Category Archives: German Royals

Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of the United Kingdom

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Credit – Wikipedia

Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was born at the Untere Schloss (Lower Castle) (scroll down) in Mirow, Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern,  on May 19, 1744. Charlotte was the youngest daughter and the eighth of ten children of Duke Carl Ludwig Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen.  Charlotte’s father died when she was eight-years-old and her mother died when she was 17, shortly before Charlotte married.

Charlotte had nine siblings:

At the time of Charlotte’s birth, Great Britain was ruled by King George II and his heir was his eldest son, Frederick, Prince of Wales.  Frederick predeceased his father in 1751 and his eldest son George became heir to the throne. When King George II died in 1760, his 22-year-old grandson succeeded him as King George III.  Before George became king, two attempts to marry him had failed and now that he had succeeded to the throne, the search for a wife intensified. The choice fell upon Charlotte and it is probable that George’s mother Augusta, Dowager Princess of Wales played a major role in the decision.

Charlotte’s journey to London took ten days and included a very stormy crossing of the British Channel. While most of her attendants were seasick, Charlotte practiced playing “God Save the King” on the harpsichord. On September 8, 1761, at 10 PM, George and Charlotte married in the Chapel Royal of St. James’ Palace in London, England. On September 22, 1761, their coronation was held at Westminster Abbey in London, England.

Coronation Portraits of King George III and Queen Charlotte by Allan Ramsey; Credit -http://www.royalcollection.org.uk

George and Charlotte’s marriage was a very happy one and George remained faithful to Charlotte. Between 1762 – 1783, Charlotte gave birth to 15 children, all of who survived childbirth. Only two of the children did not survive childhood. It is remarkable that in 1817 at the time of the death in childbirth of Princess Charlotte of Wales, who was second in line to the throne after her father the Prince of Wales, Princess Charlotte was the only legitimate grandchild of King George III, despite the fact that eleven of his fifteen children were still living.

The 15 children of King George III and Queen Charlotte:

In the same year as his marriage, King George III purchased Buckingham House which was originally built for John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby in 1703. Originally purchased as a get-away for Charlotte who gave birth to 14 of her 15 children there, the house became known as the Queen’s House and was the architectural core of the present Buckingham Palace.

Buckingham House around 1710; Credit – Wikipedia

George and Charlotte led a simple life with their children, residing at the Queen’s House, Windsor Castle, and Kew Palace.  The family took summer holidays at Weymouth in Dorset, England which made Weymouth one of the first seaside resorts in England. The simplicity of the royal family’s life dismayed some of the courtiers. Upon hearing that the King, Queen, and the Queen’s brother went for a walk by themselves in Richmond, Lady Mary Coke said, “I am not satisfied in my mind about the propriety of a Queen walking in town unattended.”

Charlotte played no part in politics and was content in dealing with family affairs. She had some charities including the silk weavers of Spitalfields, but she spent most of her time dealing with her growing family. George and Charlotte were possessive parents and often made unwise decisions regarding their family. Charlotte thought the Prince of Wales could do no wrong and encouraged him in the cruel treatment of his wife Caroline.  Charlotte and George’s six daughters were well brought up, kind and considerate, but all attempts by young, eligible men to marry them were stymied.

Queen Charlotte by Sir Thomas Lawrence, 1789; Credit – Wikipedia

The only disruption in the family’s domestic lives was George’s attacks of illness. We now know that King George probably suffered from porphyria and his attacks severely worried Charlotte. The stress caused by her husband’s illness caused Charlotte’s personality to change. She became bad-tempered and depressed and her relationships with her children were strained. In 1810, George became so ill that it was necessary for Parliament to pass the Regency Act of 1811.  The Prince of Wales acted as Regent until his father died in 1820. Charlotte was her husband’s legal guardian, but could not bring herself to visit him due to his violent outbursts and erratic behavior.

Charlotte was extremely upset at the death of her granddaughter and namesake Princess Charlotte of Wales in 1817. She had been in Bath at the time of her granddaughter’s death and was criticized for not being present. During the last year of her life, Charlotte was able to preside over the weddings of her aging sons who were marrying to provide heirs to the throne after the death of Princess Charlotte of Wales.

Queen Charlotte died on November 17, 1818, at Kew Palace seated in a small armchair holding the hand of her eldest son. She was buried in the Royal Tomb House at St. George’s Chapel Windsor. Charlotte is the second longest-serving consort in British history. Only her descendant, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, served as a consort longer. King George III was unaware of his wife’s death. He died at Windsor Castle on January 29, 1820, six days after the death of his fourth son, Edward, Duke of Kent. The Duke of Kent’s only child, a daughter, was only eight months old when her father died, but 17 years later she succeeded to the throne as Queen Victoria.

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House of Hanover Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Wilhelm, Crown Prince of Germany

by Emily McMahon  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Wilhelm, Crown Prince of Germany; Credit – Wikipedia

The last German Crown Prince and Crown Prince of Prussia was born at the Marmorpalais in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany, on May 6, 1882, a little over a year after the wedding of his parents, the future Wilhelm II, German Emperor and the former Augusta Victoria (Dona) of Schleswig-Holstein.  Christened Friedrich Wilhelm Victor August Ernst but known as Wilhelm, he was born during the reign of his great-grandfather Wilhelm I.

Wilhelm had five brothers and one sister:

Family of Wilhelm I, German Emperor; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

It was expected that Wilhelm would be called Fritz as it was a common nickname of Friedrich, also the name of both of his grandfathers. The fact that he was called Wilhelm instead did not go unnoticed by his maternal grandmother Empress Friedrich (born Victoria, Princess Royal) and his great-grandmother Queen Victoria.  During his childhood, Wilhelm and his siblings were kept from Empress Friedrich, as both his parents disliked her.

Wilhelm attended school in Plön and later the University of Bonn. During his teen years and young adulthood, he gained a reputation as a ladies’ man and would carry on many notable affairs during his lifetime. Wilhelm’s father looked on his son’s promiscuity with strong dislike, at one point more or less banishing young Wilhelm to Danzig to ease the gossip at court. Among Wilhelm’s alleged mistresses were American opera singer Geraldine Farrar and Mata Hari, a dancer and World War I spy.

