by The History Chicks | Aug 7, 2024 | Episode, Podcasts
We wrap up our two-part series on the life of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria! This is an epic tale of war (more than we’ve ever discussed) and family (also more than we’ve ever discussed!) We talk about the many steps she took as Maria Theresa reassembled the empire she had inherited and strategically laid the foundations of cultural reform that changed the course of history.
(more…)by The History Chicks | Sep 3, 2020 | Episode, Podcasts
Empress Sisi at 28 by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, dress by Charles Frederick Worth (of course it was) 1865
Empress Sisi’s story often reads like a fairytale … usually because it’s fiction. The basics of her life do parallel those tales: a vivacious, beautiful young woman is chosen from all the lands as the love of the Austrian emperor. As a beloved Empress, she added a fresh energy to Viennese court while riding horses, maintaining her youthful glow, being a fashion icon, mingling with her people, and raising a family.
But the reality behind that lovely facade is s a little darker, a little sadder, and did not end in a “happily ever after.” (more…)
by The History Chicks | Aug 17, 2020 | Episode, Podcasts
Sisi as a newlywed circa 1855
Empress Sisi’s story often reads like a fairytale…usually because a lot of the coverage of her life is fiction. The basics do parallel those tales: a vivacious, beautiful young woman is chosen from all the lands as the love of the Austrian emperor. As a beloved Empress, she adds fresh energy to Viennese court while riding horses, maintaining her youthful energy, being a fashion icon, and raising a family.
But the reality behind that lovely facade is a little darker, a little sadder, and did not end in a “happily ever after.” (more…)
Beckett Graham and Susan Vollenweider: Two women. Half the population. Several thousand years of history. About an hour.
