Sixteen-year-old Bavarian Duchess, Elisabeth “Sisi” von Wittelsbach, falls in love with Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria, the intended fiancé of her older sister, Duchess Helene, and they marry. Arriving in Vienna, Sisi finds herself navigating the complexity of court politics and her husband’s scheming family. Her mother-in-law, Archduchess Sophie, who is also her aunt, antagonizes her almost immediately. Maximilian, Franz Joseph’s younger brother, tries to outshine his brother and prove that he is more worthy to rule.