I'm in the middle of reading the children's fictional series called The Royal Diaries, based off of the Dear America series. And I'm currently reading the one about Elisabeth of Bavaria who marries Franz Joseph I. Well there is a part in the book where, before Sisi with her mother and sister travel to meet the Emperor, Sisi talks about how she really missed seeing Count Richard S...….. but she didn't finish his name because she was worried that someone would find her diary and read it. But she mentions how for a period of time he mysteriously disappeared, even though the adults seemed to know where he was; and then when he appeared again, he fell ill and then died. She thought the whole thing was suspicious but she never mentioned it to anyone. The only thing she says it that she greatly misses him and will never forget him. The author never again mentions who this person is and I've tried looking around online but no luck.
So does anyone know who the author was talking about? Was he a real life person, or is this a fictional character simply made for the book?
This sounds like it may have been made up for the children’s book, as in my research, have not personally run into anyone with that name who she would have known in that time period. However, the idea may have been based on Count Gyula Andrássy, who she knew later in life. He was a Hungarian count involved in the push for Hungarian independence and the two were close and rumored to have an affair. However it is hard to know how much of their time was in that vein, versus the fact that they had common interests in politics. In general, the idea of her meeting with people she wasn’t told to does help give an idea of her childhood personality. Hope this helps.