by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2017
photo: Von Andreas Faessler – Eigenes Werk, CC-BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39455299
Charlotte of Schaumburg-Lippe, Queen of Württemberg
Princess Charlotte Marie Luise Ida Hermine Mathilde of Schaumburg-Lippe was the second wife of King Wilhelm II of Württemberg, and the kingdom’s last Queen. She was born on September 10, 1864, at Schloss Ratiborschitz in Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic, to Prince Wilhelm of Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Bathildis of Anhalt-Dessau, and had seven younger siblings:
- Prince Franz Josef (1865-1881) – unmarried
- Prince Friedrich (1868-1945) – married Princess Louise of Denmark, had issue
- Prince Albrecht (1869-1942) – married Duchess Elsa of Württemberg, had issue
- Prince Maximilian (1871-1904) – married Duchess Olga of Württemberg, had issue
- Princess Bathildis (1873-1962) – married Friedrich, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, had issue
- Princess Adelaide (1875-1971) – married Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, had issue
- Princess Alexandra (1879-1949) – unmarried
Charlotte was raised primarily at Schloss Náchod, the family’s estate in Náchod, now in the Czech Republic, and showed a great interest in sports and hunting, in addition to the more traditional music and art.
King Wilhelm II of Württemberg. source: Wikipedia
At 22-years-old, Charlotte married the then-Crown Prince Wilhelm of Württemberg on April 8, 1886. Wilhelm had been widowed four years earlier and had a young daughter. Despite hoping that this new marriage might produce a male heir, Charlotte and Wilhelm had no children of their own.
In October 1891, Charlotte became Queen of Württemberg when her husband succeeded to the throne. The couple took up residence at the Wilhelmspalais in Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. As Queen, Charlotte did not enjoy the same popularity that her husband did. Much of this is her unwillingness to carry out her public role in the way that was expected of her by the people of Württemberg. She much preferred more private events, and after some time stopped accompanying her husband on many official events.
source: Wikipedia
Despite this, Charlotte took on the charity work which was expected of her, assuming the role in several organizations vacated by her predecessor. Charlotte was most interested in causes involving the health and welfare of women. She was most willing to use her royal position to bring support and attention to them.
When the monarchy came to an end in 1918, King Wilhelm II negotiated with the new German state to ensure that he and his wife would receive an annual income, as well as a residence for life – Schloss Bebenhausen. The two retired to Bebenhausen, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. where Wilhelm died in 1921. Queen Charlotte remained there, going by the title Duchess of Württemberg, for another 25 years.
Having suffered a stroke that confined her to a wheelchair two years earlier, Queen Charlotte died at Schloss Bebenhausen on July 16, 1946. With little pomp or ceremony, she was quietly buried beside her husband in the Old Cemetery on the grounds of Ludwigsburg Palace in Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
In addition to having been the last Queen of Württemberg, Charlotte held the distinction of being the last living Queen from any of the German states.
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