The First Bavarian Queen: Princess Caroline of Baden

Princess Caroline of Baden, Queen of Bavaria

by Johann Christian von Mannlich, 1817.

Princess Caroline of Baden was born on July 13, 1776 in Karlsruhe. She and her twin sister Amalie were the oldest daughters of Hereditary Grand Duke Charles Louis of Baden and Princess Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt. Caroline had one surviving brother, Charles, and four younger sisters: Louise, Frederica, Marie, and Wilhelmine. All the children of Charles Louis made grand marriages to the different royal houses of Europe and this success was largely attributed to his wife's wise political judgment and strength of character. Amalie was certainly a force to be reckoned with; she made sure that all of her children were highly educated and prepared for their future roles, but at the same time, she was also a caring and devoted mother who fostered a warm and close relationship among her children.

Caroline grew up in a warm and close-knit family. She was very close to her sisters and they would always call and refer to their mother as "my dear beloved Mama". Caroline inherited her mother's love for the arts and talent for painting, but she also developed a strong dislike for anything French. And this was further reinforced by her personal dislike for Napoleon Bonaparte, who was said to be involved with the murder of the Duke of Enghien.

As a teenager, Caroline was considered to be a potential wife for Louis Antoine Henri de Bourbon, Duke of Enghien, a relative of the Bourbon monarchs of France. She was said to be very much in love with him, but before any marriage negotiation began, Caroline's family dropped the matter for fear of French opposition.

In 1796, Caroline met Maximilian, Duke of Zweibrucken, in Ansbach, while both their families were on the run from the advancing French army. Maximilian was a 40-year-old widower with four children, and he fell in love with the 21-year-old Caroline. At first, Caroline hesitated, but due to her mother's cajoling and her budding feelings for Maximilian, who was said to be "kind and simple", made her accept him. They married in Karlsruhe on March 9, 1797 and the family settled in Mannheim.

As a young stepmother, Caroline got on quite well with her stepchildren, Augusta (aged 8), Caroline (age 4) and Karl Theodore (age 2). The children lost their mother just over a year ago and Caroline provided all the maternal love and affection they need. Despite her determination to build a strong relationship with them, she had a great difficulty getting along with her eldest stepson, Ludwig, who couldn't completely accept his stepmother. She would have a lifelong strained relationship with him.

Maximilian became Elector of Bavaria in 1799 and he, Caroline and the children moved to Munich in the spring of 1799. That September, Caroline gave birth to a stillborn son and was followed by another son a year later. She would give birth to six daughters: the first set of twins Elisabeth and Amalie, followed by another twins Sophie and Maria Anna, and then daughters Ludovika, and Maximiliana. She and Maximilian's marriage was considered to be happy and harmonious and Caroline was a supportive wife to her husband. She was also a devoted and loving mother to her children and stepchildren; she carefully supervised their education and upbringing and raised them with a deep sense of duty.

Maximilian maintained a close relationship with France and its emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, and because of this support, Bavaria was elevated into a kingdom by the Treaty of Pressburg, thus Caroline and Maximilian became the first King and Queen of Bavaria. Caroline had a strong sense of duty and relished in her role as Queen. She was a clever and able consort and she used her position and influence for the welfare of the people. As a lover of the arts, she helped her husband in transforming Munich into a cultural center.

When her beloved stepdaughter Augusta was eyed by Napoleon as wife for his stepson, Eugene de Beauharnais, Caroline was against the match. She disliked Napoleon, and sensing this, the French emperor went out his way to gain her favor. He and Josephine showered many presents to Caroline and Augusta, but when Caroline realized that Augusta and Eugene were in love, she finally gave her blessing to the couple.

An older Queen Caroline.

Caroline was allowed to remain a Protestant even after she married Maximilian and had her own pastor. Since the Bavarian court was predominantly Catholic, a new wave of religious tolerance was established in Bavaria and this led to an increased influx of Protestant traders and dealers in the country. This, and the many charitable institution established by the Queen made Caroline popular and well-loved by the people.

