Incredible Coincidence

Hotel Bosna in Ilidza

On the afternoon of Thursday, June 25, greeted by a band playing the imperial anthem, Franz and Sophie stepped off the train at Ilidza station just outside Sarajevo. They went to the Hotel Bosna, which had been specially refurbished for their visit, and sent a telegram to their daughter, Sophie, "Safely arrived in Ilidza…Very beautiful and pleasant here. We have splendid quarters. Weather very nice. Good night, fond embraces to you and your brothers."
The quarters were indeed splendid, furnished specially with Ottoman carpets and tables inlaid with mother of pearl. The furnishings were so impressive that the royal couple decided to make an unscheduled visit into Sarajevo to go on a shopping trip. A car was arranged and Franz and Sophie were driven into the Turkish market.
If you're the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it's tough to wander the narrow street of a market incognito. As the pair bought carpets and furniture, a crowd gathered. They were good-natured, cheering or simply watching the distinguished shoppers.
After about an hour, Franz and Sophie decided to have a look in another carpet shop. It's extremely unlikely they even noticed the pale young man a few feet away. Even if they had, it was just another face in the crowd.
The young man stared hard. Almost within touching distance was the hated symbol of the Austrian oppressors. He did nothing because he was unarmed and, in any case, there was a policeman nearby. The next time Gavro Princip came this close to Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Sophie it would be a different story.