Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria, Frau Sandhofer (1942-2019)

TR & IH Archduchess Elisabeth, Frau Sandhofer,  Archduchess Maria Magdalena, Baroness von Holzhausen and Archduke Dominic, owners of Bran Castle.  @BranCastle.

The death of HI & RH Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria, Frau Sandhofer, was announced earlier today by Bran Castle's  Administration.

The Archduchess died Tuesday night (January 1) at 8:30 p.m., at Salzburg, Austria, after a long illness.  She was 76 years old.

The funeral is scheduled to take place on January 11.

"We at Bran Castle regret to announce the passing of Her Imperial Royal Highness, Archduchess Elisabeth Sandhofer, after long and hard suffering. Following the long Communist period, the Castle was brought back to life and was graced with her warm, humorous and discreet presence. She will always be in our thoughts and prayers, along with her grandmother, Queen Marie, and her mother, Princess Ileana."

@Bran Castle

May God rest her soul in eternal peace!


Bogdana Balmuş, the spokesman for Bran Castle, said that a special place for those who want to light a candle and a condolence card was set up in the inner yard of the castle.

The Archduchess was one of the three co-owners of Bran Castle, with her sister, Archduchess Maria Magdalena, and her brother, Archduke Dominic.  The late Princess Ileana had left the castle to her children, and in 2009, the family was able to regain possession from the Romanian government.

Mother Alexandra's 80th birthday (Jan 7, 1989)  Archduchess Elisabeth, Archduchess Alexandra, Mother Alexandra,  Archduke Stefan, and Archduchess Maria Magdalena (Marlene A Eilers Koenig Collection)

Elisabeth was born at Sonnberg on January 15, 1942, the youngest of six children of the late Princess Ileana of Romania and Archduke Anton of Austria.   She married at Mondsee on August 3, 1964, to Dr. Friedrich Sandhofer.

She is survived by her husband and her four children,  Anton, Margareta, Andrea, and Elisabeth, and their families, and her siblings, Archduchess Alexandra, Baroness von Baillou, Archduke Dominic and Archduchess Maria Magdalene, Baroness von Holzhausen.

Archduchess Elisabeth and Dr. Sandhofer at the wedding of their daughter, Andrea, in 1997.  (Marlene A Eilers Koenig collection)