Prince Henry of Prussia (1862–1929)

Prince Henry Prinz Henry, younger brother of Kaiser Wilhelm II, wearing the uniform of a Großadmiral in the Kaiserliche Marine Spouse Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine Issue Prince Waldemar Prince Sigismund Prince Henry Father Frederick III, German Emperor Mother Victoria, Princess Royal Born 14 August 1862(1862-08-14) Berlin, Prussia Died 20 April 1929(1929-04-20) (aged 66) Hemmelmark, Schleswig-Holstein

Prussian Royalty House of Hohenzollern Frederick III Children    Wilhelm II    Charlotte, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen    Prince Henry    Prince Sigismund    Princess Viktoria    Prince Waldemar    Sophia, Queen of the Hellenes    Margaret, Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel Grandchildren    Prince Waldemar    Prince Sigismund    Prince Heinrich Great Grandchildren    Princess Barbara    Prince Alfred

For the brother of King Frederick II of Prussia, see Prince Henry of Prussia (1726–1802).

For the brother of King Frederick William II of Prussia, see Prince Henry of Prussia (1747–1767).

Prince Henry of Prussia (born Albert Wilhelm Heinrich, 14 August 1862 – 20 April 1929) was a younger brother of German Emperor William II and a Prince of Prussia. A career naval officer, he held various commands in the Imperial German Navy and eventually rose to the rank of Grand Admiral.

Biography

Born in Berlin, Prince Henry of Prussia was the third of eight children born to Crown Prince Frederick (later Emperor Frederick III), and Victoria, Princess Royal of the United Kingdom (later Empress Victoria and in widowhood Empress Frederick), eldest daughter of the British Queen Victoria. Henry was three years younger than his brother, the future Emperor William II (born 27 January 1859).

After attending the gymnasium in Kassel, which he left in the middle grades in 1877, the 15-year-old Henry entered the Imperial Navy cadet program. His naval education included a two-year voyage around the world (1878 to 1880), the naval officer examination (Seeoffizierhauptprüfung) in October 1880, and attending the German naval academy (1884 to 1886).

Prince Henry of Prussia visiting Hawaii in 1879

Early commands

As an Imperial Prince, Henry quickly achieved command. In 1887, he commanded a torpedo boat and simultaneously the First Torpedo Boat Division; in 1888 the Imperial yacht SMY Hohenzollern; from 1889–1890 the second-class cruiser SMS Irene, the armored coastal defense ship SMS Beowulf, and the capital ships SMS Sachsen and SMS Wörth.

Squadron commands

From 1897, Prince Henry commanded several naval task forces; these included an improvised squadron that took part with the East Asia Squadron in consolidating and securing the German hold on the region of Kiaochow and the port of Tsingtao in 1898. The prince’s success was more of the diplomatic than the military variety; he became the first European potentate ever to be received at the Chinese imperial court. In 1899 he became officially the commander of the East Asia Squadron, later of a capital-ship squadron and in 1903 commander of the Baltic Sea naval station. From 1906 to 1909, Henry was commander of the High Seas Fleet. In 1909, he was promoted to Grand Admiral.^{[citation needed]}

World War I

At the beginning of World War I, Prince Henry was named Commander-in-Chief of the Baltic Fleet. Although the means provided him were far inferior to Russia’s Baltic Fleet, he succeeded, until the 1917 Revolution, in putting Russia’s naval forces far on the defensive, and hindered them from making attacks on the German coast. After the end of hostilities with Russia, his mission was ended, and Prince Henry simply left active duty. With the war’s end and the dissolution of the monarchy in Germany, Prince Henry left the Navy.

Family

Prince Henry with his wife, Princess Irene, and their sons Waldemar and Sigismund

On 24 May 1888, Henry married Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine, his first cousin. The marriage produced three children:

Name	Picture	Birth	Death	Notes
Waldemar William Louis Frederick Victor Henry		20 March 1889	2 May 1945	Married Princess Calixta of Lippe-Biesterfeld, but was a haemophiliac, so he had no issue.
William Victor Charles Augustus Henry Sigismund		27 November 1896	14 November 1978	Married Princess Charlotte of Saxe-Altenburg, had issue.
Henry Victor Louis Frederick		9 January 1900	26 February 1904	Was a haemophiliac and died aged four after bumping his head

Their sons Waldemar and Heinrich were both hemophiliacs which they inherited through Irene's maternal grandmother Queen Victoria.

