Franz Joseph marries Helene of Bavaria

So, this is something I've been musing on lately. Say Franz Joseph meets Helen, the older sister of his otl wife Sissi, and say he falls in lover with her, instead of Sissi, and marries her, what might the consequences of this be?

Might they have a healthier relationship? Would the issues that plagued Franz in his homelife be butterflied away as a consequence? Might he have more than one son?
 
You only need to prevent Franz from falling in love with Sissi. Helene was the original choice of both Archduchess Sophia and Duchess Ludovica as bride for Franz Joseph, but at the meeting with his prospective bride and her mother (and younger sister) Franz Joseph decided he wanted marry Elisabeth instead of Helene. If Franz had married Helene he will surely have an healthy domestic life: Helene had less beauty but a much better temperament and personality than Elisabeth and was much more suited for the role of Empress consort. Sissi was a rebel, Helene was educated to be Empress and had none of her younger sister's troubles
 
Alright very interesting, so that likely presents Franz with some calm in the turmoil that would follow.
 
Educated to be empress, sure. Choice of Sopherl and Ludovica, sure. However, her and FJ were both tongue tied in the other's presence, and FJ fell in love with Sisi after she stormed out the room where she'd just had a fight with her governess.

Then there is Helene's unfortunate problem with punctuality. She was late for trains, often failed to keep appointments etc (I read somewhere that she was late for the very train that was to take them to Ischl, and the meeting with FJ and Sopherl had to be postponed because of it. The truth of the matter was that it was quite possibly the fact that she HAD been raised to be empress - taught everything she needed to know, etc - that made her seem dull to FJ, esp in comparison to her younger sister.
 
Franz Joseph I of Austria, Holy Roman Emperor (b.1830: d.1916) m. Helene of Bavaria (b.1834: d.1890) (a)

1a) Rudolf Charles of Austria (b.1855: d.1855)

2a) Franz Joseph of Austria (b.1857)

3a) Sophia of Austria (b.1862)

4a) Charles John of Austria (b.1865)

5a) Mathilde Amalie of Austria (b.1870)

6a) Ferdinand Rudolf of Austria (b.1874)​
 
Alright brilliant three surviving sons, likely this means a much more stable succession, and a chance for the empire to have heirs who have some empire experience
 
FJ has a happier more stable family life (presumably). Nene's supposed tardiness pales in comparison to Sisi's myriad disruptive behaviors. But there would be no Sisi legend. And that would make the period history less interesting and enduring.

I don't think Nene is going to save Germany and Italy for FJ but the lack of Sisi's favor for Hungary could mean a more federalized, conservative, pro-Slav solution for the post 1866 monarchy? Dunno.

Begs the question. Who does Sisi marry? Frederick III? If she thought Schoenbrunn was stifling, wait till she gets a load of Potsdam. Ferdinand Max? Maybe they could be Koo Koo for cocoa puffs together on Corfu.
 
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