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| In pictures, left, Archduchess Gisela of Austria, right, the archduchess and her husband with their children. |
Archduchess Gisela of Austria was sober like her father, a
total opposite to her free-spirited but frequently-absent mother, the beautiful
Empress Elisabeth of Austria. Even as a child, Gisela preferred her
grandmother, Archduchess Sophie, over Sisi. The archduchess being soft and
caring to her grandchildren, the typical doting grandmother, while remaining
icy and stern to her daughter-in-law.
She was 15 when she was betrothed to marry Prince Leopold of
Bavaria, her second cousin on both the maternal and paternal sides.
Prince Leopold was actually in love with the beautiful
Princess Amelie of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Sisi's brother, Duke Maximilian Emanuel
in Bavaria, besotted Amelia and not wanting to break his brother's heart, the
Empress arranged for him and Amalie to meet at
Gödöllő Palace. One of Sisi's guests was her cousin, Prince Leopold of
Bavaria, who was already told that a marriage between him and Gisela was
favored by Emperor Franz Josef. To be the son-in-law of one of Europe's most
powerful sovereign weighed heavier than his infatuation to Amalie.
Franz Josef wanted a Catholic husband for his daughters and
at that time, there was a shortage of Catholic princes who were deemed eligible
enough in the eyes of Franz Josef. When
their engagement was announced, Prince
Leopold received half a million guilders as dowry.
Archduchess Sophie, however, objected. She thought the
marriage "is no match. “Elisabeth, meanwhile, thought Gisela was too young
to marry, although she herself was as young as Gisela when she married the
emperor. It was decided that their wedding should take place after a year .
According to Alan Palmer, the empress' critics insisted that "in her
craving for eternal youthfulness, Elizabeth wished to put off the reality of
becoming a grandmother as long as possible."
Archduchess Gisela of Austria and Prince Leopold of Bavaria were
married without Sisi around, amidst great festivities. They established their
residence at Palais Leopold in Schwabing and had four children, who all
survived through adulthood. Gisela was particularly close to his only brother,
Crown Prince Rudolf, and his death after suicide severely affected her. After
this, the archduchess became active in various social and political activities,
establishing charities that helped the poor, blind and deaf At the height of
World War I, she converted her palace into a military hospital and when the
monarchy was toppled, Gisela refused to leave
Munich but, instead, remained and participated the 1919 elections for
the Weimar National Assembly where women above the age of 20 were allowed to
vote for the first time.
The Bavarians’ esteem and affection towards Gisela never
wavered until old age. Such was her popularity that they called her the Good
Angel from Vienna. The still-active paddle steamer Gisela on the Traunsee and
the Gisela Gymnasium in Munich were named in her honor.
Archduchess Gisela Louise Marie of Austria was born on July
12, 1856. She died on July 27, 1932, in Munich.
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