followed Elisabeth around everywhere. Esterházy was frustrated by Elisabeth's lack of discipline.

During Elisabeth and Franz's dance lesson with Johann Strauss, they snuck off and kissed in a room. They were caught by Countess Esterházy.

Esterházy brought Elisabeth to a room, where she was forced to have a chastity test by Dr. Fritsch, with the assistance of Countess Leontine von Apafi and Countess Amalia von Salm-Reifferscheidt. During the chastity test, Elisabeth was visibly uncomfortable and kicked the doctor. She refused to be tested and said that she was chaste, but Esterházy was insistent that the doctor must confirm Elisabeth's chastity. When the doctor questioned Elisbeth's chastity, Leontine von Apafi spoke for Elisabeth and held her hand. Afterwards, Archbishop Rauscher gave Elisabeth his blessing.

At a party, Elisabeth met Archbishop Rauscher, the archbishop who presided over her chastity test. She had a disagreement with him over the test, so Sophie and Franz told Elisabeth to go rest for the evening.

Leontine chatted with Elisabeth and helped clean her teeth. Against Esterházy's demand for Elisabeth to not go out the night before her wedding, Elisabeth snuck into Archduke Maximilian's soirée, accompanied by Amalia. At the soirée, Elisabeth drank alcohol, met composer Franz Lizst and spoke to Maximilian. Maximilian told Elisabeth that the necklace Sophie gifted her belonged to his great-aunt, Marie-Antoinette, and that she was still wearing that exact necklace when she was guillotined. Maximilian also told Elisabeth that he was better for her than Franz. When Elisabeth insisted that she would be marrying Franz the next day, Maximilian laughed at Elisabeth, acting as if he was just joking.

Elisabeth ran into Helene. Helene was still upset and bemoaned Elisabeth's lack of maturity and courage to face the difficult things in life, to which Elisabeth replied that Helene had become like their mother.

On the morning of the wedding, Esterházy was furious as Elisabeth wasn't found in her bed. Instead, Elisabeth was hiding behind the curtains with Helene. Helene found her and the two sisters reconciled their relationship.

On the way to the wedding, Elisabeth watched as people waved at her. She walked to the altar, where the archbishop officiated their marriage.

After the wedding, Elisabeth requested Countess Esterházy to allow Helene to head her court, which greatly concerned Esterházy.

Later at a ball, Elisabeth and Franz watched people dance. A woman, Countess Louise Gundemann, kept staring at them. Elisabeth asked Franz if he knew her. He told her he didn't, but Elisabeth wasn't convinced.

News broke out that Russian troops had entered the Habsburg border, and Franz was immediately dragged into a meeting with his key advisors. While Elisabeth looked for him, she bumped into Louise, who warned Elisabeth.

Elisabeth walked outside and found her father, Duke Maximilian, in a pool, drunk. She told him off and asked him to be happy for her. However, Maximilian questioned how he could happy, considering her sister Helene was distraught, and would be looking after Elisabeth, while she was married to a man who Helene loved. Elisabeth asked her father and her mother to leave the palace, stating that she did not want them around. Maximilian told Elisabeth that she would never be herself again, as long as she was in the palace.

Franz returned to the dance floor, and couldn't find Elisabeth, so he chatted with Helene. Elisabeth saw this and misinterpreted their friendly gestures. Sophie saw Elisabeth feeling uncomfortable and advised Elisabeth to trust carefully and pose her faith only in those whom her instincts tell her to. She told Elisabeth that she could wed Helene off to one of the fine men in Bohemia. Elisabeth agreed and proceeded to the first dance with Franz. Helene was heartbroken when the news was broken to her.

While Elisabeth and Franz danced inside, the riots outside grew more severe.

Esterházy demanded that Elisabeth wear a gown for consummation on the wedding night. She told Elisabeth that pain is normal, and that it would be best for her to lie still and let everything take its course. The consummation was not in the pursuit of pleasure, but for God and for the Holy Habsburg Empire.

When Elisabeth entered the bedroom to join Franz, he came clean about Louise. Elisabeth revealed that she was insecure about people perceiving her as being silly, so Franz comforted her. They both lay down on the floor, just as they did when they met in the palace before. They professed their love and commitment to each other.

