The Empress season 2: everything we know as the Netflix series has been renewed

The Empress season 2: Philip Froissant as Emperor Franz Joseph and Devrim Lingnau as Empress Elisabeth
Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Sisi will return for another season. (Image credit: Netflix)

The Empress season 2 is officially going ahead, so fans of the Netflix series will be pleased to know they'll be seeing even more of Empress Elisabeth "Sisi" as she continues to navigate royal life.

The first season of The Empress was a huge hit for Netflix, with the streaming service reporting 8.3 million viewers over its first 4 days and it even managed to break into Top 10 in the US and in the UK, so it's no surprise fans are hungry for more. 

It joins historical dramas such as The Crown season 5 for shows people can't get enough of, with The Empress following sixteen-year-old Bavarian princess Elisabeth "Sisi" who falls in love with Emperor Franz Joseph, dramatizing her life and subsequent marriage.

But what could we expect from the highly anticipated second season? Read on to find out everything we know so far.

The Empress season 2 release date

Unfortunately, it is way too early to speculate an exact release date for The Empress season 2 as it was just renewed by Netflix on November 8.

The streaming service announced the exciting news in a brief tweet which reads: "The Empress has been renewed for Season 2!"

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Speaking about the renewal to Deadline, series creator Katharina Eyssen said: "I am incredibly grateful that we were able to touch so many different people in Germany and all over the world with our series. 

"The story of Elisabeth’s life is a story of the power of love, but also of the courage to be different, and of hope for a better future, and that is what we need at this time. That’s why we are very happy to be able to continue telling this exciting story."

Devrim Lingnau as Empress Elisabeth wearing a yellow dress

Fans are keen to learn more about Sisi's life. (Image credit: Netflix)

The Empress season 2 plot

While exact plot details for season 2 have not been confirmed, season 1's cliffhanger is obviously an excellent place for things to kick off, where we learn that Sisi is pregnant.

It hadn't been an easy start to royal life for Sisi, with the new Empress punished by her mother-in-law Sophie due to her inappropriate behavior like drinking and partying, which was not regarded as proper etiquette for a senior member of the royal household.

At the end of season 1, Sophie put Sisi on a strict schedule in an attempt to rectify her behavior, which meant she wasn't allowed to ride her horse or go on evening strolls, nor was she allowed the company of the ladies in waiting and would only be accompanied by Countess Esterhazy. She was even given restricted access to her husband, Emperor Franz Joseph.

Elisabeth finds out she's pregnant after an examination

Sisi is examined and learns she is pregnant. (Image credit: Netflix)

In the final scenes of season 1, Sisi found out she was pregnant and made the decision to greet the public outside, who had gathered to protest Franz's reign. She shook hands with them and delivered the news, with Franz only finding out himself as he watched on.

So it's very likely that season 2 will pick up following Sisi's bombshell pregnancy announcement, and we will see the aftermath of this at the very least. If we get a full synopsis, we'll let you know!

The Empress cast

Philip Froissant and Devrim Lingnau are expected to return as Franz and Sisi, and it's likely some of the other The Empress cast members will be involved too.

So we could see Melika Foroutan as Princess Sophia, Franz's mother, Johannes Nussbaum as his brother Archduke Maximilian, and Elisa Schlott as Sisi's sister Helene, although no one has been confirmed just yet.

Is there a trailer?

Not yet, but watch this space!

Lucy Buglass
Senior Staff Writer

Lucy joined the WhatToWatch.com team in 2021, where she writes series guides for must-watch programmes, reviews and the latest TV news. Originally from Northumberland, she graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Film Studies and moved to London to begin a career writing about entertainment.


She is a Rotten Tomatoes approved film critic and has a huge passion for cinema. She especially loves horror, thriller and anything crime-related. Her favourite TV programmes include Inside No 9, American Horror Story, Stranger Things and Black Mirror but she is also partial to a quiz show or a bit of Say Yes to the Dress