Instead, Elisabeth showed her modern outlook with other things that shocked the traditional court nonetheless, such as an endless list of sporting activities, including long walks, extensive riding and even gymnastics in the Imperial Apartment. The courtiers considered it most unhealthy and unseeming for a lady, let alone the Empress. Elisabeth also installed modern plumbing in her own “hunting cottage” which outraged the Archduchesse Sophie as being extravagant and disrespectful of tradition.

An interesting detail, Elisabeth was one of the few people at the Vienna court to speak English fluently. She often used English as a secret language between her and her favourite courtladies.

In later life, Elisabeth found herself more and more away from the Vienna court, which she considered oppressive. She felt a desire to travel to exotic places, as did many of the contemporary ladies in intellectual circles, and was one of the few to have the means to act on this desire. She traveled aboard her own yacht across the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the Northern Sea, often taking an alias as countess, hoping it would give her more freedom. (Although Dutch newspapers of the time seem to be able to track her movements quite accurately as research has shown).

When her son, crownprice Rudolph, committed suicide together with his mistress, the famous Mayerling Scandal, the image of Mater Dolorosa , the inconsolable mother finding no solace anywhere, attached itself to her and Elisabeth encouraged this. For the rest of her life she wore only black. Exotic places and very black and heavy emotions all fitted well in the Romantic/Naturalist movement that swept Europe. It was in this period she became a cultfigure in France.

Traveling as a countess in Switserland, Elisabeth was murdered in 1898 during a walk near the lake of Geneve in Genf. The attacker was an anarchist who wanted to take a stance against absolutism and for the freedom of the people. Only upon arrest did the man realize he had killed the Empress of Austria, which probably accounts for his wide grin as he is being led away on the photograph of the occasion. It is a somewhat ironic ending to the story of Elisabeth.

It is difficult to sift through the different images of Elisabeth of Bavaria of the house of Wittelsbach and point to the one true woman. Certainly the modern Empress was often in conflict with the traditional Vienna Court and maintained control of her situation by keeping popular with the masses and above all being beautiful. Nor was she above political intrigue and at times was actively involved with the policies of the Emperor. But later in life she preferred traveling and did so extensively, maintaining an image that gave her the perfect excuse.

In RPG Elisabeth makes an excellent NPC. She can be encountered anywhere in the Empire incognito. Her conflicts with the traditionalists introduces political intrigue and can be the basis of many a quest. Think only of the many ways her enemies might have sought to compromise her position, such as rumors or even proof of a dalliance with a Hungarian count. Not to mention the fact the Empress might have been secretly aiding liberal revolutionaries.

Literature:
Brigitte Haman - Elisabeth, Kaiserin Wider Willen (Wien-Munchen, 1981)
Juliane Vogel - Elisabeth von Osterreich, momente aus dem Leben einer Kunstfigur (Wien, 1992)
Egon Caesar Conte Corti - Elisabeth (Salzburg, 1934)