Category Archives: Former Monarchies

Christian Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha: In 1675, Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg died. Initially, his seven sons collectively governed the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, as set out in their father’s will. In 1680, the seven brothers concluded a treaty of separation, with each brother getting a portion of the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha Altenburg and becoming a Duke. One of the seven new duchies was the Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld and Johann Ernst, one of the seven sons of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg became the first Duke of Saxe-Saalfeld.  When two of his brothers died without male heirs, Johann Ernst took possession of Coburg (in 1699) and Römhild (in 1714). In 1699, Johann Ernst’s title changed to Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

In 1825, 145 years after the initial split, another line became extinct and there was another split between three surviving duchies. Ernst III, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld became Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. For more information on the switch, see Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Index.

On November 9, 1918, after the German Empire lost World War I, the Workers’ and Soldiers Council of Gotha, deposed the last Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Charles Edward, a grandson of Queen Victoria.  Five days later, he signed a declaration relinquishing his rights to the throne. The territory that encompassed the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is now in the German states of Bavaria and Thuringia.

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Christian Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld; Credit – Wikipedia

Christian Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was the only son and the second of the three children of Johann Ernst IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and his first wife, Sophie Hedwig of Saxe-Merseburg. He was born in Saalfeld, Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld, now in the German state of Thuringia, on August 18, 1683.

Christian Ernst had two sisters:

On August 2, 1686, two weeks short of his first birthday, Christian Ernst’s mother died in childbirth after giving birth to a stillborn son. Four years after his mother’s death, Christian Ernst’s father married Charlotte Johanna of Waldeck-Wildungen on December 2, 1690. Charlotte Johanna was the daughter of Count Josias II of Waldeck-Wildungen and Wilhelmine Christine of Nassau-Hilchenbach.

Christian Ernst had eight half-siblings from his father’s second marriage:

Christian Ernst’s paternal uncles Albrecht, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Heinrich, Duke of Saxe-Römhild died without male heirs. Upon their deaths, Christian Ernst’s father Johann Ernest took possession of Coburg (in 1699) and Römhild (in 1714). In 1699, Johann Ernst’s title changed to Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

Christian Ernst fell in love with Christiane von Koss, the daughter of Saalfeld forestry master. This relationship displeased both his father and his only surviving half-brother Franz Josias. Eventually, Christian Ernst’s father consented to the marriage, and the couple was married morganatically on August 18, 1724. A morganatic marriage meant that Christiane and any children from the marriage would not be entitled to her husband’s titles and privileges.

Schloss Saalfeld; Credit – Wikipedia

As the elder son, Christian Ernst was his father’s heir but because of his unequal marriage, his half-brother Franz Josias claimed the sole inheritance of the duchy. However, Johann Ernst decided that both his sons should reign jointly, and upon his death in 1729, his will forced the joint reign. After their father’s death, Christian Ernst resided at Schloss Saalfeld (link in German) and Franz Josias lived at Veste Coburg. From 1735, with the support of the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, Franz Josias effectively ruled over Coburg in his own right.

Christian Ernst was an advocate of Pietism, a movement within the Lutheran religion that emphasized individual piety and living a vigorous Christian life.  As a result, he turned Saalfeld into a very pious court. Nikolaus von Zinzendorf, a religious and social reformer, was a frequent visitor to Saalfeld and Christian Ernst had long talks with and regularly corresponded with him.

The interior of the Johanneskirche in Saalfeld; Credit – Wikipedia

On September 4, 1745, Christian Ernst died at Schloss Saalfeld at the age of 62. He was buried in the ducal crypt at the Johanneskirche (link in German) in Saalfeld, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Thuringia, Germany. Christian Ernst died childless and his half-brother Franz Josias, who was fourteen years younger, became the sole Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

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.

Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2019). Christian Ernst (Sachsen-Coburg-Saalfeld). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Ernst_(Sachsen-Coburg-Saalfeld) [Accessed 5 Feb. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Christian Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Ernest_II,_Duke_of_Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld [Accessed 5 Feb. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld [Accessed 5 Feb. 2019].

Johann Ernst IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha: In 1675, Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg died. Initially, his seven sons collectively governed the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, as set out in their father’s will. In 1680, the seven brothers concluded a treaty of separation, with each brother getting a portion of the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha Altenburg and becoming a Duke. One of the seven new duchies was the Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld and Johann Ernst, one of the seven sons of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg became the first Duke of Saxe-Saalfeld.  When two of his brothers died without male heirs, Johann Ernst took possession of Coburg (in 1699) and Römhild (in 1714). In 1699, Johann Ernst’s title changed to Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

In 1825, 145 years after the initial split, another line became extinct and there was another split between three surviving duchies. Ernst III, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld became Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. For more information on the switch, see Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Index.

