Part 6/9:
On June 28, 1914, on their 14th wedding anniversary, the Archduke’s motorcade encountered chaos. An initial assassination attempt failed when a bomb thrown at their vehicle missed and injured Ferdinand’s entourage instead. Following the incident, Ferdinand altered his plans to visit the injured, but due to a series of miscommunications, the car stopped directly in front of where Princip was standing.
Princip seized the opportunity and fired two shots at close range. Duchess Sophia died instantly, and Ferdinand’s last words, as he cradled her, were a desperate plea: "Sophie, Sophie, don’t die—stay alive for our children." He succumbed to his wounds shortly after.