The thrilling chronicle of two of the most influential and glamorous women in nineteenth-century Europe. When they married Emperors Franz Joseph and Napoleon III, respectively, Elisabeth of Austria and Eugenie of France became two of the most famous women on the planet. Young and beautiful, both represented a new type of empress: one who rebelled against tradition and embraced modern values. Yet they also endured hardship, playing a pivotal role in ruling their realms during a tempestuous era of revolutions, assassinations and wars. In this vivid account, Nancy Goldstone brings to life these two remarkable women, and their efforts to rule amid the scandal, intrigue, tragedy, and violence of their era.