On November 9, 1918, after the German Empire lost World War I, the Workers’ and Soldiers Council of Gotha, deposed the last Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Charles Edward, a grandson of Queen Victoria.  Five days later, he signed a declaration relinquishing his rights to the throne. The territory that encompassed the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is now in the German states of Bavaria and Thuringia.

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Johann Ernst IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld; Credit – Wikipedia

The founder of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld which was the precursor to the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and the ancestor of all British monarchs since Queen Victoria, Johann Ernst IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was born on August 22, 1658, in Gotha, Duchy of Saxe-Gotha, now in Thuringia, Germany. He was the fifteenth of the eighteen children and the eleventh of the twelve sons of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha and Elisabeth Sophie of Saxe-Altenburg.

Johan Ernst had seventeen siblings. The birth of his siblings spanned 25 years. Three siblings of his siblings died in December 1657 from smallpox and six died in infancy.

Johann Ernst was the youngest of his father’s seven surviving sons. All seven surviving sons were raised and educated as future rulers because Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha disliked primogeniture in which the eldest son is the sole heir. In 1672, the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha and the Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg were united under Ernst I when Friedrich Wilhelm III, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, the cousin of Ernst’s wife Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg, died childless. Ernst I was now the Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg.

Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, father of Johann Ernst; Credit – Wikipedia

On March 26, 1675, Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg died. Initially, all seven brothers governed the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, as set out in their father’s will. On February 24, 1680, the seven brothers concluded a treaty of separation, with each brother getting a portion of the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha Altenburg and becoming a Duke.

The map below shows the combined territory of Saxe-Gotha and Saxe-Altenburg from 1672 before it was again divided in 1680.

Credit – Wikipedia

Joann Ernst’s elder brothers Albrecht of Saxe-Coburg and Heinrich of Saxe-Römhild died without male heirs. Upon their deaths, Johann Ernest took possession of Coburg (in 1699) and Römhild (in 1714). In 1699, Johann Ernst became Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

In 1825, 145 years after the initial split, the House of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg became extinct and the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg was split. Saxe-Gotha passed to the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld who in turn gave Saalfeld to the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. The Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen received Saxe-Altenburg and gave the district of Hildburghausen to Saxe-Meiningen.

As a result:

On February 18, 1680, Johann Ernst married Sophie Hedwig of Saxe-Merseburg, daughter of Christian I, Duke of Saxe-Merseburg and Christiana of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.  Three years earlier, Sophie Hedwig’s sister Christiane married Christian, Duke of Saxe-Eisenberg, Johann Ernst’s brother. Sophie Hedwig, aged 25, died in childbirth on August 2, 1686, after giving birth to a stillborn son. She was buried in the Johanneskirche in Saalfeld, Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld, now in Thuringia, Germany.

Johann Ernst and Sophie Hedwig had three children:

Charlotte Johanna of Waldeck-Wildungen, Johann Ernst’s second wife; Credit – Wikipedia

Four years after his first wife’s death, Johann Ernst married Charlotte Johanna of Waldeck-Wildungen on December 2, 1690. Charlotte Johanna was the daughter of Count Josias II of Waldeck-Wildungen and Countess Wilhelmine Christine of Nassau-Siegen. Charlotte Johanna died on February 1, 1699, at the age of 34 and was buried in the Johanneskirche in Saalfeld, Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld, now in Thuringia, Germany. Johann Ernst did not marry again.

Johann Ernst and Charlotte Johanna had eight children:

Schloss Saalfeld; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1677, Ernst’s elder brothers Albrecht and Bernhard started the construction of a castle on the site of a former Benedictine monastery in Saalfeld. When Johann Ernst became Duke of Saxe-Saalfeld in 1680, he took over the construction of the unfinished castle. He moved into the castle, Schloss Saalfeld, in 1691 and it was his residence for the remainder of his life. Today the castle serves as the administrative seat of the district Saalfeld-Rudolstadt and the castle gardens are a public park.

Johanneskirche, the burial site of Johann Ernst and his two wives; Von Michael Sander – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3775005

Johann Ernst IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld died at Schloss Saalfeld on February 17, 1729, at the age of 70. He was buried with his two wives in the crypt at the Johanneskirche (link in German) in Saalfeld, Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld, now in Thuringia, Germany.

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.

Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2019). Johann Ernst (Sachsen-Coburg-Saalfeld). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Ernst_(Sachsen-Coburg-Saalfeld) [Accessed 5 Feb. 2019].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2019). Schloss Saalfeld. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schloss_Saalfeld [Accessed 5 Feb. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). John Ernest IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ernest_IV,_Duke_of_Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld [Accessed 5 Feb. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld [Accessed 5 Feb. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Saxe-Gotha. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saxe-Gotha [Accessed 5 Feb. 2019].

Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia

Prince August Wilhelm Heinrich Günther Viktor of Prussia was the fourth son of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia and Princess Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein. He was born on January 29, 1887, at the Potsdam City Palace, in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany.

