Kaiser Wilhelm II (1859-1941) and Family

[MAfan]

If it is true, why did she accept the marriage of her second son Heinrich to Ella's sister Irene, who actually was carrier of aemophilia and transmitted the disease to two of their three sons?

[EmpressRouge]

Originally Posted by MAfan

If it is true, why did she accept the marriage of her second son Heinrich to Ella's sister Irene, who actually was carrier of aemophilia and transmitted the disease to two of their three sons?

That is an interesting question and I haven't read anything on that. My guess is Heinrich was not the heir (although as the second son, pretty close to it). Also, she probably wouldn't have forbidden Willy to marry Ella and the marriage didn't happen not on account of Vicky, but because Ella refused his proposal, which was convenient.

[MAfan]

Well, of course having Ella refused Willy's proposal Vicky would never say "You may be carries, I don't want you"; after all Ella was her niece, and nobody had any interest in creating more mess among Queen Victoria's descendants.

[CarolinaLandgrave]

I've never read anything on it... but wonder what Queen Victoria's opinion on a marriage between Willy and Ella was? She seemed to be keen on her grandchildren marrying... She tried to match Eddy and Alicky (what a disaster that would have been), she tried to match Georgie with Missy (Mama Marie squashed that one), she was very keen on Ernie and Ducky's fiasco of a marriage.... I suppose she was as keen on Henry & Irene...
But what she thought about Ella and Willy? For sure she wasn't happy with Ella's marriage to Serge or Alicky's later marriage to Nicky!!

[Kasumi]

Sex parties, bloody duels and blackmail: Life at court of the last German emperor - an article in Guardian.co.uk

[Russophile]

Originally Posted by CarolinaLandgrave

I've never read anything on it... but wonder what Queen Victoria's opinion on a marriage between Willy and Ella was? She seemed to be keen on her grandchildren marrying... She tried to match Eddy and Alicky (what a disaster that would have been), she tried to match Georgie with Missy (Mama Marie squashed that one), she was very keen on Ernie and Ducky's fiasco of a marriage.... I suppose she was as keen on Henry & Irene...
But what she thought about Ella and Willy? For sure she wasn't happy with Ella's marriage to Serge or Alicky's later marriage to Nicky!!

I've got "Darling Mama" I'll see if something is in there on that.
Victoria didn't expect to find such a formidable foe in the marriage market in Marie of Edinburgh. She (Victoria) should have known better, however due to all the years Marie suffered those slights she was angry about due to being in an inferior (she thought) position at court.

[CarolinaLandgrave]

Originally Posted by Russophile

I've got "Darling Mama" I'll see if something is in there on that.
Victoria didn't expect to find such a formidable foe in the marriage market in Marie of Edinburgh. She (Victoria) should have known better, however due to all the years Marie suffered those slights she was angry about due to being in an inferior (she thought) position at court.

Thanks Russo! I would think that as opinionated as QV was... that surely somewhere is a mention of her thoughts on Ella and Willy.
And excellent point on Marie Edinburgh..... the formidable daughter of Alexander II never had it easy with her mother-in-law's court.... so QV should have figured that she'd do all she could to block her daughter's marriage into said same court.... although she was born to it (per say).

[ebliever]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone might happen to know (or know where I could discover) the name of the nanny/governess to the children of Crown Prince Wilhelm (son of Kaiser Wilhelm II)?

Family lore is that the half-sister of my great-grandmother (maiden name Anna Luescher) was the nanny. There is a variety of circumstantial evidence that is consistent with this, but I have no direct proof. (It doesn't help that my great-grandparents lost everything in a fire in their home in America.) I have the names of her siblings, so I'm hopeful I could find a match if I can just get some documentation of the name of the nanny through other sources.

[SchwarzerAdler]

Dear ebliever,

as far as I know and could investigate there have been following women serving for the children of the Crown Prince:
Fräulein von Ernst (Swiss Nurse)
Selma Zoske (Nanny from Berlin)
Selma Böse (Nanny from Berlin too)
Fräulein Bergner, who went to the US later on and was governess to several families over there.

Then there was a chambermaid named Anna Pifrement (from Potsdam)

And later on there was an english governess named Miss Brimble, of whom I could not get the first name.

I hope I could help You a little bit. The name Anna Luescher was not among the women I could bring up.

Regards
Alex R.

[Vasillisos Markos]

My dear friends,

I am currently reading King, Kaiser, Tsar and loving it. There is so much I really did not know about Wilhelm; my exposure to him came mainly through books about other royals and how they viewed Willy. I am fascinated by the love/hate he had towards England and also about his fascination/obsession with his very English mother. Vicky certainly would not have won mother of the year honors when it came to Willy and I believe she was always repulsed and upset about his disfigured arm.

A complex man, guilty of many things but certainly warped or fashioned (depending on your view) by the family and sycophants around him. His parents wanted him to be liberal and British in his outlook; his grandfather and Bismarck wanted him to be autocratic and Prussian in bearing. They won and Willy, succumbing to their flattery, slighted his father and his English relatives at every turn.

Now, don't get me started on his homosexual/bi-sexual tendencies. . . .

[Mermaid1962]

He certainly was a fascinating character. I wonder sometimes how the 20th century would have been different had he not had that withered arm.

[Zonk]

I read that book as well! Very fascinating.

[Vasillisos Markos]

I just read where Wilhelm buried his mother in accordance with her wishes: in an English coffin and pursuant to Anglican rites. A very English princess to the end. Later, Wilhelm encased her coffin in a German coffin and reburied her according to German rites. Nasty man!

[Russophile]

Originally Posted by Vasillisos Markos

I just read where Wilhelm buried his mother in accordance with her wishes: in an English coffin and pursuant to Anglican rites. A very English princess to the end. Later, Wilhelm encased her coffin in a German coffin and reburied her according to German rites. Nasty man!

Agreed. That's just vicious on his part.