The Empress (TV series)
A German drama about Empress Elisabeth and Franz Joseph I.
The Empress is a German historical drama television series on Netflix that follows the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria. It stars Devrim Lingnau as Elisabeth and Philip Froissant as Franz Joseph I. The series premiered on 29 September 2022 and became one of Netflix's most-watched non-English series of 2022.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Historical drama; Romance
- Creator
- Katharina Eyssen
- Writer
- Katharina Eyssen
- Bernd Lange
- Janna Maria Nandzik
- Director
- Katrin Gebbe; Florian Cossen
- Starring
- Devrim Lingnau; Philip Froissant
- Composer
- Johannes Lehniger
- Lisa Morgenstern
- Sebastian Damerius
- Country
- Germany
- Language
- German
Facts from the source article.
Premise
Sixteen-year-old Bavarian Duchess Elisabeth "Sisi" von Wittelsbach falls in love with Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria, who was intended to marry her older sister, Duchess Helene. After they marry, Sisi arrives in Vienna and must navigate court politics and her husband's scheming family. Her mother-in-law, Archduchess Sophie, antagonises her, while Franz Joseph's younger brother Maximilian tries to prove he is more worthy to rule.
Production
Netflix announced the six-part series in December 2020, with Katrin Gebbe and Florian Cossen directing and Bernd Lange and Janna Maria Nandzik writing. Devrim Lingnau and Philip Froissant were cast in the lead roles. Filming for the first season ran from August 2021 to January 2022. The series was filmed in German and dubbed into 14 languages, with subtitles in 32 languages. Exterior filming took place in Germany, primarily in Bavaria, with studio work at Babelsberg Studio in Potsdam. Locations included Bayreuth, Stein, Bamberg, Dinkelsbühl, Eckersdorf, and Aidhausen. Schloss Weißenstein in Pommersfelden stood in for Schönbrunn Palace, and Eyrichshof Castle near Ebern served as Sisi's childhood home. For the second season, filming began in Prague, Czechia, by September 2023, with additional filming in Zagreb, Croatia. Production on the third season began in Prague in September 2025.
Reception
The Empress shot to number one on Netflix right after its September 2022 launch, pulling in 47.2 million viewing hours over its first four days. By day eleven, it had reached roughly 18.7 million households and racked up 106.6 million streamed hours, making it the platform’s second most-watched series globally at the time, trailing only Dahmer. It landed in the top ten across 79 countries in week one and 88 in week two. The show became Netflix’s biggest German original since the 2020 war series Barbarians. For 2022, it ranked as the seventh most popular non-English series, logging 159.8 million hours watched over five weeks in the global top ten.
Creative liberties
The series takes several creative liberties with historical facts. Elisabeth had brown eyes, but Devrim Lingnau has blue eyes. Duchess Helene's hair was much darker and Sisi's lighter than shown, which contributed to Franz Joseph's attraction. Their first meeting at Bad Ischl occurred during tea with more relatives present, not outdoors. In reality, Franz was more in love with Sisi than she was with him. Franz did not propose publicly; Archduchess Sophie requested Ludovika's permission, and Sophie had written that Franz professed his love shortly after meeting Sisi. Franz Joseph's younger brother Karl Ludwig, not Maximilian, was in love with Elisabeth and wanted to marry her; Karl Ludwig is absent from the series. Sophie was resistant to the marriage and fought with Elisabeth over child upbringing, but her letters and diaries describe her daughter-in-law positively. Sophie's rumored love affair was with Napoleon II, not Swedish Prince Gustav, and Maximilian was allegedly the result of that relationship, not Franz Joseph, though those rumors were dubious. Franz Joseph and Maximilian had a sour relationship as adults, but no evidence suggests Maximilian conspired to overthrow his brother. Countess Esterházy was not fired until later, and Elisabeth dismissed her, not Sophie. The waltz scene features the "Kaiser-Walzer," composed in 1889, 35 years after the royal couple married. The wedding scene includes Dvořák's "Serenade for Strings," composed in 1875.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who created The Empress (TV series)?
The Empress was created by Katharina Eyssen.
How many episodes of The Empress (TV series) are there?
The Empress has 12 episodes across 2 seasons.
More in Cultural Depictions of Franz Joseph I of Austria
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