He had six siblings:

Along with his brothers, August Wilhelm was given a strict military education at the Princes’ House at Plön Castle. He later studied at the universities in Bonn, Berlin, and Strasbourg, and received his doctorate in political science in 1907.

Alexandra Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. source: Wikipedia

On October 22, 1908, at the Berlin City Palace, August Wilhelm married his first cousin, Princess Alexandra Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. She was the daughter of Friedrich Ferdinand, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein and Princess Karoline Mathilde of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (his mother’s sister). The marriage ended 12 years later, and August Wilhelm was given full custody of their only child:

Following their marriage, the couple initially planned to live at Schönhausen Palace in Berlin but instead moved to Villa Leignitz in Sanssouci Park in Potsdam, which was given to them by August Wilhelm’s father. During World War I, he served as District Administrator of Ruppin and used Rheinsberg Palace as his residence. During this time, his marriage fell apart, reportedly due to his close relationship with his personal adjutant. Following the war and the end of the monarchy, August Wilhelm remained at his home in Sanssouci, where he lived a very quiet life. Having taken up drawing, he often sold some of his work to gain additional income. August Wilhelm and his wife also divorced, in March 1920, and he retained full custody of their only child.

Prince August Wilhelm speaking at a Nazi party rally in 1932. photo: Von Bundesarchiv, B 145 Bild-P046293 / Weinrother, Carl / CC BY-SA 3.0 DE, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9842838

In later years, August Wilhelm became involved with the Nazi Party – much to the dislike of his family. His involvement was, however, welcomed by Adolf Hitler, who saw the possibility of using him to help gain support and votes to bring the party into power. He was later made a member of the German Reichstag, which he held until the establishment of the Third Reich when Hitler no longer needed him anymore. He remained involved in the Nazi Party until 1942  when he made some private but negative comments about Joseph Goebbels, the Reich Minister of Propaganda.

On May 8, 1945, August Wilhelm was arrested by US forces for being a Nazi. In 1948 he was finally sentenced to 2-½ years of hard labor but was considered to have already served his sentence and he was released. However, just after his release, new charges were filed and another arrest warrant was issued from a court in Potsdam, which was now in the Soviet zone. He was never physically arrested and soon became seriously ill. Prince August Wilhelm died in a hospital in Stuttgart, Germany on March 25, 1949. He is buried in Langenburg, Germany in the cemetery of the Princes of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.

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.

Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Zweibrücken

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Zweibrücken; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt (Marie Augusta Wilhelmine) was the first wife of the future Maximilian I Joseph, King of Bavaria. She died before her husband became King of Bavaria but she did give birth to his heir. Born on April 14, 1765, in Darmstadt in the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in Hesse, Germany, Augusta Wilhelmine was the ninth of the nine children and the fourth of the four daughters of Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt, the second son of Ludwig VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, and Countess Maria Louise Albertine of Leiningen-Falkenburg-Dagsburg.

Augusta Wilhelmine had eight older siblings:

Augusta Wilhelmine’s husband Maximilian Joseph; Credit – Wikipedia

Augusta Wilhelmine married Count Palatine Maximilian Joseph von Zweibrücken, the future King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, on September 30, 1785, in Darmstadt, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt now in Hesse, Germany. Maximilian Joseph was a member of the House of Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Zweibrücken, a branch of the House of Wittelsbach. He was the son of the Count Palatine Friedrich Michael of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld and Maria Francisca of Sulzbach.

Augusta Wilhelmine and Maximilian Joseph had five children:

Augusta Wilhelmina with her two eldest children Ludwig and Augusta; Credit – Wikipedia

The family mainly lived in Strasbourg, France where Maximilian Joseph was stationed with the French army, attaining the rank of Major General. The couple often visited Paris where Augusta Wilhelmine met Queen Marie Antoinette of France. Afterward, the two corresponded with each other. After the outbreak of the French Revolution, Maximilian Joseph joined the Austrian Army.

In 1789, Maximilian Joseph’s regiment revolted and the family fled to Augusta Wilhelmine’s parents in Darmstadt. The family then settled near the town of Mannheim, then in the Palatinate, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, which belonged to Maximilian Joseph’s family. In December 1794, the French army attacked Mannheim and the family home was attacked by French artillery. Once again the family had to flee.

In 1795, upon the death of his brother Karl II August, Duke of Zweibrücken, Maximilian Joseph succeeded him as Duke of Zweibrücken. However, at that time the Duchy of Zweibrücken was entirely occupied by the French.

On March 30, 1796, 31-year-old Augusta Wilhelmine, weakened from five pregnancies and the travails of war, died from pulmonary tuberculosis at Schloss Rohrbach (link in German) near Heidelberg, then in the Palatinate, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. She was buried in the Stadtkirche (City Church) Darmstadt in Darmstadt, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in Hesse, Germany.

