Exactly 170 years ago, on April 24, 1854, one of the most famous couples in history got married: Emperor Francis Joseph and Elizabeth Wittelsbach, or Sisi. The figure of the legendary Queen Elizabeth can be seen in only two Madame Tussauds productions in the world: in Vienna and Budapest. Back home, these days they pay tribute to the memory of the royal wedding with the waltzing melodies of the Blue Danube.
Elizabeth was only 16 years old when she married one of Europe’s most powerful rulers, the then 24-year-old Ferenc József. “For a long time, we knew that Elizabeth’s sister, Ilona, was originally intended to be the ruler, but according to the latest research, this was not predetermined,” said museologist Ildikó Faludi, an employee of the Gödöllő Royal Castle Museum. “There were very few girls matching József Ferenc’s age and rank. Palatine József’s daughter, Erzsébet, was discussed among others, but court politics wanted to strengthen relations with Germany rather than with Palatine József, who represented Hungary. As the candidates dwindled, the attention shifted to József Ferenc’s cousins, the Wittelsbach girls,” explained the expert. Ferenc József and Sisi must have met twice before their first official date, the first time the future queen was only 5 years old, and the second time she was 10 years old.
The mother, Ludovika, took her daughters to Ischl to meet the young emperor on the occasion of his birthday. The then 18-year-old Ilona might have been the first choice, but for Ferenc József, only Sisi existed. “It was love at first sight for József Ferenc. Practically immediately, he saw Sisi as his future betrothed. The girl returned home two weeks later with the fact that the engagement had officially taken place. Until the wedding, the lovers met three more times, and then on April 20, 1854, Sisi left Munich for Vienna to marry József Ferenc,” said the museologist. The bride arrived in Vienna on the 22nd, greeted by the roar of cannons and the ringing of bells.
The wedding itself must have been a terrible test for the compassionate 16-year-old girl. Unusually, they marched to the altar at seven in the evening in the church of the Augustinian order, then the ceremony was followed by a reception and dinner for the guests, and the young couple even visited the Viennese folk festival to greet people from an open car. The tired, terrified, introverted Sisi, who repeatedly violated etiquette, couldn’t wait for the evening to end. The honeymoon did not mean a release either, as the busy ruler returned home to Vienna every morning to manage the country’s affairs.
As difficult as that particular day 170 years ago was for the protagonists, the people of the empire greeted the new queen with unprecedented love, and Sisi has been the subject of two big-budget TV series in the past two years alone. Sisi was one of the most influential female figures in history.
Only two Madame Tussauds in the world have a wax figure of Sisi. The figure seen in Budapest was made over several months in a workshop near London with the involvement of sculptors, artists and experts. Visitors can admire Sisi’s beautiful, legendary long hair. He washed his hair crown with a special shampoo he had developed in-house, which also contained raw eggs and cognac. She spent 2-3 hours a day caring for her hair, and washing her hair took a whole day. The special feature of the figure from Budapest is that it also has a tattoo that few people know about. In 1888, Sisi had an anchor tattooed on himself, thus expressing his passion for travel. In honor of the wedding, visitors can listen to the Blue Danube waltz and, of course, get on Sisi’s carriage.
The Madame Tussauds Budapest awaits its visitors with a unique interactive experience
