The Sisters of Wilhelm II, German Emperor

Wilhelm II was the last German emperor he was the eldest child of Frederick III German Emperor and Victoria Princess Royal but he was not an only child he had seven younger siblings in this two-part series we will learn more about his siblings starting with his sisters Charlotte Duchess of sax mannequin was born princess Charlotte of Prussia on the 24th of July 1860 only 19 months after the birth of her older brother Willem her birth was an easy labor she was the last grandchild to be born during the life of her maternal grandfather Prince Albert of sax Coburg and gotha during winter time Charlotte and her siblings lived in Berlin and they spent their summers in Potsdam in 1863 Charlotte's parents bought a rundown property and refurbished it into a form which allows the family to live a simple Country Life periodically due to her father's position in the Prussian Army Charlotte's father was often away from home her mother was strict with her children expecting them to exhibit moral Behavior at all times she raised her children in English style nurseries and fostered a love of her native country in several of her children by incorporating aspects of English culture into the home Victoria and Charlotte developed a strange relationship Charlotte was indifferent to education much to the dismay of Victoria Victoria was brutally honest and rarely hid her thoughts she would admonish her children when they displeased her Charlotte proved to be a disappointment to her mother being nervous and easily agitated this caused a wedge to form and the mother-daughter relationship after the deaths of Charlotte's younger brothers sigismund and Voldemort Charlotte grew resentful of her mother's treatment towards her Victoria indulged her younger children Victoria Sophia and Margaret will be in harsh to her older children Willem Charlotte and Henry Charlotte was one of her paternal grandparents favored grandchildren they spoiled her and encouraged her Rebellion against her parents Charlotte also had a close relationship with her brother Willem but they grew apart after his marriage to Augusta Victoria of celebr ity did not like Augusta Victoria describing her as plain slow and shy and this strained the sibling's relationship as Charlotte grew into a young woman her behavior became more erratic she would flirt spread malicious gossip and cause Mischief for those around her when she was 16 she became engaged to her second cousin Prince Bernard of sax manigan she reportedly fell in love with him while they were driving with her eldest brother Willem sped up during the drive which alarmed Charlotte and she clung to Bernard's arm after a year-long engagement the couple were wed on the 18th of February 1878. they moved into a small Villa near the news Palace in Potsdam a year after their wedding Charlotte gave birth to their only child princess Theodora on the 12th of May 1879 Charlotte hated the restrictions placed on her while pregnant and decided that Theodora would be her only child enjoyed society and freedom she spent much of her time socializing skating gossiping and hosting dinner parties she would often leave her daughter in the care of her mother Victoria Charlotte's grandfather Willem the first granted Charlotte and Bernard a villa in Berlin and transferred Bernard to a regiment in the city in 1888 her grandfather and father both passed away and her brother Willem ascended the throne in June 1888. Charlotte's social influence increased as a result she surrounded herself with young officials wild Nobles and aspiring diplomats Charlotte reconciled with her mother following the death of her father but she still took her brother's side in disputes with their mother between 1891 and 1895 hundreds of scandalous letters were sent to prominent members of the Prussian Court including the emperor and empress these letters included pornographic images and accusations they were all written in the same handwriting Willem ordered an investigation but the writer was never identified many historians have speculated that it could have been Charlotte or the empress's brother Duke Ernest Gunther or slash Rick Holstein who wrote the letters Charlotte's diary was lost during this period and was eventually given to Willem in the diary she wrote both family secrets and critical thoughts of her family and Willem never forgave her for the contents of the diary after this Bernard was transferred to Breslow and this effectively exiled Charlotte and her family as Charlotte's daughter Theodora grew up several men asked for her hand in marriage in 1897 Theodora became engaged to Prince Henry the 30th of ruse and they were wed a year later on the 24th of September 1898. donut Bridge nor high ranked Theodora was happy with the match Charlotte and Theodora did not have a good relationship and Charlotte disliked Henry Theodora wanted children unlike her mother but was unable to conceive this pleased Charlotte who desired no grandchildren both Charlotte and Theodore were strong-willed and for almost a decade the mother and daughter did not talk nor right to each other eventually they did after Theodora underwent a dangerous operation to help her conceive which outraged her mother in June 1914 Bernard became the Duke of sax mannequin the first world war broke out and Bernard left for the front while Charlotte remained in the duchy serving as a figurehead throughout Charlotte's added