Sophie
Sophie in 2017
Consort of the Head of the House of Hohenzollern
Princess of Prussia
Tenure25 August 2011 - present
BornPrincess Sophie of Isenburg
(1978-03-07) 7 March 1978 (age 45)
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2011)​
Issue
  • Carl Friedrich, Hereditary Prince of Prussia
  • Prince Louis Ferdinand
  • Princess Emma Marie
  • Prince Heinrich Albert
Names
Sophie Johanna Maria
HouseIsenburg
FatherFranz-Alexander, Prince of Isenburg
MotherCountess Christine von Saurma-Jeltsch

Sophie, Princess of Prussia (born Sophie Johanna Maria of Isenburg;[1] 7 March 1978) is married to Georg Friedrich Prinz von Preussen, head of the formerly-ruling House of Hohenzollern.

Early life and education

Birstein Castle

Sophie Johanna Maria of Isenburg was born on 7 March 1978 in Frankfurt, West Germany,[2] to Franz-Alexander, Prince of Isenburg (born 1943), and his wife, Countess Christine Saurma, Baroness von und zu der Jeltsch (born 1941).[3] Her father is head of the Birstein branch of the House of Isenburg, a mediatized Catholic line of Princes of the Holy Roman Empire, who lost their independence in 1815.[3] She has two sisters, Archduchess Katharina of Austria-Este and Isabelle, Dowager Princess of Wied, and two brothers, Alexander, Hereditary Prince of Isenburg, and Prince Viktor.[3]

Growing up at Birstein Castle, the family seat in Hesse, Sophie studied at a primary school in Birstein and at Marienschule Fulda in Fulda.[4] She then attended the boarding school Kloster Wald and passed her A-Levels as well as a trade test as a dressmaker. Sophie studied Business Administration at the University of Freiburg and Humboldt University of Berlin and worked at a firm that offers consulting services for nonprofit business.[2][5]

Marriage and issue

On 25 August 2011, Sophie civilly married Georg Friedrich Prinz von Preussen, at Potsdam's Stadthaus by Jann Jakobs, Mayor of Potsdam.[6] The religious wedding took place at the Church of Peace on 27 August 2011, in commemoration of the 950th anniversary of the founding of the House of Hohenzollern.[7][8] The wedding was covered live by German broadcaster RBB.[9] The 700 guests included: Prince Hassan bin Talal and Princess Sarvath al-Hassan of Jordan; Prince Laurent of Belgium; Lord and Lady Nicholas Windsor; and then Crown Princess Margareta of Romania. Following the ceremony, a reception was held on the grounds of the Sanssouci palace.[10][11]

Upon her marriage she is known by the courtesy title Her Imperial and Royal Highness The Princess of Prussia.

Issue

Sophie and Georg Friedrich have four children:[12]

Honours


Ancestry

References

  1. ^ In 1919 royalty and nobility were mandated to lose their privileges in Germany, hereditary titles were to be legally borne thereafter only as part of the surname, according to Article 109 of the Weimar Constitution.
  2. ^ a b "Sophie The Princess of Prussia". Official website of the House of Hohenzollern. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  3. ^ a b c Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser XV. C.A. Starke Verlag, 1997, pp.271–275.
  4. ^ "Prinzessin Sophie von Preussen" (in German). Prussian Royal Family website.
  5. ^ Troianovski, Anton (26 August 2011). "No Titles, No Subjects, No Problem: Germans Join Royal Wedding Craze". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
  6. ^ Van der Kraat, Marion (25 August 2011). "Die preußische Prinzenhochzeit beginnt ganz privat". Welt.
  7. ^ "Georg Friedrich Prince of Prussia and Sophie Princes: Germany Set for Its Own Royal Wedding". ABC News. 27 August 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
  8. ^ Peiffer, Kim (31 August 2011). "Princess Sophie of Isenburg's Wedding Dress: All the Details". People. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
  9. ^ Troianovski, Anton (26 August 2011). "No Titles, No Subjects, No Problem: Germans Join Royal Wedding Craze". WSJ. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  10. ^ Liston, Enjoli (27 August 2011). "Kaiser Wilhelm junior gives Germany its own royal wedding". The Independent. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
  11. ^ "Kaiser heir weds princess in Potsdam". The Local. 27 August 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
  12. ^ Charlot Brutscher (20 September 2017). "Georg Friedrich & Sophie von Preußen: Ihre Zwillinge sind so groß geworden!". BUNTE.de. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
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