In 1797, Augusta Wilhelmine’s widower Maximilian Joseph married for a second time, to Princess Caroline of Baden, and had seven more children.  Maximilian Joseph became the first King of Bavaria on January 1, 1806.

Interior of the Stadtkirche Darmstadt where Augusta Wilhelmine is interred; Credit – CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=788614

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.

Bavaria Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2019). Auguste Wilhelmine von Hessen-Darmstadt. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auguste_Wilhelmine_von_Hessen-Darmstadt [Accessed 18 Jul. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Princess Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Augusta_Wilhelmine_of_Hesse-Darmstadt [Accessed 18 Jul. 2019].
  • Mehl, S. (2019). Maximilian I Joseph, King of Bavaria. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/maximilian-i-joseph-king-of-bavaria/ [Accessed 18 Jul. 2019].
  • Nl.wikipedia.org. (2019). Augusta Wilhelmina van Hessen-Darmstadt. [online] Available at: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augusta_Wilhelmina_van_Hessen-Darmstadt [Accessed 18 Jul. 2019].

 

Friedrich II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Friedrich II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel; Credit – Wikipedia

Friedrich II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel was the husband of Princess Mary of Great Britain, daughter of King George II of Great Britain. He became famous during the American Revolution as a supplier of thousands of Hessian soldiers who fought on behalf of the British.

Born on August 14, 1720, in Kassel in the Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel, now in Hesse, Germany, Friedrich was the eldest surviving son of Wilhelm VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and his wife Dorothea Wilhelmine of Saxe-Zeitz. His paternal uncle was King Fredrik I of Sweden.

Friedrich had two siblings:

In 1725, when Friedrich was five years old, his mother became mentally ill and never again appeared at court. Friedrich was first educated by Colonel August Moritz von Donop and then by the Swiss theologian and philosopher Jean-Pierre de Crousaz.

Princess Mary of Great Britain, Friedrich’s first wife; Credit – By Johann Heinrich Tischbein – Museumslandschaft Hessen Kassel, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74554565

In 1740, a marriage was arranged for the 20-year-old Friedrich with 17-year-old Princess Mary of Great Britain, a daughter of King George II of Great Britain and his wife Caroline of Ansbach. A proxy marriage, with Mary’s brother Prince William, Duke of Cumberland standing in for the groom, was held on May 19, 1740, in the Chapel Royal of St. James’ Palace in London, England. Mary left England in June and married Friedrich in person on June 28, 1740.

Mary and Friedrich had four sons:


Friedrich and Mary’s sons: Wilhelm, Karl, and Friedrich; Credit – Wikipedia

Friedrich and his wife Mary are ancestors of the current British royal family through their fourth son Prince Friedrich. Prince Friedrich’s daughter Augusta was the grandmother of Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, better known as Queen Mary, the wife of King George V of the United Kingdom. Through their third son Prince Karl, Friedrich and Mary are great-grandparents of King Christian IX of Denmark. Through King Christian IX, Friedrich and Mary are ancestors of six of the ten current European royal families: Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Friedrich and Mary’s marriage was not happy and Friedrich was cruel and abusive. After the birth of their fourth son, Friedrich left Mary and their sons. Eventually, Friedrich sent her a letter saying that before they had married, he had been in love with a Catholic woman he had wanted to marry. However, she would not agree to marry Friedrich unless he converted to Catholicism which he refused to do, fearing the reaction of his family and future subjects. Shortly before the birth of his fourth son, Friedrich received word that his former love was dying and he went to see her. She asked him to convert to Catholicism so their souls could be reunited in heaven and Friedrich agreed to do so. In February 1749, Friedrich visited the Archbishop-Elector of Cologne Clemens August of Bavaria who received him into the Roman Catholic Church. Furious, Mary’s father King George II ordered his daughter back to England but she refused, saying that it was her duty to remain in the place that God had placed her and that she would ensure her sons would be brought up Protestant.

By 1754, it became obvious to Friedrich’s father Wilhelm VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, that the marriage of his son and Mary was irretrievably broken and he agreed that his daughter-in-law and grandchildren should live with him. In 1755, Mary and Friedrich officially separated but Mary refused a divorce to deprive her husband of the opportunity to remarry. Friedrich’s father ordered him to leave the Protestant religion untouched in Hesse-Kassel and gave his eldest grandson the County of Hanau-Münzenberg, under the regency of Mary. Friedrich never saw his wife again and did not see his children until 1782.

Friedrich’s second wife Philippine of Brandenburg-Schwedt; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1760, Wilhelm VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel died and Friedrich became Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. As there had been no divorce, Mary was then Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel. When Mary died in 1772, Friedrich was finally free to marry again. On January 10, 1773, Friedrich married Margravine Philippine of Brandenburg-Schwedt, who was twenty-five years younger than her husband. Philippine was the daughter of Margrave Friedrich Wilhelm of Brandenburg-Schwedt and his wife Princess Sophia Dorothea of Prussia. Wilhelm and Philippine had no children but eventually, Philippine reconciled her husband with his children from his first marriage, from whom he had been estranged since 1754.

