Sophie Chotek

Sophie Chotek de Chotkowa and Wognin (born on March 1st 1868 with Stuttgart died the June 28th 1914 with Sarajevo). Exit of an old family of Czech nobility of which the members had been useful in the imperial diplomtie, it was, with nearly 30 years, single person and lady-in-waiting of the Isabelle archduchess, born Isabelle de Croÿ, wife of the archduke the Frederic archduke of Austria (Branch of Teschen).

It is believed that it made to the knowledge of the archduke François-Ferdinand ( Franz-Ferdinand ) nephew and potential successor of the Emperor of Austria and King de Hongrie François-Joseph Ier towards 1896 with a ball given to Prague. Single person, thirty three years old, has just cured of a long illness (the Tuberculosis), the archduke-heir had seen being diverted of him the majority of the members of the court. Twenty eight years old, the Chotek countess could already regard herself as a " old woman fille" in spite of (or because) of eminent noble-heartedness. These two recluses éprirent one of the other quickly but a marriage being impossible, the countess not being royal blood, the lady-in-waiting and the archduke-heir was constrained to like in secrecy without hope of a union legitimates…

Mother of many girls, the Isabelle archduchess ambitionnait to make marry one of it by the heir to the throne. Flattered by the many visits of François-Ferdinand, she forgot herself one day until allowing itself to go to look in the fob watch forgotten by her prestigious visitor which of its daughters was there in photography: she found there that of her lady-in-waiting…

Frustrated, furious, the archduchess drove out " bruyamment; Chotek" that it treated d'" intrigante ".

Chivalrous, the archduke, with the contempt of suitabilities and the successional rules of the Empire and of his '' Maison '', did not have of cease to repair the affront made with the woman that he liked and forced his desire to the great displeasure marry it of the emperor François-Joseph, his uncle.

This one had fully and painfully conscience that if it forced its nephew to give up the throne, as obliged it the successional rules to which it had already subjected certain family members imperial, the younger brother of François-Ferdinand, Othon would become his successor. Out the " beautiful archduke " to the sight of a whole a life of debauchery and scandal led.

The Emperor had to use of a compromise: François-Ferdinand remained his successor but his wife would not carry the titles of her husband and his/her children would not be dynastes. To in no case Sophie could not enjoy the privileges of a family member imperial… For example, it was not possible for him to attend a spectacle beside her husband who him, was to be present in the imperial cabin. Idem at the time of a religious ceremony and any public demonstration in the presence of family members imperial… Nevertheless, the sovereign raised his new niece with the row of " sovereign Princess of Hohenberg " with immediate row after the family members imperial. The marriage was celebrated with discretion - a roof for the heir to one of the first powers of the world of the time - the June 28th 1900.

Considering mentalities of its time, François-Joseph could not make more: no member of the Imperial and Royal House would have to agree to leave the step to a lady-in-waiting . In addition the Emperor, testified later his regard at Sophie by granting the title to Duchesse (1907) and the predicate dAltess to him.

The couple, very plain, lived with the variation of the court and had four children who raised the title of their mother: Sophie, Maximilien, Ernest and a son still-born child in 1908…

It profited from the unconditional support of the archduchess Marie-Therese, widow of the archduke Charles-Louis, younger brother of the Emperor and father of François-Ferdinand.

the archduke and his wife were assassinated in Sarajevo the June 28th 1914 by a student. This attack suddenly started the First World War which caused the end of the Empire Austro-Hungarian and the fall of the Maison of Habsbourg-Lorraine…

See too

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