Last surviving sibling of 'real-life' von Trapp family dies aged 99

Maria Franziska, the last surviving sibling of the von Trapp family that served as an inspiration for 1965's musical hit 'The Sound of Music', has passed away in her sleep. She was 99.

A family friend said that it was a surprise that Franziska was the one in the family to live the longest because ever since she was a child she suffered from a weak heart, the Daily Express reported.

The unidentified friend claimed that Franziska's condition was the reason her father decided to hire Maria von Trapp to teach her and her brothers and sisters.

That of course then led to one of the most remarkable musical partnerships of the last century, the family friend added.

Franziska was the second eldest of the seven children and started performing with her family around America after they fled the Nazi-occupied Austria.