#emperor franz i of austria

[roehenstart]

The Family of Franz I of Austria. By Bernhard von Guérard.

The painting depicts Emperor Franz I. (1768-1835) with his third wife Maria Ludovica (1787-1816), who married in 1808 and their eight children: to the right, at the back seven-year-old Marie Luise (1791-1847), later Empress of the French, with her sister the seven-year-old Karolina Ferdinanda (1801-1832), later Queen of Saxony, and her brother the fifteen-year-old heir to the throne, Ferdinand (1793-1875), later Emperor Ferdinand I. To the left in the picture is seated the four-year-old Maria Anna (1804-1858), holding out her hand to her brother Franz Karl (1802-1878), who is two years older than her, and will be the father of Emperor Franz Joseph. At the back, the two girls embracing are Maria Klementina (1798-1881) at the age of ten and Leopoldine (1797-1826), later Empress of Brazil, who is a year older. On the lap of the Empress is the three-year-old Johann Nepomuk (1805-1809).

[illustratus]

Emperor Maximilian I on an Alpine Ibex hunt by Franz Krammer

[kdram-chjh]

Movies: Sissi (1955); Sissi - Die junge Kaiserin (1956) & Sissi - Schicksalsjahre einer Kaiserin (1957) | dir. by Ernst Marischka

Sissi #classiccinema #romyschneider

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N4x_LbBx9A

[sisionscreen]

Philp Froissant (Emperor Franz Joseph) gave an interview to Brazilian website No Backstage ahead of the second season of The Empress (2022).

[dreamconsumer]

Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria on Horseback by Franz Wolf.

[royalty-nobility]

Empress Elisabeth

Artist: Georg Martin Ignaz Raab  (Austrian, 1821–1885) 

Title: German: Kaiserin Elisabeth

Genre: Portrait

Date: 1874

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Collection: Belvedere Museum, Belvedere Palace, Vienna, Austria

Elisabeth, nicknamed Sisi or Sissi, was Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary from her marriage to Emperor Franz Joseph I on 24 April 1854 until her assassination in 1898.

[foreverinthepagesofhistory]

~ Rumors About Our Daughter ~ (fan fiction requested by @historical-epic)

Rumors questioning Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria’s legitimacy have been circulating within the Austrian Court. What do her parents think about this? What do they do?

Characters: Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria, Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, Empress Elisabeth of Austria

Valerie heard her mother talking to a random maid servant in the drawing room of their summer home Kaiservilla in Bad Ischl. Thought it sounded more like arguing to her.

“Don’t you dare make such treasonous accusations!” Elisabeth shouted, loud enough for 8 year old Valerie to make out what she said. 

“Y-Y-Your Majesty….I didn’t mean to…I was just implying that”

“What, that my daughter is illegitimate? That her father is not The Emperor? How dare you!”

Valerie had never heard her mother this angry before. It was quite shocking, more shocking than the rumors of her own illegitimacy. 

These rumors were swirling in and out of Kaiservilla for months now, mostly the fancy talk of lower servants. When the imperial family arrived, the servants had to be more careful about their gossiping and shut out their willful thoughts as these thoughts could imprison them for life, or even worse, death.

Emperor Franz Joseph I was married to Duchess Elisabeth of Bavaria, who later became Empress Elisabeth of Austria by marriage. But everyone close to her called her either Mother or Sisi. 

Together they had four children. Archduchess Sophie, who died young, Gisela, Rudolf, and Marie-Valerie. They all lived somewhat happy lives although there were problems in all.

Franz and Sisi had to bear the burden of ruling an all powerful Austro-Hungarian empire, Rudolf had to bear the burden of being heir, Gisela had to bear the burden of being unloved by her parents (it was very complicated), and Valerie now had to bear the burden of various rumors spreading about who her real father was.

There are plenty of servants and nobles who live at Kaiservilla and that means that there are various mouths to blab whatever they want about whoever they want. 

A few months ago, the topic of Empress Sisi and her lover Count Andrássy was being spoken about and somebody must’ve put together that Valerie might not have been her father’s daughter.

These were obviously just nonsensical rumors because Valerie was Franz’s child. She was legitimate. 

