Sissi: The Fateful Years of an Empress

Sissi: The Fateful Years of an Empress continues the story of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, now crowned Queen of Hungary and admired by the Hungarian people. Despite her political skill and the success of a diplomatic mission with Count Andrassy, rumours spread at court about a romance between them, stirred by her hostile mother-in-law, Archduchess Sophie, and damaging her relationship with Emperor Franz Joseph. A serious lung illness forces Elisabeth to leave Austria for a long recovery abroad in a warmer climate, and once she regains her health she sets out to reunite with her husband and to accompany him on a visit to the Italian territories of the empire.

The film is the third entry in Ernst Marischka's trilogy, following Sissi (1955) and Sissi: The Young Empress (1956). Marischka directed, wrote and produced it, with Karl Ehrlich as co-producer, and Romy Schneider returns as Elisabeth opposite Karlheinz Böhm as Franz Joseph. Magda Schneider, Gustav Knuth, Uta Franz and Walther Reyer appear among the supporting cast.

On IMDb the film holds a rating of 6.6 from around 6,600 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 7.1 from roughly 361 votes. The smaller TMDB sample is noticeably more favourable than the larger IMDb one, though both suggest a generally positive reception for this concluding chapter.