The Empress is back on Netflix for Season 2 and has history buffs sniffing for a lesson in one of Europe’s most famous dynasties back in the day.
It follows the story of Empress Elisabeth of Austria as she courts her first cousin, Emperor Franz Joseph I, and marries him. The show re-imagines her demanding role as an Empress and her struggles to fit into it.
The story of ‘Sisi’ (as her family fondly calls her) is true, and the show is partly accurate in depicting the events before her marriage to Franz.
While The Crown has given enough spotlight to the British Monarchy, Netflix’s latest The Empress puts the radar on the Austrian Empress and the Habsburg Dynasty. Franz ruled from 1848 to 1916 as a member of the House of Habsburg.
The Habsburg Dynasty’s rule ended in November 1918 after its last Emperor, Karl I, went into exile in Switzerland. While they are not currently the ruling Dynasty and are not considered royalty, many Habsburgs are still involved in current politics in Europe and America.
More on the House of Habsburgs as shown in The Empress in our story.
Who were the Habsburgs? Exploring Franz’s House from Netflix’s The Empress
Habsburgs were the German-Austrian royal family and the most important dynasties from the 15th to the 20th centuries. They ruled Austria from 1282 to 1918 and Hungary & Bohemia between 1526 and 1918. They also controlled the Spanish Empire from 1504 to 1506 and 1516 to 1700.
After his uncle, Emperor Ferdinand I, didn’t have a legitimate heir to the throne, Franz knew he would become the Emperor one day. The Netflix show recounts the period of Franz I’s reign, 1848.
This dominant house during the European Renaissance period was notorious for its ability to gain power over any dynasty and was well-known for its patronage of art, literature, and science.
Some well-known rulers from the House of Habsburgs are as follows-
Charles V of Spain (nephew of Henry VIII’s first wife, Catherine of Aragon)
Marie Antoinette
Ferdinand II of Spain (who financed Christopher Columbus’ journey to the Americas!)
Maximilian I of Mexico
The Habsburgs from The Empress ruled over many parts of the country, including the Holy Roman Empire (Frederick IV), the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Burgundy (Maximilian I), Spain, Austria, Europe, and parts of America (Emperor Charles V).
Are members of the Habsburg dynasty still alive? Exploring the whereabouts of the dynasty shown in The Empress
The Habsburg Dynasty’s rule ended in November 1918 after its last Emperor, Karl I, went into exile in Switzerland. While he tried to regain power over Hungary twice, both failed, and his family was relocated to Madeira in 1921.
While this ended their rule, some Habsburgs are still active in politics in Europe and at least one socialite in America.
Here are some active members of the dynasty shown in Netflix’s The Empress–
Karl von Habsburg in Austria – Head of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine
Tatiana Galitzine, daughter of Princess Maria Anna Galitzine and Prince Piotr Galitzine in Houston, Texas ( great-granddaughter of Emperor Charles I of Austria)
Eduard Habsburg-Lothringen, the Archduke Eduard of Austria ( a Hungarian diplomat and a member of the House of Habsburg Lorraine)
Catch both the seasons of The Empress on Netflix.
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