The Empress, the German Netflix series about the life of Empress Elisabeth (also known as “Sisi”), became a global hit in 2022, winning the International Emmy for best drama series in the fall of 2023. Now, it’s back for its sophomore season. Here’s everything we know about it so far.
Who is in the second season of The Empress?
Devrim Lingnau once again takes on the role of the iconic Austrian empress for Season 2. Philip Froissant, known from the 2021 Netflix thriller Black Island, also returns to her part as Sisi’s beloved Franz of Austria. Melika Foroutan (Empress Mother Sophie), Johannes Nussbaum (Archduke Maximilian), Almila Bagriacik (Court Lady Leontine), and Jördis Triebel (Ludovika of Bavaria) also reprise their respective roles. Exciting new additions to the cast include Josephine Thiesen as Princess Marie and Christoph Favre as Napoleon III.
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix
The team behind the scenes is also (mostly) back: showrunner Katharina Eyssen is supported by executive producer Robert Eyssen. Sommerhaus Serien GmbH and its two producers Jochen Laube and Fabian Maubach are also once again responsible for production, while Scarlett Lacey returns as executive producer. Barbara Ott and Maximilian Erlenwein are in the director’s chair this time.
The second season was filmed in Bavaria, the Czech Republic, and Italy.
What will the second season of The Empress be about?
In The Empress, we get to know the beloved Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary as a rebellious woman, caught between court conventions and love. In the first season, Sisi and Franz of Austria met, married, and turned the power structure at the Viennese court upside down with their relationship. Without spoiling anything, the season’s conclusion didn’t feel much like a happy ending.
This is where the second season comes in. Dark clouds once again gather over Schönbrunn Palace: A powerful adversary appears on the scene in Europe, and Sisi finds herself under pressure (especially from Archduchess Sophie) to give birth to an heir to the throne who will secure the future of the empire. But the second child is also a girl. Sisi has to fight for her family and for herself—and also wants to get involved in politics. Thus, Franz once again finds himself caught between his loyalty to his wife and his mother.
