15. Elisabeth Got Her Headstrong Nature From Her Father
Elisabeth’s father was Duke Maximilian Joseph of Bavaria, and like his daughter, he had a determined spirit and led a free lifestyle. Popularly known as “Max,” he loved Bavarian folk music and promoted it throughout Germany. He particularly loved the folk instrument known as the zither, a stringed instrument that can be seen as a cross between a harp and a guitar. He both played the zither and composed music for it, bringing it into courtly circles. He popularized the zither and folk music so much that the zither became Bavaria’s national musical instrument and people referred to him as “Zither-Maxl.”
In addition to promoting folk music, Max was an extensive traveler. He visited Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Elisabeth’s father also maintained a childlike love of the circus throughout his entire life, even building a private, temporary ring in the city of Munich, adjacent to his palace there. Because of his own adventurous lifestyle, he encouraged his children, including Sisi, to pursue their own lives rather than conform to what others expected of them. Sisi followed in his footsteps, preferring equestrian adventures and long hikes through the countryside over academics and pursuits that people tend to assume of royals.