Hessian soldiers; Credit – Wikipedia

At that time, it was the usual practice for smaller principalities to rent out their soldiers to other countries, and Friedrich was no exception. He rented out so many soldiers to his first wife’s nephew King George III of Great Britain for use during the American Revolution, that “Hessian” became an American term for all German soldiers used by the British during the American Revolution. With the income received from hiring out his soldiers, Friedrich became one of the richest rulers in Germany. With this revenue, he became a patron of the arts and sciences and hired architect Simon Louis du Ry to transform the town of Kassel into a modern capital city.

On October 31, 1785, Friedrich II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel died suddenly from a stroke at the age of 65 at Castle Wessenstein (now known as Castle Wilhelmshöhe) in Kassel in the Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel, now in Hesse, Germany. He left behind a developed economy and a full treasury for his son and successor, Wilhelm IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. Friedrich was buried at the Roman Catholic Church of St. Elisabeth (link in German) in Kassel which was built on Friedrich’s order by architect Simon Louis du Ry between 1770 and 1777. The original church was destroyed during World War II and rebuilt after the war. Friedrich’s remains were reinterred in the new church in a new tomb. He is the only Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel not buried in the Protestant Martinskirche (St. Martin’s Church) (link in German) in Kassel.

Tomb of Friedrich II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel; Credit – By FriedrichII-hessen-kassel-grab-elisabethkirche.jpg: ChristosVderivative work: Rabanus Flavus – This file was derived from: FriedrichII-hessen-kassel-grab-elisabethkirche.jpg:, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23414512

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.

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2019). Friedrich II. (Hessen-Kassel). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_II._(Hessen-Kassel) [Accessed 17 Jul. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_II,_Landgrave_of_Hesse-Kassel [Accessed 17 Jul. 2019].
  • Flantzer, S. (2019). Princess Mary of Great Britain, Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/princess-mary-of-great-britain-landgravine-of-hesse-kassel/ [Accessed 17 Jul. 2019].
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. (2019). Фридрих II (ландграф Гессен-Касселя). [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A4%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%85_II_(%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%84_%D0%93%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%BD-%D0%9A%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8F) [Accessed 17 Jul. 2019].
  • Van der Kiste, J. (2013). King George II and Queen Caroline. New York: The History Press.
    Van Der Kiste, John. The Georgian Princesses. Phoenix Mill: Sutton Publishing, 2000. Print.
    Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

Princess Mary of Great Britain, Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Credit – By Johann Heinrich Tischbein, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74554565

On March 5, 1723, Princess Mary of Great Britain was born at Leicester House, Leicester Square in London, England. She was the seventh of the eight children and the fourth of the five daughters of King George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach, then the Prince and Princess of Wales. At the time of her birth, her grandfather King George I sat upon the throne of Great Britain. When Mary was four-years-old, her grandfather died and her father succeeded him. The next year the family moved to St. James’ Palace in London.

Mary had six older siblings and one younger sibling:

Mary’s husband Friedrich II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1740, when Mary was 17 years old, a marriage was arranged for her with 20-year-old Friedrich II, the future Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. Friedrich was the son of Wilhelm VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and Dorothea Wilhelmine of Saxe-Zeitz. As Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, Friedrich became famous during the American Revolution as a supplier of thousands of Hessian soldiers who fought on behalf of the British.  A proxy marriage, with Mary’s brother William standing in for the groom, was held on May 19, 1740, in the Chapel Royal of St. James’ Palace. Mary left England In June and married Friedrich in person on June 28, 1740.

Mary and Friedrich had four sons:

Mary and her husband Friedrich are ancestors of the current British royal family through their fourth son Prince Friedrich. Prince Friedrich’s daughter Augusta was the grandmother of Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, better known as Queen Mary, the wife of King George V of the United Kingdom. Through their third son Prince Karl, Mary and her husband Friedrich are great-grandparents of King Christian IX of Denmark, as are Mary’s younger sister Louisa and her husband King Frederik V of Denmark. Through this line, Mary and Friedrich (along with her sister Louisa and Frederik V of Denmark) are ancestors of six of the ten current European royal families: Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Mary in 1762; Credit – Wikipedia

Mary’s marriage was not a happy one and Friedrich was cruel and abusive. After the birth of their fourth son, Friedrich left Mary and their sons. Eventually, Friedrich sent her a letter saying that he had been in love with a Catholic woman who he had wanted to marry. However, she would not agree to marry Friedrich unless he converted to Catholicism which he refused to do, fearing the reaction of his family and future subjects.  Shortly before the birth of his fourth son, Friedrich received word that his former love was dying and he went to see her. She asked him to convert to Catholicism so their souls could be reunited in heaven and Friedrich agreed to do so.  In February 1749, Friedrich visited the Archbishop-Elector of Cologne, Clemens August of Bavaria, who received him into the Roman Catholic Church. Furious, Mary’s father King George II ordered his daughter back to England but she refused, saying that it was her duty to remain in the place that God had placed her and that she would ensure her sons would be brought up Protestant.