Wilhelm in 1901; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Wilhelm spent his time in Danzig playing tennis and having affairs with various women. He also developed an interest in football (soccer), a new sport in Europe. As he became bored at Danzig, Wilhelm began to speak out publicly against his father’s political acumen (or lack thereof). This did not improve the relationship between father and son.

Wilhelm and Cecilie’s engagement photo; Credit – Wikipedia

Wilhelm married Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, daughter of Friedrich Franz III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia, on June 6,  1905, in Berlin. The couple had met at the wedding of Cecilie’s brother the previous year. Cecilie had been effectively selected for Wilhelm by his father due to her close associations with Russia through her mother and because of her noted beauty. Although he did initially take an interest in his wife, Wilhelm soon resumed his affairs with other women.

Wilhelm and Cecilie had six children:

Wilhelm with his wife and children, circa 1925; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Alexandrine had Down’s Syndrome, but unlike most disabled royal children of the time, she was not separated from the family nor was her education neglected. Alexandrine appeared in most family photographs and attended a special school for girls with learning difficulties.

Despite his place in the German militaristic culture, Wilhelm had little interest in the military. He was named commander of the 5th Army at the outbreak of World War I in the summer of 1914, a post he held for two years. He was also the commander of the Army Group German Crown Prince until the end of the war. For the most part, Wilhelm remained under the tutelage of more experienced military commanders during his tenure.

Wilhelm went into exile in the Netherlands with much of the rest of the German imperial family following the ending of the monarchy in 1918. Wilhelm and Cecilie returned to Germany five years later, after promising to remain out of politics. The family was able to retain much of its wealth and even some former residences, allowing them to live a comfortable life in Germany. By this time Wilhelm and Cecilie had separated but did maintain friendly relations and reunited during family events.

Wilhelm did not entirely remain out of politics despite his promise, as he met with and supported Adolf Hitler in his early days of power. He also joined Stahlhelm, a German paramilitary organization, and considered a run for President of Germany until he was discouraged from doing so by many people. Following the Night of the Long Knives in which many political figures were murdered, Wilhelm stayed out of politics permanently.

Wilhelm became head of the House of Hohenzollern in 1941, upon the death of his father. He did not support Hitler’s activities after 1934 and lived a quiet life. After Cecilienhof, the family home, was seized by the Soviets following World War II, Wilhelm moved to a small house in Hechingen, Germany. He died of a heart attack there on July 20, 1951, at the age of 69. Wilhelm is buried with his wife at Hohenzollern Castle in Bisingen, Zollernalbkreis, Germany.

Wilhelm and Cecilie’s graves; Credit – www.findagrave.com

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Prince Alexander of Battenberg, Prince of Bulgaria

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014

photo: Wikipedia

Prince Alexander Joseph of Battenberg (known as Sandro) was born on April 5, 1857, in Verona, Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia, now in Italy. His parents were Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine and Countess Julia von Hauke. Julia had been a lady-in-waiting to Alexander’s sister, Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, the future Empress Maria Alexandrovna of Russia (wife of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia), and the couple met while Alexander was visiting St Petersburg, Russia. As the Emperor would not condone a relationship between the two, they left Russia and were married in 1851 in Breslau, Kingdom of Prussia, now Wroclaw, Poland. Because their marriage was morganatic, Julia did not gain any of her husband’s titles and their children would not be eligible for succession to the Hesse Grand Ducal throne. However, her brother-in-law, Grand Duke Ludwig III of Hesse and by Rhine granted the title Countess of Battenberg to Julia and the children of the marriage. A few years later, this was elevated to Princess of Battenberg.

Alexander had four siblings:

Prince Alexander often visited his aunt in Russia and became close to his uncle by marriage Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia. It was this relationship that saw Alexander’s future role as a sovereign. Bulgaria became a principality of the Ottoman Empire under the terms of the Treaty of Berlin in 1878. Alexander II proposed Alexander for the newly created throne, and he was unanimously elected as Prince of Bulgaria in April 1879. He arrived in his new homeland in July 1879, swearing allegiance to the new Bulgarian Constitution.

After a contentious reign, often caught between the conflicting goals of the Bulgarian politicians and the Russian Emperor, Alexander fell victim to a military coup on August 20, 1886. He was forced to sign his abdication before being rushed out of the country and handed over to the Russians. Following a counter-coup a few weeks later, Alexander returned to Bulgaria. However, with the Austrian, German and Russian governments all working against him, he formally, and freely, relinquished the Bulgarian throne on September 7, 1886, and left Bulgarian the following day.

On February 6, 1889, Alexander married opera singer Johanna Loisinger, at which point he assumed the title Count von Hartenau, which he used for the remainder of his life. The couple had two children:

  • Assènne Ludwig Alexander, Count von Hartenau (1890–1965), married Bertha Husa-Ramos, no children
  • Marie Therese Vera Zvetana, Countess von Hartenau (1893–1935), married CharlesErcula Boassevan, no children

Johanna Loisinger with her two children circa1894, Credit – Wikipedia

The couple lived in Graz, Austria where Alexander held a post in the Austrian Army. He died at his home in Graz, Villa Hartenau, on October 23, 1893. He was initially buried in Graz, but later his remains were returned to Bulgaria and a State Funeral was held at the St Nedelya Church in Sofia, at the direction of the new Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria. Soon after, he was entombed at the newly built Battenberg Mausoleum in the center of Sofia, Bulgaria.

