Riding hat worn by Empress Elisabeth fetches $186,500 at Vienna auction

By Derek Brooks VIENNA (Reuters) – A riding hat believed to have been worn by Austro-Hungarian Empress Elisabeth, called “Sisi” by family and friends, fetched 134,500 euros ($186,500) at a Vienna auction, more than 50 times higher than expected. Elisabeth was the wife of Emperor Franz Joseph I, a selection of whose personal items were also highly sought-after at Wednesday’s sale of imperial memorabilia. “The hat I think is the most interesting object, although we are not sure if it belonged to Sisi or her daughter,” said Georg Ludwigstorff, the auction specialist in charge. “There is always high interest in the Habsburgs’ personal items – especially those of Elisabeth,” Ludwigstorff said.