But Valerie herself didn’t know that and neither did all of the servants who had been blabbing their mouths off for months. 

“Get out of my sight! Sisi practically screamed at the frightened chamber maid who unfortunately gossiped at the wrong time to a footman.

The maid scurried off and Sisi sat down on the nearest chair and was trying to hold in tears.

“Mama..” Valerie walked in from the other room. “Was that maid talking about me?” She asked.

“Oh darling” Sisi held out her hands to embrace the trembling young girl who started to cry.

“Don’t pay any mind to what that filthy servant said. It was all lies and it wasn’t true at all.”

Sisi stroked her daughter’s unruly dark brown hair and continued to do so until Valerie broke the embrace.

“But Mama…I heard it all…I don’t know what this all means.” Valerie was on the verge of hysterics. 

Seeing her mother so upset ignited something in her that is usually hidden away. It made her angry and confused and utterly upset.

“Valerie darling” Sisi soothed. “All you have to believe is that you are your father’s daughter, you are my daughter. If somebody said that you aren’t then shame on them!” 

Sisi gave her youngest daughter a little playful slap which turned the sad frown on Valerie’s face into the wide smile that would be seen playing outside with her dogs or drawing pictures with her mother.

“You are Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria, youngest daughter of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, King of Hungary. That is who you are and you can’t listen to anybody if they say otherwise, especially the nasty servants who gossip.” Sisi softly placed a hand on Valerie’s face.

“Okay Mama, I love you very much.” The two hugged firmly again.

“Next time Valerie, don’t eavesdrop okay?” Sisi said strictly, but with a laugh.”

“Okay Mama!” Sighed smart Valerie as she skipped out of the room.

~

Later that night, when Valerie was doing her nighttime prayers, Sisi was informing Franz about the events of the day.

“Franz, darling,” Sisi spoke to her husband who was sitting calmly on the bed taking his boots off.

“Many people are questioning Valerie’s legitimacy, today I caught a maid servant gossiping with a footman. I’m greatly concerned.” Sis went over to sit next to Franz who wrapped his arm around her.

“Darling, you know those rumors are false. I remember the night we conceived. It couldn’t possibly be anyone else. What makes you so worried?” Franz said

Sisi wanted to say that the rumors were specifically stating that Count Andrássy was the suspected father and that she never did anything with him except one small kiss, but she couldn’t say that to her husband. 

She loved Franz and Andrássy’s kiss brought her no affectionate feelings, minus disgust and anger, but this was just not the right time.

That was a story for another day.

Sisi decided to tell Franz the truth about half of the worries about this situation.

“I’m worried because Valerie was in the other room and she could hear me yelling at that maid.” Sisi was close to tears.

“She has never heard me that angry before and she came up to me afterword and was quite distressed...” Sisi wept into Franz’s arms while he gently stroked her back.

They might not have been passionate soulmates, but after all these years of marriage, Franz still loved Sisi, and the feeling was mutual.

“Sisi darling hush now, I will talk to her, I promise.” Franz stated his wife in the eye and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead.

He then exited the room and let Sisi undress peacefully.

As Franz was walking to Valerie’s rooms, he couldn’t stop himself from thinking more deeply about the rumors.

Why would anyone think that Valerie is not my daughter?

Valerie heard a sudden knock on her bedroom door.

“Valerie, darling, it’s Papa, can I come in?”

“Enter.” Valerie spoke softly as her nanny calmly put the book away and exited the room.

Franz came in and slowly sat down on Valerie’s bed.

“What’s wrong Papa?” Valerie noticed the solemn look on her father’s usually joyful face. At least he was joyful when she was around.

“Valerie…” Franz spoke in a nervous but fairly calm tone. “Mother told me about what happened today.”

Valerie’s face fell into a sad frown.

“Does everyone think like that maid thinks?” She said desperately. “Mama says that I shouldn’t listen to them…but I did.”

“Oh Valerie my dearest,” Franz wrapped his daughter in a tight embrace and rocked her around like he did when she was a baby. 

“Look in my eyes, Valerie, you are my daughter. Nothing can or will ever change that.” Franz was disgusted by these ugly rumors. His heart knew that Sisi could’ve and would’ve been unfaithful at times, and he could’ve been too. But he knew deep down in his heart that Valerie was his child, nothing could convince him otherwise.

