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To cover her intrigue with the Prince, she married, posing, with the Prince's aid, as his illegitimate daughter. The ruse was successful until in a fit of rage Sophie stupidly disclosed her deception to her husband and was expelled from court. She promptly set to work to get back in. Rebuffed by aristocrats who regarded her with loathing, she found an ally in Louis Philippe, then Duc d'Orleans, who wanted the Prince's wealth left to one of his sons. Brightest of Marjorie Bowen's witty characterizations is that of Louis Philippe, son of Egalite who during the revolution had voted for his own cousin's execution. Educated according to the principles of Rousseau, prudent, embarrassingly virtuous, Louis Philippe played a despicable game. Prince de Condé detested him for his democratic affectations, which included carrying a humble and unnecessary umbrella. Irresolute as he was, the Prince was determined never to leave his wealth to a son of Louis Philippe. Louis then agreed to get Sophie restored to royal favor if she would compel Prince de Condé to make the will he desired. Thus the great struggle began.
Sophie introduced tough, husky members of her old smuggling family into the Prince's household, obtained titles or good marriages for them, drove out the Prince's faithful old servants. She used her great strength to throw things around in her fits of rage, keeping the household in terror. She planted several of her lovers, all great, beefy, stalwart fellows, around the Prince, so that all his movements were reported to her. The aging de Condé, feeble, crippled, harried night & day, was nagged, abused, tormented, once appeared with a badly bruised eye, once screamed that Sophie was trying to cut his throat, eventually signed the will that Sophie demanded. He had said he would be killed if he ever signed it. He was.
Sophie was received at court, where she was as welcome as a leper. The revolution of 1830 placed Louis Philippe on the throne. Prince de Condé, still surrounded by Sophie's brawny cousins and lovers, tried to flee the country, was discovered by Sophie and subsequently strangled in his bed. An investigation, establishing Sophie's guilt, was suppressed by the king. Sophie had her wealth, her entrée into society, but she was hissed in the theatre, snubbed on all sides, while her scandal nearly overthrew the government. She developed into a monstrous, muscular, scowling and ugly woman, adopted a daughter, lived ten years after the Prince's death, became extremely pious, doing great good works for the poor.