The next morning, Elisabeth and Franz consummated their marriage.

Esterházy told Sophie that Elisabeth may be pregnant, as she had not bled in a month. Sophie insisted that hope must become reality. Esterházy followed Sophie's instructions and forced Elisabeth to eat raw eggs and the placenta of a woman who just gave birth to her 8th son.

After Maximilian's betrayal of Franz, Napoleon severed diplomatic relations with Austria. The royal council were concerned and Sophie implored Franz to reinforce their troops. Believing that the tsar of Russia's son, Alexander, had views on war more like himself, Franz decided to invite him over to Austria to wager peace. Sophie said that there was not enough time to organise a grand reception, so Elisabeth suggested a hunting trip instead, which Franz agreed to.

Franz and Elisabeth spent time together alone by a river. Elisabeth drew a picture of Franz standing in the river, and the two then made out.

At the hunting trip in Auhof, Elisabeth wanted to hunt with the men, but was not allowed to. Instead, she took a walk with the Court Mistresses, and they met Franz's father, Archduke Franz Karl. He claimed to know Leontine von Apafi's family. However, when asked to speak French, like Leontine was known to be able to do, she could not. The other Court Mistresses, especially Amalia, began to suspect Leontine.

Later in the afternoon, Elisabeth joined the hunt. She walked to the tsar's son, Alexander, who made inappropriate comments and got very close to her. Before he could do anything more, he spotted a wild boar and shot at it. Alexander missed and enraged the boar, who began charging at them. He shot at the boar again and missed, so Elisabeth took out her gun and shot the boar dead.

Alexander was offended by this and argued with Franz. He claimed that Franz's pledge for peace is too good to be true. When Franz demanded that Alexander removed his troops from the Austrian border, the two agreed to meet on the battlefield.

The hunt ended badly, and Sophie reminded Elisabeth that Elisabeth did not know what she was doing when it came to politics. Franz was infuriated and headed back to the palace without her. He asked Elisabeth returned the next morning with the Court Mistresses.

Elisabeth sat in a carriage, upset. She was joined by Maximilian, who consoled her, and accompanied her on the way back to Schönbrunn Palace. The two drank and returned to the palace drunk. Franz met them at the gate and saw the two drunkenly getting out of the carriage. Franz was not comfortable with Elisabeth constantly running to Maximilian, as he did not trust him. He told her to get to bed and walked away. After Franz left, Elisabeth realized that she was bleeding from under her dress, indicating that she was not pregnant.

Elisabeth was made to drink more raw eggs to help with bearing an heir. Countess Sophie Esterházy and Archduke Luziwuzi accompanied Elisabeth on her trip to the city. Countess Esterházy reminded Elisabeth to not make eye contact, touch or engage in a one-to-one conversation with the people. Luziwuzi gave Elisabeth some advice on what she should say when nervous.

At a foundry, Elisabeth met the staff members, who were all wearing dirty, tattered clothing. She received a gift from the foreman. Ignoring instructions from Esterházy, Elisabeth walked inside the foundry and was disturbed by the horrible working conditions of the iron factory. She was followed by Esterházy and Luziwuzi, who coughed from the fumes. The foreman and Esterházy urged Elisabeth to leave, but she continued working. She met a young girl, named Hedi, who worked in the foundry. She was wearing torn shoes, and explained that she did not have parents. Her brother was saving up to buy her a pair of shoes. Elisabeth gave her shoes to Hedi and wanted to continue walking barefoot, but Esterházy was adamant that an Empress cannnot touch the ground. She had Baron von Kempen carry Elisabeth outside, where an angry crowd had gathered. They thought Elisabeth was too pompous to walk barefoot. The situation went out of control when dirt was thrown at the Luziwuzi's face. The officers started getting violent, and the other visits were cancelled. The police officers made many arrests and in the chaos, Hedi's brother was killed.

Elisabeth was carried into her bedroom. Both Sophie and Esterházy blamed Elisabeth for the chaos as she did not follow instructions. Franz and Elisabeth argued in private. Franz told Elisabeth that she could not get so close to people, as it was reckless, but Elisabeth disagreed. She told Franz that the very reason the people hated them was because the royals treated them with contempt. Just as Franz was about to lay down, Elisabeth began pelting him with fruit. He got up to stop her, and the two began making out.

