Sophie was strictly against the federalization of the Monarchy, which would have given an increased voice to the various ethnic groups in the political arena. As the ‘secret empress’ she became a figure of hate for the liberal forces in the monarchy. Although Sophie did not openly interfere in day-to-day political decision-making, she was de facto the political mastermind and ‘agenda-setter’ behind her son. Her son, the young emperor Franz Joseph, was steeped in a sense of monarchical mission and was bent on regaining the power that had been curtailed by the revolution, but he was politically inexperienced and dominated by his energetic mother, on whom he relied for emotional support. While Sophie did not become empress as she had once hoped, since her husband Franz Karl waived his claim to the throne, she did gain considerable political influence.
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