ORF-E
Worldwide available except for Germany and France
1 x 52 min

Considered by many to be the secret empress, Archduchess Sophie is the most powerful woman at the Viennese court of the 19th century. She ensures that her firstborn son, Franz Joseph, ascends to the imperial throne, accompanied by his wife, the legendary Empress Sisi. Despite her own popularity with her subjects, Sisi soon comes to realise that the real power, both within the empire and her family, lies with the archduchess. The relationship between the two women is strained, and it is evident to observers at the time that Sophie is the driving force behind the Habsburg monarchy. She takes no prisoners, paying a high price for making her visions a reality. Over time, the image of the archduchess as an almost stereotypical “evil mother-in-law”, reinforced by the celebrated Sisi films of the 1950s, has come to dominate the historical narrative, making Sophie one of the most misunderstood and underappreciated women in the long history of Habsburg rule.