Sophie was a descendant of the Chotek family, a prominent nobleman in Bohemia, who had served as Governor of the Province, Minister of Grand Duke Maria Theresa, and attendant of Joseph II. Unfortunately, by the time her father's generation was in the middle of nowhere, her father, an Austrian diplomat, could only support 8 children with a modest salary.
Although the diplomat's father was full of dignitaries, he could not take his daughter to the aristocratic social ball because he could not afford the expensive clothing and dinner. Although Sophie is dignified and beautiful, because the family cannot provide enough dowry to find a good husband for her, she can only choose to become a nun or become a maid in the family of the royal family.
Sophie became the maid of the Austrian Grand Duke Friedrich's house, and at a ball in the Grand Duke's house, she met Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary. Ferdinand is so engulfed in Sophie's charm that Ferdinand often visits the Fredrich family in order to see her beloved girl more often.
The Grand Duchess had always wanted to match Ferdinand and his daughter, and was very welcome to Ferdinand's frequent visits, but the sensitive Grand Duchess Isabella was aware of Ferdinand's excessive courtesy to Sophie. However, the Grand Duchess thought that Sophie was only Ferdinand's mistress and posed no threat to her daughter.
Until one time, Mrs. Isabella picked up Ferdinand's pocket watch that he had left at his house, and the photo in the pocket watch was actually a portrait of Sophie, and Isabella, who realized that Ferdinand had a sincere move on Sophie, was ashamed and angry.
The Friedrich family not only expelled Sophie from the house, but also ran to the emperor to file a complaint, adding fuel to the fire and wantonly slandering Sophie's character. When the Emperor heard about it, he did not think much of it at first, until he confirmed with Ferdinand, and Ferdinand's determination of the relationship made him aware of the seriousness of the situation.
This incident caused an uproar at the Viennese court, and in order to prevent this marriage, the royal family first seduced Sophie for family interests, and then threatened Ferdinand's inheritance. In the face of the menacing "coercion and inducement", just when Sophie was almost about to give up, Ferdinand gave her firm confidence.
Ferdinand not only recruited the German Emperor, the Tsar, and the Pope to act as his lobbyists, but even threatened the Emperor that if he could not marry Sophie, he would go mad or even commit suicide, or he would survive until the Emperor died and then marry Sophie to the door after he succeeded to the throne.
The emperor finally agreed to the marriage on the condition that sophie would not be given the title of empress in the future, and the children they gave birth to would not be entitled to the throne. Ferdinand finally got his wish and married his dream Sophie, at the expense of the glory of future generations, in exchange for lovers and eventually become dependents.
Sophie became a princess, but cinderella was ostracized by the Noble Ladies of the Habsburgs. Not only that, but at any social occasion and important ceremony in Vienna, Sophie was not allowed to travel with her husband, she could only enter alone, and was always placed on the edge.
In the face of such a situation, Sophie showed her excellent cultivation, she was not shocked, contented, never brought trouble to her husband, and because of this, the couple has been harmonious for many years after marriage.
In the face of all the grievances suffered by his wife, Ferdinand was helpless for the time being, but he silently wrote down those who were sorry for Sophie, only to let his wife raise his eyebrows and breathe after he became emperor one day.
Unfortunately, Ferdinand never waited for this day. On June 28, 1914, during a visit to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, the Archduke and his wife were assassinated by the Serbian nationalist Princip, and both were shot. Before dying, Ferdinand told Sophie not to die and to live for the sake of the child.
Immediately afterwards, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and World War I broke out. 【May the new pneumonia epidemic be defeated at an early date】