The Tudor's Dynasty podcast.

Hello and welcome back to Tudor's Dynasty and beyond.

My mere host, Rebecca Larson.

Empress Sissy of Austria and Queen Men of Korea were two influential women who shape their nation's histories.

Sissy, an enigmatic figure, struggled with personal anguish while advocating for Hungarian

independence within the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Queen men, rising from humble beginnings, worked tirelessly to modernize Korea and

defended from foreign influence, particularly Japan. Both women faced immense challenges and political intrigue,

ultimately sacrificing their lives in the fight for their country's futures.

Elizabeth, known as Sissy, was born on the 24th of December 1837 in Munich. She was the daughter of Duke Max Joseph in Bavaria and Princess Ludovica Vilemona, who was part of the Bavarian royal family and the daughter of King Maximilian I, Joseph of Bavaria.

Unlike most aristocratic children of her time, Sissy's upbringing was centered

around outdoor pursuits rather than strict courtly education. She spent her childhood riding horses,

hiking and exploring nature, developing a deep love for independence. However, her unconventional lifestyle often clashed with the rigid expectations of European high society.

Sissy embraced progressive democratic ideals and pacifism, views that were rare among European royalty at the time. From her mother, she inherited a deep

desire for privacy and a reluctance toward public life, traits that would later make her role as

empress a constant struggle. In the summer of 1853, Emperor Franz Joseph, the first of Austria, met Sissy in Baud Ishi,

and was immediately drawn to her, though he had been expected to marry her elder sister, Helena.

It was Sissy's charm and free-spirited nature that captivated him.

16 years old, Sissy married her 23-year-old cousin, Emperor Franz, the ruler of the vast

Habsburg Empire in April of 1854.

As thousands gathered in the streets of Vienna to catch a glimpse of their new empress,

the wedding was celebrated with all the grander expected of an imperial

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