The Year of Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – Auguste von Harrach – A “beautiful, modest and gentle girl” (Part one)

Fourteen years after the death of his first wife, Queen Louise, King Frederick William III of Prussia entered into a morganatic marriage with Countess Auguste von Harrach.

Auguste was born on 30 August 1800 in Dresden, the daughter of Count Ferdinand Joseph von Harrach zu Rohrau and Christiane, Baroness von Rayski. Her father did not hold any significant office, and his marriage to the Protestant Christiane was frowned upon by his Catholic family. Nevertheless, he received a modest income from his family.

One harsh critic wrote, “The parents are spoken of most ill; the mother is of bourgeois origin, it is said, her relatives quite common; the father a gambler and a swindler, who is full of debt, lives in poverty and is estranged from the rest of the family because of his behaviour.”¹

Auguste likely grew up in modest circumstances and was said to have received her education in a convent in Bratislava. She had a close relationship with her maternal cousins, Clara, Mathilde and Maria von Broizem.²

Auguste met King Frederick William in 1822 in Teplitz. He did not want “a rosehip that was once a rose.”³ Any royal marriage would come with an influential family, but a mere countess would be bound only to him. The late Queen’s brother, Grand Duke Georg, described Auguste, “as for her appearance, it can be said that, while not in the least beautiful, she is nevertheless very pretty. She is rather short than of average height, and although sweetly proportioned, she lacks a distinguished waist; her head is very pleasing. She has magnificent brown eyes, so dark that one cannot discern what colour shines forth from their beautiful dark gleam, and eyelashes of equal beauty.”⁴

Another observer commented, “The King praised the young Countess [to Wittgenstein] as a beautiful, modest and gentle girl.”⁵ He had “often danced and spoken with the daughter [Auguste]” at Teplitz.⁶

In August 1824, King Frederick William’s daughter, Princess Louise, became engaged to Prince Frederick of the Netherlands, and his youngest son, Prince Albert, was in the army. Facing an empty nest, he decided he wanted to marry Auguste. In July 1824, King Frederick William made the proposal to Auguste’s father, who, in turn, informed Auguste.

At the end of October 1824, Auguste travelled with her parents to Berlin to prepare for her wedding to King Frederick William. She arrived in Berlin and found a letter from the King waiting for her. The long letter described the life awaiting her, but he also professed his love. He wrote, “Your cheerful charm, your unpretentiousness, your open nature spoke to me far more than before. An inner feeling, a certain premonition, stirred within me, as if you might well be the one I am seeking. […] The acquiescence that had developed between you and me, despite its brevity, left a lasting impression on me.” […] My two eldest daughters are well-established in foreign lands, and my youngest daughter, my dear Louise, is already engaged and will follow in her sisters’ footsteps in a few months. Then I will stand alone, isolated, and without any female companionship. And yet, my heart yearns for it.”⁷

He addressed their 30-year age difference and their religious differences, urging her to “examine yourself very carefully before making a definitive decision about the most important matter of your life.”⁸ During the next days, Auguste meets the other members of the royal family, and she was presented to society. Frederick William’s son, the Crown Prince, had just married Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria, and they held a ball. Auguste appeared at the ball, and one observer wrote, “Suddenly, a very pretty, fresh, elegant young woman appeared at the Crown Prince’s ball, escorted by the elderly lady-in-waiting, Fraulein von Vierreckt, the last of the late Queen’s court, who was now, in a sense, at the head of the royal court. She said that she was an acquaintance of the King from Teplitz, and that he had therefore requested that she be invited to the Crown Prince’s ball; her parents did not attend social gatherings, therefore, Fraulein von Viereck took it up herself to bring her in and present her. No one, not even members of the family, suspected a closer relationship; all the young princes were eager to court the pretty stranger.”⁹

Frederick William broke the news to his brother-in-law, Georg, who was supportive. It was Georg who informed King Frederick William’s children in early November 1824. He said, “… and since Louise’s future was decided, the thought of being completely alone from now on has become terribly overwhelming for the King, and the idea of joining another being has been rekindled. The choice of a new companion has preoccupied the King endlessly. However, above all, he has been unable to allow himself the opportunity to choose another queen and give them a mother; for even the most perfect could not fill the place that their mother had occupied, for her loss was irreparable. The King also finds the idea unbearable that he would have to hear you all call a stranger ‘mama.’ The choice the King intends is meant to compensate for the loss of his daughters, since life with this loss has become dreary and unbearable for him…

“Thus the choice fell upon a young lady; you can well imagine that in his old age, the King was not thinking of infatuation when making this choice, but rather that he was guided purely by the need for affectionate companionship to brighten his days, and he is convinced that you will not misunderstand him. Under no circumstances, however, will he take this step without your prior knowledge and consent; if you agree, you will thereby brighten your father’s future, which must be so precious and sacred to us all. He then hopes that you will treat his wife, who will bear the princely title, with kindness and friendship, and not see a stepmother in her.”¹⁰

Part two coming soon.

1. Fürstin von Liegnitz by Paul and Gisela Habermann p.22
2. Fürstin von Liegnitz by Paul and Gisela Habermann p.23
3. Fürstin von Liegnitz by Paul and Gisela Habermann p.20
4. Fürstin von Liegnitz by Paul and Gisela Habermann p.20
5. Fürstin von Liegnitz by Paul and Gisela Habermann p.24
6. Fürstin von Liegnitz by Paul and Gisela Habermann p.24
7. Fürstin von Liegnitz by Paul and Gisela Habermann p.34
8. Fürstin von Liegnitz by Paul and Gisela Habermann p.35
9. Fürstin von Liegnitz by Paul and Gisela Habermann p.36-37
10. Fürstin von Liegnitz by Paul and Gisela Habermann p.37-38