#Empress of Prussia

[catherinetheprincessofwales]

The German Crown Princess and Princess; Frederick and Victoria, The Princess Royal (daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert).

Against their contemporaries of the German Empire, the couple shared liberal views and believed in a constitutional monarchy for Germany. Against the antisemitism of the time, the couple strongly supported the Jewish population of the German Empire regularly visiting synagogues when violence annd and antisemitism against Jewish people was increasing. Especially in the 1880s when a quarter of a million Germans signed a petition demanding Jewish people be banned from public office. Victoria wrote of her disgust of these leaders and her new nation who “behave so hatefully towards people of a different faith and another race who have become an integral part (and by no means the worst) of our nation!" This along with their other liberal beliefs heavily ostracised them from the conservative German court including Frederick’s parents. In contrast her mother, Queen Victoria, was proud of her daughter and son-in-law's efforts to stop the völkisch campaign and wrote to Frederick to say she was happy that her daughter had married a man like him, who was prepared to stand up for the rights of the Jews. Unfortunately for Frederick he would only become Emperor for 99 days due illness. Their son against their knowledge had been educated by a tutor with conservative views which meant their idea of constitutional monarchy would not come to fruition. The majority of their papers were saved having been sent to Windsor Castle before their son could destroy them. As Dowager she was heavily critical of her son who had purged all institutions of people chosen by Victoria and her late husband. When her son, Wilhelm II now the emperor (and last) wrote in the guestbook of the city of Munich the words "Suprema lex regis voluntas" (The will of the king is the supreme law"), she indignantly wrote to her mother; “The Tsar, an infallible Pope, a Bourbon or our poor Charles I might have pronounced that phrase, but a monarch of the 19th century ... My God, I think (...) Fritz's son and the grandson of my dear father took such a direction and also misunderstood the principles with which it is still possible to govern.”

[teatimeatwinterpalace]

Victoria, Princess Royal by Frank Reynolds after Winterhalter, 1858

[empress-alexandra]

Princesses Alix (later Empress Alexandra of Russia) and Irene (Princess Henry of Prussia) of Hesse, 1888.

[queenalexandraofdenmark]

[foreverinthepagesofhistory]

royal women + text post memes ✨💗

(thanks friends who participated!)

[the-last-tsar]

"Catherine II played a decisive role in the choice of future tsarinas, introducing compatriot women in the court. And so, with one exception (Alexander III's wife, who would be Danish), they would all be of German origin. The princesses were selected very young, between fourteen and sixteen years old, still shy and malleable. The ceromonies obeyed a very strict etiquette, starting with the solemn entrance of the future Grand Duchess, until her wedding. The court carriages were waiting for the young lady at the station. On the way to the Winter Palace, where the great dignitaries would be presented to her, she could admire the living barrier of the imperial Guard outlined to her passage. On horseback, the emperor escorted the golden carriage with the imperial crown on top, pulled by eight gray horses. The Grand Dukes followed on horseback, and the Grand Duchesses, in other luxurious carriages. The next stage was a kind of guided tour by the imperial palaces of St. Petersburg and the surrounding area, which was an opportunity for the young foreigner to learn the history of the country. Another important stage of this training consisted of inculcating the culture of the country of adoption, to allow a complete integration. (something Catherine II had achieved to perfection). The future Grand Duchesses were to learn Russian and convert to Orthodoxy. It didn't take long for them to lose all contact with their home country. Thus, stripped of their Germanness, they could become authentic Slavs. The wedding ceremonial remained unchanged until the reign of Nicholas II. After the festivities ended, the young wife found herself closed in the rigid world of the Russian monarchy. They had to give up their personal tastes and erase their personality. Becoming another guardian of secular traditions, she was to become an idol of the nation."

The Tsarinas - The Women who Made Russia | Vladimir Fedorovski.

(Loose translation)

[ciderbird]

Is there a single European monarch Alexander was NOT rumored to have slept with??

the ambassador in question is Caulaincourt btw. Oh but that’s not all.

the author then goes to assure that these relationships remained strictly platonic (which I’m inclined to agree with). But it is insane that Josephine died mere days after his last visit

[thehessiansisters]

Group photographs of Princesses Alix and Irene, with their maternal cousin and aunt, Prince Albert Victor of Wales and Princess Henry of Battenberg, along with Queen Victoria and Basco the pug, Balmoral, September 1887.

