Before the crownation of king and queen of Hungary Elisabeth was in Budapest and Franz was in Vienna, she kept him informed of every political move, following the daily reports of the parliamentary debates in the newspapers and sending him detailed accounts of her conversations with the various liberal statesmen. In her teasing, Ironic fashion she wrote to Franz:
I realize more and more how extraordinarily clever I am and that you have not got a sufficiently high opinion of my superior intelligence.
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The villa sisi rented in Hungary was to small for longer stays in the country, the Budapest Castle was too hot in summer; she wanted a castle in the countryside, and she knew exactly which one: Gödöllö.
In the midst of armistice negotiations with Italy, Franz wrote to Elisabeth:
If you like, you can go to Gödöllö to visit the wounded. But do not look at it as if we wanted to buy it, for I have no money now, and in these hard times, we must economize rigorously.
Even the family holdings have been terribly devastated by the Prussians, and it will take years before they recover. I have reduced the court budget for next year to 5 million, so that we have to economize 2 million. almost half the stables have to be sold, and we have to live in very reduced circumstances.
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Elisabeth wrote her husband a month after the crownation when she was ill..but prehaps pregnant of Marie-Valerie:
Prehaps im expecting. During this uncertainty, the Salzburg visit is very depressing. I could weep all day long, that is how infinitely sad I am. My dear soul, comfort me, I need it very much. I have lost all interest, I do not want to go riding or walking, All, All is vanity.
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On one of their walks, Elisabeth asked Countess Marie Festetics in hungarian:
"Aren't you suprised that i live like a hermit?"
And she went on to explain:
I have no alternative but to coose this life. In the great worls, I have been so persecuted, so many evil things have been said about me, I have been so malinged, been so deeply offended and hurt, and God sees my soul, sees that I have never done anything evil. So i thought I would find a society that does not disturb my peace and offers me pleasure.
The forest does not hurt me...Nature is much more rewarding than Humanity.
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This is what Elisabeth told one of her ladies-in-waiting somewhere in 1872.
"I was...certainly not raised to be an Empress, and I know that a great deal is lacking in my upbringing, but I have never done anything improper, as God is my witness.
I had opportunity. They would have liked to seperate me from the Emperor."
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A Poem Elisabeth wrote about prince Edward of wales( later King Edward VIII):
Wir sassen im Drawing-room gemütlich beisammen
Prince Eduard und ich.
Er raspelte Süssholz und schwärmte,
Er sagte, er liebte mich.
Er rückte sehr nah und nahm meine Hand,
Und lispelte: "Dear cousin, wie wär's?"
Ich lachte von herzen und drohte:
"There is somebody coming upstairs"
Wir lauschten, es war aber nichts,
Und weiter ging das lustige spiel.
Sir Eduard ward mutig,
Ja, er wagte auch viel.
Ich wehrte mich nicht, es war interessant,
Ich lachte: "Dear cousin, wie wär's?"
Da ward er verlegen und flüsterte leis:
"There is somebody coming upstairs."
Translated to English:
We were sitting cosily together in the drawing room,
Prince Edward and I.
He whispered sweet nothings and raved on,
He said that he loved me.
He drew very close and took my hand,
And whispered, Dear Cousin, How about it?
I laughed with all my heart and warned him,
"There is somebody coming upstairs."
We listened, but it was nothing.
And the merry game went on.
Sir Edward grew bold,
Yes, and very daring.
I did not protest, it was interesting,
I laughed, "Dear cousin, how about it?"
At that he grew embarrassed and whispered softly,
"There is somebody coming upstairs."
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