Empress Sisi and Her Sweets

A "short" look at the famed Empress of Austria and her favorite pastry shop.

The beautiful Elizabeth of Austria

Empress Elizabeth of Austria was a woman who unexpectedly came into the Austrian Court after Franz Joseph I fell in love with her. She breathed new life into the very formal Imperial Family with her heart for charity as well as her elegance and beauty. And while she brought so much to the table, her upbringing, being relatively relaxed, did not prepare her for the strict life at the Hapsburg Court, causing her to develop an eating disorder.

The Hofburg Palace. One of the residences of Empress Sisi and the Imperial Court. She would have her “treats” brought here. Photo by me.

As sad as this is, there is still a lasting legacy of it, just down the road from the Imperial Palace in Vienna, in the form of a pastry shop called Demel. When you walk into Demel, you are both struck by the bygone elegance of the shop, and ready to feast on all of the delicious items on the menu. Apparently, even for Empress Sisi, this was the case. Particularly when the Empress was binge eating, she would have items from Demel brought to the Hofburg Palace through her secret passage so that she could binge on the food. She also requested that candied violets be made for her by the shop. These violets are still made and sold today, almost two hundred years later, in her honor.

Demel, the incredible Pastry shop that would provide Empress Sisi with food during a binge eating episode. Photo by me.

For a historical fiction introduction to her fascinating life, I suggest you check out “The Empress” on Netflix.

The candied violets Demel made for the Empress, which are still sold today. Photo by me.

I also want to take a moment to recognize and reflect on the fact that court life, while glamorous, was incredibly hard for so many young women and men who did not necessarily choose their position in the world. The darker parts of Empress Sisi’s incredible life are very reminiscent of Princess Diana and her many times over great aunt, the Duchess of Devonshire. (Read more about these two women here.)

For more about the Hapsburgs, be sure to read Marie Antionette’s Sisters Pt. 1 and Pt. 2.

I hope you enjoyed this “Monday Short!”

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Until Next Time,

McKenzie