In the first of a trilogy of movies about Elisabeth "Sissi" of Austria, the vibrant young princess catches the eye of her sister's fiancé, Emperor Franz Josef.

The young Emperor Franz Joseph is on his way to his summer residence at Ischl, where his birthday will be celebrated with a big party. His mother, Archduchess Sophie, has decided that he shall marry her niece Princess Helene of Bayern, and that the engagement shall be proclaimed at the ball. Franz Joseph doesn't know Helene yet, but his mother has already prepared everything. To avoid suspicions of what is going on, her sister, Duchess Ludovika of Bavaria, brings not only Princess Helene, called Néné, to the ball, but also the younger Princess Elisabeth, called Sissi. Archduchess Sophie is particular about strict etiquette at the court, and dislikes her niece Sissi, who is a free spirit, just as her father, Duke Max of Bavaria. To keep Sissi inactive, her room in Ischl is locked from outside, but Sissi escapes through a window. She goes to the woods, and when she is fishing in a river, Emperor Franz Joseph passes by in his royal carriage. He is immediately enamored by Sissi, who doesn't reveal her true identity. When Franz Joseph recognizes Sissi at the ball the same evening, he defies his mother and proclaims that Sissi will become his wife and the new Empress of Austria.—Maths Jesperson {[email protected]}

Young, beautiful, and brimming with life and vigor, unpretentious 16-year-old country girl and Bavarian princess Elisabeth--or lovingly nicknamed, Sissi--travels with her older sister Helene and their mother, Duchess Ludovika of Bavaria, to Bad Ischl, to meet the young Austrian Emperor, Franz Joseph. Against the backdrop of Helene's imminent arranged marriage to the kind monarch, Sissi and Franz have a chance encounter--and almost instantly they deeply fall for each other. The youthful ruler declares his love for the free-spirited princess; however, is immature Sissi ready to take up the myriads of responsibilities that come with the throne?—Nick Riganas

Handsome young Austrian-Hungarian emperor Franz Joseph I grudgingly accepts to prevent diplomatic complication by accepting betrothal, arranged by his domineering mother empress-dowager Sophie, to cousin Helene 'Nene', daughter of Bavarian royal Duke Max, kin of the Bavarian king. Her mother, Sophie's sister Duchess Ludovika, agrees to bring Nene to Ischl for a ball, without even informing Max, and takes her younger sister Elisabeth 'Sissi', a nature-loving, outspoken tomboy, along as cover. Complicating the task of clumsy court-assigned security chief Böckl, a major in the military gendarmes (police), Sissi escaped to go fishing and bumps into the carriage of the emperor, who is instantly charmed, even smitten, but she presented herself as Lisl of Possenhofen, after Max's rustic residence. Only at the ball, he learns the truth and tells shocked Sophie he selected the kid sister, who initially refuses to 'steal' Nene's fiance, but ultimately the latter finds another and the deal is struck. After a grand voyage along the Danube, Sissi moves into the Vienna palace Hofburg, where her country manner keeps shocking etiquette-obsessed 'mentor' Sophie, yet the royal wedding takes place with truly imperial pomp.—KGF Vissers

Princess Elisabeth (Schneider), also known as Sissi, captivates the young Emperor of Austria, Francis Joseph (Böhm). His domineering mother, Archduchess Sophie (Degischer), has made plans for him to marry his cousin Princess Helene (Franz), but as fate would have it, he meets Sissi instead and is charmed by the vivacious princess who prefers fishing to courtly receptions.