Bulgaria Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Prince Waldemar of Prussia

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Prince Waldemar of Prussia, painted by Heinrich von Angeli; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Waldemar of Prussia (Joachim Friedrich Ernst Waldemar) was born at the Crown Prince’s Palace in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany, on February 10, 1868, the sixth child of the Crown Prince and Princess of Prussia.  His parents, known as Fritz and Vicky, were the future Friedrich III, German Emperor and Victoria, Princess Royal who was the eldest child of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.  Waldemar’s birth came 20 months after the tragic death of his 21-month-old brother Sigismund from meningitis and on the 28th wedding anniversary of his maternal grandparents, Queen Victoria and the deceased Prince Albert.  Vicky was overjoyed with her new son and wrote to Fritz, “All the pain of labour is nothing compared to the happiness of having such a dear little creature to hold & to nurse oneself.”

Waldemar_Vicky

Waldemar and his mother; Credit – http://www.royalcollection.org.uk

Waldemar quickly took the place of Vicky’s favorite son previously held by his deceased brother Sigismund.  Vicky hoped Waldemar would be everything that his elder brothers Wilhelm and Heinrich were not.  She wrote to her mother, “He is such a dear child & although rather more spirited than is easy to manage, he is so trustworthy and honest…”

waldemar with sisters

Waldemar with his sisters the year before his death; Credit – http://www.royalcollection.org.uk

Waldemar had seven siblings:

Vicky_family

Prince Waldemar with his parents and four of his siblings: Charlotte, holding her father’s arm; Fritz holding Margaret in his arms; Victoria, seated, holding  a hat on her lap; Vicky, her arms around Sophie; and Waldemar, standing in sailor suit; Photo Credit – www.royalcollection.org

Waldemar reminded his grandmother, Queen Victoria, of her late husband Prince Albert because of Waldemar’s love of animals and interest in science.  He loved visiting his grandmother at her home Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.  Waldemar collected rocks, minerals, and other specimens that his mother carefully labeled and then placed in the museum in the Swiss Cottage where she had played and learned to cook as a child.

During one visit, Waldemar gave his grandmother quite a scare.  Queen Victoria was working on some papers in her room and when she looked up she saw a small crocodile staring at her.  Naturally, she screamed and all within hearing came running.  Waldemar had let Bob, his pet crocodile, out of his box.  In fits of laughter, Waldemar retrieved his crocodile, and order was restored.

Prince Waldemar at the age of five; Credit – Wikipedia

In February 1879, Waldemar celebrated his 11th birthday.  A month later, while Fritz and Vicky were watching the children rehearse a pantomime show, Waldemar complained of a sore throat. Unfortunately, Waldemar had come down with diphtheria.  Four months previously, Vicky’s sister Alice and Alice’s youngest child May had died of the same disease. Diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection affecting the mucous membranes of the nose and throat. Diphtheria typically causes a sore throat, fever, swollen glands, and weakness, but the determining sign is a thick, gray membrane covering the back of the throat. The membrane can block the windpipe so that the patient has to struggle for breath. Today, diphtheria is extremely rare in developed countries thanks to widespread vaccination against the disease.  However, before the advent of modern medicine, diphtheria could be epidemic and it often killed its victims.

Vicky took all the precautions known at that time to avoid spreading the disease.  She washed Waldemar with hot vinegar and water, changed his sheets and clothes, and put them in a pail of carbolic acid.  While tending him, Vicky covered her own clothing and sprayed herself with carbolic acid after she left Waldemar’s room.  He seemed to be improving, but on March 26, 1879, at around 9 PM, the doctors summoned Vicky to Waldemar’s room.  His breathing had worsened, and he died shortly after midnight.

Waldemar was buried with one of Vicky’s nightgowns covering him and one of Fritz’s handkerchiefs over his face.  A private funeral service was held at the Neues Palais attended by the household staff, Waldemar’s teachers, and the parents of his friends.  Vicky did not attend the official funeral the next day.  Waldemar was buried near his brother Sigismund at the Friedenskirche (Church of Peace) in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany.  The remains of both boys were later transferred to the Kaiser Friedrich Mausoleum at the Friedenskirche where Fritz and Vicky were buried.

Vicky wrote of her son to Robert Napier, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala, “Ours is indeed a grief which must last a lifetime.  We can hardly realise yet that we have lost the darling boy who was our pride and delight, who seemed to grow daily in health and strength, in intelligence and vigour of character.  We had fondly hoped he would grow up to be on use to his country, and his family – we had planned and dreamt of a bright and useful future for him…He is missed every hour of the day, and the House has lost half its life.”

Tomb of Prince Waldemar of Prussia; Credit – http://www.findagrave.com

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Helena of Waldeck-Pyrmont, Duchess of Albany

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Credit – Wikipedia

Her Serene Highness Princess Helena of Waldeck-Pyrmont (Helena Frederica Augusta) was born on February 17, 1861, at Arolsen Castle in the town of Arolsen, the capital of the Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont.  Today the town is known as Bad Arolsen and is located in the Waldeck-Frankenberg district of Hesse, Germany. Her parents were George Victor, Sovereign Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont and Princess Helena of Nassau. Through both of her parents, Helena was a descendant of Anne, Princess Royal, the eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain.

Helena was the fifth of seven children and had five sisters and one brother:

Helena had one half-brother from her father’s second marriage to Princess Louise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg:

Helena’s family lived mostly at  Arolsen Castle, a Baroque-style home built from 1713-1728.  The Scottish philosopher, historian, and writer Thomas Carlyle was a great friend of Helena’s mother and a frequent visitor to Arolsen Castle.  Carlyle described life at Arolsen Castle as a “pumpernickel court.”  Helena had a Lutheran education from a very liberal-minded pastor.

Arolsen Castle, now a museum and home of Wittekind, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1881, Helena first met her future husband, Queen Victoria’s youngest son, Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in the German state of Hesse, where Leopold was staying with Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, who was the widower of Leopold’s sister Alice.  Leopold was the only son of Queen Victoria to suffer from hemophilia.  He saw marriage as a way to become independent from Queen Victoria, his overbearing mother. Besides having hemophilia, Leopold also had mild epilepsy. (See Unofficial Royalty: Hemophilia in Queen Victoria’s Descendants.)  Although hemophilia had more serious consequences, it was a disease that was not completely understood at the time, and it was Leopold’s epilepsy that caused him problems while seeking a bride. Epilepsy was considered a social stigma and many families hid away their epileptic relatives.

