Read Part1: Nothing distresses me here. It is like living in a village. I can walk, I can go for a ride alone!”//azigazisisi.gportal.hu/gindex.php?pg=36682755&nid=6635974

Read Part 2: Reconstructions and alternations for the comfort of the royal family 

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The Royal Couple's Suites

Franz Joseph suite was on the one side of the banquet hall, Elisabeth’s one was placed on the other side of it, which one was closer to the stable and was much sunnier. 

“Comfort rather than grandeur was the main aim. The walls of the king’s apartment were covered with yellow panelling and grey silk wallpaper. The queen’s suite was characterised by her favourite colour, violet. Both were later changed to white, red and gold. Elisabeth’s suite consisted of a salon and writing-, bed-, dressing-, and reading rooms. A spiral staircase led from the upper floor to the three-room suite on the ground floor. Next to Elisabeth’s rooms was the suite of her reader Ida Ferenczy, followed by the rooms of the royal children.” (Ildikó Faludi -Royal Palace of Gödöllő website)

Empress and Queen Maria Theresa had been invited to the palace by the first builder, Antal Grassalkovich I, who had got his count title from the Queen, had a guest room built for her Majesty. Sisi used the former guest room of Maria Theresa as a bedroom. The Queen’s floor suite consisted of four rooms, and a private staircase which led to the three ground-floor saloons. 

“The secret spiral staircase between the bedroom and the reading room led to the three-room suite on the ground floor, decorated with stucco. (The spiral staircase cannot be reconstructed, though its location is marked in the room leading to the air-raid shelter.)” (Royal Palace of Gödöllő)

Ida Ferenczy, the Queen's conversationalist

Ida Ferenczy from Kecskemét (a country town on the Great Plain in Hungary) was from a gentry family - she belonged to the nobility but not to the upper class, however, Elisabeth had chosen her as a “reader woman” or a conversationalist (something like a lady-in-waiting, however, since her “low” origin, she could not be that legally and was given another title) in 1863. Ida became Sisi’s confident and best friend in quite a short period of time. In Gödöllő, her two rooms were located right next to the Queen’s suit. Needless to say that in Vienna Hofburg and Schönbrunn it would not have been possible because of the etiquette since Ida came from a gentry family. Of course, it also shows that in Gödöllő everything could be done the way Elisabeth wanted.

The daily routine of the King and the Queen in Gödöllő

Franz Joseph’s daily routine in Gödöllő was quite similar to the Vienna one: he got up at four at dawn - five in winter - then after being shaved, he had a modest breakfast. Then he began the work at his study. If he did not have breakfast in the small family dining room (photo right), he had brunch at one o'clock (usually while working), which was followed by a 30 minutes walk. The average weekday lunch was usually beef steak or other meat, which was also often consumed at his desk during working. He regarded himself the first clerk of the monarchy and felt working as an obligation. He was working even on the day of his death. After dinner he spent one or two hours with his family or his guests, and he usually went to sleep at eight o'clock. It can be seen that a typical day of the emperor and king was quite bleak.

Elisabeth’s daily routine in Gödöllő was the following: She got up at six or seven o'clock in the morning, which was followed by grooming and her daily exercises and usually by bath (she had daily bath). Then her several hour long combing and dressing session came. After that she went riding or walking.

EMPRESS SISI’S BEAUTIFYING BATHS: Elisabeth, who was very famous for her beauty cult, had refreshing and slimming baths daily in order to preserve her beauty and youth. She combined steam and hot bath with cold one. 

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Returning she had a modest meal and read for a while. She especially loved Heinrich Heine's poetry and the works of Hungarian writers: the works of János Arany, József Eötvös, Mór Jókai, Mihály Horváth and Sándor Petőfi were her most common readings. When she was older and could not ride a horse due to her joint problems, she went for larger walks (she was walking so fast that it was hard to keep up with her even to her secret guards, whose task was watching and protecting Her Majesty- of course Sisi was not always aware of it, and she tried to get rid of them as many times as it was possible so the guards had difficulties to cope with in duty. She only returned to the dinner, when the family eat together. 

Elisabeth's porch

“It was presumably dismantled following the queen’s death. Queen Elisabeth’s porch was rebuilt in 2010 in accordance with the original designs.”

“Just before Elisabeth arrived for a visit to Gödöllő, gardeners would always plant her favourite flowers in the front garden: violets and pansies.”

The suites of the royal children

In the so called “Gisela-wing” were the suites

of the royal children: the Crown Prince Rudolf, Archduchess Gisela, the latter one’s suite later became the one of the youngest child, Archduchess Marie Valerie, the “Hungarian Princess”. 

The two older children of the royal family, Gisela and Rudolf had separate suites, and the little Valerie’s room was placed in Elisabeth’s suite. (It would not have been possible in Vienna.) The Archduchess later received her own suite when he was older. (We can also visit her rooms in the palace since they have already been restored as well.) 

In Vienna Sisi’s three other children Sophie, who died in Buda at the age of two, of dysentery, Gisela and Rudolf’s suits were placed next to Archduchess Sophie’s (the emperor’s mother) suit. In Vienna Hofburg Sisi had to take a long walk and climb stairs in order to see her own children, however, she could not visit them at any time! The length and the time of her visits were strictly regulated by her mother-in-law. Elisabeth travelled for longer or shorter time usually without her husband - but it is another story - she was rarely allowed to take her children with herself), and when she returned, sometimes her children did not recognise her.

Maria Valeria, the Hungarian Princess

Marie Valerie was born in our country, Hungary, and even her nurse was a Hungarian. Elisabeth called Valerie the “only one”. She did not allow anybody to interfere in the matters regarded her fourth child. According to the historians, Elisabeth went to extreme as regarded Valerie as she overdid many other things (exercising, horse riding, walking, combing and dressing sessions etc.).

Why was an Austrian Archduchess forced to talk in Hungarian and use this language as a mother tongue?

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Queen Elisabeth's visits in Hungary became less frequent

Elisabeth had to give up horse riding from the middle of 1880s due to her increased joint pain. After that she went for long hike tours, and she was so fast that it was hardly possible to keep up with her. She was said to start a new activity instead of the English style hunts (when the hunters were on horse back): she hunted rabbits with beagle dogs.

Elisabeth spent 114 nights in Hungary until 1867, after the coronation day she slept here 2549 nights, which is more than seven years, of which time she slept more than 2000 nights in the Royal Palace of Gödöllő.

When her “travel passion” became more intense (after the crown prince’s death), she started to visit her beloved Gödöllő less frequently. The last time she stayed at the palace was in the autumn of 1897 (photo right). The next year Sisi was dead. On 10 September 1898 she was stabbed in the heart in Geneva by an Italian anarchist. The old king sometimes visited the palace for longer or shorter period of time. Some photos were taken of him here. The last time he stayed in Gödöllő was on 6 May 1911. He passed away in Schönbrunn, Vienna surrounded by his loved-ones at the age of 86 on 21 November 1916.

Sisi's death: THE QUEEN WAS ASSASSINATED

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ELISABETH AND GÖDÖLLŐ: http://www.kiralyikastely.hu/page.58.elisabeth_and_godollo