By 1754, it became obvious to Friedrich’s father Wilhelm VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, that the marriage of his son and Mary was irretrievably broken and he took in his daughter-in-law and grandchildren to live with him. In 1755, Mary and Friedrich officially separated but Mary refused a divorce in order to deprive her husband of the opportunity to remarry.  Friedrich’s father ordered him to leave the Protestant religion untouched in Hesse-Kassel and gave his eldest grandson the County of Hanau-Münzenberg, under the regency of Mary.  Friedrich never saw his wife again and did not see his children until 1782.

In 1756, Mary went to Denmark to take care of the children of her younger sister Louisa who had died a few years earlier. Mary’s sons grew up in the Danish royal court and two of them married Danish princesses. In 1760, Wilhelm VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel died and his son and Mary’s husband became Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. As there was no divorce, Mary was then Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel.


Mary’s sons: Wilhelm, Karl, and Friedrich; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1785, Mary’s oldest surviving son Wilhelm returned to Hesse-Kassel when his father died to succeed him as Wilhelm IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. He later became Wilhelm I, Prince-Elector of Hesse. Karl became a Field Marshal in the Danish Army and was royal governor of the Danish duchies of Schleswig and Holstein from 1769 to 1836. Friedrich also served in the Danish Army. In 1781, he bought Rumpenheim Castle (link in German) from his brother Karl and it became his family’s seat. Mary had spent her last years living there.

Mary died on January 14, 1772, in Hanau, Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel, now in Hesse, Germany, at the age of 48. She was buried at the Marienkirche (link in German) in Hanau. Originally a Roman Catholic church built in the 1300s dedicated to Mary Magdalene, it was renamed the High German Reformed Church after the Reformation. In 1818, Mary’s son Wilhelm, now Prince-Elector of Hesse, decreed that the church should be renamed Marienkirche, St. Mary’s Church, in honor of his mother.

Tomb of Mary of Great Britain, Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel; Credit – Wikipedia

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.

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_II,_Landgrave_of_Hesse-Kassel [Accessed 17 Jul. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Princess Mary of Great Britain. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Mary_of_Great_Britain [Accessed 17 Jul. 2019].
  • Van der Kiste, J. (2013). King George II and Queen Caroline. New York: The History Press.
  • Van Der Kiste, John. The Georgian Princesses. Phoenix Mill: Sutton Publishing, 2000. Print.
  • Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

Prince Adalbert of Prussia

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Prince Adalbert of Prussia; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Adalbert Ferdinand Bergengar Viktor of Prussia was the third son of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia and Princess Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein. He was born at the Marble Palace in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg, on July 14, 1884. Adalbert had six siblings:

Adalbert and his brothers lived at the Princes’ House at Plön Castle. They received a strict military education and also studied agriculture on nearby Princes’ Island. In 1894, he entered the Imperial Navy and attended the Naval Academy in Kiel. Following his training, he made several trips abroad, representing his father, and continued his military career.

Adalbert and Adelheid, c1914. source: Wikipedia

On August 3, 1914, in Wilhelmshaven, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Lower Saxony, Adalbert married Princess Adelheid of Saxe-Meiningen. She was the daughter of Prince Friedrich Johann of Saxe-Meiningen and Countess Adelheid of Lippe-Biesterfeld. The couple had three children:

  • Princess Victoria Marina (1915) – died at birth
  • Princess Victoria Marina (1917-1981) – married Kirby Patterson, had issue
  • Prince Wilhelm Viktor (1919-1989) – married Marie Antoinette, Countess of Hoyos, had issue

During World War I, Adalbert served in the Prussian Navy, eventually taking command of the SMS Dresden in 1917 until the end of the war. He also served as a Major in the Prussian Army, with the 1st Regiment Foot Guards. During this time, his family remained living in Kiel. Following the end of the monarchy in November 1918, Adalbert left his family in Kiel and initially took refuge on his yacht. He soon moved to Bad Homburg, Germany where he purchased Villa Adelheidswert and was joined by his wife Adelheid and children. Adalbert and Adelheid often traveled to Switzerland due to her health and they eventually settled there permanently in 1928. Adopting the names Count and Countess von Lingen, they lived a very quiet and private life and took no part in German politics.

At the age of 64, Prince Adalbert died on September 22, 1948, in La-Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland. He is buried in the Vassin Cemetery in the same town, alongside his wife who survived him by nearly 23 years.

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Prince Eitel Friedrich of Prussia

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Prince Eitel Friedrich of Prussia; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Wilhelm Eitel Friedrich Christian Karl of Prussia (known as Eitel Friedrich or Eitel Fritz) was the second son of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia and his first wife, Auguste Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg. He was born at the Marble Palace in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg, on July 7, 1883.

