While fans of Bridgerton await the highly anticipated third season, whet your appetite with an exciting new historical romantic drama coming to Netflix. The Empress lands in September 2022, and promises to fill the Bridgerton-shaped hole in your viewing schedule. We’ve got everything you need to know about The Empress, including the plot, cast, trailer, and Netflix release date.
The Empress is an upcoming German Netflix Original historical romantic drama series written by Katharina Eyssen and based on the early life and romance of Empress Elisabeth of Austria. The series was co-written by Bernd Lange, Janna Maria Nandzik, and Lena Stahl. Florian Cossen and Katrin Gebbe are the co-directors of the series.
When is The Empress Netflix release date?
The Empress will be released on Netflix worldwide on Thursday, September 29th, 2022.
What is the plot of The Empress?
The synopsis of The Empress is courtesy of Netflix:
When the rebellious Elisabeth met Franz, the Emperor of Austria, the intoxicating love of the young couple completely upset the power structure at the Viennese court.
After the wedding, the young empress not only has to assert herself against her power-hungry mother-in-law, Sophie, but also against Franz’s brother Maxi, who longs for the throne (and for Sisi) himself.
When enemy troops form on the borders of the Habsburg Empire, the people of Vienna rise up in protest against the Emperor. Elisabeth must find out who she can trust and what the price is in order to prove herself as the true empress and the beacon of hope for the people.
Who was Elisabeth von Wittelsbach?
Elisabeth von Wittelsbach was the wife of Emperor Franz Joseph and the Empress of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Born into the royal Bavarian House of Wittelsbach, Elisabeth married Franz Joseph by the age of sixteen and soon had to settle into the life of the Habsbourg court, much to her disdain.
Empress Elisabeth of Austria
In the early years of her reign as Empress of Austria, Elisabeth was at odds with her mother-in-law Archduchess Sophie, who took it upon herself to rear her grandchildren, reasoning that the Empress was too young to raise multiple children at once. After protesting to her husband, eventually, Elisabeth was allowed to spend more time with her daughters and was allowed to take them with her when traveling. Sadly, Elisabeth would be blamed for the death of her oldest daughter, Princess Sophie, who died of high fever and diarrhea while traveling in Budapest, Hungary.
Princess Sophie of Bavaria, the mother-in-law of Empress Elisabeth
The death of Princess Sophie and the immediate aftermath would impact Elisabeth’s mental health for the rest of her life. Elisabeth was not cruel, but she was unmotherly to all of her surviving children for the rest of her life, which was not helped by Archduchess Sophie who felt vindicated by the death of the princess that she, and not the Empress, should raise the children. For the rest of her life, Elisabeth kept a bracelet with the likeness of her daughter, and portraits in her apartments.
Princess Sophie of Austria, who tragically died at the age of 2
To escape court life and relax, Elisabeth would often travel to Hungary, developing a close relationship with its people. Elisabeth’s relationship with Hungary helped bring about the dual monarchy of 1867, establishing the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Elisabeth spent the latter years of her life traveling, which helped her escape from her melancholy and court life. Sadly, on September 10th, 1898, Elisabeth was assassinated while on a visit to Geneva Switzerland.
The funeral procession of Empress Elisabeth in Vienna, Switzerland, September 17th, 1898.
Who are the cast members of The Empress?
It’s a Netflix debut for Turkish-German actress Devrim Lingnau, who will be portraying the lead role of Elisabeth von Wittelsbach. Lingnau is most well known in Germany for her roles as Carmilla in Carmilla, and Cäcilia in Auerhas.
Devrim Lingnau (left) and Empress Elisabeth of Austria (right)
Playing the role of Emperor Franz Joseph is newcomer Philip Froissant. The Munich-born actor made a name for himself in 2021 thanks to his role in the Netflix Original film Black Island.
Philip Froissant (left) and a portrait of a young Emporer Franz Joseph (right)
Sveneja Jung takes on the role of Louise. Jung previously starred in the Netflix Original series Dark for one episode (Das Paradies) as Sonja Tannhaus.
Below is the confirmed cast list of The Empress:
- Devrim Lingnau – Elisabeth von Wittlesbach
- Philip Froissant – Franz Joseph
- Sevnja Jung – Louise
- Raymond Tarabay – Ambassadeur De Bourqueney
- Patrick Rapold – Franz Liszt
- Jonathan Failla – Robert Stephenson
- Rudy Ruggiero – Von Eskeles
- Irene Della Casa – Baronesse Francesca
- Simson Bubbel – Livree Ischi
Are you looking forward to the release of The Empress on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!
Netflix Synopsis: "When rebellious Elisabeth falls for Emperor Franz and becomes his unlikely bride, she enters a world of tension and intrigue at the Viennese court."
