SISSI MOVIES AND THE REALITY - Part 2 - THE TEA AND WHAT CAME AFTER THAT ...

Káli-Rozmis Barbara  2015.04.30. 18:34

THE TEA AND WHAT CAME AFTER THAT ...

by Barbara Káli-Rozmis

 

On the silver screen, Franz Joseph sends Count Grüne to the Ischl Villa (where his mother, his aunt, Lodovica and his cousin, Helene wait for him) instead of himself while he hunts in the forest with a girl who does not reveal her identity but she is Sisi herself. The reality was quite different from this scene: Elisabeth also attended the tea with her mother and sister and the Emperor was waiting for them in time. 

 

 

 

On the tea party, which was followed by a dinner, one of the Emperor’s brother, Louis Charles, who liked Sisi very much and had changed letters with her after they first meeting several years before, also took part. According to Elisabeth’s bibliographer, Brigitte Hamann, Sisi was sitting with her governess at the end of the table, where she felt herself a bit uncomfortably because of being treated as a child. She might have had some idea about what was happening, however, Helene knew very well "what was at stake."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the tea party and the dinner after that many guests noticed that the Emperor was so fond of and delighted by the young Sisi. He liked Elisabeth’s weak and fine shape, gorgeous hair and the lovely expression of her face. When Sisi realises that the Emperor was looking at her, all her consciousness, calmness and impartiality were over. She was embarrassed and confused, which was realised by Charles Louis at once, who immediately noticed that his brother preferred his own (Charles Louis’s) chosen one better and not her older sister. Sisi whispered her governess's, "I am so scared that I'm not hungry any more."

 

The Emperor had made his decision. Archduchess Sophie asked him not to rush the thing and consider it well, but his opinion was that he should not hesitate for long.

 

The next morning, on 17 August, Franz Joseph got up even more earlier than usual, and appeared happily at Sophia's suite, who soon wrote the following to her twin sister, Mary, the Saxon Queen: "My son told me with a delighted face that he found Sisi fascinating...”

 

THE BALL - in the evening before the Emperor’s birthday 

 

The ballroom scene is a well-known one from the first part of the trilogy. The ball took place on 17 August, the evening before Francis's 23th birthday, however, not 18th like on the screen. Just like in the movie, originally, Sisi had not been invited to the party, but in fact, it was not Sophie’s (in the film it was) but the Emperor’s request to invite Elisabeth to the ball. And, as it mentioned, it was not the first time he met the Bavarian Duchess. We could vividly recall the scene when Sisi enters the ballroom wearing light blue prom dress with glittering diamond arrow in her hair to the amazement of Francis Joseph. Helen - just like in the movie - was wearing a beautiful white silk dress; however, Sisi’s dress was much more modest. The younger Bavarian Duchess was wearing a simple peach tulle (according Cars) or a rosy white muslin prom dress (according to Corti), which was prepared not long before their departure from Possenhofen. However, the jewel was in her hair just like on the screen. Those who attended the ball could see the glittering small diamond arrow which pushed back "the brown gold waves from her forehead" (Corti, 21).

 

   

 

 

THE COTILLION 

"I think I was dancing with our future Empress!"

 

The sentences quoted above is from Hugo von Weckbeckert, Franz Joseph’s adjutant, who was asked by Archduchess Sophie to dance with Sisi in order to see how her niece danced. It was impossible to him not to observe that the Emperor was constantly looking at his dance partner.

 

 

The shy Elisabeth tried to dance with the best of her ability. Then it was the time for the cotillion. Watching the film, one can see how confident the Emperor is when walking straight to Sisi with all the bouquets of the red roses, which is thought to be against the etiquette since he should give a bouquet to every lady who he dances with. This effective scene was quite like the same in the real life to the greatest astonishment of the guests. However, the Emperor handed one bouquet of roses to Sisi, who did not realize that it meant a wedding proposal. According to Brigitte Hamann, when Elisabeth was asked whether she realised the Emperor's attention to her, she simply said "No. It only made me embarrassed”.

 

Everyone on the ball, without an exception, knew what was happening and what this whole was about, that is, it was not Helen who would be the fiancée of Francis Joseph, but her younger sister, Elisabeth. Sisi was embarrassed since everybody was staring at her but she did not know the etiquette very well so she did realise what that all meant. She could hardly stand being highlighted and even later as an empress it would not change. 