life she suffered from many health issues including rheumatism joint pains headaches and insomnia during the war Charlotte's health worsened and she began to experience increasingly worse pain that became so severe that she took opium the war ended in 1918 and so did the German Empire many of the German duchy's principalities and kingdoms also came to an end sax mannequin was no different and Bernard was forced abdicate in 1919 Charlotte traveled to baden-badan to seek treatment for her heart and she died there from a heart attack on the 1st of October 1919 at the age of 59 she was buried at slosh Alston Stein Victoria was born on the 12th of April 1866 in Potsdam Victoria's mother chose to raise her younger children herself instead of leaving them in the care of Judas and governesses as she had done for Victoria's older siblings Willem Charlotte and Henry for this reason Victoria and her younger siblings Voldemort Sophia and Margaret were very close to their parents in 1879 when Victoria was 13 her younger brother valdemar died from diphtheria bringing the younger Three Sisters closer together growing up Victoria and her siblings lived in Potsdam and Berlin in 1871 her grandfather Willem the first became German Emperor and her parents became the crown prince and princess of Germany her parents raised their children away from the Berlin Court who disliked the crown princely couple for their liberal beliefs they hoped to instill these beliefs in their children through an education system similar to the one Victoria's mother had been raised in herself much of Victoria's childhood was based on an English upbringing she was raised in a warmer less strict environment to that of her older siblings and Victoria became an active and enthusiastic child as Victoria Grew Older the question of a husband was raised her grandmother Queen Victoria and her mother Victoria both suggested Prince Alexander of baschenberg a brother of Prince Henry of battenberg who was married to Victorious and Princess Beatrice Alexander had been chosen as the reigning Prince of Bulgaria in 1879. Alexander visited the Prussian Court in 1881 and Victoria fell head over heels in love with him Victoria's parents were eager for the marriage but Willem the first Victorious grandfather and Chancellor Archer Von vishmark were against the match they felt that the tsar of Russia Alexander III would be offended by the marriage because Russia and Bulgaria were not on good terms Victoria's father became the German emperor in 1888. and it was hoped that Victoria and Alexander would be allowed to marry but Victoria's father died only three months later Victoria's brother Willem became the emperor and on advice from the chancellor he refused to give permission for the marriage the princess was forced to give up on the possibility of marriage to Alexander as time went on Victoria became convinced she would never marry she was not considered to be conventionally beautiful and she took matters into her own hands to improve her appearance she developed an eating disorder starving herself and it greatly concerned her relatives especially her mother her mother sent her to Britain to recover and spend time with her English relatives in June 1890 when Victoria Her Sister Margaret and their mother Victoria visited princess Marie of Viet Victoria met Prince Adolf of Schoenberg LIPA due to bad weather Victoria and the other guests spent much time indoors and during this time Victoria and Adolf got to know each other they became close and eventually married on the 19th of November 1890. Victoria did not love him and only married him so that she would not end up alone they had a long honeymoon traveling throughout Europe and the Mediterranean after suffering a miscarriage early in their marriage they never went on to have any children they had a peaceful marriage and were respectful to each other Adolf and Victoria moved into a neoclassical Palace bought by Adolf called Palais Schoenberg in bomb Victoria was often lone there as Adolf was busy with his military duties she took up Hobbies of decorating tennis and gardening to pass the time however the excessive loneliness caused Victoria to fall into depression and against some control over her circumstances she resumed her drastic dieting from 1895 to 1897 Adolf was Regent of Lipa for Alexander Prince of Lipa who had an intellectual disability Victoria greatly enjoyed her public responsibilities as the wife of the Regent and her mental health improved during this time despite being told he was next in line Adolf was passed over it as Regent and Prince in 1898 Victoria's mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and she succumbed to the disease in August 1901. Victoria's grandmother Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom also passed away that year the first world war greatly distressed Victoria she adored Britain and was sympathetic to the British cause during the war her husband died in 1916. her brother-in-law the king of the Highlands was deposed in 1918 and she along with other German Nobles and Royals lost their titles under the new Weimar Republic her finances began to dwindle and she wrote A Memoir in 1929 to generate some income in 1927 Victoria met Alexander zubkov a Russian immigrant studying law at the University of Bonn Victoria became infatuated with the young man 35 years her Junior and spent lavishly on him he proposed to her only two months after