Around 1825, William became romantically involved with his cousin, Princess Elisa Radziwill. However, she was not considered to be sufficiently noble in rank for a marriage with a Prussian prince. His brother’s marriage had thus far been childless, and he might even become King one day. William’s father tried to find a solution through an adoption, and William even offered to renounce his right to the throne if he could marry her morganatically. His father told him this was out of the question, which was somewhat ironic, since he had just made a morganatic marriage himself. He was still deeply attached to Elisa when he was introduced to Marie and Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. Marie became engaged to William’s younger brother, Charles, at Christmas 1826. Marie and Charles were married on 26 May 1827 in Charlottenburg.
William remained uninterested in marriage and was even introduced to at least two other potential brides.1 He eventually resigned himself to Augusta and wrote to his sister, “One can really only love once, but Augusta cannot and ought not be denied respect and affection, and that has been my opinion from the first.”2 Augusta was well aware of his love for Elisa, and she too was less than enthusiastic about the match. Nevertheless, they were officially betrothed on 25 October 1828. He wrote to his sister that Augusta was “nice and clever, but she leaves me cold.”3 They were married on 11 June 1829 in the chapel at Charlottenburg. William wore the uniform of a General with the order ribbon of the Order of the Black Eagle.
The following morning, they took possession of Tauentzien Palais on Unter den Linden, which had been assigned to them. They would spend most summers at the Marble Palace in Potsdam, and they would later also acquire the Schloss at Babelsberg. The marriage appeared outwardly happy, but William continued to have mistresses. King Frederick William III told Augusta that she should not have married a Hohenzollern.4 William was the typical Prussian soldier, while Augusta had an intellectual nature. The rest of the women in the family were also not on her side. Her sister-in-law, Crown Princess Elisabeth, had disliked her from the start, and they had nothing in common in any case. It did not help that she had no duties assigned to her, as she was neither the Queen nor the Crown Princess, and she became increasingly lonely.
On 18 October 1831, Augusta gave birth to her first child – a son named Frederick. Another child did not happen for another seven years. After a few miscarriages, Augusta gave birth to a daughter named Louise on 3 December 1838. Augusta declared that she had done her duty for the succession. 5
On 7 June 1840, William’s father died at the age of 69, and William’s elder brother succeeded as King Frederick William IV. The day after their father’s funeral, the new King created William Prince of Prussia, Governor of Pomerania and Commander in Chief of the Prussian infantry. However, William and Augusta’s position as the new heirs only brought them into more conflict with the new King and Queen. William was often away from home for military duties. He showed little affection to his son as he was growing up.6
During the Revolutions of 1848, William managed to suppress a Berlin that was aimed at his brother. However, his use of military force made him unpopular, and some were calling for his banishment. He fled the country while Augusta and the children withdrew to Potsdam. It became clear that his younger brother, Charles, had tried to manoeuvre his older brothers out of the succession to establish himself as regent for the then-16-year-old Frederick. Augusta had already disliked her brother-in-law, but this had now turned into full-blown hatred. The relationship between Marie and Augusta had also suffered over the years. William was eventually called home the following May, but he and Augusta did not return to Berlin until the autumn. Now they were both quite unpopular.
In 1851, they received an invitation from Queen Victoria for the opening of the Great Exhibition. Their now-19-year-old son first met 10-year-old Victoria, Princess Royal, who would become his wife a few years later. They returned to England in 1853 for a second visit. However, William’s daughter Louise would be the first to marry. On 20 September 1856, Louise married Frederick I, Grand Duke of Baden. The following year, William’s brother suffered a stroke, and William was appointed as regent for a period of 12 months. On 25 January 1858, William and Augusta were in London to celebrate the wedding of the Princess Royal and Frederick. His new daughter-in-law later wrote, “The thing which pains me most of all is to see the Prince [William] and the Princess [Augusta], two noble souls bound together by the ties of marriage, and both unhappy! I am so fond of them both, they overwhelm me with kindness – what would I give to see them really happy!”7
It soon became clear that the King would need a longer regency, and William was confirmed for an indefinite period of time on 9 October 1858. Meanwhile, a new generation was already on its way. Victoria gave birth to her first child – a son named William – on 27 January 1859. It had been a long and difficult labour, which left the boy with an injured left arm. William later told his son that he wasn’t sure whether it was in order for him to congratulate him on the birth of a “defective child.”8
- The first German Empress by John Van der Kiste p.16
- The first German Empress by John Van der Kiste p.17
- The first German Empress by John Van der Kiste p.17
- The first German Empress by John Van der Kiste p.21
- The first German Empress by John Van der Kiste p.25
- The first German Empress by John Van der Kiste p.29
- Dearest child edited by Roger Fulford p.60
- The first German Empress by John Van der Kiste p.46
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