The Year of Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach: “Her life closed in a merciful way” (Part eight)

Read part seven here.

Augusta continued to do what she could, from her wheelchair or even from her sickbed. Her lady-in-waiting wrote, “Her mind is more active than ever.”¹

Her son, Fritz, also became ill. In 1887, he was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer. The growth was at first believed to be harmless, but he could soon no longer speak, and he deteriorated quickly. Augusta wrote down little of her feelings about her son’s illness on paper. She simply wrote, “Thank God my son is in favourable condition, but I am under no illusions.”²

In addition to her worries about her son, Augusta had to say goodbye to her husband. He died on 9 March 1888 after a short illness at the age of 91.³ Augusta had been by his side.⁴ He had asked, “Where is the Empress?” when their daughter, Louise, replied, “Mama is sitting by your side.” He then nodded and said, “Go to bed.” He passed shortly thereafter.⁵ Fritz was in San Remo when he heard of his father’s death.⁶ Queen Victoria wrote to her daughter, “The poor old Empress, what will she do? Alas, how many enemies she had made.”⁷

He returned home a few days later, and Augusta dragged herself from her wheelchair, went on her knees before him and placed his head in her lap. He could no longer speak and scribbled messages on bits of paper. Considering his health, Fritz did not attend his father’s funeral, but Augusta was in the funeral procession in a wheelchair.⁸

On 24 May 1888, Augusta, Victoria and Fritz attended the wedding of their son, Prince Henry, to his cousin, Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine.⁹At the ceremony, Augusta was wheeled in, and Victoria met her and kissed her hand, and all the royal guests did the same. One observer later wrote, “Tears came into my eyes when her grandchildren knelt before her and kissed her hand.”¹⁰ Augusta saw her son only one more time when he visited her at the Palais Unter den Linden. Shortly afterwards, she departed for her annual stay at Baden-Baden.

On 15 June, Augusta received a telegram from Victoria, “She who was so proud and happy in being his wife mourns with you, poor mother, over the death of your only son. No mother ever had his equal. Be strong and proud in your sorrow. Only this morning he sent you his love.”¹¹ He had reigned for just 99 days, and was succeeded by his eldest son, who became William II.

Their shared grief did not bring Augusta and Victoria closer together. Victoria wrote to her mother, “The view seems to be gaining ground that I am third in rank at court. Empress Augusta grants audiences daily and regularly hosts dinners. She especially receives all those who are favourites of William and recommended by him. My house is nonexistent, William never comes, and I am ignored.”¹² However, Augusta also felt ignored by William. One confidante wrote, “Yesterday I had a long conversation with Empress Augusta. I found the Empress very dejected and nervous. It seems as if she is beginning to grow impatient (which would be regrettable), as if she senses the increasing neglect from her grandson. He no longer bothers to share news with her, does not keep her informed of what is happening, and when he comes to see her once a week, he only entertains her with trivialities.”¹³

In January 1890, Augusta was confined to her bed with a cold. She developed a fever and was diagnosed with influenza. She died on 7 January with her daughter and grandson, William, by her side.¹⁴

Two weeks later, Victoria wrote to her mother, “To me it is inexplicable that she felt her only son’s death so little and would never speak of him, but so much of her pflicht [duty] to go on with everything just as it had been in the days of the Emperor William. On the whole, we may say that her life closed in a merciful way for her. She could not have led the life of an invalid, and she was already very helpless. But her mind and all her faculties were quite unimpaired. Her sight, her hearing never failed, and her will remained iron to the last. It was a mercy, too, that Louise and Fritz of Baden [Louise’s husband] were with her and that she had no anxiety or distress of mind at the last. She wished to live on, they all say, which is a sign that she did not suffer. This is all I could gather for you. The Empress’s education, her opinions, and her ways belong to a generation which has passed away. She was always a marvel to me, for she was unlike other people, except her own mother, and her brother and sister, though she was far above the latter two.”¹⁵

On 11 January, Augusta’s funeral took place, and she was interred in the Mausoleum at Charlottenburg alongside her husband.

The New York Times wrote, “Her life as a whole was not an eventful one. She was a devoted wife and mother and a patriotic German woman. During the Franco-Prussian War, she was active in her efforts to relieve the sick and wounded soldiers. Her entire life was devoted to unostentatious but liberal charities, and she was also known as a patron of music and art.”¹⁶

1. Augusta by Karin Feuerstein-Praßer p.279
2. Augusta by Karin Feuerstein-Praßer p.290
3. Augusta by Karin Feuerstein-Praßer p.290
4. Augusta by Karin Feuerstein-Praßer p.291
5. The first German Empress by John Van Der Kiste p.128
6. The first German Empress by John Van Der Kiste p.127
7. Beloved & Darling Child edited by Agatha Ramm p.64
8. The first German Empress by John Van Der Kiste p.130
9. The first German Empress by John Van Der Kiste p.130
10. The first German Empress by John Van Der Kiste p.132
11. The first German Empress by John Van Der Kiste p.132
12. Augusta by Karin Feuerstein-Praßer p.296
13. Augusta by Karin Feuerstein-Praßer p.296
14. Augusta by Karin Feuerstein-Praßer p.299
15. Beloved & Darling Child edited by Agatha Ramm p.102-103
16. The New York Times