Main article: Haemophilia in European royalty

Personality and private life

Medallion designed by Victor David Brenner for Prince Henry's 1902 visit to the U.S.

Henry had little in common with his brother, the German Emperor. He lacked, for example, William II's erratic nature and egotism. The prince was truly popular in Northern Germany, and on account of his humble and open manner was beloved by those under his command. On foreign travels, he was a good diplomat, who, unlike his brother, was able to strike the right tone. Thus, on his 1902 trip to the United States, Henry made a favorable impression with the critical American press and succeeded in winning the sympathy of more than just the numerous German-American segment of the population.

As a naval officer, Henry had a profession that completely satisfied him and that he loved. He was thoroughly a pragmatist. He received one of the first pilot’s licenses in Germany, and was judged a spirited and excellent seaman. He was dedicated to modern technology and was able to understand quickly the practical value of technical innovations. A yachting enthusiast, Prince Henry became one of the first members of the Yacht Club of Kiel, established by a group of naval officers in 1887, and quickly became the club's patron.

Henry was interested in motor cars as well and supposedly invented a windshield wiper and, according to other sources, the car horn. In his honor, the Prinz-Heinrich-Fahrt (Prince Heinrich Tour) was established in 1908, like the earlier Kaiserpreis a precursor to the German Grand Prix. Henry and his brother William gave patronage to the Kaiserlicher Automobilclub (Imperial Automobile Club).

Henry also was an early proponent of introducing submarines and airplanes. He had a steamship converted into a primitive aircraft carrier for operations in the Baltic Sea.

Henry respected his brother, but this attitude was not returned in the same measure. William kept his younger brother far from politics, although Henry served as his representative as long as the Crown Prince was still in his minority. Henry complied with this, for he did not interest himself in either politics or grand strategy. He did not recognize what political effect the German naval build-up would entail, and also would not have been in the position to move his brother toward a different policy.

After the German Revolution, Henry lived with his family in Hemmelmark near Eckernförde, in Schleswig-Holstein. He continued with motor sports and sailing and even in old age was a very successful participant in regattas. He popularized the Prinz-Heinrich-Mütze ("Prince Henry cap"), which is still worn, especially by older sailors.

In 1899, Henry received an honorary doctorate (Doctor of Engineering honoris causa) from the Technical University of Berlin. Also in foreign countries he received numerous similar honors, including an honorary doctorate in 1902 from Harvard University.

Prince Henry died of throat cancer, as his father had, in Hemmelmark on 20 April 1929.

George Burroughs Torrey painted a portrait of him.

Naval Career and Advancement

• Naval Cadet, Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial German Navy), 1877; Sat for his Seeoffizierhauptprüfung (naval officer examination), October 1880

• Midshipman, Imperial German Naval Academy, 1884–1886

• Kapitänleutnant (Lieutenant), ca. 1886

• Leutnant zur See (Lieutenant at Sea), ca 1887; Commanded 1st Torpedo Boat Division, 1887

• Fregattenkapitän (Commander), ca. 1887–1888; Commanded the Imperial Yacht SMY Hohenzollern, 1888; Commanded the second-class cruiser Irene, 1889; Commanded the armored coastal defense ship Beowulf, 1889

• Kapitän zur See (Captain at Sea), ca. 1889–1890; Commanded the capital ship SMS Sachsen, 1890; Commanded the capital ship SMS Wörth, 1890

• Konteradmiral (Commodore or Rear Admiral), ca. early 1890s; Commanded the 2nd German Squadron, East Asia Expedition, December 12, 1897; Commanded the East Asia Squadron, 1899; Emissary to the United States, February to May, 1902

• Vizeadmiral (Vice Admiral), ca. 1903; Commanded the Baltic Sea Naval Station, 1903–1906

• Admiral, ca. 1904; Commanded the High Seas Fleet, 1906–1909

• Großadmiral (Grand Admiral), ca. 1909; Commander-in-Chief, Baltic Fleet, 1914; Left active service, 1917; Retired, 1918

Regimental Commissions and Honorary Ranks

German

• 1. Garde-Regiment zu Fuß (Royal Prussian 1st Regiment of Foot Guards) – Leutnant (Second Lieutenant) through Generaloberst im Range eines Generalfeldmarschalls (Colonel-General in the Rank of Field Marshal), 1871 - 1918

• Kgl. Sächs. 2. Grenadier-Regiment Kaiser Wilhelm, König von Preußen Nr. 101 (Royal Saxon 2nd Grenadier Regiment)

