Elisabeth of Bavaria, also known as Sisi, was born on December 24, 1837, in Munich, Germany. She became the Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary through her marriage to Franz Joseph I in 1854. Known for her beauty and free spirit, Elisabeth was often at odds with the rigid court life of the Habsburg dynasty. Elisabeth was deeply interested in travel, poetry, and the arts, often seeking solitude away from the pressures of royal duties. Her life was marked by personal tragedies, including the death of her son, Rudolf, and she became a symbol of both elegance and melancholy in European history.