Elizabeth of Bavaria’s death

A short story about Elizabeth of Bavaria’s tragic fate

Nobody, not even the Empress, understood anything. The Italian who had knocked her down continued down the embankment. Elizabeth of Bavaria rose cautiously, assisted by a lady-in-waiting. She put her hand to her neck, thinking they were attempting to steal her jewelry, but the pearl threads remained in place.

Elizabeth gasped and fell again a few minutes later. But she was no longer destined to rise. On September 10, 1898, the Empress closed her eyes for the last time. Luigi Luceni, an Italian, struck her with a sharpener so sharp, like an awl, that only a speck of her remained.

Thus ended the earthly life of one of Europe’s most beautiful women, Elizabeth of Bavaria, also known as Sissy at home. Her daughter and adored son, Rudolf, survive her. And I’ve never worked in politics. As a result, the Italian anarchist’s actions continue to raise concerns.

Sissi’s husband, Emperor Franz Joseph, died in 1916. Because the sovereign had no direct male heirs, the throne was passed to a branch of the dynasty. Many people believe that if Franz Joseph and Elizabeth had had more sons, the empire would have survived.

... She looked surprised at the young man rushing across the street to catch up with her. For a brief moment, a fragment of the thoughts that had been haunting her recently flashed through her mind: “She’s arrived… but why in this form?

The woman turned helplessly to Countess Irma Starai, who was accompanying her, as if asking her to explain why this man in worn clothes, disheveled hair, and crazy eyes was running to her, Austrian Empress Amalia Eugenia Elizabeth? Irma, on the other hand, froze, as if her feet were frozen to the pavement. The two women were only a hundred meters away from the pier. It had to transfer its pipes to the other side of Lake Geneva because the steamer on it was smoking its pipes.

“He smacked me… Why in the chest? … — the Empress, whom many called not by the full name given above, but simply — Sisi, was surprised rather than terrified.

After the blow, Sisi swayed, lost her balance, and fell backwards, back to the ground. The blow’s pain echoed throughout his body. Sisi managed to put her hands back, the lush dress softening the fall a little. She was always athletic, a woman with good coordination of movements.

She raised her head and pursued the fleeing man.

“Is it truly Her?… Cece had another thought, but she quickly pushed it away from her. — Some kind of jerk, insane, an idiot… He doesn’t know who I am, we’re here undercover, now… now… Irma, help me up…”

The Empress’s friend, as white as chalk, rushed to Sisi’s aid. She grabbed her hands and drew her closer to herself. Cece winced visibly. Irma began carefully shaking off the gray dust from Elizabeth’s black clothes.

— Shall we return to the hotel? In an excited tone, try suggesting it. — You’re extremely pale…

— We’re running late for the steamer! Cece exclaimed as she listened to her body. Pain throbbed in sharp jerks somewhere inside. But not so powerful that the woman was unable to walk.

— Get moving! Cece said, dragging her friend along with her.

They walked those hundred meters quickly. But as the women climbed the ship’s ladder, Sisi became even paler, staggered, and would have fallen into the water if Irma hadn’t picked her up in her arms.

— Please assist me! The Countess sobbed in despair. The Empress is sick!

People rushed together, and one man carefully took a fragile 60-year-old woman in his arms and carried her to the cabin, where she was placed on the bed.

— Is there a doctor around? Irma yelled once more. — Get moving!

A lady dashed into the cabin. She began to unbutton her corset with trembling hands after a quick glance at Sisi’s face. The man walked away.

—My God,” the woman said after a minute. — What type of wound… We need to get to the beach and the doctors as soon as possible!

The dark drops of blood that began to ooze immediately after Sisi’s fall were not emitted by the black fabric of her dress. The women noticed a small black hole above the empress’s left breast, from which blood erupted in jerks.

— What exactly happened? Cece spoke weakly.

These were the last words spoken by Austria’s famous Empress. A young thug named Luigi Luceni, an Italian anarchist, has long been obsessed with the idea of assassinating someone in power. He stabbed Sisi with a sharpener from a regular file. It happened in Geneva on September 10, 1898. The idiot came here to “soak” Prince Henry of Orleans, but his plans changed and he did not come to Geneva.

Unfortunately, Sisi was followed by paparazzi, and one of them reported the royal person’s visit to the local newspaper. As a result, a larger fish “swam into Luigi’s hands”…

He tried to flee after hitting the woman with a sharpener. Passers-by who witnessed this horrific scene caught up with him, knocking him to the ground and twisting him. Later, a court sentenced an anarchist who wished to go down in history to life in prison. The scoundrel hanged himself in a prison cell after 12 years, confirming the adage “Dog — dog death.”

Sisi was wheezing so loudly on the way to the hotel that she passed out. The insides of the body were quickly filled with blood from the pierced lung and right atrium. The Empress’s last thought was, “Yes… it’s Her…”

Sisi stopped breathing as soon as she was placed on the bed in her room. The doctor, who had come running with regret, announced that the Empress had died.

“The world is beautiful if you avoid people…” — on this fateful day, Sisi’s favorite aphorism was confirmed. She didn’t care about her guards for some reason, and she frequently traveled only with her friends, ladies-in-waiting, as if teasing fate. This was extremely difficult for her. She avoided people in recent years, disliked noisy societies, balls, and feasts, and always wore a black veil and dresses of the same color.