Eitel Friedrich had six siblings:

From 1896, Friedrich Eitel lived and studied at the Prince’s House on the grounds of Plön Castle along with his brothers. He was later a member of the Corps Borussia Bonn, the corps of the House of Hohenzollern. At the beginning of World War I, he served on the front line, commanding the First Foot Guards. From 1915 to 1918, he led the 1st Division of Guards on both the Western and Eastern fronts. Friedrich Eitel was highly decorated for his leadership and valor and received the Iron Cross and the Prussian Order of Merit, Prussia’s highest award for valor.

Eitel Friedrich and Sophie Charlotte. source: Wikipedia

On February 27, 1906, in Berlin, Eitel Friedrich married Duchess Sophie Charlotte of Oldenburg. She was the daughter of Friedrich August II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg and Princess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia. The couple had first met in June 1905 at the wedding of Eitel’s elder brother Crown Prince Wilhelm and Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and then met again later that month. They became engaged in the fall of 1905. Following the wedding, the couple resided at Villa Ingenheim (link in German) in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg, and had no children.

The marriage was never happy because Eitel Friedrich was continually unfaithful, and Sophie found it difficult to make friends in her new home. While he was off fighting during World War I, Sophie lived primarily at the Bellevue Palace in Berlin. In 1922, several newspapers published allegations of infidelity against Sophie. She was summoned as a witness in a divorce case and admitted having had an affair with the gentleman involved. Eitel Friedrich filed for divorce, and the couple was formally divorced on October 20, 1926.

Villa Ingenheim. photo: Von karstenknuth – Eigenes Werk, Attribution, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23295620

After the war and the end of the German Empire, Eitel Friedrich remained active in monarchist circles and supported the Stahlhelm paramilitary organization. In 1921, he was found guilty of a fraudulent transfer of 300,000 marks abroad, for which he was fined 5,000 marks. He was later one of the founders of the Harzburg Front, a radical right-wing alliance formed to present unified opposition to the government of Chancellor Heinrich Brüning. However, he was an outspoken opponent of Hitler.

Prince Eitel Friedrich died at Villa Ingenheim in Potsdam, Germany on December 8, 1942. The Nazi regime refused to allow him any military honors at his funeral and forbade anyone attending the funeral to wear their uniforms. Despite this, many of his former military comrades, all in civilian clothes, attended his funeral. Eitel Friedrich is buried in the Antique Temple in Sanssouci Park in Potsdam, Germany.

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Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, German Crown Princess

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, German Crown Princess; Credit – Wikipedia

Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was the wife of Wilhelm, German Crown Prince. She was born in Schwerin, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, on September 20, 1886, to Friedrich Franz III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia.

Cecilie had two older siblings:

Crown Prince Wilhelm. source: Wikipedia

During the wedding celebrations of her brother Friedrich Franz in June 1904, Cecilie got to know Crown Prince Wilhelm who was representing his father Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia. On September  4, 1904, Cecilie and Wilhelm celebrated their engagement at the Mecklenburg-Schwerin hunting lodge. Cecilie married Crown Prince Wilhelm in ceremonies held on June 6, 1905, in the Royal Chapel of the Berlin Palace and the Berlin Cathedral in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany.

They had six children:

Cecilienthof – court of honor. photo: By Gryffindor, panorama made by Digon – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2180563

Following their marriage, the couple made their home at the Marble Palace in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany, for the summers, and the Crown Prince’s Palace in Berlin for the winters and court season. Years later they had Cecilienhof built in the New Garden in Potsdam, near the Marble Palace. Construction was completed in 1917 and the family moved in right away. Although seemingly happy at first, the couple soon began to have difficulties. Wilhelm was a perpetual womanizer and made little attempt to keep any of his affairs quiet. He would often boast to Cecilie of his escapades, once even bringing her to the point of considering suicide. Despite this, their family continued to grow with the birth of their six children.

As Crown Princess, Cecilie was immensely popular and took on charity work. She particularly enjoyed working with organizations that promoted and provided education for women. She traveled extensively, including a visit to the United Kingdom in 1911 to attend the coronation of King George V of the United Kingdom. A friendship developed between Cecilie and King George V’s wife Queen Mary, and the two maintained a correspondence until Mary died in 1953. When the German Empire fell in 1918, Cecilie’s husband and father-in-law went into exile in the Netherlands. Cecilie first left Cecilienhof for the safety of the Neues Palais with her mother-in-law but was soon given permission to return to her home, and ensured of her safety. However, her husband was not permitted into the country at that time.

