At the end of 1810, Therese had been forced to come clean to her father about her affair and the illegitimate children after a government official threatened to disclose everything. She told her brother the whole story, as even he did not know about all the children and asked him to inform their father. She then felt the full impact of all the events of the last year and became seriously ill. She was finally able to see her father in early 1811, and afterwards she wrote, “You are proof of so much kindness, which is my glory and so important for my happiness. Keep it for me, beloved adored father, I will do everything to always deserve it.”1 After this visit, she went to Berlin with her younger daughter to visit Louise’s grave. She later wrote, “What I felt is beyond words. The door to the sanctuary opened, and I stood beside her coffin! Oh God, Georg, that it is so, that one can and must write it, it is horrible, it is incomprehensible. The coffin and her invisible heavenly shell are the only things that remain to us. What I felt in that proximity, I don’t really know. I threw myself on my knees, my tears flowed.”2
In April 1811, Therese and her younger daughter, Sophia, went on a last diplomatic trip to Paris. While there, they were invited to the baptism of Napoleon’s son with Marie Louise. At the end of June, the final audience with Napoleon took place. He even spoke of Louise, calling her death a great loss for Prussia. He also playfully kissed Sophia on both cheeks. Therese wasn’t able to get more out of him concerning the postal system, but their long-term pension, which was intended as compensation, was doubled. Bavaria also compensated them and granted them lands and the princely jurisdiction over Regensburg.
The following year, as Napoleon busied himself with Russia, Therese was busy with the wedding preparations for her eldest daughter. She had not been a fan of Prince Paul Esterházy, as he was also a mediatised Prince, but he was wealthy. Karl Alexander approved wholeheartedly. The wedding took place on June 1812, and Therese could only hope that her daughter would be happy. Her first grandchild was born the following year.
In 1814, Napoleon was defeated, and he had to abdicate. For Therese, it was crucial to be at the Congress of Vienna to represent the family. She and her brother, Charles, rented a villa in Vienna, but the Congress was postponed until September. Finally, on 1 November, the Congress was officially opened, and Europe had to be reorganised after 20 years of war. Therese managed to get their current status confirmed and received some favourable conditions. The Congress of Vienna ended on 9 June 1815, and nine days later, Napoleon was defeated again at the Battle of Waterloo. He was exiled to St Helena, where he died in 1821. Therese was able to put her politics on the back burner.
The following year, Therese’s father died at the age of 74, making her brother, Georg, the next Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. In March 1818, her beloved grandmother died in Neustrelitz. Then her sister, Charlotte, became very ill. Therese went to Hildburghausen to take care of her personally. Her suffering lasted two months, and she died on 14 May 1818. She wrote, “Losing your father, grandmother and sister in 18 months hurts deeply and leaves a terrible emptiness in your heart and in your life.”3 She returned to Regensburg, where she discussed sending her two sons to Switzerland for their education. When they completed their education in 1819, she personally took them to Berlin to begin their military training.
Sophia caused a bit of a crisis in the family when she fell in love with a young man who was only referred to as “C”. Therese removed her from Regensburg and sent her to her brother in Neustrelitz. This turned out to be a good choice until Sophia fell in love with Prince George of Hesse-Darmstadt, who wasn’t considered to be an appropriate match. Charles managed to talk Sophia out of it.
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