Sophie, Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein

Princess Sophie is the eldest of the five daughters of Prince Max, Duke in Bavaria, and Princess Elisabeth, Duchess in Bavaria (née Countess Douglas), as well as a patrilineal great-great-granddaughter of the last King of Bavaria, Ludwig III. She was born in Munich on 28 October 1967 and baptised as Sophie Elizabeth Marie Gabrielle in the chapel of her family's Kreuth home on 18 November. Her godparents were her maternal aunt, the Duchess of Marlborough, and Archduchess Gabriela of Austria (second wife of Archduke Rudolf).

Sophie spent her childhood together with her parents and sisters in Wildbad Kreuth. From 1978 to 1980, Sophie attended the Girls' Home Primary School of the English Lady in Heiligenstadt. She then moved to the Girls' Secondary Boarding School Hohenburg in Lenggries. Sophie then studied history and English language and literature at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt.

She likes home decoration.

Sophie married Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein on 3 July 1993 at St. Florin's in Vaduz, Liechtenstein. The couple lived in London from September 1993 until May 1996, and have since then resided in Liechtenstein. They have four children:

• Prince Joseph Wenzel Maximilian Maria of Liechtenstein, Count of Rietberg (born 24 May 1995 at Portland Hospital in London).
• Princess Marie-Caroline Elisabeth Immaculata of Liechtenstein, Countess of Rietberg (born 17 October 1996 in Grabs, Canton of St. Gallen).
• Prince Georg Antonius Constantin Maria of Liechtenstein, Count of Rietberg (born 20 April 1999 in Grabs).
• Prince Nikolaus Sebastian Alexander Maria of Liechtenstein, Count of Rietberg (born 6 December 2000, in Grabs).

At the beginning of 2003, it was made public that Sophie was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor, from which she has recovered.

• At the beginning of 2006, Hereditary Princess founded the Sophie von Liechtenstein Stiftung für Frau und Kind (Sophie of Liechtenstein Foundation for Woman and Child). The goal of the Foundation is to give women who unintentionally became pregnant a more positive life perspective for themselves and their child.
• Honorary President of the Liechtenstein Red Cross since 2015.
• Patron of the Liechtenstein Animal Welfare Association.

Failing the birth of a male heir, the Jacobite claim to the thrones of England, Scotland, Ireland and France will pass to Sophie following the demise of the current holder, her childless uncle Franz, Duke of Bavaria, and of her own father, who has no sons. Jacobites would then recognise her as "Queen Sophie" in both England and Scotland, without numeration, as neither Kingdom has had a monarch of that name.

From her birth in 1967 Sophie was styled HRH Princess Sophie of Bavaria. In 1973 her father inherited the family name and style Duke in Bavaria from his great-uncle, who had adopted him as heir in 1965; Sophie was then styled as HRH Duchess Sophie in Bavaria, Princess of Bavaria. On her marriage in 1993 she became HRH The Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein, Countess of Rietberg, the Principality of Liechtenstein recognising and retaining her use of the style Royal Highness.

Honours

• Bavaria : Dame of Honour of the Order of Theresa.
• Bavaria : Dame of the Order of Saint Elizabeth.
•  Liechtenstein : Knight Grand Star of the Order of Merit of the Principality of Liechtenstein.
•  Netherlands : King Willem-Alexander I of The Netherlands Investiture Medal (30 April 2013).
•  Sweden : Recipient of the 70th Birthday Badge Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf (30 April 2016).