Princess Sophie of Bavaria
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Sophie Friederike Dorothee Wilhelmine, Princess of Bavaria (27 January 1805 – 28 May 1872) was born to King Maximilian I of Bavaria and his second wife Karoline of Baden. She was the identical twin sister of Princess Maria Anna of Bavaria, Queen of Saxony as wife of Frederick Augustus II of Saxony.
On 4 November 1824, she married Franz Karl, Archduke of Austria. They had six children.
[edit] Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franz Joseph | 18 August 1830 | 21 November 1916 | married his first cousin Elisabeth, Duchess in Bavaria, and had issue |
| Maximilian | 6 July 1832 | 19 June 1867, later Emperor of Mexico | married Charlotte, Princess of Belgium, no issue |
| Karl Ludwig | 30 July 1833 | 19 May 1896 | married 1) his first cousin Margaretha, Princess of and Duchess in Saxony, (1840-1858) from 1856 to 1858, no issue, married 2) to Maria Annunziata, Princess of the Two-Sicilies (1843-1871) from 1862 to 1871, had issue (three sons and one daughter) and married 3) to Maria Theresia, Infanta of Portugal, (1855-1944), from 1873 to 1899, had issue (two daughters) |
| Maria Anna Karolina | 27 October 1835 | 5 February 1840 | died in childhood, no issue |
| Stillborn son | 24 October 1840 | 24 October 1840 | |
| Ludwig Viktor | 15 May 1842 | 18 January 1919 | died unmarried, no issue |
Her ambitions to place her oldest son on the Austrian throne was a constant theme in Austrian politics. At the time she was called "the only man at court". During the Revolution of 1848 she persuaded her somewhat feeble-minded husband to give up his rights to the throne in favour of Franz Joseph. After his accession to the throne, Sophie became the power behind the throne. Sophie is also remembered for her bad relationship with her daughter-in-law, and niece, Elisabeth of Bavaria alias "Sissi", which has been a theme in a long running musical about Elisabeth's life and in several media works that, at times, describe Sophie practically as an evil, ruthless villainess set out almost exclusively to ruin Elisabeth's life in any possible way.
Sophie kept a detailed diary most of her life which reveals much about Austrian court life. She withdrew from public life after the execution of her son, Maximilian, from which she never recovered. She died of a brain tumor in 1872.
After the death of Napoleon II, there were rumors of an affair between the two, although the rumours were never proven. However, it is certain that they were very good friends and that his death affected her very much. She is said to have turned into the cold, ambitious woman described in fiction after he died. Her second son, Maximilian I of Mexico is even rumoured to have been fathered by Napoleon.
[edit] Portrayal on stage
- Kenneth MacMillan's 1978 ballet, Mayerling
- Michael Kunze's 1992 musical Elisabeth
[edit] External links
- Historical Boys' Royal Costume: King Maximilian I Joseph: Second Family
- Genealogy.eu: Royal and Noble Family Trees
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