Figure 1.--Photographs can be revealing. While a formal portrait, the image here tells us a great deal. Notice the body language and the way even the oldest boy has his hand on hos father's arm. Fran Ferdinand was a very formal man, but his relationshop with the children comes out very strongly here. The portrait here was taken about 1911.

The Archduke was rather stiff and formal and made few friends. Even before the marriage crisis he does not appear to hsve been very popular, even among fsamily members at court. His on family life, however, appears to have been surprisingly better. He appears, however, to have made a wonderful father and husband. The children came quickly. Their daughter Sophie was born (1901) ad the boys in rapid secessuin-- Maximillian was born (1902) and Ernst (1904). The children were all about the same age age which often makes for very close personal relationships. Images of the royal family usually show happy children. Their family life was very important. The Arch Duke when he married Countess Sophie that the family would be socially ostricized by most of the rest of the family. He also knew rgat theur children who were denied the rights and privileges that were afforded young archdukes and archduchesses needed to be shielded from the all tocommon snubs to their mother. As a result, family life took on a special importance. And by all accounts, the children has very pleasant chilhoods with their fully engaged parents. A letter the Arch Duke wrote to his stepmother Maria Theresia during 1904 provides a window into family life, "The most intelligent thing I've ever done in my life has been the marriage to my Soph. She is everything to me: my wife, my adviser, my doctor, my warner, in a word: my entire happiness. Now, after four years, we love each other as on our first year of marriage, and our happiness has not been marred for a single second."

Created: 1:39 AM 5/19/2011
Last updated: 1:40 AM 5/19/2011