Sisi never really adapted herself to the court and always had disagreements with the imperial family; their first daughter Sophie died as an infant; and their only son, Crown Prince Rudolf, died by suicide in 1889, in the infamous Mayerling Incident.
Čeprav je bil v javnem življenju cesar nedvomno v aferah, je v zasebnem življenju njegova mogočna mati nanj še vedno odločilno vplivala.