After handing the bouquet to Elisabeth, the Emperor was dancing with her. Sisi was embarrassed sometimes and forgot what steps followed but all that time Francis Joseph whispered in her ear what to step.

On the silver screen, as opposed to the reality, the young couple did not dance with each other but they appeared at the balcony of Schönbrunn Palace, where fireworks could be seen due to the occasion of the Emperor's birthday. In the historical reality, Franz Joseph officially presented his fiancée just after the next morning Mass.

 

The Next Day Carriage Ride

 

There is no scene in the film in connection with it but to have a kind of mental picture of Helene’s fortitude it is worth mentioning. Elisabeth was indisposed by the next day carriage rides after Franz Josef and Archduchess Sophie had taken her and Nene to a short carriage ride. The Emperor was wild with joy and kept looking at Sisi. According to Count Corti, a bibliographer of Elisabeth, it was only Helene who was talking "a lot loudly and cheerfully, though, everyone had the feeling that everything she said seemed to be a bit depressed and artificial”.

 

 

A WEDDING PROPOSAL WHICH CANNOT BE REFUSED

 

"But please, I beg you, do not force the things when you speak to Sisi"

 

Archduchess Sophie, just like on the silver screen, still made some attempts to convince his son, but finally, she was willing to agree that Sisi would be the future Empress of Austria. Apparently, she resigned, however, she decided to re-educate her naughty niece. In the film, it is Sophie who tells Elisabeth that the Emperor intends to marry her, in the reality, it happens otherwise.

 

 

According to Count Corti, Franz Joseph asked his mother to inquire about Sisi’s feelings asking Sophie, "But please, I beg you, do not force the things when you speak to Sisi because my situation is very difficult, and God knows, it is not a pleasure to share this life with me.” In the real life, Sophie told her sister that her son's choice was not Helene but Sisi. After that Ludovica asked Sisi, who was supposed to give the following answer: "Well, could not one love such a man? I do not understand at all how he could think of me. After all, I am so young and insignificant. I will do everything to make the Emperor happy, but I do not know whether I succeed.” It was Sisi’s answer, at last, according to Ludovica, who later said (according to Count Corti),

 

“One cannot refuse the proposal of the Emperor of Austria!” (Ludovica)

 

A question could emerge: Was it the answer of the fifteen and a half-year-old imprudent and autonomous Sisi or was it her mother who forced her into this marriage? This question shall not be answered right now... in this paper. (Another article will be about Sisi’s possible feelings.)

 

"Then the next day, on 19 August, Sisi burst into tears and said to her governess," Yes, I like the Emperor. I wish he weren’t the Emperor! "(According to Count Corti) It will also be discussed in another article that the rank was not important to Elisabeth at all.

 

 

THE ENGAGEMENT

 

The private engagement party took place on the morning of 19 August at the hotel in Bad Ischl, and Elisabeth was officially engaged in the parish church at 11 am when Franz Joseph asked the priest's blessing. Entering the church, Archduchess Sophie stepped back to let her future daughter-in-law and Empress of Austria be the first to enter. This symbolic gesture was noticed almost by everyone except Elisabeth. One could be relieved and think that Archduchess Sophie would retire into the background. However, the history did not meet the expectations.

 

 

 

 

 

Everybody at the ceremony could see how happy the Emperor was. But we should not forget about Sisi. How could she bear the sudden popularity? At first she was said to be happy when Francis Joseph proposed her, but as a result of the endless celebrations and interests towards her, she became embarrassed and cried a lot. On the silver screen one can also see the sadness and fears of the life ahead of the Bavarian duchess. In reality, Sisi is much more afraid and terrified because of the future events and representations.  her sadness and embarrassment only slightly could be eased by the Emperor, who behaved tactfully and generously with her all along then and later too.

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/azigazisisi

 

 

Works Cited

 

Hamann, Brigitte. Erzsébet királyné. Európa Könyvkiadó, 2012

Count Corti Egon: Erzsébet. Révai Kadás, Budapest, 1935

Jean des Cars: Sisi avagy a végzet. Magyar Könyvklub, Budapest, 2001

Soós István: Sisi és családja. Erzsébet, a magyarok királynéja. Rubicon, Budapest, 2001

F. Dózsa Katalin: A világ legszebb asszonya. Erzsébet, a magyarok királynéja. Rubicon, Budapest, 2001

 

 

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