Princess Sophie Marie Josepha of Liechtenstein, Countess Esterházy von Galántha (5 September 1798 – 27 June 1869), was an Austrian noblewoman and Imperial court official. As the daughter of Johann I Joseph, Prince of Liechtenstein, she was a princess of

Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (, ; ; ), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein ( ), is a Landlocked country#Doubly landlocked, doubly landlocked Swiss Standard German, German-speaking microstate in the Central European Alps, between Austria in the east ...

by birth. Born and raised in Vienna, she was selected to serve in the Austrian imperial court as Oberhofmeisterin ( mistress of the Robes) to

Empress Elisabeth of Austria Elisabeth (born Duchess Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie in Bavaria; 24 December 1837 – 10 September 1898), nicknamed Sisi or Sissi, was Empress of Austria and List of Hungarian consorts, Queen of Hungary from her marriage to Franz Joseph I of Austri ...

from 1854 to 1862.

Early life

Princess Sophie Marie Josepha von und zu

was born as third daughter of Johann I Joseph, Prince of Liechtenstein and his wife, Landgravine Josepha of Fürstenberg-Weitra.

Court life

She was disliked by the Empress, as she was a friend and a confidante of the Empress' mother-in-law, Princess Sophie of Bavaria, and suspected to be her spy. She was also described as very strict, and her attitude toward Elisabeth was compared to a governess. Sophie was replaced by Countess Pauline Marie von Königsegg-Aulendorf. She has been portrayed in numerous books about Elisabeth.

Personal life

She married in Vienna, on 4 August 1817, Count Vincenz Esterházy von Galántha ( Pressburg, 25 October 1787 – Eisgrub, 19 October 1835), without issue.

References

* Egon Caesar Conte Corti: Elisabeth, "die seltsame Frau". Nach dem schriftlichen Nachlass der Kaiserin, den Tagebüchern ihrer Tochter und sonstigen unveröffentlichten Tagebüchern und Dokumenten. Weltbild Verlag, Augsburg 2003, (früherer Titel: Sissi - Glück und Tragödie einer großen Kaiserin). {{DEFAULTSORT:Esterhazy-Liechtenstein, Sophie 1798 births 1869 deaths 19th-century Liechtenstein people 19th-century Liechtenstein women Nobility from the Austrian Empire Austrian countesses Austrian ladies-in-waiting Daughters of princes regnant Sophie Hungarian nobility Princesses of Liechtenstein Liechtenstein Roman Catholics