The Beautiful Empres... : Elizabeth of Bavaria (Sisi) and her performances

The article presents Elisabeth of Austria (Sisi) - the wife of Franz Josef I. She went down in history as a beautiful and unhappy woman. "Beautiful Empress" would be the role that the heroine constructed for herself. Sisi had consistently performed her role by producing a series of public performances and actively creating and directing her own public image. In doing so, she took advantage of the opportunities afforded by her position, finances and influence as empress. Ultimately, the image she created and sought to control overshadowed the historical figure of the empress's wife, and elements of this image still continue to function in culture today.