meeting her and without asking permission Victoria married him she renounced her titles in order to do so and they wed on the 19th of November 1927. it was a royal and Society scandal soon Alexander spent large amounts of Victoria's fortune and combined with his public misconduct and financial troubles led to his deportation from Germany he moved to Luxembourg and worked as wager though Victoria had supported him at first by 1928 she separated from him her own Financial struggles caught up to her and she was forced to auction off nearly everything she owned she moved into a single rented room in the suburbs upon and filed for divorce causing yet another scandal soon after Victoria fell ill with the pneumonia her brother Willem and her sister Margaret attempted to contact her but both were unsuccessful and she passed away on the 13th of November 1929. Sophia was born on the 14th of June 1870 and was the seventh child of eight children born to the then Crown prince and princess of Prussia shortly after Sophia's birth the Spanish succession was revealed which damaged franco-prussian relations the relationship between the two countries worsened further when Chancellor Otto von Bismarck the Prussian Chancellor published the humiliating Ms Telegram and six days later Napoleon III emperor of the French declared war on Prussia the German Confederation offered support to Prussia around this time Sophia was baptized and the event was sad and serious due to all the men present wearing full uniforms the War lasted only a few months but led to Sophia's grandfather Willem the first being installed as the first German Emperor on the 18th of January 1871. Sophia's childhood was mostly happy she was nicknamed Saucy due to Big age gaps between the older and younger Children of the crown princely couple their parents grouped them into two different groups Willem Charlotte and Henry were grouped into one group and were favorites of their paternal grandparents while Victoria Voldemort Sophia and Margaret were grouped together and were favored by their parents Sophia and the younger Children of the crown princely couple were largely ignored by the paternal grandparents and Sophia's early years were shaped by her parents and grandmother Queen Victoria Sophia grew attached to her grandmother and Victoria the Crown Princess did not hesitate to leave her daughter in her grandmother's care for extended periods of time in 1887 Queen Victoria celebrated her golden jubilee at this event many members of European royalty arrived in England Sophia met Crown Prince Constantine of Grace and grew close to him the not right Queen Victoria wrote to her daughters saying that a good heart and a good character went far beyond that of cleverness nine months later Sophia's grandfather passed away and her father became the German emperor however he passed away one day after Sophia's 18th birthday in June 1888 her older brother Willem became the emperor shortly after her father's death Sophia and Constantine became engaged they had the approval of Willem but Victoria dreaded sending her daughter so far away and believed that the Greek Throne was unstable nevertheless the couple were wed on the 27th of October 1889 in Athens they had both Greek Orthodox and Lutheran services they settled into a small Villa while their new home the Crown Prince Palace was being built Sophia and Constantine had six children together George Alexander Helen Paul Irene and Catherine Catherine was born nine years after Irene the Greek Romanian Serbian and Spanish royal families all descend from their marriage they lived a simple life as the Greek course was far removed from protocol however Sophia found life monotonous and had difficulty adjusting to her new life during her time in Greece she learned modern Greek although it took her many years to become completely fluent and after the birth of their eldest son Sophia converted to the Orthodox faith this move was popular among the Greeks and the Greek royal family though she had support from her grandmother and mother the German royal family were largely outraged and against the conversion Sophia and Willem were never on good terms from then on as Crown Princess and later Queen Sophia took an interest in healthcare hygiene improvements and the school system of Greece she was actively involved in social work and led various initiatives to improve the welfare of her new country in 1896 she founded the union of Greek women which was very active in assisting refugees from the Ottoman Empire during a 30 Days War Sophia and other female members of the Greek Roa family actively worked with the Greek Red Cross to help wounded soldiers she founded field hospitals visited the wounded and administered care to the victims of the fighting the active participation of Sophia and her mother-in-law Queen Olga in aiding victims through admiration from other European courts as a reward for their efforts Queen Victoria bestowed them with the Royal Red Cross after the war a powerful anti-monarchist movement developed in Greece several weeks after the pastry she was signed between Greece and the Ottoman Empire the King George the first was almost assassinated he was mostly unharmed as the situation became more tense Constantine and Sophia moved abroad and lived in Prussia they later returned in 1899 to Greece in 1901 both Sophia's grandmother Queen Victoria and her mother died Sophia was deeply affected by the death