The Morganatic Marriage

Franz ferdinand was undeterred, telling one friend, this fire has been blazing in me for five years. Emperor franz joseph would not be swayed, even when pope leo the twelfth himself wrote in support of the marriage. The emperor made it very clear that the couple had to make certain concessions. Most importantly, he manded that france fer Ferdinand acknowledge that sophie was not his equal in rank - making their marriage a morganatic one.