When the rebellious Elisabeth ("Sisi") meets Franz, the Emperor of Austria, the young couple's intoxicating love completely upsets the power structure at the Viennese court. After the wedding, the young empress must assert herself not only against her mother-in-law, the sovereign, power-hungry Sophie but also against Franz's brother Maxi, who himself longs for the throne (and for Sisi). As enemy troops form upon the borders of the Habsburg Empire, people in Vienna rise up in protest against the emperor. Elisabeth must find out who she can trust and how high the price is to be a true empress and a figure of hope for the people.