King Maximilian died in 1825. Before he died, he made his eldest son and successor, Ludwig I, to promise to take care of his stepmother and siblings. As a youth, Ludwig had an uneasy relationship with Caroline and when he became King, he tried to send her away from Munich. She resisted but decided to stay in Tegernsee Castle, a country seat built by Maximilian for her. Caroline died in 1841, 16 years after her husband. Due to her Protestant faith, her funeral was conducted with little dignity as befitted a Queen. The Protestant clergy were not allowed to enter the church, so the funeral service was given outside. Meanwhile, the attending Catholic clergy wore ordinary clothes rather than their religious vestments. When the funeral procession was dissipated, the coffin was placed in the tomb without any ceremony. This undignified treatment of her stepmother by the Catholic clergy greatly angered Ludwig I. His strong pro-Catholic views were changed forever and his attitude towards Protestant softened permanently.


Read about Queen Caroline's daughters here:
The Daughters of King Maximilian I
Princess Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria, Queen of Prussia

Read about Queen Caroline's two sisters here:
Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna of Russia
Queen Frederica of Sweden

"The True Goddess Was Revealed With Her Step..."

Portrait of the then Grand Duchess Elizabeth Alexeievna of
Russia, c.1800. From The Royal Collection.

This was how the Comte de La Garde de Chambonas described the Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna of Russia during her stay in the Austrian capital for the Congress of Vienna in 1814. He described her as an "angel on earth", and went on to say that:

"She was endowed with a charming face, her eyes reflecting the purity of her soul. She had magnificent auburn hair, which, as a rule, was allowed to fall loose on her shoulders. Her figure was elegant, lithe, and supple, and even when she wore mask, her walk revealed her identity in a moment. No woman realised more thoroughly the line of Virgil: 'Incessu patuit Dea...' To a most delightful disposition there were added a cultivated and quick intellect, a passionate love of art, and a boundless liberality in money matters. The graceful elegance of her person, her noble bearing, and her inexhaustible kindness won her all hearts. Neglected almost from the first hour of her union by a husband whom she worshiped, her solitude and grief had bred a kind of melancholy. Stamped on every feature, that feeling lent to the accents of her voice and to her slightest movements an irresistible charm."

From:
Anecdotal Recollections  of the Congress of Vienna
by the Comte de La Garde de Chambonas

Princess Anna of Prussia, Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel

One of the most famous painting by Franz Xaver Winterhalter was that of Princess Anna of Prussia. The princess, dressed in this painting in a diaphanous attire of tulle and silk, completed this enchanting ensemble by wearing several rows of pearls on her neck, hands and waist.

Princess Anna was the youngest daughter of Prince Charles of Prussia and Princess Marie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. She was born in Berlin on May 17, 1836. As a member of the Prussian royal family and one of the leading beauties of the Prussian court at that time, she was the object of admiration among young men. Princess Anna was not only good-looking, but she was also exceptionally clever and charming. 

In 1852, she met the young Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria when he was on a visit to Berlin. He fell in love with Anna and wanted to marry her. The emperor's mother, Archduchess Sophie, was also quite taken with her, and wrote a letter to her sister, the Queen of Prussia, referring to Franz Joseph's feelings: "...the happiness that showed itself to him like a fleeting dream and made an impression on his heart -- alas -- much stronger and deeper than I had first thought".

As much as Franz Joseph wanted to propose to Anna, she was already engaged to Landgrave Frederick William of Hesse-Kassel. To further add complications, the Prussian court were against an alliance with Austria. The Archduchess Sophie, determined as ever, was hopeful that "this sad marriage, which they are imposing on this charming Anna and which leaves her no prospect of happiness whatsoever, could be prevented". The matchmaking was unsuccessful and Anna married Frederick William on May 26, 1853 at the Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin.

The 17 year-old Anna was Frederick William's second wife. He was previously married to Grand Duchess Alexandra Nikolaievna of Russia, a cousin of Anna on her mother's side, but Alexandra died tragically of tuberculosis shortly after giving birth to her baby. Frederick William lost both his wife and son on the same day and it was a devastating blow for him. It took him a long time to find another wife, but the tragedy of Alexandra's death seemed to have preyed into his mind long after he married Anna. Both he and Anna shared a harmonious married life; both respected each other, but Frederick William never truly got over his loss of Alexandra, and as a result he became emotionally distant towards Anna. Nevertheless, the couple went on to have six children.