“Papa is that really the truth?” Valerie asked longingly.

“Darling,” Franz cooed. “It will forever be the truth.”

“Oh Papa I love you so much!” Valerie gave her father a kiss on the cheek and a tight squeeze before hopping under her covers.

Franz kissed the little girl goodnight and exited calmly.

He knew that everything was going to be okay, and if not, he would take care of it.

~

[owls-and-cakes]

St. Francis of Assisi Church - Vienna, Austria

[walzerjahrhundert]

Josef Albert

Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary at age 35

1865

[claudia1829things]

Ranking of "SISI" Season One (2021) Episodes

Below is my ranking of the Season One episodes from the Prime video streaming series, "SISI", German historical drama based on the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria. The series stars Dominique Devenport and Jannik Schümann as Empress Elisabeth and Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria:

RANKING OF "SISI" SEASON ONE (2021) EPISODES

(1.05) "Folge 5" - Emperor Franz Joseph I narrowly escapes an assassination attempt during the Austrian Empire's war against Lombardy independence. Empress Elisabeth (Sisi) provides aid at a military hospital and later, persuades Franz to to meet Count Andrassy during a reception in Budapest and negotiate a peace treaty.

2. (1.02) "Folge 2" - Sisi's engagement to Franz turns her life upside down, as her future is now mapped out and she must quickly prepare for her next role.

3. (1.04) "Folge 4" - An assassination attempt on the Emperor and the impending war in Lombardy cast a shadow over Franz and Sisi's happiness.

4. (1.01) "Folge 1" - As one of Duke Maximilian Joseph of Bavaria's daughters, Sisi grows up in a carefree environment. She is forced to accompany her sister Helene to Austria, due to the latter's potential engagement to Franz.

5. (1.03) "Folge 3" - Sisi and Franz's wedding night ends in failure, but Franz decides to uphold Sisi's honor. Sisi seeks intimacy advice from a prostitute she had befriended named Fanny.

6. (1.06) "Folge 6" - After the death of their daughter, Archduchess Sophie; Sisi and Franz return to Austria, where Sisi's family is waiting to assist them through this difficult time.

[roehenstart]

Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria (1830-1916) by Franz Schrotzberg.

[foreverinthepagesofhistoryy]

Hi, Who do you think was FJ’s favourite child or at least he showed the most affection to? Sisi loved Marie Valerie the most ( that’s perhaps cuz she was never allowed to raise her other 2 kids) but which child do u think was Franz’s?

Franz was more affectionate towards his daughters especially Gisela, he treasured the first poem she wrote for him on Christmas. He was nice with Valerie as well but he was too strict with Rudolf. I mean he might have loved his son in his way but put him through torturous training to make him strong. (He might have thought he was doing what’s best for Rudolf but the boy must have felt abandoned and unloved)

I definitely agree with you. Franz Joseph 1000000% to hard on Rudolf. He definitely loved him to an extent but was way to hard on him and put WAY to much pressure on him.

I think that his favorite was Valerie. I wouldn’t know enough about him to answer a definite why she was but this is just my opinion. In this case, Valerie had the highest chance because i think because she was Sisi’s favorite, that could’ve had a bigger influence of Franz himself than ever thought. Franz loved his wife very much so the fact that Sisi got to raise Valerie instead of having Franz’s own mother raising the two elder ones, that could’ve meant that there was a more homely environment for Valerie to grow up in and could’ve triggered some parental instinct in Franz.

But sometimes I think we forget that Sisi and Franz had another child, their eldest daughter Sophie who died at age 2. I think that there was a high chance that this daughter was Franz’s favorite. She was their first child and definitely meant a lot to both of them. She was there first go at being parents who were united together, she probably united them in more ways possible. When she died, Franz’s grief was extremely painful and I think that some hidden part of him never truly recovered or realized how much Sophie had meant to him.

Thank you for asking this question and sorry this took so long to answer!

[tradwest]

Born on This Day: Franz Joseph I.

