On an occasion, his mother came back to Vienna. He gave vent to his feelings, and he sought help her to hope to put in a good word on behalf of him with his father. However, because she had severed all relations with the Royal court, she rejected the entreaty of her son stubbornly. Because Rudolf despaired of her behavior, he accepted the kiss of the Grim Reaper (Death) at Mayerling on the outskirts of Vienna in January 1889 and committed double suicide with a pistol. This is so-called the "Mayerling incident". His death is veiled in mystery even now. On hearing that Elisabeth's only son had committed double suicide, she went into a state of shock. As soon as she saw the figure of his death, she realized that he was the living image of herself. Because she merely sought her own freedom, she regretted abandoning her son, who sought his own freedom likewise, to his fate, and she broke down in tears in front of the coffin. Her sorrow was so deep that she begged for mercy even to the abominable opponent, who put an end to his life. But the Grim Reaper (Death) did not attempt to respond to her lamentation.