They grew up under the auspices of their aunt on their mother's side.

As Sophie Chotek was not up to the standards of Habsburg's family law, they were not allowed to use the family's name and didn't have the title of Erzherzog. Instead, the princely dynasty of Hohenberg was created. The male heirs of Franz Ferdinand and Sophie were sent to Dachau concentration camp by the Nazis and were later released. They were close allies of Otto Habsburg, the head of the house.

Today, the Hohenberg family resides in castle Artstetten, Lower Austria, where Franz Ferdinand and Sophie are buried. They are part of the Habsburg family in all but name.