After Leopold was rejected by several potential royal brides, Queen Victoria and her eldest daughter Victoria stepped in and made arrangements for Leopold and Helena to meet.  The couple became engaged on November 17, 1881.  Leopold was ecstatic when he wrote of the news to his brother-in-law Ludwig, widower of his sister Alice: “…we became engaged this afternoon…Oh, my dear brother, I am so overjoyed, and you, who have known this happiness, you will be pleased for me, won’t you?…You only know Helena a little as yet – when you really know her, then you will understand why I’m mad with joy today.”

Leopold and Helena; Credit – Wikipedia

On April 27, 1882, Leopold and Helena were married at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.  Helena was escorted down the aisle by her father George Victor, Sovereign Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont and her brother-in-law King Willem III of the Netherlands.  Her wedding gown of white satin, decorated with traditional orange blossom and myrtle was a gift from her sister Queen Emma of the Netherlands.  Leopold had requested that his friend, the French composer Charles Gounod, compose a wedding march to be played as Helena made her way to the altar.

Leopold and Helena had two children:

Charles Edward became Duke of Albany at birth (his father’s title) and in 1900 succeeded his uncle Alfred as the last reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.  During World War I, he was deprived of his British titles due to his taking up arms against his native country.  After World War II, Charles Edward was imprisoned due to his Nazi sympathies and was heavily fined and almost bankrupted.  Charles Edward’s grandson, King Carl XVI Gustaf, currently sits upon the throne of Sweden.  Leopold’s daughter Alice married a brother of Queen Mary, Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone, and died in 1981, the last surviving grandchild of Queen Victoria.

Helena, Duchess of Albany with her two children Alice and Charles Edward in 1887; Credit – http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

Unfortunately, Leopold and Helena’s marriage was short-lived.  In early 1884, Leopold’s doctors recommended that he spend the winter in Cannes, France, which he had done before.  At the time, Helena was expecting her second child.  On March 27, 1884, Leopold slipped and fell on the staircase at Villa Nevada, the private home where he was staying in Cannes.  He injured his knee and hit his head, and died early on the morning of March 28, 1884, apparently of a cerebral hemorrhage, the injuries having been exacerbated by his hemophilia. He was 31 years old.

Four months after Leopold’s death Helena gave birth to her son.  She continued to live with her children at Claremont House near Esher in Surrey, England, which Queen Victoria had bought for Leopold upon his marriage. Helena devoted the rest of her life to her children, grandchildren, and charitable work.  She was one of the founders of the Deptford Fund, originally founded in 1894 to help the people living by the dockyards in the Deptford section of London.  In 1899,  Helena founded The Albany Institute which is still in existence.  Its website says, “The Albany is a centre for the community that has been responding to the needs of the people of Deptford for over 100 years.”

On September 1, 1922, Helena died of a heart attack at the age of 61 in Hinterriss, Austria where she was visiting her son.  At her request, Helena was buried in the beautiful countryside of Hinteriss.

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Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom, Landgravine of Hesse-Homburg

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom, Landgravine of Hesse-Homburg; Credit – Wikipedia

Elizabeth was the third daughter and seventh of the fifteen children of King George III of the United Kingdom and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.  She was born on May 22, 1770, at the Queen’s House (now Buckingham Palace) in London, England.

Elizabeth had fourteen siblings:

Elizabeth was christened in the Great Council Chamber at St. James’s Palace, on  June 17, 1770, by Frederick Cornwallis, Archbishop of Canterbury. Her godparents were:

Elizabeth was considered to be the most attractive of King George’s daughters.  She was known for her humor, intelligence, and artistic ability.  Starting out by copying drawings (some are in the Royal Collection), Elizabeth later published lithographs and etchings, mostly of mythological scenes.  Some of the interior decorations of the Queen’s House (now Buckingham Palace) were designed and made by Elizabeth.  At Frogmore House, she helped to design the garden buildings and painted the flower murals at the Queen’s Cottage at Kew.

Thomas Gainsborough portrait of Princess Elizabeth at the age of 12; Credit – Wikipedia

Elizabeth’s childhood was very sheltered and she spent most of her time with her parents and sisters.  The living conditions of King George’s daughters came to be known as “the Nunnery.” None of the daughters was allowed to marry at the age when most princesses would marry. Perhaps this over-protection of King George III’s daughters was due to what happened to his sister Caroline Matilda when she married King Christian VII of Denmark.  Christian’s mental illness led to Caroline Matilda having an affair, being caught, the execution of her lover, and her exile.  The story was told in several novels including Per Olov Enquist’s The Visit of the Royal Physician (1999) and in the Danish film A Royal Affair (2012).

The sisters longed to escape from “the Nunnery.” Prior to King George’s first bout with what probably was porphyria in 1788, he had told his daughters that he would take them to Hanover to find them husbands.  Further bouts occurred in 1801 and 1804 and prevented talk of marriage for his daughters. Queen Charlotte feared that the subject of marriage, which had always bothered her husband, would push him back into insanity.  She was stressed by her husband’s illness and wanted her daughters to remain close to her.  The sisters – Charlotte, Augusta, Elizabeth, Mary, Sophia, and Amelia – continued to be over-protected and isolated which restricted them from meeting eligible suitors of their own age.

Starved for male companionship, Sophia got pregnant by her father’s 56-year-old equerry and secretly gave birth to a boy who was placed in a foster home. Amelia had an affair with another equerry.  There have been suggestions that both Elizabeth and Augusta also had affairs.  Three of the six daughters would eventually marry, all of them later than was the norm for the time.  Charlotte, Princess Royal married the future King of Württemberg, Frederick I, at the age of 31, and had one stillborn daughter. Mary married her cousin Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester at the age of 40 and had no children. Elizabeth was the last of the daughters to finally escape from “the Nunnery.”

