▁During ▁the ▁Napole onic ▁Wars , ▁Elizabeth ▁Alex e iev na ▁was ▁a ▁reliable ▁supp orter ▁of ▁her ▁husband ' s ▁policies ▁as ▁she ▁had ▁been ▁in ▁other ▁personal ▁and ▁political ▁cr ises . ▁After ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁Napoleon , ▁she ▁joined ▁her ▁husband ▁and ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁crown ed ▁heads ▁of ▁Europe ▁in ▁the ▁Congress ▁of ▁Vienna ▁( 1 8 1 4 ), ▁where ▁she ▁was ▁reun ited ▁with ▁her ▁old ▁param our , ▁Adam ▁Cz art ory ski . ▁He ▁was ▁still ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁her ▁and ▁forg ave ▁her ▁past ▁inf idel ity ▁with ▁Ok hot nik ov . ▁Their ▁re union ▁was ▁short - l ived . ▁ ▁Last ▁years ▁ ▁Once ▁she ▁reached ▁forty , ▁Elizabeth ▁Alex e iev na ' s ▁beauty ▁was ▁largely ▁f aded ; ▁she ▁left ▁behind ▁any ▁rom antic ▁pret ensions . ▁Her ▁husband ▁also ▁experienced ▁a ▁personal ▁transformation ▁that ▁drove ▁the ▁couple ▁closer ▁than ▁they ▁ever ▁were . ▁In ▁ 1 8 1 8 , ▁Alexander ▁I , ▁imm ers ed ▁in ▁religious ▁myst ic ism , ▁broke ▁his ▁long ▁relationship ▁with ▁Maria ▁N ary sh k ina . ▁From ▁then ▁on , ▁husband ▁and ▁wife ▁started ▁to ▁spend ▁more ▁time ▁together . ▁The ▁Em press ▁sympath ized ▁deeply ▁with ▁him ▁and ▁Alexander ▁found ▁her ▁support ive ▁when ▁he ▁lost ▁his ▁bel oved ▁natural ▁daughter , ▁Soph ia . ▁The ▁marked ▁recon c ili ation ▁between ▁the ▁Emperor ▁and ▁the ▁Em press ▁caused ▁general ▁surprise . ▁" I ▁am ▁reduced ▁to ▁thinking