B008AITH44 EBOK (86 page)

35

A Silver Wedding portrait, with Crown Prince Rudolf

36

Gisela’s engagement to Prince Leopold of Bavaria.

37

Rudolf’s engagement to Princess Stephanie of Belgium; second from King Leopold I of the Belgians; far his wife, Queen Marie Henriette 

38

The Imperial Family in 1888, with Rudolf’s only child, Elisabeth (Photographs by Erssi)

39

This idyllic picture of Imperial life at Laxenburg Castle is deceiving. There was almost no contact whatever between father, mother, son, or daughter-in-law.

40

As Elisabeth grew older and refused to be photographed, photographers would touch up prints of her from earlier years, in order to suggest more recent sittings.

41

An imaginary portrait by Gyula Benczur, circa 1898

42

In Sisi’s hands, one of her books of poetry

43

Sisi was often depicted as Mater Dolorosa in the 1890s.

44

Katharina Schratt posing as “Lady Truth”

45

Persistent photographers pursued Sisi on her increasingly lonely journeys. With her lady-in-waiting Irma Sztaray in Territet.

46

Walking with former Empress Eugenie in Mentone

47

The dagger used by the anarchist Luccheni to assassinate Elisabeth on the shore of Lake Geneva on September 10, 1898