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Portrait of Archduchess Sophie by Joseph Stieler (1832)

Bavarian Royalty House of Wittelsbach Maximilian I Children    Ludwig I    Princess Augusta    Princess Amalie Marie    Princess Charlotte    Prince Karl Theodor    Prince Karl Friedrich    Elisabeth Ludovika, Queen of Prussia    Princess Amalie Auguste    Archduchess Sophie of Austria    Princess Maria Anna, Queen of Saxony    Princess Ludovika    Princess Maximiliana Ludwig I Children    Maximilian II    Mathilde, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine    Otto, King of the Hellenes    Princess Theodelinde    Prince Regent Luitpold    Adelgunde, Duchess of Modena    Archduchess Hildegarde of Austria    Princess Alexandra    Prince Adalbert Grandchildren    Ludwig II    Ludwig III    Prince Leopold    Princess Therese    Prince Arnulf Great Grandchildren    Princess Elisabeth Marie    Archduchess Auguste of Austria    Prince Georg    Prince Konrad    Prince Heinrich Maximilian II Children    Ludwig II    Otto I Ludwig II Otto I Ludwig III Children    Crown Prince Rupprecht    Princess Adelgunde    Maria, Duchess of Calabria    Prince Karl    Prince Franz    Princess Mathilde of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha    Prince Wolfgang    Princess Hildegarde    Princess Notburga    Wiltrud, Duchess of Urach    Princess Helmtrud    Princess Dietlinde    Princess Gundelinde Children of Crown Prince Rupprecht    Prince Luitpold    Princess Irmingard    Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria    Prince Rudolf    Prince Heinrich    Princess Irmingard    Princess Editha    Princess Hilda    Gabrielle, Duchess of Cröy    Sophie, Duchess of Arenberg Children of Duke Albrecht    Princess Marie Gabrielle    Princess Marie Charlotte    Franz, Duke of Bavaria    Prince Max Children of Prince Max    Princess Sophie, Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein    Princess Marie-Caroline    Princess Hélène    Princess Elizabeth    Princess Maria Anna

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 four sons and a daughter, Francis Joseph (later Emperor of Austria), Maximilian (later Emperor of Mexico), Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria, Marie Anna Caroline Pia and Archduke Ludwig Viktor.

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, 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.

• Kenneth MacMillan's 1978 ballet, Mayerling

• Historical Boys' Royal Costume: King Maximilian I Joseph: Second Family
• Genealogy.eu: Royal and Noble Family Trees