By 1810, King George III was nearly blind from cataracts, constantly in pain from rheumatism, and was in “melancholy beyond description” according to Princess Amelia’s nurse.  Princess Amelia died in 1810 at the age of 27 and her death is partly credited for the final decline in her father’s health.  King George III accepted the need for the Regency Act of 1811 and the Prince of Wales (the future King George IV) acted as Prince Regent until his father died in 1820.

In 1818, Elizabeth read a letter from Hereditary Prince Friedrich of Hesse-Homburg to her mother asking to marry her and Elizabeth finally saw the way to exit “the Nunnery.” 48-year-old Friedrich had been a captain in the Russian cavalry, an Austrian general during the Great French War, and had been created a Commander of the Austrian Military Order of Maria Theresa.   Elizabeth was nearly 48 years old and was hardly likely to provide heirs for Hesse-Homburg, but Friedrich had six brothers to do that.  Elizabeth’s dowry would go a long way in helping tiny Hesse-Homburg out of its debts and also would provide funds for needed building renovations.  Elizabeth would have her own household to administer, a husband, and freedom from her mother. Queen Charlotte was not easily persuaded to agree to the marriage and after heated discussions and interventions from several of Elizabeth’s siblings, the Queen agreed to the marriage.

The Prince Regent and the Privy Council formally approved the marriage and on April 7, 1818, in the Private Chapel at the Queen’s House (now Buckingham Palace), Princess Elizabeth married her prince and gained her freedom.  The bride wore a dress of silver tissue and Brussels lace with ostrich feathers on her head.   Friedrich was not handsome, but he was very kindhearted and a war hero who had been wounded at the Battle of Leipzig.  The couple spent their honeymoon at the Royal Lodge at Windsor.  The marriage was not a love match, but through mutual understanding and respect, it was a happy marriage that met the needs of both Elizabeth and Friedrich.

Elizabeth

Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom and Friedrich VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg; Credit – royalcollection.org.uk

On January 20, 1820, Friedrich’s father died and he succeeded him as Landgrave of the 85 square mile/ 221 km2 Hesse-Homburg.  Using Elizabeth’s dowry and annual allowance, the couple built new roads, restored the castles in Bad Homburg and Meisenheim, and became involved in the care of the poor. Using seeds and seedlings from England, they created an English garden at Homburg Castle.  Elizabeth continued pursuing her artistic activities.  In 2010, an exhibit, Das graphische Werk der Landgräfin Elizabeth 1770–1840 (The Graphic Works of Landgravine Elizabeth), was held in Bad Homburg, Germany.

Friedrich died at the age of 59 on April 2, 1829, due to influenza and complications from an old leg wound.  Elizabeth wrote, “No woman was ever more happy than I was for eleven years and they will often be lived over again in the memory of the heart.”  During her widowhood, Elizabeth lived in Bad Homburg, Frankfurt, London, and in Hanover where her favorite brother Adolphus served as Viceroy.  Visiting with family and charitable work occupied much of her time.

On January 10, 1840, Elizabeth died at the age of 69 at her home in the Free City of Frankfurt, now in Hesse, Germany.  Elizabeth’s coffin was brought back to Bad Homburg on an immense catafalque pulled by black-plumed horses.  The catafalque was covered in black velvet and on top was the coronet to which she was entitled as a Princess of the United Kingdom.  The countryside roads were lined with mourners.  The funeral was held at the chapel of Homburg Castle.  At Elizabeth’s request, the Anglican burial service was read before she was interred next to her husband in the Mausoleum of the Landgraves in Homburg, Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg, now in Hesse, Germany.  In England, deep court mourning was temporarily suspended for several days the following month for the wedding festivities of her niece Queen Victoria.

Elizabeth was and still is the most popular of the Hesse-Homburg Landgravines. She is remembered for her generosity in spending her dowry and allowance in her new homeland, using it for, among other projects, to improve the castle and the gardens. Hesse-Homburg greatly mourned her death in 1840.

Her great-niece, Victoria, Princess Royal (German Empress Friedrich) wanted to erect a monument in her honor but unfortunately did not live to see it done. However, Wilhelm II, German Emperor did fulfill his mother’s wish and, on August 11, 1908, unveiled the monument in the presence of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. It was, very appropriately, placed in front of the English Church on Ferdinandstrasse in Bad Homburg, which was built for the English spa guests in 1868.

Landgravine Elizabeth monument in Bad Homburg; Credit – Wikipedia

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Recommended books that deal with Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom, Landgravine of Hesse-Homburg
George III’s Children by John Van Der Kiste (1992)
The Georgian Princesses by John Van Der Kiste (2000)
Princesses: The Six Daughters of George III by Flora Fraser (2004)

Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Queen of Denmark

by Emily McMahon and Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Born on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1879, in the city of Schwerin, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. Alexandrine Auguste was the eldest daughter and the eldest of the three children of Friedrich Franz III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia, a granddaughter of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia.

Alexandrine had one brother and one sister:

Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia with her three children, circa 1890; left to right: Cecilie, Alexandrine, Friedrich Franz, Grand Duchess Anastasia; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

It was in the French city Cannes, located on the French Riviera, that Alexandrine met her future husband, the future King Christian X of Denmark.  Because of the poor health of Alexandrine’s father, the family spent much time in warm climates including Cannes where they had a large estate, Villa Wenden.  Grand Duchess Anastasia had a poor reputation for her dislike of her adopted country and her extravagances.  She also had an illegitimate child during her widowhood. Although concern there were concerns for Alexandrine’s and Cecilie’s futures due to their mother’s lifestyle, both made impressive marriages. It was Anastasia who urged Alexandrine to marry the future King Christian X of Denmark, to which Alexandrine complied. The two were married in Cannes, France (her mother’s preferred residence) in 1898. Christian and Alexandrine were married in Cannes, France on April 26, 1898.

Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Christian of Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

The couple had two sons:

Prince Frederik and Prince Knud, 1912; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Christian and Alexandrine received the newly built Marselisborg Palace in Aarhus as a wedding present from the Danish public, but it was not completed until 1902. The couple made Christian VIII’s Palace at Amalienborg their Copenhagen base. The couple also spent a considerable amount of time at Sorgenfri Palace just outside Copenhagen. It was at Sorgenfri that both of the couple’s children, the future Frederik IX and Knud, were born.

Marselisborg Palace; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Christian and Alexandrine were devoted to one another and enjoyed a happy marriage. The couple became king and queen of Denmark in 1912. While their popularity waxed and waned throughout Christian’s rule, he and Alexandrine are generally viewed successful as king and queen. Prior to the World Wars, Alexandrine and Christian traveled extensively, often returning to Cannes where they met and married.

Alexandrine was somewhat shy and disliked the ceremonial and public aspects of being queen. She preferred more solitary activities and was known for her talents in needlework and for her avid interest in gardening. She also had a deep appreciation for music and was the patron of several musical organizations. Her eldest son Frederik shared his mother’s passion for music.

At the start of the German occupation of Denmark during World War II, it was unknown whether Alexandrine’s sympathies would ally with her native country or her adoptive one. Alexandrine proved herself loyal to Denmark by working with various relief organizations to bring aid to the Danes affected by the occupation. She also received General Kaupisch, the German head of the occupation, with a less than warm welcome. Alexandrine and her husband were lauded by the Danish public for their devotion to the country during wartime. Alexandrine was also able to save the sizable Danish royal jewel collection from Nazi looters by hiding it in churches and even farmhouses.

King Christian X with his wife Queen Alexandrine and grandchildren – Standing in back, from left to right: Princess Elisabeth, Prince Ingolf, Princess Margrethe (later Queen Margrethe II), Front, from left to right: Prince Christian, Queen Alexandrine holding Princess Anne-Marie (later Queen Consort of Greece), Princess Benedikte, King Christian X

 

Alexandrine was widowed in 1947. During her time as dowager queen, she devoted most of her time to charitable causes, particularly those dedicated to children. She was known simply as Queen Alexandrine until her own death in 1952, the first former queen to forgo the title of Dowager Queen.

On December 28, 1952, Alexandrine died in her sleep four days after her 73rd birthday,  at a hospice, Saint Lukas Foundation in Hellerup, Denmark. She had undergone an intestinal operation a week and a half before her death. At her funeral, her son Frederik conducted her favorite song, Edvard Grieg’s “Springtime.” Alexandrine is buried with her husband in the Glücksburger Chapel at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark.

Tombs of Alexandrine and her husband at Roskilde Cathedral; Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Kingdom of Denmark Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Princess Augusta of Cambridge, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Credit – Wikipedia

On December 5, 1916, Her Royal Highness The Dowager Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz died at the age of 94.  She had been born a British Princess on July 19, 1822, and was the longest-lived grandchild of King George III of the United Kingdom and the last link to the British branch of the House of Hanover.

Her Royal Highness Princess Augusta Caroline Charlotte Elizabeth Mary Sophia Louisa of Cambridge was the elder daughter and the second of three children of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge (the seventh son of King George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz) and Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel.  At the time of her death, Augusta was 94 years, 4 months, and 16 days old which made her, at that time, the longest-lived British Princess of the Blood Royal.  Princess Alice of Albany, Countess of Athlone, the daughter of Queen Victoria’s son Prince Leopold, became the longest-lived British Princess of the Blood Royal in 1977 and died four years later at the age of at age 97 years and 313 days.

Princess Augusta was born at the Palace of Montbrillant in the Kingdom of Hanover, where her father was serving as Governor-General and later Viceroy of the Kingdom of Hanover for his brothers King George IV and King William IV.  She was christened Augusta Caroline Charlotte Elizabeth Mary Sophia Louisa on August 16, 1822, at the Palace of Montbrillant in the Kingdom of Hanover.  Her godparents were:

When Augusta’s first cousin Queen Victoria succeeded their uncle, King William IV, in 1837, their uncle Ernest became King of Hanover because the Salic Law did not allow female succession in Hanover.  Augusta’s family then returned to England and lived at Cambridge House in Piccadilly, London.

Augusta had two siblings:

Friedrich Wilhelm of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; Credit – Wikipedia

On June 28, 1843, Augusta married Friedrich Wilhelm, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz at the Private Chapel in Buckingham Palace in London, England.  The bride and groom were first cousins through their mothers and second cousins through their fathers.  This marriage meant that Augusta would live in Neustrlitz, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, but the couple visited London frequently, staying with the Duchess of Cambridge at Kensington Palace, and Augusta retained close ties with the British Royal Family.

The couple had two sons, but only one survived to adulthood:

In 1860, Friedrich Wilhelm succeeded his father as Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Augusta became Grand Duchess.  Because she had no daughter of her own, Augusta became very close with her niece Mary (May) of Teck, later the wife of King George V of the United Kingdom,  and the two corresponded regularly until Augusta’s death.  In 1887, Augusta took part in the Golden Jubilee celebrations of her first cousin Queen Victoria.  When Augusta’s mother died in 1889, Augusta purchased a home near Buckingham Palace and stayed there for a portion of each year until her infirmity made it difficult to travel.  Augusta also attended Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 1897 and was heard to say in a loud voice, “Why is she thanking God in the street?” as Queen Victoria sat in her carriage in front of St. Paul’s Cathedral for a blessing because she was too infirm to enter the cathedral.

Prior to the coronation of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and his wife Queen Alexandra in 1902, Augusta was consulted on matters of ceremony and attire as she was almost the only person alive who could remember the coronation of King William IV and Queen Adelaide.  Her recollection of Queen Victoria’s coronation also proved invaluable.

Augusta, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz at the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902, Credit – Wikipedia

1904 was not a good year for Augusta as both her brother and husband died.  Augusta had been on a visit to England when her husband died.  Their son succeeded his father as Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.  Unfortunately, due to old age, Augusta was not able to attend the coronation of her niece May (Queen Mary) and her husband King George V of the United Kingdom in 1911.

