It is out of question that Sisi had not been enlightened about what would happen to her in the bedroom. In the 19th century, sex education was not usual, what is more, it was regarded as a taboo as far as the girls were concerned.

Elisabeth on the day of her wedding, on 24 April 1854 - Made by Heloise Leloir (Published in Iris Fashion Magazine)

Elisabeth was only fifteen and a half years old when the Emperor engaged her. She liked Franz Joseph, however, she was terrified of her future obligations. Before the engagement the couple had only known each other for a few days. The Emperor decided to marry the little Sisi on the very next morning. Although he fell in love with Elisabeth for a lifetime and he became her most enthusiastic admirer, we cannot talk about love as regards Sisi. During the first years of their marriage, perhaps she felt something like love towards Franz Joseph, however, she realized very early that they did not have a lot in common.

Sisi's Farewell Dress: Replica of the dress worn by Empress Elisabeth at the ball given on the eve of her departure for her wedding, after the original in the Department of Court Uniforms © Schloß Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H. / Sascha Rieger. The dress is exhibited in Sisi Museum, Vienna.

Had anybody told Sisi about a “wife’s duty” in the bedroom before the wedding night?

Their wedding ceremony and all about that were gorgeous and met the protocol requirements. However, even the Emperor's mother, Archduchess Sophie, did not consider that the same should be continued on the way to the master bedroom although in the European royal courts of the nineteenth century it was still in fashion - the bride and the bridegroom were accompanied to the bedroom by members of the court. Sisi was accompanied only by her mother-in-law, Archduchess Sophie and her mother, Ludovica then she was left alone. After that Sophie led his son to the bedroom. After returning to her own suit, Sophie wrote in her diary that Elisabeth was like a frightened bird in the nest.

Elisabeth (1854) by Friedrich Dürck (It is NOT Elisabeth's wedding dress)

It is out of question that Sisi was not enlightened about what would happen to her in the bedroom. In the 19th century in accordance with the spirit of the Puritan, which was very typical among the nobility and the ruling class, sex education was not usual, what is more, it was regarded as a taboo as far as the girls were concerned. For men, things worked differently. Usually it was one of the parents who organized the son’s first sexual intercourse with a prostitute, an actress or a daughter of the lower classes. Archduchess Sophie thought that her beloved son deserved the very best so a countess was sent to the teenage Franz Joseph's room... While in the case of noble women adultery was a great sin, but as regards men it was not, and their wives - if they were aware of the affairs - had to endure this.

To be continued... WHAT HAPPENED TO THE YOUNG SISI AT THE WEDDING NIGHT – OR WHAT NOT…?

In Hungarian: A NÁSZÉJSZAKA, ÉS AMI A SISSI FILMBŐL KIMARADT

WORKS CITED: Hamann, Brigitte. The Reluctant Empress. A Biography of Empress Elisabeth of Austria. Ullstein, 2000 Count Corti Egon: Erzsébet. Révai Kadás, Budapest, 1935. Photo: Elisabeth 1; Elisabeth 2