of both of her closest relatives on March 18 1913 Sophia's father-in-law George the first was assassinated and Constantine became the king as Constantine the first though popular at first because of his successes in the war against turkey and Bulgaria after World War one broke out the tides turned against him Grace had signed a treaty with Serbia in 1913 which stated that Greece would help Serbia if attacked by Bulgaria which happened this led to disagreements between the king and the government as a result Constantine was forced to abdicate his throne in 1917 and his second son Alexander was installed as king Constantine and his family went into Exile in Switzerland the Crown Prince and Prince Alexander were both suspected of collaborating with the Germans Alexander ruled as king from 1917 until 1920 after dying from a monkey bike Sophia's third son Paul was asked to be king but he declined said Constantine was brought back after government change and a referendum was held Greece was defeated by turkey in 1922 and Constantine was forced to abdicate again the following year Constantine died from a brain hemorrhage George then reigned from 1925 when he was forced to abdicate and again in 1936 when the monarchy was restored he reigned until his death in 1947. Paul was then installed as king all three of Sophia's sons became Kings of Greece Sophia spent her last years in Florence Italy she passed away at the age of 61 on the 13th of January 1932 India she had been undergoing treatment for cancer she was buried alongside her husband in Florence after the monarchy was restored Sophia and Constantine's remains were transferred to Greece and buried in the Royal Cemetery at tatawi Palace Margaret was born on the 22nd of April 1872 in New Palace in Potsdam Margaret grew up in a loving home and was deeply attached to both of her parents she was one of the most popular members of her family and had good relations with many of her International family members as she matured into an adult she was said to have resembled her deceased Aunt Alice Grand Duchess of Hassan by Ryan when Margaret was 16 her father died of throat cancer and her brother Willem became the German emperor as a young woman Margaret was attracted to Prince maximilium a badon but he did not reciprocate her affection she turned her attention to Prince Frederick Charles of Hess the future head of the Hess Castle Dynasty and future elected king of Finland they were married on the 25th of January 1893. when they wed Frederick was not the head of the House of Hess Castle his brother was but he relinquished it in the mid-1920s in order to enter a Morgan attic marriage Frederick was addressed as His Highness while his wife was addressed as her Royal Highness disparity came to an end in 1925 when Frederick became the land grave of Hess at first Margaret's brother refused to give permission for the marriage as he felt that Frederick was too minor of a royal for a Kaiser's sister but Leisure gave his Blessing as he saw Margaret as unimportant too the marriage was happy and they lived in slosh rompenheim in 1901 Margaret's mother died and she inherited her mother's house the family moved into the home during their marriage they had six Sons including two sets of twins Friedrich William maximilium Philip Wolfgang Richard and Kristoff in 1918 Margaret's husband accepted the position of king of Finland but due to the outcome of world war one he renounced it during both the world wars three of Margaret's sons died Friedrich Wilhelm and Maximilian died in the first World War two of her other Sons Philip and Kristoff became Nazis and Margaret even invited Adolf Hitler to tea and flew swastikas from her home Philip married Princess mafalda the daughter of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy and due to his close relations to the king of Italy Philip was appointed to Hitler's personal staff when Philip realized the true reality of Nazism he attempted to resign he was not allowed to do so so he used his position to provide passports for Jewish people fleeing Germany after discovering this Hitler had him imprisoned in a concentration camp along with his wife his wife died while in a concentration camp Margaret's fifth son Christoph was married to princess Sophie of Greece Prince Philip Duke of edinburgh's sister and he died during a plane crash in 1943. Margaret also lost a daughter-in-law during the war princess Marie Alexandra the wife of Wolfgang was killed in a bomb attack along with seven other Aid women in 1944. during the second world war Margaret took care of her grandchildren and tried to preserve her home at friedrichshof after the war many more difficulties would occur in 1945 over 2 million pounds worth of jewelry was stolen from her home and her home was used as an officer's club by the military authorities during the American occupation the theft was discovered when Princess Sophie wanted to use it for her wedding the theft was reported and the culprits imprisoned in 1951 but only 10 percent of the jewelry was eventually recovered Margaret was the last child of her parents to pass away she died on the 22nd of January 1954 14 years after her husband and 53 years to the day after her British grandmother Queen Victoria she was 81 years old [Music] [Music]

Channel: History with Maria

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Id: FV7EBtm9b2k

Length: 27min 44sec (1664 seconds)

Published: Wed Apr 26 2023