The China Mail - Behind the Scenes of Netflix’s 'The Empress': Candles, Costumes and Global Reach

The cast and crew of "The Empress" never anticipated that a German-language television series focused on European monarchy would achieve such widespread international acclaim, yet the show has reached audiences far beyond the borders of the former Austrian Empire. According to Netflix, the first two seasons of the period drama entered the Top 10 in more than 85 countries ahead of the third and final season, which is scheduled to launch on Thursday.

Stars Devrim Lingnau Islamoğlu and Philip Froissant, who portray Empress Elisabeth—often referred to as Sisi or Sissi—and Emperor Franz Joseph I, have gained recognition globally. Their visibility extends from the United Kingdom to Turkey, where Lingnau, who is of German-Turkish descent, has been filming a movie, and to Peru, where she was recently working on another project.

The series is set in the latter half of the 19th century and is based on the real lives of the ill-fated empress, who was assassinated by an anarchist, and one of the last Habsburg emperors of Austria-Hungary. Despite struggling with mental health issues and shyness, Empress Elisabeth fought for her political beliefs and sought to find her own place in the world. This narrative continues to attract admirers and new portrayals, including Romy Schneider in the 1950s "Sissi" film trilogy and Vicky Krieps in the 2022 film "Corsage."

Showrunner Katharina Eyssen, who was born in Munich like the real Empress Elisabeth, admitted she initially grew up overwhelmed by stories about Sisi and was unsure another version was needed. Now, she becomes emotional when reflecting on how viewers from Ukraine, Iran, and various African countries have contacted her to say that seeing this character gave them hope, relief, or joy.

Froissant also receives messages from people around the world who have traveled to historic sites recreated in the show. Many are disappointed to discover that the series is shot in a Bavarian castle rather than in Austria, as Sisi’s real palaces are now museums and have not been used for filming since the 1970s.

Despite this, fans continue to pay their respects at locations associated with the Habsburgs. Eyssen noted visiting Vienna’s Imperial Crypt, where Habsburgs—including the couple and Archduke Maximilian, who was briefly emperor of Mexico before his execution—are buried. Among Mexican flags and coins left by visitors, she saw a picture of actor Johannes Nussbaum, who plays Franz Joseph’s brother on the show.

Recreating the world of Sisi and Franz Joseph required a staggering number of costume changes, wigs, and even fake champagne bottles. Froissant described it as "quite unbalanced" to compare the number of costumes the lead actors had across three seasons. He noted that for him, it was easier, with only three kinds of uniforms and eight to 10 civil outfits.

Lingnau, on the other hand, wore 88 different costumes in total, each consisting of multiple layers including blouses, skirts, underskirts, and corsets. The majority were hand-sewn. She recalled that some dresses were seen only once in a small scene before being put away, despite weeks of work.

While 23 wigs were made for the main cast—four or five just for Sisi and her double—many more beards and sideburns were created. Froissant never needed to touch the stash of fake sideburns, as he kept his own facial hair during shooting. He described the look as distinctive, especially in day clothes, noting it made him look like a "trucker or a rocker, rockabilly guy."

Approximately 8,000 candles were used for the two seasons. Eyssen explained that this estimate is from the last two seasons only. They could not use candles in Season 1 because they were shooting in original locations. Once they moved to a stage, they burned all the candles because they were not allowed in the actual castles.

Lingnau was surprised by the total number of fake champagne bottles on set, expecting it to be far higher. She noted that almost all scenes in Schönbrunn Palace involve characters drinking during parties and special occasions.

Big events like weddings, coronations, and public appearances involved huge crowds of background actors. Froissant described the strange feeling of everyone going to their knees when he entered a room. Both stars said the background actors were extremely patient, but Lingnau noted that after shooting the same scene multiple times, even the extras started to giggle because they no longer took them seriously.

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