The Year of Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – The life and death of King Frederick William IV of Prussia (Part two)

Read part one here.

Frederick William’s father’s health began to decline after his 60th birthday. In the end, a prolonged fever caused his death on 7 June 1840. He died at the palace at Unter den Linden, surrounded by his family. In his will he wrote, “The position that Prussia occupies in the general system of states rests primarily on the unlimited power of the monarchy, and since any alteration of this fundamental pillar of the monarchy would adversely affect and destabilise the monarchy itself, I hereby decree that no future ruler shall be authorised, without consulting all agnates in the Royal House, to make any change or initiation that could effect or establish a change to the present constitution of the state, particularly with regard to the estates and the limitations of royal power.” ¹

Frederick William had now succeeded his father as King Frederick William IV. One observer wrote, “And now the royal purple is being spread over the seething chaos of an artist’s soul! and the fate of a whole realm is bound up with the unruly flights of his fantasy!” ² The new King’s early actions gave rise to hopes for a liberalisation of Prussia, and he reversed many repressive measures that had been issued by his father. Nevertheless, he still firmly believed in the notion of divine right.³

Following the ceremonies of homage in October 1840, Frederick William’s brother wrote, “The homage ceremony has just ended! I am unable to express the impression this inherently uplifting event, but one made on me and on everyone else through its dignified address, made! The high platform leading up to the first floor, where the throne stood, surrounded by greenery in the castle courtyard, the barriers with the deputies, the crowd of people, the officers on both sides of the throne’s framework, before them all the flags, the castle-high banners bearing coats of arms—all this already made a magnificent impression.” ⁴

The first years of his reign were relatively stable, but the revolution in 1848 rocked its stability. Following the overthrow of the French July Monarchy in early 1848, a revolutionary movement spread throughout Europe. It also spread to Berlin, and fighting took place at the Palace Square, resulting in dozens of deaths. Frederick William rode through the streets a few days later, wearing a black, red and gold armband, the new national-revolutionary colours, and he took off his hat before the coffins of the victims. He ended up making concessions, but by June he was taking back his power. He later wrote, “The revolution is the overthrow of the divine order, the contempt, the elimination of the rightful authority; it lives and breathes its deathly breath as long as below is above and above is below.” ⁵ The following year, he refused the offer of the Imperial Crown. In his view, the offer came from the people and countered his concept of divine right. In his official response, he expressed his gratitude for the offer, but he stated that such an offer could only come from the crowned heads of Germany. To Queen Victoria, he wrote about the “Crown of all shame.” ⁶

In 1850, an amended constitution was promulgated, which was the most liberal it had been thus far. King Frederick William swore to it with the greatest reluctance. In the coming years, several amendments were passed to strengthen the power of the monarch. However, his actual wish was to abolish this constitution.⁷ He wrote to Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria, “A miserable, French-modern constitution!!!! Finally, it has happened, and my word is sacred to me, and I will not break it. I can, I may, and I will, however, extricate myself from these very laws with the help of the sworn laws. If God helps me, I will replace and slay the French ideologies with genuinely German, corporatist institutions.” ⁸

The following crisis during Frederick William’s reign was the Crimean War between 1853 and 1856. Both sides attempted to draw Prussia into the conflict, but Frederick William declared he would maintain “sovereign neutrality.” ⁹ In the end, Tsar Alexander II accepted peace terms, which saved Prussia from being drawn into a major war.¹⁰

From May 1856, Frederick William showed the first symptoms of a serious illness. From the next summer, he had a series of strokes which led to aphasia (a difficulty with speech) and physical decline. The cause appears to have been cerebral arteriosclerosis, an age-related illness, rather than the “mental derangement” often mentioned. In October 1857, Frederick William’s brother was appointed as regent.¹¹

In early October, William wrote to their sister Charlotte, “For many hours, he had been completely unconscious and motionless, and his face was cherry red, according to Alexandrine and the doctors. But the symptoms of a stroke appeared so quickly that I couldn’t be sent for any sooner. The day has now passed more calmly, although his condition hasn’t reached the good state it was the day before yesterday. But one must be content with it. A definite prognosis cannot yet be made. Weiss believes or hopes that improvement has occurred, but that several more days will pass in his current condition before the improvement becomes apparent.” ¹² He later added, “To be called into government business for such a reason is indescribably painful! But also equally difficult!” ¹³

Part three coming soon.

1. Preußens Herrscher: von den ersten Hohenzollern bis Wilhelm II. edited by Frank-Lothar Kroll p.218
2. Frederick William IV and The Prussian Monarchy 1840-1861 by David E. Barclay p.48
3. Preußens Herrscher: von den ersten Hohenzollern bis Wilhelm II. edited by Frank-Lothar Kroll p.225
4. Prinz Wilhelm von Preußen an Charlotte: Briefe 1817-1860 p.205
5. Preußens Herrscher: von den ersten Hohenzollern bis Wilhelm II. edited by Frank-Lothar Kroll p.227
6. Preußens Herrscher: von den ersten Hohenzollern bis Wilhelm II. edited by Frank-Lothar Kroll p.232
7. Preußens Herrscher: von den ersten Hohenzollern bis Wilhelm II. edited by Frank-Lothar Kroll p.233
8. Preußens Herrscher: von den ersten Hohenzollern bis Wilhelm II. edited by Frank-Lothar Kroll p.234
9. Preußens Herrscher: von den ersten Hohenzollern bis Wilhelm II. edited by Frank-Lothar Kroll p.237
10. Preußens Herrscher: von den ersten Hohenzollern bis Wilhelm II. edited by Frank-Lothar Kroll p.237
11. Preußens Herrscher: von den ersten Hohenzollern bis Wilhelm II. edited by Frank-Lothar Kroll p.239
12. Prinz Wilhelm von Preußen an Charlotte: Briefe 1817-1860 p.397
13. Prinz Wilhelm von Preußen an Charlotte: Briefe 1817-1860 p.398