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:
- Wilhelm, German Crown Prince and Crown Prince of Prussia (1882-1951) – married Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, had issue
- Prince Eitel Friedrich (1883-1942) – married Sophie Charlotte of Oldenburg (divorced), no issue
- Prince August Wilhelm (1887-1949) – married Alexandra of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, had issue
- Prince Oskar (1888-1958) – married Countess Ina-Marie von Bassewitz, had issue
- Prince Joachim (1890-1920) – married Marie-Auguste of Anhalt (divorced), had issue
- Princess Viktoria Luise (1892-1980) – married Ernst August of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick, had issue
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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