This is how Sisi, Queen of Hungary kept her amazing beauty

Elisabeth, commonly known as Sisi, the Queen of Hungary, was considered to be the most beautiful woman in Europe in the 19th century. She was beloved by a whole nation and the world around her. On the other hand, the Queen was not always satisfied with her appearance and paid a great price to make herself dazzling every day. 

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Femina reported that many know the significant moments of the Hungarian Queen: when she fell in love with Franz Joseph at the age of sixteen, that she felt lonely and abandoned in Vienna and loved spending time at the Castle of Gödöllő (Pest County). And, of course, everyone was aware of her amazing beauty. But how did Sisi keep her perfect look?

An interesting fact is that when she was a young woman, she was not considered to be beautiful at all. Many historians wrote about her boyish look and body shape which was the main reason Sisi started a strict diet, leading her to suffer from a severe lack of self-confidence. 

Sisi, Queen of Hungary, Elisabeth, beauty
Photo: www.facebook.com/azigazisisi

Sisi became an adult, and at the same time, she also became the most beautiful woman on the continent. Her thin body and long brown hair astonished every eye looking at her. She was proud of herself but paid a great price for her beauty. 

Sisi had her hair washed every third week. Her hairdresser, Fanny Feirfalika, brushed a special liquid for hours into Sisi’s hair which weighed kilograms. The liquid contained eggs and cognac which made the Queen’s hair soft and glowy. During the procedure, Sisi usually read or studied Greek and Hungarian. 

Sisi, hair, Hungary, Queen of Hungary
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Allegedly, Sisi could not bear the sight of hair loss, and whenever this happened, Feirfalika hid the lost hair under her skirt. Although Sisi loved her hair, because of its heavy weight, it often caused her physical pain and headaches. 

Sisi was 172 centimetres tall but weighed only 48 kilograms. She registered her measurements in her diary every day. At the Castle of Schönbrunn, Vienna, she spent one hour with strict training every day. She often rode a horse and took long walks whenever she had enough time.

Sisi, Queen of Hungary, Hungary
Photo: www.facebook.com/azigazisisi
Sisi, Queen of Hungary, beauty, history
Photo: Wikimedia Commons by Emil Rabending

Rumour has it that she even had some of her ribs removed to make herself thinner, but this was never confirmed.

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Surprisingly, what she ate could be called anything but healthy. The Queen only asked for food twice a day: in the morning and for supper around 6 pm. She usually ate chicken and beef, but there were weeks when only eggs and oranges were served for her.

Sisi, Hungary, beauty, history
Photo: www.facebook.com/azigazisisi

On the other hand, Sisi loved sweets and could not eat enough of them. After these eating-rushes, she usually did not have anything for days, which led Sisi to suffer from bulimia.

The reason for her severe lack of confidence was her teeth and wrinkles. She rarely attended public events and dinners as she would not have had the opportunity to eat her usual meals. When Sisi did attend, she tried to talk as little as possible. It was not because she was not educated but because she was ashamed of her teeth. Sisi’s teeth had many health problems which were due to her love for sweets. When she talked, she usually held her hand in front of her mouth. When she became an old woman, she used dentures. Sisi also had a problem with ageing. During her old age, she only appeared publicly with a veil covering her face and forbade to be photographed after her 30th birthday.

Sisi, painting, Queen of Hungary, history
Photo: www.facebook.com/azigazisisi

As we can see, during her lifetime, she tried to keep her beauty using several methods. She was indeed one of the most beautiful women in Europe, but also the most unhappy.

sisi
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Source: www.femina.hu

2 Comments

  1. I fell in love with Empress Elizabeth many years ago when I first saw her portrait in our hotel in Vienna! Years later I bought a portrait of her , quite large , showing a side view with her gorgeous hair the main object in the painting! I day good night and good morning to her everyday!

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