Royal Apartments
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Transcript
After the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, the Hungarian state provided Gödöllő as a royal residence for Franz Joseph and Queen Elisabeth. Elisabeth—better known as Sisi—developed a particular attachment to the palace and spent substantial time here.
Her popularity in Hungary has produced a huge romantic mythology, but there is a solid political reason Gödöllő mattered: the Hungarian residence helped make the new dual monarchy visible. The sovereign was not only emperor in Vienna; he was also king of Hungary with a courtly presence on Hungarian soil. Elisabeth’s personal popularity gave that symbolism unusual emotional power.