Is Netflix's The Empress Based On A True Story?

Netflix has established itself as a premiere destination for soapy costume dramas. While they've imported series from different broadcasting companies, original productions like "Bridgerton" have also put the streamer on the map in the genre. While it's a German-language series, "The Empress" is another period piece show produced for Netflix, and in spite of the fact that it's a non-English language production, this take on the real-life exploits of fashion plate, diplomat, and assassination victim Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Devrim Lingnau) has been a huge success for the network. It ended up being the seventh most popular non-English show streamed on Netflix in 2022, and with two seasons currently available, a third will debut in the near future to wrap the tale up.

As we indicated, "The Empress" is definitely a true story — but how far does it stray from the facts? What's the show about? And how much of Sisi's real-world history ends up reflected in the show's glamorous shadow? Here are all the facts you need to know about "The Empress."

"The Empress" follows Duchess Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie of Barvia as she falls in love with Franz Joseph I of Austria (Philip Froissant), who was intended to be married to her sister, Helene (Elisa Schlott). Instead, Sisi and Franz Joseph click and rebel via a love match. The two are eventually married but face difficulty on multiple fronts. Sisi's dragon of a mother-in-law, Sophie, the Archduchess of Austria (Melika Foroutan), is one such stumbling block; another is Sisi's inability to produce a male heir.

The couple is constantly surrounded by intrigue, including spies at the royal court and territorial sparring with other countries over land. Sisi becomes close to Countess Leontine von Apafi (Almila Bagriacik), who bears a secret and is having an affair with the court doctor. Looming over all of these dramas and travails is a single question: will Austria survive or be lost in the political tumult?

As stated before, "The Empress" fictionalizes the life of Empress Sisi of Austria. In real life — much as in the show — Sisi fell in love with Franz Joseph I of Austria in spite of the fact that he was to be betrothed to her sister. Also, as presented on the show, Sisi's difficulties with her mother-in-law and childbirth shaped her move into the political sphere. Her mother-in-law also took over raising both her surviving daughter, Gisela, and the yet-to-be-born-on-the-show Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria. All of these pressures took a toll on Sisi and Franz's marriage, and they were estranged for a long period before reconciling just a few years before her death. Sisi eventually rebelled by raising her final surviving daughter by herself; sadly, Archduchess Marie Valerie resented her mother's clinging behavior.

Events in the family's future that will presumably be covered in Season 3 include both triumphs and tragedies, including the double suicide of Rudolf and his mistress, Baroness Marie von Vetsera, in the Mayerling Affair; Sisi's subsequent withdrawal into a life of isolation and self-obsession; and her assassination at the hands of anarchist Luigi Lucheni. But while "The Empress" has generally followed the form and shape of Sisi's life, some things have been invented for the series.

While much of "The Empress" follows the timeline of what actually happened to Sisi, a number of fictional events have been created for the show to spice things up. For example, the entire spy plot from Season 1, specifically the character of Leontine von Apafi/Ava, is completely fictional. Countess Amalia von Salm-Reifferscheidt (Hanna Hilsdorf) and Countess Charlotte von Stubenberg (Runa Greiner) were also invented for the show. Italian revolutionary figures representing the widening gap between the Austrian government and the empire they represent, including Adolfo Tadini (Alberto Vecchiato), aren't real people either, though the movements they're fighting for did exist.

In addition to Season 1's spy storyline, other incidents have also been invented for the drama. These include the murder of Adolfo of Lombardy-Venetia and his presenting Sisi with a cow's tongue as a symbol of his region's desire to cut itself free of Austrian rule. Also, Sisi and Franz didn't fall in love at first sight, as depicted by the series; instead, she was slowly charmed into falling in love with him.

If you're looking for another passion-laced costume epic, Netflix has a ton of options for you, and other streaming services are loaded with possibilities as well. The show most often compared to "The Empress" is "Bridgerton," a somewhat steamier take on Regency romantic mores. Season 4 of the drama won't be available until 2026, giving viewers much time to binge previous seasons along with the spin-off, "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story."

There are, of course, many other options that lie beyond Netflix. If you like your history cockeyed and somewhat more filthy, the charm-heavy series "The Great" offers a very historically inaccurate but incredibly funny view of the life of Catherine The Great. If you prefer accuracy over whimsy, "Victoria," which is all about the passions and life of Queen Victoria, and "The Crown," which ended with a semi-accurate sixth season and largely focused on the life of and death of Queen Elizabeth and her family, might suit your needs. Start with these shows, and you'll uncover a treasure trove of royal pleasures.