[foreverinthepagesofhistoryy]

Rare photo of Prince Sigismund of Prussia (1864-1866), son of Victoria Princess Royal and Crown Prince Fredrick of Prussia, showed on a mourning card, circa 1866 ❤️‍🩹

[colorizedhistory]

[loiladadiani]

The focus of the photograph for me is the Empress María Alexandrovna. I am always looking for pictures of her, as she is described as beautiful when young. I can see indications of that in pictures such as this one, but I am also beginning to understand why it might have been that many mistook her shyness for coldness and aloofness.

On the photograph from left to right: Julie, Princess of Battenberg; Elizabeth of Prussia, Princess and Prince Carl of Hesse, Prince Wilhelmina of Hesse, Empress Marie Alexandrovna, Prince Louis of Hesse; Prince Gustav Vasa from Sweden; Princess Alice of Hesse and Prince Alexander of Hesse

[adini-nikolaevna]

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, consort of Emperor Nicholas I of Russia.

[teatimeatwinterpalace]

Princess Alice with her sister Victoria, Crown Princess of Prussia, Berlin, 1865.

Alice to Queen Victoria, Berlin, January 29, 1865 | The journey went off very well, and we are so happy to be here. Vicky and Fritz are kindness itself, and Vicky so dear, so loving! I feel it does me good, that there is a reflection of Papa's great mind in her. He loved her so much, and was so proud of her.

Alice to Queen Victoria, Berlin, February 4, 1865 | I have not been sight-seeing anywhere, as it is too cold for that. We drive in a shut carriage, and then walk in the Thiergarten. We spend the whole day together, which is a great enjoyment to me, and of an evening we go out together. It is pleasant to have a sister to go out with, and all the people are so kind and civil to us.

Alice to Queen Victoria, Berlin, February 14, 1965 | We leave next Saturday. I shall be so sorry to leave dear Vicky, for she is often so much alone. Fritz is really so excellent, it is a pleasure to look at his dear good face; and he is worked so hard - no health can stand it in the long run.

Alice to Queen Victoria, Berlin, 17 February 1865 | This will be my last letter from here, and I only regret leaving here on account of parting with dear Vicky and Fritz, whom we see so rarely, and usually but for a short time. I have spent such pleasant hours with dear Vicky: that is what I shall look back to with so much pleasure and satisfaction.

[empress-alexandra]

Daughters of Grand Duke Louis IV and Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse - Princess Alix of Hesse (later Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia), Princess Victoria, Marchioness of Milford Haven, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia and Princess Irene, Princess Henry of Prussia on the occasion of Princess Alix' engagement to Emperor Nicholas II of Russia, 1894.

[queenalexandraofdenmark]

𝙲𝚑𝚘𝚌𝚘𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚁𝚘𝚢𝚊𝚕 𝚠𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗 👑✨🍫

(𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝟸 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝟺)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Queen Sophia of Greece, née Princess Sophia of Prussia.

Princess Beatrice, Duchess of Galliera, née Princess Beatrice of Edinburgh.

Empress Maria Feodorovna, née Princess Dagmar of Denmark.

Queen Marie of Romania, née Princess Marie of Edinburgh.

Queen Victoria, née Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent.

Queen Margherita of Italy, née Princess Margherita of Savoy.

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, née Princess Alix of Hesse.

Princess Louise of Schaumburg-Lippe, née Princess Louise of Denmark.

Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain, née Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg.

[foreverinthepagesofhistory]

~ 💗 OTMA lookalikes 💗 ~

Olga Nikolaevna — Alexandra Feodorovna (Charlotte of Prussia)

Tatiana Nikolaevna — Maria Alexandrovna (Maria of Hesse)

Maria Nikolaevna — Maria Feodorovna (Dagmar of Denmark)

Anastasia Nikolaevna — Alexandra Feodorovna (Alix of Hesse)

(Thank you to @duchessnoor for inspiring this post!)