On this day, 18th August 1830., was born Franz Joseph I., the longest-ruling and the most beloved Emperor of Austria-Hungary. Emperor’s 68-year long rule was in fact the third-longest in history of Europe. His long rule was based on the union of ancient Divine Right and the modern Parliamentary Right. As a child Franz Joseph worshipped his grandfather, who died when he was almost five years old.…

[sisionscreen]

Director of Photography Thomas W. Kiennast shared some movie vs. behind the scenes impressions from Sisi & Ich (2023).

[erzherzog-von-edelstein]

So, you want to draw Austria in uniform?

Here's a long overdue post that I suggested a while back. Maybe it will be useful to an artist or two.

Q: Why would I draw a character who is notoriously bad at fighting in uniform? A: Because Austrian dress uniform was a symbol of status. Most officers would wear it in public. It was also a tradition of the Habsburg dynasty to be part of the military and wear their uniforms on official occasions, regardless of their own military prowess. Franz Joseph, for example, wore a uniform practically every day of his life and had a rather lackluster track record for battles. Roderich wearing it would be more about prestige than anything else.

If you want to draw him in a historically accurate uniform, there are references below:

So, what do they look like?

Color: White. This is how you would identify Austrian soldiers and officers. The pants are often red. If you're looking at the 18th century or later, this is the uniform in different shapes as fashion changes:

(from left to right: Seven Years War, Napoleonic Wars, and 1850s)

None of this applies to periods before the standardization of uniforms (which is in the 18th century)

It does also come in light blue, though that is the less common version:

Changes: In the Mid-19th century, there is an increase in the use of dark grey or blue overcoats in battle. This was because of the increased precision of firearms, which made putting officers in bright white a worse and worse decision.

You sometimes see these overcoats in paintings over someone's shoulders:

Hey did I mention that Franz Joseph wore uniforms every day? It makes him such a good reference for what Austrian uniforms looked like.

The overcoats are a protective measure for the battlefield, and if Roderich is at a formal event, he should still be in white.

Don't forget the sword! He doesn't have to be good at using it to wear it symbolically. Dueling and fencing were large parts of Austrian officer culture.

Important Decorations (for adding spice to his uniform):

The Red and White Sash: This is self-explanatory. The colors of the flag of Austria. The sash is often associated with being part of the Order of Maria Theresa.

The Order of the Golden Fleece: This is a chivalric order that the Habsburgs were (and still are) the heads of. It goes back to Burgundy as an order of Knights. It's insignia looks like this:

You'll see it in every portrait of a Habsburg king, emperor, or archduke. There is a Spanish and Austrian version because it is inherited from before the split (and divorce means you split custody of the chivalric order). Both Roderich and Antonio should have one of these. In the Early Modern Period, these were often worn on a chain. In the Modern Period, they're worn on a ribbon:

The Order of Maria Theresa: Order of Military Merit founded by Maria Theresa during the Seven Years War. Its badge looks like this:

Order of Franz Joseph: Order of Military of Civilian Merit found in 1848. It's insignia looks like this:

These are both orders from beloved sovereigns that Roderich is likely to have, just be mindful of when they are created.

One more that was common for Habsburg monarchs, but consider the symbolism if Roderich is wearing it:

The Order of St. Stephen of Hungary: Founded by Maria Theresa, but associated with Hungary. This is still the highest honor of the Hungarian state:

If you wanted to only include him wearing it after 1867, it could be symbolic of his marriage.

[foreverinthepagesofhistory]

Hi, this question is about Franz's potrayal too. In Die Kaiserin did you feel franz is potrayed as too kind? Him talking about liberal ideas are quite ironic since he desperately wanted to rule as an autocrat which he did. Him feeling sorry at the execution and hurting himself out of guilt seemed a bit over the top. This franz doesn't seem like the man who put his own son through hell n eventually driving him to suicide. What did you feel

I honestly thought if the depiction as just dry and very neutral. At some times I really liked how he was depicted, but at other times I hated it. It was like he was like 10 different characters combined instead of one distinct Franz Josef. Like you said the the execution scene, he ordered it but also felt sorry for it? That just doesn’t make sense with Franz Josef like it would for… let’s say Tsar Nicholas II. Overall they could’ve done better and I think that maybe the one in Sisi (2021) was better (at least that’s how it looks)

Thank you for asking!