• Kgl. Bayerisches Artillerie-Regiment Nr. 8 (Royal Bavarian 8th Artillery Regiment) – Generaloberst im Range eines Generalfeldmarschalls and Chef (Colonel in Chief)

• 1. Großherzogl. Hessisches Feldartilleree-Regiment 25 (Grand Duchy of Hesse 2nd Artillery Regiment)

• Fußilier-Regiment “Prinz Heinrich von Preußen” (Brandenburgisches) Nr 35 (The Brandenburg Fusilier Regiment) - Generaloberst im Range eines Generalfeldmarschalls and Chef (Colonel in Chief)

Foreign

• Austria-Hungary K.u.K. Infantry Regiment Nr. 20 – Oberstinhaber (Colonel in Chief)

• Austria-Hungary K.u.K. Navy – Vizeadmiral (vice admiral)

• British Royal Navy – Admiral (Honorary)

• Russian Imperial Dragoon Regiment Nr. 33 – Colonel

Orders and Medals

Prussian

• Order of the Black Eagle, Knight, 1872

• Order of the Red Eagle, Knight Grand Cross, 1872 (by statute of the Order of the Black Eagle, for princes of Prussia)

• Prussian Crown Order, Knight First Class, 1872 (by statute of the Order of the Black Eagle, for princes of Prussia)

• Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Knight, First Class, with collar chain

• Princely House Order of Hohenzollern, Knight First Class

• Johanniterorden (Order of St. John, Bailiwick of Brandenburg)

Non-Prussian German

• Order of Albert the Bear (Anhalt), Knight First Class

• House Order of Fidelity (Baden), Knight

• Order of Berthold I (Baden), Knight First Class

• Order of St. Hubert (Bavaria), Knight

• Order of Henry the Lion (Brunswick), Knight First Class

• House Order of the Golden Lion (Hesse-Kassel), Knight

• Order of Ludwig (Hesse-Darmstadt), Knight Grand Cross

• Order of the Wendish Crown (Mecklenburg), Knight Grand Cross, with Crown and Diamonds

• House Merit Order of Peter Friedrich Ludwig (Oldenburg), Knight Grand Cross with Golden Crown

• Order of the Rue Crown (Saxony), Knight

• Order of the White Falcon (Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach), Knight Grand Cross

• Saxe-Ernestine House Order (Saxe-Altenburg, Saxe-Coburg & Gotha, and Saxe-Meiningen), Knight Grand Cross

• Order of the Württemberg Crown (Württemberg), Knight grand Cross

Foreign

• Order of Leopold (Belgium), Knight Grand Cross

• Order of Christ's Cross (Brazil), Knight Grand Cross

• Order of the Double Dragon (China), Knight First Class

• Order of the Elephant (Denmark), Knight

• Order of the Redeemer (Greece), Knight Grand Cross

• Order of the Garter (Great Britain), Knight

• Order of the Bath (Great Britain), Knight Grand Cross (civil)

• Royal Order of Kalākaua I (Kingdom of Hawaii), Knight Grand Cross

• Order of the Chrysanthemum (Japan), Knight

• Order of the Annunciation (Italy), Knight

• Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (Italy), Knight Grand Cross

• Order of St. Joseph (Italian Grand Duchy of Tuscany), Knight Grand Cross

• Order of the Netherlands Lion (Netherlands), Knight Grand Cross

• Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen (Austria-Hungary), Knight Grand Cross

• Supreme Order of Christ (Vatican), Knight

• Military Order of Christ (Portugal), Knight

• Order of the Tower and Sword (Portugal), Knight

• Order of the Star of Romania (Romania), Knight

• Order of St. Andrew the First Called (Russia), Knight

• Order of Seraphim (Sweden), Knight

• Order of St. Olav (Norway), Knight Grand Cross

• Order of the White Eagle (Serbia), Knight Grand Cross

• Order of the Golden Fleece (Spain), Knight

• Order of Naval Merit (Spain), Knight Fourth Class (Grand Cross)

• Order of Osmanie (Ottoman Turkey), Knight Grand Cross

• Order of the Liberator Simon Bolivar (Venezuela), Knight First Class

Further reading

• Harald Eschenburg. Prinz Heinrich von Preußen - Der Großadmiral im Schatten des Kaisers. Heide, 1989, ISBN 3-8042-0456-2. [Translation of title: Prince Heinrich of Prussia - The Grand Admiral in the Shadow of the Emperor.]