The beautiful account of the powerful drama of love and courage of Austrian Archduke Franz Joseph and Princess Elizabeth of Bavaria. This is a condensed version of the original German language 3-part "Sissi" series.

Tsar Alexandre II meets a young student, Katia. He understands that he loves her and try to send her away but they end up seeing each other again and becomes his mistress. With the help of Katia, Alexandre prepares a liberal constitution, but these reforms make him hostile to the more privileged subjects without satirising the revolutionaries against the regime.

Unhappy accountant Karl has a crush on Eva who seems to prefer dates with execs. But real trouble ensues when he inherits his uncle's apartment and in its wake a group of shady characters involved in illegal business affairs.

Sissi is now the empress of Austria and attempts to learn etiquette. While she is busy being empress she also has to deal with her difficult new mother-in-law, while the arch-duchess Sophie is trying to tell the emperor how to rule and also Sissi how to be a mother.

Vickie, short for Victoria, is crowned Queen of England and as such needs to learn the responsibilities of her new post.

Vienna, sometime around 1680: Augustin makes fun of Leopold I mistress and in doing so, stirs up the passions of the people against the luxury-enjoying rulers, who neglect their people. He is arrested and sent to prison. When the plague breaks out, he manages to get out of prison, but accidentally ends up in a mass grave for victims of the plague

Vienna is celebrating New Year’s Eve 1913/14. It is the year, which will see the outbreak of the First World War. In Hotel Sacher, the mood is excellent; and although the political atmosphere is charged, there’s an undercurrent of hate and intolerance in the air. It is with this background that Nadja, a Russian spy, meets the Austrian civil servant Stefan. He loves her, but comes under suspicion of being an agent because of this love.