Karl I, King of Württemberg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Kingdom of Württemberg: Württemberg was a County, a Duchy, and an Electorate before becoming a Kingdom in 1806. At the end of 1805, in exchange for contributing forces to France’s armies, Napoleon, Emperor of the French recognized Württemberg as a kingdom, with Elector Friedrich formally becoming King Friedrich I  on January 1, 1806. The reign of Wilhelm II, the last King of Württemberg, came to an end in November 1918, after the fall of the German Empire led to the abdications of all the ruling families. Today the land that encompassed the Kingdom of Württemberg is located in the German state Baden-Württemberg.

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Karl I, King of Württemberg – source: Wikipedia

King Karl of Württemberg reigned from 1864 until he died in 1891. He was born Karl Friedrich Alexander on March 6, 1823, in Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, the son of King Wilhelm I of Württemberg and Duchess Pauline of Württemberg. He had two siblings:

He also had two half-siblings from his father’s first marriage to Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna of Russia:

Karl underwent the traditional military training expected of someone in his position. He also studied in Berlin and at the University of Tübingen. Karl often traveled throughout Europe and in January 1846, he met his future bride in Palermo, then in the Kingdom of Sicily, now in Italy.

Karl’s wife Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia was the daughter of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia and Princess Charlotte of Prussia. Her parents hoped to find a significant dynastic marriage for Olga, and the future King of Württemberg was, or so they thought, a perfect choice. Karl and Olga met just a few times before he proposed to her on January 18, 1846. Six months later, on July 13, 1846, they married at the Peterhof Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. Upon their return, they took up residence at Villa Berg, Karl’s summer palace in Stuttgart. They had no children of their own, but later adopted Olga’s niece Grand Duchess Vera Konstantinovna.

Karl, Olga and Vera, c1870. source: Wikipedia

The marriage appeared to be happy but possibly it was never consummated. By most accounts, Karl was homosexual and enjoyed very close relationships with several men through the years. One of these was an American, Charles Woodcock, who served as a reader to Queen Olga. The King and 27-year-old Woodcock became very close, even appearing together in public wearing matching clothes. Soon, Karl appointed Woodcock as his chamberlain, and in 1888, created him Baron Woodcock-Savage. However, a public scandal quickly erupted, and Karl was forced to end the relationship and send Woodcock back to the United States. Following Woodcock’s departure, the King allegedly developed a relationship with the technical director of the royal theater, which would last for the remainder of his life.

Karl I, King of Württemberg source: Wikipedia

Karl took the throne as King Karl I upon his father’s death in June 1864. He was far more liberal than his father, and this was reflected in his actions. He restored the freedom of the press and universal suffrage. Although he sided with Austria during the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, he soon entered into a treaty with Prussia, and would later fight alongside them in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. He was the last of the kingdoms to join the North German Confederation, and when the German Empire was proclaimed in 1871, coincidentally on his 25th wedding anniversary, he chose not to attend but instead was represented by his cousin Prince August of Württemberg.  Several years later, he arranged the marriage of his adopted daughter Vera to Duke Eugen of Württemberg. The couple married in May 1874 and had three children.

Tombs of King Karl and Queen Olga. photo: By Wuselig – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49313906

King Karl died in Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, on October 6, 1891. He is buried in the crypt beneath the Schlosskirche at the Old Castle (Altes Schloss) in Stuttgart next to his wife.

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