▁enthus i astic ▁sport sw oman , ▁and ▁was ▁said ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁excellent ▁shot . ▁ ▁Su ic ide ▁ ▁Background ▁In ▁early ▁ 1 9 1 3 , ▁rum ors ▁emer ged ▁that ▁Soph ie ▁wished ▁to ▁marry ▁Hans ▁von ▁B leich r öder . ▁Several ▁other ▁sources , ▁such ▁as ▁Catherine ▁Rad zi will , ▁tell ▁a ▁different ▁account , ▁stating ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁just ▁an ▁" inter medi ary ", ▁and ▁that ▁Soph ie ▁actually ▁wished ▁to ▁marry ▁someone ▁else ▁in ▁the ▁town . ▁Most ▁other ▁reports ▁list ▁von ▁B leich r öder ▁as ▁the ▁man ▁she ▁wished ▁to ▁marry ▁however . ▁Though ▁they ▁were ▁not ▁equal ▁in ▁birth , ▁newsp apers ▁reported ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁engaged ▁regardless . ▁In ▁June ▁ 1 9 1 3 , ▁Soph ie ▁applied ▁to ▁Emperor ▁Wilhelm ▁II ' s ▁court ▁for ▁permission ▁to ▁wed . ▁As ▁it ▁was ▁assumed ▁that ▁Wilhelm , ▁a ▁great ▁oppon ent ▁of ▁m organ atic ▁mar ri ages , ▁would ▁most ▁likely ▁refuse , ▁she ▁open ly ▁declared ▁that ▁while ▁she ▁would ▁prefer ▁to ▁marry ▁with ▁the ▁Emperor ' s ▁consent , ▁she ▁would ▁eventually ▁marry ▁even ▁without ▁it . ▁ ▁Short ly ▁after ▁this ▁event ▁however , ▁an ▁official ▁announ cement ▁was ▁speed ily ▁issued ▁by ▁the ▁We imar ▁royal ▁court ▁that ▁alleg ations ▁of ▁their ▁eng agement ▁were ▁" ground less ". ▁ ▁Another ▁explanation , ▁widely ▁reported ▁in ▁newsp apers ▁as ▁fact , ▁is ▁that ▁her ▁parents ▁were ▁agree able ▁to ▁the ▁marriage ▁but