At night, Elisabeth could not sleep and got out of bed. She went downstairs, where she bumped into Maximilian, who was returning to the palace from a party. Maximilian offered to run away with her to Prague through a secret tunnel, and Elisabeth was tempted.

Elisabeth went into Leontine's room, looking for company. Unbeknownst to her, Leontine had been packing her bags ready to run off, as Amalia was suspicious of her identity. Elisabeth and Leontine talked and Leontine told Elisabeth that she appreciated her kindness towards Hedi, the little girl at the foundry. Elisabeth said she wished Franz was not an emperor.

Since the incident at the iron foundry, Elisabeth felt unwanted and her relationship with the emperor became distant. She spent most of her nights partying with Maximilian and would turn up drunk for breakfast. In an effort to make the relationship better, Franz gifted Elisabeth a horse.

There was growing anger among the public and people began gathering outside the palace gates. Archduchess Sophie asked Franz to keep Elisabeth in line. Sophie had palace guards block Elisabeth from leaving the palace courtyard. While sitting in church, Sophie asked Elisabeth what the most valuable virtue in a ruler was, and Elisabeth replied "compassion". Sophie told Elisabeth the story of her daughter Anna, who had a rare nerve disease. Doctors attempted to treat Anna by drawing blood from her arm and putting leeches on her head. Anna screamed in pain, and Sophie could not take it, so she sent the doctors away. Anna died 4 days later. As a result, Sophie learned to be strong and that compassion is not always the right choice.

Sophie felt that Elisabeth was distracting Franz and gave her two choices: to return to Bavaria and let Franz remarry or to stay at the palace but face even stricter rules. Elisabeth wanted to discuss this with Franz, but he refused to see her.

Elisabeth felt dizzy on the way back and almost fell but Maximilian arrived to help her. Again, Maximilian told Elisabeth that she would be better off with him. In the heat of the moment, the two shared a kiss but Elisabeth pulled away. When Elisabeth returned to her room, Ava confirmed that Elisabeth was pregnant.

Maximilian later talked to Franz about a peaceful transfer of power. Maxi claimed that he had the support of the army, the church and most importantly, the empress. When Maximilian implied that he and Elisabeth had a physical connection, Franz punched Maximilian and asked him to get out or he would have him hanged.

Later, when Elisabeth went to tell Franz about her pregnancy, he was upset by what Maxi had told him. He relaexed after Elisabeth reassured Franz that she only loved him, buthe agreed with Sophie that Elisabeth couldn't continue behaving the way she did. Elisabeth said if he wanted someone to follow rules, he should've married Helene, and Franz replied that maybe he should have. This hurt Elisabeth and so she decided to leave the palace for Bavaria. She didn't tell Franz about the pregnancy.

While Elisabeth packed her bags, she gifted the necklace that she received from Sophie to Leontine. She also made sure to give a dress to Luziwuzi. Theo implored Franz to rethink about his decision to let the empress go. He gave Franz Puck's hair that Elisabeth gifted him and Franz had a change of heart. When Franz was at the door, he saw that Elisabeth was at the gate, but Kempen wouldn't let Elisabeth go due to the protestors outside the palace gates.

Nevertheless, Elisabeth demanded that they open the gates. She talked to the people and embraced them. She told them of her pregnancy. This news reached Sophie who was watching by the window. She claimed that it was great news.

Physical appearance
Elisabeth has brown hair and blue eyes.

Appearances

 * Season One


 * One's Place in the World
 * The Arrival
 * The Wedding
 * The Hunt
 * The Shoes
 * The God Who Us Has Freedom Sent

Quotes
"The life she wants me to live, I don't want it. There must be something else out there."

- Elisabeth speaking to her father about her mother

"That's the very reason they hate us all. Since we treat them with contempt. Don't speak to them, don't look at them, don't touch them."

- Elisabeth argues with Franz

"I have never met a strong person with a simple past."

- Elisabeth speaks to Leontine