A very sad anniversary

September 10th is the sad anniversary of the death of Empress Elisabeth of Austria in Geneva.  Sisi was staying in Geneva at the Beau Rivage, a lovely hotel on the lakeside.    The local newspaper had reported that Sisi, using her usual pseudonym the Countess von Hohenembs was staying at the hotel. 

An Italian anarchist Luigi Lucheni wanted to murder a member of royalty and had hoped to kill Prince Henri of Orleans, pretender to the French throne.   But Henri had not arrived and then Lucheni read in a local newspaper that Sisi was in Geneva and staying at the hotel.   When Sisi and her lady-in-waiting headed off to the ferry for Montreux, Lucheni lay in wait for them and stabbed Sisi.  She was knocked over but did not realise she had been stabbed.  Passers-by caught Lucheni and took him to the police; meanwhile Sisi boarded the ferry.   Shortly after departure, Sisi collapsed and the ferry returned to the quayside.  She was rushed back to the hotel but was dead on arrival.  Lucheni was sentenced to life imprisonment and died in jail 10 years later.

Statue of Sisi by Lake Geneva by Philip Jackson CVO DL MA FRBS

Categorised in: Uncategorized