On 29 June 1801, Queen Louise gave birth to her third son and fourth surviving child at Charlottenburg Palace. He was named Frederick Charles Alexander but was known as Charles. His elder siblings were the future Frederick William IV, King of Prussia, William I, German Emperor, Charlotte (later Empress of Russia), while his younger siblings were the future Alexandrine, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Princess Louise (later Princess Frederick of the Netherlands) and Prince Albert.
Charles’s father, Frederick William, did not have a mistress, which made the court seem rather uninteresting to some. Louise and Frederick William were devoted to each other and their children. The siblings were also in the care of a nursery governess, but Louise demanded at least two hours with her children each day. The future King, Frederick William, was taken from the nursery at the age of five and was appointed a tutor. Louise was a loving mother who personally taught her children somersaults and refused to curb their noise.
The fate of the family was tied to that of the conquering Napoleon Bonaparte for the early years of Charles’s life. Napoleon occupied Berlin in October 1806, and Charles and his family were forced to flee. After Frederick William said his farewells to his family, Charles asked his tutor, Herr Delbrück, why “his papa had kissed him so hard that it hurt.”1
The siblings travelled together with their aunt, Frederica, and her four children. At Stettin, Louise, who had caught up with them later, and the younger children stayed with Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Frederick William’s father’s first wife. Louise described the day that Napoleon won the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt as “the most unhappy day of my entire life.”2 Louise left the children with Elisabeth Christine and asked them to go to Danzig, which was considered to be safer, as she went to join her husband.
At Danzig, the children were delighted by the sea, but they soon fell ill with diarrhoea. Countess Voss, one of Louise’s ladies-in-waiting, had trouble finding enough food for the children. The court physician, Dr Hufeland, was called to care for them. When Louise returned to the children, she was ill as well. As she fought off typhoid, the French army approached Königsberg, and the children were sent to Memel. A determined Louise preferred to be in the hands of God, rather than the hands of Napoleon and travelled with her children to Memel. Despite the conditions, Louise’s health improved.
At Memel, the children lived in one house, while Countess Voss and the other ladies-in-waiting lived in another, resulting in a constant stream of traffic. According to Countess Voss, the children were “good, but noisy.”3 Louise would have to leave the children once more, as she joined her husband for the talks surrounding the Peace of Tilsit in 1807. Nevertheless, she was there when Charles celebrated his sixth birthday, with children’s games and cake.4
At the end of 1809, the family could finally return to Berlin. A grand entrance was made into Berlin on 23 December 1809, which was also the 16th anniversary of Louise’s first appearance as Frederick William’s bride. In addition to the Prussian royal family, Louise’s family from Mecklenburg was also there to welcome her to Berlin. Louise’s health had been severely affected, but her normal cure – a visit to the spas at Pyrmont was not possible. So she suggested a visit to Mecklenburg, which was approved. She left first, shortly followed by her husband a few days later.
Louise soon became feverish, and the doctors bled her. The news became increasingly urgent, and Frederick William decided to go to her at once, taking Frederick William and William with him. Louise died on 19 July 1810 at the age of 34, leaving behind her husband and seven young children. After their mother’s death, the children were sent out into the garden to pick flowers for a wreath.5
The siblings were placed in the care of Princess Maria Anna of Hesse-Homburg, who was married to their uncle, Prince Wilhelm of Prussia, and who became the senior lady of the Prussian court after their mother’s death. Maria Anna, also known as Marianne, was affectionately called Aunt Minnetrost.
At the age of ten, Prince Charles entered the Prussian army with the rank of lieutenant. Over the years, he rose to the rank of major in the First Regiment of Foot Guards and to colonel in the 12th Infantry Regiment. In 1824, he became a major general.
In 1821, Charles joined his father and his elder brother, William, for a visit to Italy. Their guide, Bunsen, showed them the Holy City’s most remarkable objects, and he later wrote to his sister that he found both princes “very observant and intelligent.”6
In 1826, William and Charles visited Weimar to be considered as potential husbands for the two daughters of the Hereditary Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. The engagement of Marie and Charles was announced at Christmas, and even William appeared to prefer Marie over Augusta, even though he was really in love with Elise Radziwill. William had to be firmly told that Marie was already promised to Charles.7
Wilhelm von Humboldt reported on Marie during the engagement festivities, “All circumstances combine to promise her blessing and prosperity. The princess is not only of a very beautiful stature and a very captivating face, but also of the gentlest and best character, and, in addition to the knowledge and outward education one would expect from her position, also possesses the inner German quality, which she was able to maintain particularly well in Weimar.”8
- Queen Louise of Prussia by Constance Wright p.110
- Queen Louise of Prussia by Constance Wright p.129
- Queen Louise of Prussia by Constance Wright p.148
- Queen Louise of Prussia by Constance Wright p.167
- Queen Louise of Prussia by Constance Wright p.231
- William of Germany: a succinct biography of William I., German emperor and king of Prussia; by Archibald Forbes p.71
- The first German Empress by John Van der Kiste p.15
- Das Weimarer Quartett by Detlaf Jena p. 184
Be the first to comment