Although this caused a certain coolness with the Austrian royal family, Strauss was by this time too big to fail, and for most Austrians his peccadilloes were probably part of his entertainment value.

More on the House of Habsburgs as shown in The Empress in our story. Habsburgs were the German-Austrian royal family and the most important dynasties from the 15th to the 20th centuries.

You can also explore the Imperial Apartments (Kaiserappartements) where the royal family lived ... and Prince Eugene of Savoy (who defended Austria from an Ottoman invasion in 1697).