In the political sphere, one piece of bad news followed on the last. Grünne’s successor as adjutant general, Count Crenneville, complained, “terrible prospects—state bankruptcy—revolution—misfortune—war. Poor Emperor, indefatigably striving for the best.”1 Emperor Franz Joseph had no intention of letting his young wife share in his worries. He continued to discuss politics only with his mother, never with Elisabeth, who was developing opposing opinions. Annoyed, the Empress had to accept a situation in which she was pushed aside like a child and her suggestions were not even acknowledged. The tug of war between Sophie and Sisi was fiercer than ever. It can hardly seem surprising that the Emperor tried to keep out of the way of the endless quarreling of the two women in this already overcharged atmosphere and that he sought comfort elsewhere. Widespread rumors about Franz Joseph’s affairs began to circulate for the first time in his marriage, which was almost six years old.