Anna was considered a fashionable woman who place an utmost care in her appearance. Her splendid figure was flattered by her taste for dresses that have ample skirts and low neckline. 

She was also very interested in music and the arts. She had remarkable talent in playing the piano, having been trained by German composer Theodore Kullak. She was also a great friend of Clara Schumann, Anton Rubinstein and Johannes Brahms; the latter even dedicated a piano quintet for her.

Later in her life, Anna converted to Roman Catholicism, much to the chagrin of the Prussian court, especially the Kaiser William II.

Landgravine Anna of Hesse-Kassel died on June 12, 1918 and she was buried in the Fulda Cathedral.

Read about Landgrave Frederick William's first wife here:
Grand Duchess Alexandra Nikolaievna of Russia

A Greater Happiness

 

"Ever more and more, stronger and deeper, grow my love and devotion, and my longing for you. Never can I thank God enough for the treasure He had given me for my very own--and be called yours, darling, what happiness can be greater? ... No more separations. At last united, bound for life, and when this life ended we meet again in the other world to remain together for all eternity. Yours, yours."

- Letter of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia to her husband, Nicholas II, shortly after their marriage.

Image is from:
http://kraljaleksandar.deviantart.com/

Wilhelm and Ella

Long ago, there was a prince who fell deeply in love with a princess. He wanted to marry her, however, his love was unreciprocated. The princess never returned his affections, as she had fallen in love with someone else. The prince married another princess, but he never truly forgot about his first love.

The story between the youthful Crown Prince Wilhelm of Prussia (the future Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany) and his affection for his beautiful cousin, Princess Ella of Hesse (the future Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia) was like from a fairy tale. But unlike fairy tales, the story did not have a happy ending.

The Crown Prince was then a 16-year-old student, completing his studies at the University of Bonn. During the weekends, he would pay a visit to his Aunt Alice in Darmstadt. It was during these visits that he started falling love with Ella, who was only 11 years old at that time. He wrote to his mother: "Cousins look very nice, Victoria full of mirth, had a very good complexion; Ella--who is my special pet--is much grown and is exceedingly beautiful, in fact she is the most beautiful girl I ever saw. She is more quiet than Victoria but still very intelligent. She and I both love each other warmly… I think that, if God grants that I may live till then I shall make her my bride once you allow it." 

Wilhelm loved spending time with Ella and his affections for her only increased as the time went by. He wrote about her to his mother with tenderness and she was one of the few people who could quiet his exuberance. Wilhelm's grandmother, the Empress Augusta, was very keen about their relationship. She encouraged Wilhelm's affection for Ella and was thrilled with the prospect of them getting married. However, Wilhelm's mother, Victoria, was not enthusiastic about the match. She thought that Wilhelm and Ella were too closely related. Furthermore, she was not very fond of Ella, and had other marriage plans for his son. Lastly, Ella herself did not have the same feelings as Wilhelm. She was flattered of the attention, but this is not enough to make her agree for a marriage. And so she politely refused Wilhelm's offer of marriage.

Wilhelm was hurt; he later married Princess Augusta of Schleswig-Holstein, and Ella married Grand Duke Serge of Russia. But it was said that he never truly forgot about her and kept a photo of her on his desk until his death. Years later, when Wilhelm was an old man, he wrote a letter to his grandson who wanted to marry a lady below his rank. He wrote how he had to choose between love and duty: "You will no doubt well know that only few sovereigns in the world are lucky enough to be able to marry the object of their first love. For example, in my youth exactly the same thing happened to me, when my parents refused to allow me to marry my cousin Ella of Hesse. A relationship which my grandmother Kaiserin Augusta especially fostered and which I had begged my parents from the bottom of my heart to permit. My heart bleeding, I obeyed the severe command of duty."

Since Wilhelm and Ella's relationship was one of history's many 'what ifs', it can be quite amusing to ponder about what could possibly happen to them, to Germany and to the whole world if they got married.



Quotes from:

Young Wilhelm: The Kaiser's Early Life, 1859-1888
by John C. G. Röhl