Coronation of King Franz Joseph I and Queen Elisabeth of Hungary, 1867

After the creation of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy (which recognized Hungary as an independent and equal state, no longer subordinate to Austria), Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria (1830-1916) and his consort, Empress Elisabeth (1837-1898), were crowned King and Queen of Hungary on June 8, 1867 at Matthias Church in Budapest.

Figure 2.1. Eduard Engerth (Polish), The Coronation of Franz Joseph and Elizabeth, 1872, oil on canvas, 355 × 430 cm, Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest, 92.6.B, source: MNG.

Replica of Queen Elisabeth’s coronation gown

Figure 2.2. Georg Raab (Austrian), Kaiserin Elisabeth im ungarischen krönungsornat, 1867, oil on canvas, Sisi Museum, Hofburg, Vienna, MD 042845, source: The World of the Habsburgs.

Figure 2.3. Emil Rabending (German), Empress Elisabeth of Austria (1837-98), 1874, albumen print, 8.9 x 5.9 cm, Royal Collection Trust, RCIN 2908500, source: RCT.

Figure 2.4. Emil Rabending (German), Portrait of Empress Elisabeth wearing a Hungarian-style coronation dress by Worth, 1866, source: Facebook.

Figure 2.5. Giovanni Horvath, Elisabeth als königin von Ungarn (after Emil Rabending), after 1867, paper, Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna, SKB 000699, source: Facebook.

Figure 2.6. Maker unknown, Replica of court dress created by Worth for Empress Elisabeth’s 1867 coronation as Queen of Hungary, n.d., Sisi Museum, Hofburg, Vienna, source: Facebook.

Hungarian gala costumes worn by attendees

Stefania Prandau’s costume

Figure 2.7. Photographer unknown, Majláth family photo of woman wearing Stefania Prandau’s gala costume, 1907, in
Mária Kralovánszky and Zsuzsa Szalayné Papp, “Majláth Györgyné diszruhája,” Műtárgyvédelem 21 (1992), Photo 2, 75, source: Hungaricana.

Figure 2.8. Maker unknown, Gala costume originally worn by Stefania Prandau, 1867, Hungarian National Museum, Budapest, source: Google Arts & Culture.

Figure 2.9. Close-up images of dress from Figure 2.8, showing bodice, apron and train. Maker unknown, Gala costume originally worn by Stefania Prandau, 1867, Hungarian National Museum, Budapest, source: Google Arts & Culture.

Costume commissioned by unknown wearer

Figure 2.10 shows a blue silk gala dress that was created specifically for the 1867 coronation; after minor alterations, Gabriella Szécsenyi wore the outfit to the 1916 coronation of King Charles IV and Queen Zita of Hungary. The length of the opulent train is in accordance with court prescriptions; both the skirt and train are embellished with motifs of wheat and vine leaves embroidered in metal thread. The delicate veil, which is suspended from the back of the bonnet, and the matching apron are also lavishly decorated with metal-thread embroidery.¹

Figure 2.10. Maker unknown, Gala dress, 1867 (altered in 1916), Hungarian National Museum, Budapest, source: Twitter and Facebook.

Notes

1. Hungarian National Museum, “HNM Highlights – Top 50,” Museum Blog, May 14, 2015, https://mnm.hu/en/blog/hnm-highlights-top-50.

Bibliography

Hungarian National Museum. “HNM Highlights – Top 50.” Museum Blog, May 14, 2015. https://mnm.hu/en/blog/hnm-highlights-top-50.

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