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Archduchess Gisela Louise Marie of Austria was a member of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty and the eldest surviving daughter of Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth of Austria.
Her marriage to Prince Leopold of Bavaria connected her to the Bavarian royal family and marked a significant chapter in her life.
Gisela von Österreich Biography
Archduchess Gisela Louise Marie of Austria was born on July 12, 1856, in Laxenburg, Lower Austria, Austrian Empire.
She was Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth of Austria’s second daughter and eldest surviving child. Gisela was crowned Princess of Bavaria after marrying her second cousin, Prince Leopold.
Gisela was reared by her paternal grandmother, Archduchess Sophie of Austria, and her elder sister, Archduchess Sophie, as well as her brother, Crown Prince Rudolf.
Her guarded demeanour towards her mother was owing to her sober character, which was similar to her father’s. Gisela had a close relationship with her brother, and his death had a profound effect on her.
Emperor Franz Joseph I amassed a collection of personal treasures from the family. Among these mementos was a poem written for him one Christmas by a young Gisela, which was thought to be the most valued piece in the collection. In her later years, Gisela discovered a passion for painting.
Gisela married Prince Leopold of Bavaria in Vienna on April 20, 1873, when she was 16 years old. Gisela’s second cousin was Prince Leopold, the son of Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria and Auguste Ferdinande of Austria.
Empress Elisabeth arranged the marriage after Prince Leopold had originally planned to marry Princess Amalie of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
However, after seeing Gisela at Gödöll Palace, which the Empress arranged, Prince Leopold fell in love with her and accepted the offer.
Emperor Franz Josef supported the match as well, because there were few Catholic princes available at the period.
The Emperor was looking for a good match for his daughter, whom he affectionately referred to as “our darling girl” during the wedding ceremony.
Prince Leopold received a dowry of 500,000 guilders, which helped him overcome his former crush on Princess Amalie.
During the wedding festivities, Gisela’s mother, Empress Elisabeth, was conspicuously missing. The young couple, however, were warmly received by Prince Leopold’s family in Munich, where they stayed at the Palais Leopold in Schwabing. The Palais was renamed Giselastraße in 1873 after Gisela.
In 1923, Gisela and her husband celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. Her husband died in 1930, and she outlived him by barely two years.
Gisela died on July 27, 1932, in Munich, at the age of 76. She was buried in the Colombarium of St. Michael’s Church in Munich, next to Prince Leopold.
Archduchess Gisela von Sterreich had a life entwined with monarchy, recognised for her reserved demeanour and strong relationship with her brother.
Her marriage to Prince Leopold of Bavaria took her into the royal family of Bavaria and left a lasting impact. Her love of painting, as well as the poetry she composed for her father, demonstrate her creative and compassionate personality.
Gisela’s life was full of love, hardships, and devotion to her family, and she left an indelible mark on the history of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty.
Gisela von Österreich Cause Of Death
Gisela von Österreich’s cause of death is unknown as there is limited information about what led to her demise.
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