In August of 1914, Augusta was 92 when World War I started.  Her only child had died two months earlier and now her grandson Adolf Friedrich VI was the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.   Adolf Friedrich was devoted to his grandmother, but the war was stressful for both of them.  Because Augusta was living in an enemy country, the British government suspended paying her pension.   Sadly, two years after Augusta’s death, her grandson Adolf Friedrich VI died by suicide. During the war, Augusta was able to keep up her correspondence with her niece May through Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden, born Princess Margaret of Connaught, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria.

In the autumn of 1916, Augusta’s health began to fail.  She lay in her bed for a month, sleeping most of the time.  When she was awake, she was lucid and listened to letters or newspapers read aloud to her.  Augusta sent a message to King George V: “Tell the king that it is a stout old English heart which is ceasing to beat.”  She died in Neustrelitz, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, on the morning of December 5, 1916.  Her last word was “May,” the name of her beloved niece.  Augusta was interred in the New Crypt at Johanniterkirche (link in German) in Mirow, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now a small town in northeastern Germany, in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.  The church, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, has two crypts that have been the burial place for the Mecklenburg-Strelitz family for the past 300 years.

Johanniterkirche in Mirow; Credit – Von Niteshift (talk) – Selbst fotografiert, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9970572

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Mecklenburg-Strelitz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

November 16, 1937 – Deaths of the Grand Ducal Family of Hesse and by Rhine

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Hesse-family

The Hereditary Grand Duke and Grand Duchess with their sons. Photo: personal collection

On November 16, 1937, a scheduled flight left Germany, bound for London. It was scheduled to stop in Brussels, however, the weather did not allow for a safe landing and the pilot continued on to Ostend with the intent of landing there. Unfortunately, the weather was just as bad, with almost no visibility. While attempting to land, the plane clipped a chimney on a factory near the airport. The plane was torn apart and crashed. The seven passengers, the pilot, and three crew members were all killed.

Onboard the plane were most of the members of the Grand Ducal Family of Hesse and by Rhine –  Hereditary Grand Duke Georg Donatus, his wife the former Princess Cecilie of Greece, their two elder children, Ludwig and Alexander, and Georg Donatus’ widowed mother, the Dowager Grand Duchess Eleonore. They were heading to London for the wedding of Georg Donatus’ younger brother, Prince Ludwig, to Margaret Geddes scheduled for November 20, 1937. Traveling with the family were Lina Hahn, the children’s nurse, and Baron Joachim Riedesel zu Eisenbach, the intended best man at Ludwig’s wedding. The couple’s youngest child Johanna had remained in Darmstadt. The Hereditary Grand Duchess Cecilie was heavily pregnant with her fourth child at the time and the remains of her unborn son were found amongst the wreckage. This has led to speculation that she may have gone into labor while in flight, which would explain the pilot’s attempt to land in Ostend despite the weather conditions. It is also possible that the distress and trauma of the crash caused her to give birth to the stillborn child.

Once news of the plane crash reached London, a wedding was quickly arranged for Prince Ludwig and Margaret on the 17th, after which the couple flew to Belgium to visit the crash site and make arrangements to bring the remains home to Darmstadt. The wedding was already overshadowed by grief. Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig, the father of Ludwig and Georg Donatus had just died a few weeks earlier. Despite this, it was decided that the wedding would go on as scheduled.

The funeral was held several days later, attended by Prince Ludwig and his new wife, and most of Cecilie’s family. These included her parents, Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenberg; her three sisters with their husbands – Margarita, The Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Theodora, The Margravine of Baden, and Sophie, Princess Christoph of Hesse; her brother Philip, the future Duke of Edinburgh; her maternal uncle, Lord Louis Mountbatten (later Earl Mountbatten of Burma), and her maternal grandmother, The Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven. The family was all buried in the burial ground next to the New Mausoleum in the Rosenhöhe, Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany.

The Grand Ducal couple’s young daughter Johanna was adopted by her uncle Ludwig and his wife Margaret. However, less than two years later, she contracted meningitis and died. She is buried with the rest of the family.

Princess Johanna with her aunt and uncle Prince Ludwig and Princess Margaret; Photo: The Esoteric Curiosa

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Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg, German Empress, Queen of Prussia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg, Credit – Wikipedia

The first wife of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia, Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg was born on October 22, 1858, in Dolzig Palace in Sommerfeld, Prussia (now Lubsko, Poland).  A great-niece of Queen Victoria, a niece of Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, the husband of Queen Victoria’s daughter Princess Helena, and a descendant of Danish and British kings, Augusta Victoria was the last German Empress and Queen of Prussia.  Her full German name was Auguste Viktoria Friederike Luise Feodora Jenny, but in her family, she was known as Dona.  Her father was Friedrich VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg, a great-grandson of King Christian VII of Denmark, and his wife Princess Caroline Matilda of Wales, sister of King George III of Great Britain.  Her mother was Princess Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, the daughter of Queen Victoria’s half-sister, Princess Feodora of Leiningen.

Dona was the eldest surviving child of her parents’ seven children and grew up with her four surviving siblings.  Because of the Schleswig-Holstein Question, the family had lived in several places: Dona’s birthplace Dolzig Palace in Sommerfeld, Prussia (now Lubsko, Poland), in Gotha which was one of the two capitals of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and in Primkenau, formerly in Germany but now in Poland. (I am not attempting to explain the Schleswig-Holstein Question, referring readers to the Wikipedia link above and quoting British Prime Minister Lord Palmerston: “The Schleswig-Holstein question is so complicated, only three men in Europe have ever understood it. One was Prince Albert, who is dead. The second was a German professor who became mad. I am the third and I have forgotten all about it.”)

In 1868 when she was ten years old, Dona first met Prince Wilhelm of Prussia, who was only a few months younger than her and was the eldest child of the Crown Prince and Princess of Prussia (the future Friedrich III, German Emperor and his wife Victoria, Princess Royal).  In the years that followed, Dona fell in love with her cousin Prince Ernst of Saxe-Meiningen and was sent to England to visit relatives to quash the romance. Wilhelm had proposed to his first cousin Princess Elisabeth (Ella) of Hesse and by Rhine. Ella, however, turned him down, and later would marry into the Russian Imperial Family and be murdered by the Bolsheviks in 1918.

