Kaiser Wilhelm II (1859-1941) and Family

[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]

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.

 

[Kaz2904]

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

Sorry to resurrect an old thread here...
Miss Brimble was Edith Brimble. She was from Weston Super Mare (North Somerset) in England. She is one of my ancestors (I believe she was my great great Aunt). She actually wrote a book about her time as governess which is still in the family.
I have never managed to find any mention of her before so it's quite exciting .

 

[CyrilVladisla]

Wilhelm (William) II was the last Emperor of Germany. His son, the Crown Prince, had the first two names of Friedrich Wilhelm. However I have seen him referred to as Wilhelm. Had he been Emperor, what would be his correct title: William III, Frederick William V, or Frederick IV?

MAfan , Since I saw Wilhelm II's full name he could have been Frederick William V or Frederick IV.

Three of William II's sons were: Prince Eitel Friedrich, Prince August Wilhelm, and Prince Joachim. I like the fact that these three brothers had these names. There were Counts of Hohenzollern named Eitel Friedrich. August Wilhelm was also the name of a brother of Frederick II of Prussia. There were Margraves of Brandenburg named Joachim.

Prince Heinrich of Prussia (1862-1929), brother of German Emperor Wilhelm II, received one of the first pilot's licenses in Germany.

​

 

[Ish]

I believe that while his full name was Friedrich Wilhelm Victor Agustus Ernest, he went by Wilhelm. He was called Prince Wilhelm, not Friedrich or Friedrich Wilhelm. As such, he most likely would have been Wilhelm III.

 

[MAfan]

I quite agree with Ish; it wasn't and still isn't uncommon in the Prussian Royal Family for members to be called by one of their middle names; just think to:
Kaiser Wilhelm II, whose full name was Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert;
Prince Louis Ferdinand's eldest two sons Friedrich Wilhelm, whose full name is Louis Ferdinand Friedrich Wilhelm Hubertus Michael Kyrill, and Michael, whose full name is Wilhelm Heinrich Michael Louis Ferdinand Friedrich Franz Wladimir;
and the last Kaiser's siblings: Charlotte (Victoria Elisabeth Auguste Charlotte), Heinrich (Albert Wilhelm Heinrich), Sigismund (Franz Friedrich Sigismund), Viktoria (Friederike Wilhelmine Amalie Viktoria), Waldemar (Joachim Friedrich Ernst Waldemar).

 

[MarleneKoenig]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread here...
Miss Brimble was Edith Brimble. She was from Weston Super Mare (North Somerset) in England. She is one of my ancestors (I believe she was my great great Aunt). She actually wrote a book about her time as governess which is still in the family.
I have never managed to find any mention of her before so it's quite exciting .

The book is called In the Eyrie of the Hohenzollern - listed as E Lilian Brimble. The book had been on my want list for some years, finally located it for about $5.00 from a dealer in Australia.

Agreed. That's just vicious on his part.

Not much difference between the Anglican and Lutheran rites.

 

[Joshua Tipton]

Unseen Photo of the Kaiser

Hello everyone, Although there is much more to this photo, I am simply looking for opinions. Would any one here have any doubts as to whether the man in the photo is the Kaiser? Please let me know what you think.

The inserted comparative photo the Kaiser is 21 years of age which would have been taken approximately 1880, the photo in question is suspect of being taken late 1880's with the Kaiser being approximately 30 years of age.

Thank You!

 

[Lee-Z]

Don't know the picture in question, but in the case of Wilhelm II one very clear feature should be the left arm being visibly shorter than the right... unfortunately it's not very clear from this angle..

 

[Marengo]

I can't imagine the German emperor would ever dress like this, he was known to take pride in his clothes, changing several times a day. The man on the picture looks unkept in comparison. There is a facial resemblance, but that may be the angle of the picture. The ears seem to have a different shape too.

 

[Ish]

I feel like the arch of his eyebrow and the style of the mustache is different as well.

