File:Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1899 (36641842851).png

In 1894, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria met Countess Sophie Chotek at a ball in Prague. To be eligible to marry a member of the Imperial House of Habsburg, one had to be a member of one of the reigning or formerly reigning dynasties of Europe. Although with royal blood, the Choteks were not one of these families. Sophie was a lady-in-waiting to Archduchess Isabella, wife of Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen. Deeply in love, Franz Ferdinand kept a relationship with her in secret, and refused to consider marrying anyone else. Finally, in 1899, when this picture was taken, Emperor Franz Joseph agreed to permit Franz Ferdinand to marry Sophie, on condition that the marriage would be left-handed and that their descendants would not have succession rights to the throne. She would not be allowed to ride in the royal carriage or sit in the royal box in theatres. Both the Archduke, and his wife Sophie died on 28 June 1914 in Sarajevo when they were mortally wounded by Gavrilo Princip, starting the War to End All Wars.

1899, Carl Pietzner