Sophie, Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein

Sophie, Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein (born Duchess Sophie in Bavaria; 28 October 1967, in Munich), is the wife of Alois, Hereditary Prince and Regent of Liechtenstein. Born a Duchess in Bavaria, she belongs to the House of Wittelsbach.

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.

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 Duke Ludwig Wilhelm 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.

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.

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:

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