 

[Iluvbertie]

The quality of the clothes don't seem to be right for the wealth and class of the Kaiser but more working class/farming class clothes.

 

[Warren]

The retouching (the photoshopping of its day) of the inset photo has been botched in that one side of the moustache is notably thinner than the other.
The main photo appears to be of a rural worker, certainly not the Kaiser.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

The Kaiser's consort, Empress Augusta, seemed to have quickly lost patience with her husband and allied herself with her son, Crown Prince Wilhelm.
​

Wilhelm II in color
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0UN-fjhWhY

 

[Rudolph]

Life of the Week: Kaiser Wilhelm II

On 9 November 1918, the abdication of Germany’s Kaiser (emperor) Wilhelm II was announced – two days before the armistice, which ended the First World War

Kaiser Wilhelm II: His life and facts | History Extra

 

[Joellegirl]

Off subject...Do any letters exist between Wilhelm and "Dona"? How close was their marriage, like did they sleep in the same bed or separate like most royals...just curious to read more about the private life of the Kaiser.

 

[Curryong]

I think their marriage went through some highs and lows like most long marriages. He loved her, I think, relied on her, but it wasn't like the romantic love he'd once felt for Elizabeth of Hesse.

I believe Dona was expected by her spouse to be very traditional and not like his mother trying to insert her political views or influence; to devote herself to Church, her children and domestic matters in their private life together. Dona was a rather narrow-minded and prudish individual IMO, but she did have some surprises up her sleeve. For instance she privately supported women's suffrage, though her husband certainly didn't!

There is correspondence between them still around. They had separate bedrooms but certainly got together sometimes, as they had a large family! There are several very good books around on the Kaiser. On Dona I know of one that is reasonably interesting by John Van der Kiste. It has the long-winded title of 'The Last German Empress: A life of Empress Augusta Victoria, Consort of Emperor William II.'
It's available on Amazon.

 

[Joellegirl]

Thanks for replying! What you stated is pretty much what I have seen too in the books out there. I do have that book you mentioned on the Empress on order, should arrive today. Also arriving is a book called "Behind The Scenes With The Kaiser (1888-1892) The True Story of the Kaiser As He Lived, Loved, Played and Warred".I wish there were a book of their letters like there is if other royals. I also have The Kaisers Daughter.

 

[Curryong]

'The Kaiser's daughter' would be interesting. Strange how Victoria Luise married an heir to a German Royal House that had chosen to back the wrong horse against an ascendant Prussia, and Wilhelm, her father, had married a daughter of a House that had also come a cropper because of Prussia. Her wedding was the last great gathering of European royalty before the outbreak of WW1. What a sight it must have been!

 

[Joellegirl]

I just got the Kaisers Daughter and look forward to reading it! Yes, to have been at that wedding! Sure would have been interesting.

 

[maria-olivia]

There was an Exhibition about this very wedding at Huis Doorn in the Netherlands. I saw it !

 

[Marengo]

I visited that exhibition too. It wasn't much I fear. But to see the rest of the house with the Kaisers own furniture and oddities made it interesting enough. They were thinking of making it a WWI museum, to get more subsidies from the state.

The house belonged to Audrey Hepburns maternal grandfather btw. She received a rose that was named after herself in the gardens of the castle somewhere in the late 80-ties or so. She dedicated it to her aunt baroness Jacqueline van Heemstra, who was a lady-in-waiting of Q. Juliana.

 

[Stefan]

I visited that exhibition too. It wasn't much I fear. But to see the rest of the house with the Kaisers own furniture and oddities made it interesting enough. They were thinking of making it a WWI museum, to get more subsidies from the state.

It is a pitiy that this exhibition was not also shown in Germany. I know it is from the collections of Huis Doorn but after all he was German Emperor.

 

[fearghas]

I recently read a book about the last Empresses, Zita, Augusta Victoire, Alix and Mary. It was really interesting but I cannot remember what it was called.