Dona and Wilhelm were reacquainted in the summer of 1878 in Potsdam, Prussia.  The Prussians did not look favorably upon Dona as a possible wife for Wilhelm.  There were questions about whether the marriage would be equal because Dona’s father was not a sovereign. Furthermore, there were political complications from the Prussian annexation of Schleswig-Holstein when Dona’s father had claimed them.  However, Chancellor Otto von Bismarck was a strong proponent of the marriage because he believed it would end the dispute between the Prussian government and Dona’s father.  The engagement was announced officially on June 2, 1880, and the couple married on February 27, 1881, in Berlin.  Dona and Wilhelm had a very happy marriage.  Wilhelm was a man who needed to be pampered and since Dona adored him, she had no trouble pampering him.  She had more artistic interests than he did, but they shared very conservative political views and a deep religious faith. Dona had to endure a rough start to her married life because of her in-laws who did not think her rank was sufficient for the wife of a future emperor.

Dona and Wilhelm, Photo Credit – Wikipedia

The couple had seven children, six sons and one daughter:

  • Crown Prince Wilhelm (1882–1951), married Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. They had six children. Their eldest son Prince Wilhelm of Prussia (1906–1940) was killed in World War II.
  • Prince Eitel Friedrich (1883–1942), married Duchess Sophia Charlotte of Oldenburg. They were divorced and had no children.
  • Prince Adalbert (1884–1948), Married Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen. They had three children.
  • Prince August Wilhelm (1887–1949), married Princess Alexandra Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. They had one child.
  • Prince Oskar (1888–1958), married Countess Ina Marie von Bassewitz. They had four children. Their eldest son Prince Oskar Wilhelm Karl Hans Kuno of Prussia was killed in 1939 in World War II.
  • Prince Joachim (1890–1920), married Princess Marie-Auguste of Anhalt. They had one son. His great-grandson Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia, Prince of Prussia (born 1981) is a pretender to the Russian throne. Prince Joachim died by suicide.
  • Princess Viktoria Luise (1892–1980),  married Ernst August of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick. They had five children. Among their descendants are Prince Ernst August of Hanover, husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco; former King Constantine II of Greece; and Queen Sofia of Spain.

The year 1888 is called “The Year of Three Emperors” in German history.  Wilhelm’s grandfather Wilhelm I died on March 9, 1888, and was succeeded by Wilhelm’s father Frederick III.  Frederick was already gravely ill with cancer of the larynx and lived only three months more, dying on June 15, 1888, when Wilhelm succeeded to the throne.

When Dona became Empress (Kaiserin in German), she took up and enjoyed the traditional roles of a consort, serving as a hostess and working with charities.  It even seemed that her relationship with her mother-in-law improved although Dona carefully guarded their grandmother’s liberalism from her children.  Dona was with her mother-in-law when she died of cancer of the spine in 1901 and thereafter there was no question who was the first lady in Germany.  After Wilhelm became German Emperor, he especially needed Dona due to his notorious stress and erratic personality.  Unlike any other person, she had a calming and comforting effect on him.  However, Dona’s attention to her husband meant that she often neglected to take care of herself.  The German people adored Dona even more than her husband.  World War I put a terrible strain on Dona because of the strain it put on Wilhelm.  Nevertheless, Dona did all she could to give aid and comfort to her family and the German people.

Augusta Viktoria in 1920; Credit – Wikipedia

Dona’s health had started to fail even before Wilhelm lost his throne in the aftermath of World War I. In 1918, Dona and Wilhelm went into exile in the Netherlands eventually settling at Huis Doorn, a small manor house near Doorn in the province of Utrecht.  In July 1920, Viktoria Luise, Dona’s daughter, visited her parents at Huis Doorn where she received a report from her mother’s doctor saying that two days previously her mother “suffered a heart spasm.”  Several days later, Joachim, Dona and Wilhelm’s youngest son, died by suicide.  According to Viktoria Luise’s autobiography The Kaiser’s Daughter, the family feared for Dona’s health and decided to tell her that Joachim’s death was due to an accident.  Dona never got over her son’s death. In November of 1920, Dona’s condition worsened.  She died on April 11, 1921.  Viktoria Luise writes in her autobiography about how she learned of her mother’s death.  She was traveling to Doorn to visit her parents…”I had to stop over in Nuremberg and there I happened to glance at an advertising pillar where a crowd of passerby was gathered.  Instinctively, my gaze fastened on the posters and I was startled to see an “extra” which proclaimed the news of the death of the Kaiserin.”

Dona had wanted to be buried in Germany, but this meant that Wilhelm would never be able to visit her grave as he was exiled.  The German government agreed to the burial but insisted that the special train that carried Dona’s coffin only travel at night and that there should be no announcement of the arrangements.  Dona’s sons Adalbert and Oskar accompanied her remains back to Germany while Viktoria Luise remained at Doorn to comfort her father.  Dona was still popular with the German people and even though there were no announcements about the arrangements, the 600-kilometer route through Germany was lined with people.  Viktoria Luise writes: “…thousands upon thousands lined the railway tracks, which were leading their revered Princess home. Whenever the train stopped, there were hundreds and thousands in their mourning clothes, waiting to say farewell.  Church choirs sang, and bands played the music of hymns.  And along the countryside, waiting by railway embankments, farmers’ wives sank to their knees and prayed.”  The train reached Potsdam where Dona was to be buried at the Temple of Antiquity which had been built by Frederick the Great to house his collection of antique artifacts, coins, and antique gems.  More than 200,000 people lined the route of the funeral cortege.  Wilhelm remarried and survived Dona by 20 years.  When he died in 1941, he was buried in a mausoleum on the grounds of Huis Doorn.

Temple of Antiquities; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

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Prussia Resources at Unofficial Royalty