Oels Castle in Silesia. photo: By Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova – Praca własna, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27187345

The family managed to retain numerous personal properties, including Oels Castle in Silesia, where she met her husband in November 1923 after five years of separation. By then, it was a marriage “in name only”. In 1926, a settlement was reached between the German State and the former royal family. Cecilienhof became the property of the state but Cecilie and Wilhelm were given the right of residence for three generations. Cecilie based herself at Cecilienhof and stayed active in charitable organizations such as the Queen Luise Fund, the Fatherland’s Women Union, and the Ladies of the Order of St. John. All of these were later abolished in 1933 by Adolf Hitler.

Cecilie continued to live a private life at Cecilienhof in the years leading up to World War II. In May 1938, her son Ludwig Ferdinand married Grand Duchess Kira, the daughter of the pretender to the Russian throne, at Cecilienhof. This would be the last big family occasion before the war. In the midst of the war, her father-in-law died in 1941 and her husband became head of the House of Hohenzollern. The family spent most of their time at Oels Castle but returned to Potsdam in 1944 to celebrate Christmas.  In February 1945, they left Cecilienhof for the last time, fleeing the Red Army. Their beloved home Cecilehof was seized by the Soviets. It would later be the site of the Potsdam Conference in the summer of 1945, hosting British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, US President Harry Truman, and Soviet leader Josef Stalin.

Churchill, Truman, and Stalin at Cecilienhof for the Potsdam Conference, July 25, 1945. source: Wikipedia

Cecilie settled in Bad Kissingen, Germany for the next several years, while her husband lived in Hechingen until his death in July 1951. The following year, Cecilie moved to an apartment in the Frauenkopf district in Stuttgart. That same year, her memoirs were published and she made another visit to England where she attended the christening of her granddaughter and enjoyed a final visit with Queen Mary. Later that year, her sister, Queen Alexandrine of Denmark, died and Cecilie never fully recovered from the loss.

Cecilie, German Crown Princess and Crown Princess of Prussia, died on May 6, 1954, her late husband’s birthday, while visiting Bad Kissingen. She was buried six days later beside her husband at Hohenzollern Castle in Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany.

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Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, German Empress, Queen of Prussia

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, German Empress, Queen of Prussia; Credit – Wikipedia

Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was the wife of Wilhelm I, German Emperor and King of Prussia. She was born Princess Augusta Marie Luise Katharina on September 30, 1811, in Weimar, Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, now in the German state of Thuringia, the second daughter of Karl Friedrich, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia, daughter of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia.

Augusta had three siblings:

Augusta’s husband, the future Wilhelm I, German Emperor and King of Prussia in 1848; Credit – Wikipedia

Augusta first met her future husband in 1826 when she was just 15 years old. Wilhelm found her personality to be wonderful but did not find her as attractive as her older sister. However, his father encouraged the marriage. At that time, Wilhelm was in love with a Polish princess, Elisa Radziwill, but marriage would not have been allowed as it was considered unequal. Wilhelm’s father King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia forced him to end that relationship and to marry Augusta. He proposed on August 29, 1828, and the two were formally engaged on October 25, 1828. The marriage took place in the chapel at Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg, on June 11, 1829, and they had two children:

Their marriage was not without struggles. Augusta was deeply in love with Wilhelm, but he was still in love with Elisa Radziwill. Although welcomed in the Prussian court, she soon found the strict protocol stifling. She wanted to get involved in charitable causes but found that her sister-in-law, then Crown Princess Elisabeth Ludovika took precedence over her in such activities.

In 1837, the family took up residence in a new palace in Berlin, which became known as the Kaiser Wilhelm Palais, and later the Altes Palais (Old Palace). This would remain Augusta’s primary residence for the rest of her life. In 1850, the couple moved to Koblenz, where her Wilhelm served as Governor-General of the Rhine Province. Augusta flourished in Koblenz, away from the strict court life of Berlin. They remained there until 1858 when Wilhelm was named Regent for his older brother, King Friedrich Wilhelm IV who was ill. They returned to Berlin and their increased responsibilities. In January 1861, the King died, and Wilhelm and Augusta became the new King and Queen of Prussia. The new Queen was more interested in politics than many of her predecessors and did not hesitate to voice her opinion. She despised Otto von Bismarck, who her husband had appointed, and the feeling was mutual. Ten years later, Wilhelm was named the first German Emperor (Kaiser), with Augusta as his Empress (Kaiserin). During their reign, Augusta founded the National Women’s Association and numerous hospitals and schools throughout Prussia to help those in need.

Mausoleum at Charlottenburg Palace. photo: Von Manfred Brueckels – Selbst fotografiert, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4833730

Augusta’s husband died on March 9, 1888, and was succeeded by their son Friedrich III. Friedrich was terminally ill with throat cancer, died just 99 days later, and was succeeded by his eldest son Wilhelm II, who became the last German Emperor and King of Prussia. Despite having been in ill health for nearly 10 years, Augusta continued to participate in official duties. Shortly after a New Year’s reception, Augusta died at the Altes Palais in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany on January 7, 1890, at the age of 78. She was buried in the mausoleum at Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin, alongside her husband.

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