 

[Joellegirl]

I am reading Wilhelm's book "My Early Life" and was wondering if any of his diaries and letters have ever been published(besides the Willy/Nicky letters)? In my search I came across the book "The All Highest Goes to Jerusalem Being The Diary of the German Emperor's Visit to the Holy Land" but I can't seem to verify if that is real or historical fiction? Especially how they describe how they got the diary(stealing it from under his pillow and then putting it back)? That sounds made up to me. Oh to clarify I believe he went there,just not sure the the book of the diary is really his or fiction.

 

[Curryong]

I am reading Wilhelm's book "My Early Life" and was wondering if any of his diaries and letters have ever been published(besides the Willy/Nicky letters)? In my search I came across the book "The All Highest Goes to Jerusalem Being The Diary of the German Emperor's Visit to the Holy Land" but I can't seem to verify if that is real or historical fiction? Especially how they describe how they got the diary(stealing it from under his pillow and then putting it back)? That sounds made up to me.

'The All Highest' was a satire, translated from the French by Frank Dearborn. The French (and the British) were wary of German expansionism and very much amused by the Kaiser's vain posturing and ridiculous self-aggrandisement. The bulk of the book comes from articles published in a French satirical magazine at the time of the visit to Jerusalem. It poked fun at the 'All Highest' (as Wilhelm sometimes liked to be addressed) and so really the 'diary' is both fictional and making a point about the Kaiser.

 

[Joellegirl]

Thanks! I thought so! I am glad I didn't buy it (just read part of it on Google Books).

 

[Joellegirl]

Hi, another book question(though I notice this thread seems to have no activity so hope this is an ok place to ask). Are there any published books with the Kaiser Wilhelm II diaries or letters throughout his life?( I do have My Early Life , Letters to the Tsar and Kaiser's Memoirs). I read Gone Astray, Some Leaves from and Emperor's Diary..I was hoping that was real but I can tell it is more fiction..am I right? Plus the intro in the book hints to that.I had hoped it was really his diaries , or parts of them, and while at times they seems real , other times not. I have noticed some authors have used the book as a source though.
Has everyone pretty much left these discussions?

 

[Curryong]

A lot of threads about past royalty on the forum are like this one, dormant for a while, (sometimes a long while,) until someone asks a question or makes a comment and then there can be a flurry for a while before it dies down again. It's good to have these threads though, I think.

To answer your question, I have never come across a volume of letters to and from the Kaiser. That doesn't mean there aren't any, just that I haven't come across them!

My guess is that if there are any they would be published in German. Apart from his role in World War One, I think that books about Kaiser Bill occupy quite a niche market in English-speaking countries. Publishers would therefore just concentrate on his life story rather than correspondence. I think he's quite fascinating, but I suspect you and I are exceptions!

Have you had a look at the Alexander Palace Forum website? There are wide ranging and quite thorough discussions on every royal and noble family in Europe on the forum there. Often it's Romanov based nowadays, but there are published authors among their posters and they discuss biographies and other books etc. Marvellous photos too, as some posters collect them as a hobby.

 

[Joellegirl]

Thanks for replying! Yes I have read the threads on Alexander Palace as well, very interesting posts and pictures!

I find him fascinating as well and I would really like to read more of his correspondence! I do enjoy reading My Early Life because it includes little personal tidbits and memories the many authors of his life story leave out. I think a lot of the authors have an agenda(don't really like him) and don't like to include too any nice personal stories and tidbits..I also hesitate to post on Facebook groups because so many dislike him, many without ever really reading any books about him and just perpetuate rumors or make stories bigger than they really were.
Have you ever heard of "Gone Astray Leaves From An Emperors Diary"? I found it listed as a source in a book I read, but really seems more fiction than factual. I want to read what he himself wrote, and in English! I do see there are more books on him in German.