Empress Elisabeth of Austria, nicknamed “Sisi”, was known for her beauty, elegance, and political influence. Born into Bavarian royalty, she married her first cousin, Emperor Franz Joseph I, at age 16 in 1854. Though not initially smitten with him, she became Queen of Hungary and Empress of Austria until her assassination in 1898. Sisi was admired by the Hungarians for her role in the 1867 Compromise that created the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary.