Hermine Reuss of Greiz
| Princess Hermine | |
|---|---|
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| Spouse | Prince Johann George Ludwig Ferdinand August of Schönaich-Carolath (1907–20) Wilhelm II, German Emperor (1922–41) |
| Issue | |
| Prince Hans Georg of Schönaich-Carolath Prince Georg Wilhelm of Schönaich-Carolath Princess Hermine Caroline of Schönaich-Carolath Prince Ferdinand Johann of Schönaich-Carolath Henriette, Princess Karl Franz of Prussia |
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| Father | Heinrich XXII, Prince Reuss of Greiz |
| Mother | Princess Ida Mathilde Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe |
| Born | 17 December 1887 Greiz, Germany |
| Died | 7 August 1947 (aged 59) Paulinenhof Internment Camp, Brandenburg, Germany |
Princess Hermine Reuss of Greiz (German: Hermine Prinzessin Reuß zu Greiz; 17 December 1887 Greiz, Germany – 7 August 1947 Frankfurt (Oder), Germany) was the second wife of Wilhelm II, German Emperor (1859–1941);[1] they were married in 1922, four years after he had abdicated from the thrones of Germany and Prussia.
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[edit] Early life
Princess Hermine was the daughter of Heinrich XXII, Prince Reuss of Greiz (28 March 1846 – 19 April 1902), and Princess Ida Mathilde Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe (28 July 1852 – 28 September 1891) the daughter of Adolf I, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe.[1] Her father was the ruler of the Reuss Elder Line principality, in what is present day Thuringia, Germany. Henry XXII was an implacable enemy of Prince Bismarck. Princess Hermine's brother later became Henry XXIV, Prince Reuss of Greiz.
[edit] First marriage
Hermine was married, on 7 January 1907 in Greiz to Prince Johann George Ludwig Ferdinand August of Schönaich-Carolath (11 September 1873 – 7 April 1920).[1]
They were the parents to five children:
- Prince Hans Georg Heinrich Ludwig Friedrich Hermann Ferdinand of Schönaich-Carolath (3 November 1907 – 9 August 1943, married Sibylle, Baroness of Zedlitz and Leipe), Killed in Action in Russia during WWII
- Prince Georg Wilhelm of Schönaich-Carolath (16 March 1909 – 1 November 1927, died unmarried)
- Princess Hermine Caroline Wanda Ida Luise Feodora Viktoria Auguste of Schönaich-Carolath (born 9 May 1910, married Hugo Herbert Hartung)
- Prince Ferdinand Johann Georg Hermann Heinrich Ludwig Wilhelm Friedrich August of Schönaich-Carolath (5 April 1913 – 17 October 1973, married Rose Rauch and Margret, Baroness of Seckendorff)
- Princess Henriette Hermine Wanda Ida Luise of Schönaich-Carolath (25 November 1918 – 16 March 1972, married Prince Karl Franz of Prussia).
[edit] Marriage to Ex-Emperor Wilhelm II
In January 1922, a son of Princess Hermine sent birthday wishes to the German Emperor Wilhelm, who then invited the boy and his mother to Doorn. Wilhelm found Hermine very attractive, and greatly enjoyed her company. The two had much in common, both being recently widowed: Hermine just over a year and a half before, and Wilhelm only nine months prior.
By early 1922, Wilhelm was determined to marry Hermine. Despite grumblings from Wilhelm's monarchist supporters and the objections of his children, 63 year-old Wilhelm and 34 year-old Hermine married on 5 November 1922 in Doorn.[1] By all accounts, it was a happy marriage. Hermine's first husband had also been older than she was, by fourteen years.
In 1927 Hermine wrote An Empress in Exile: My Days in Doorn, an account of her life up to that time. Hermine remained a constant companion to the aging emperor until his death in 1941. They had no children.
[edit] Later life
Hermine's daughter, Henriette, married Wilhelm's grandson, Prince Joachim's son, Prince Karl Franz (Emperor Wilhelm's stepdaughter and grandson respectively), in 1940.
After the death of Wilhelm II in 1941, Hermine returned to Germany. She lived on her first husband's estate in Silesia until 1945. After the Second World War, Hermine was held under house arrest at Frankfurt an der Oder in the Soviet Zone of Germany.
She died aged 59 at the Paulinenhof Internment Camp near Brandenburg in August 1947.[1] She was buried in the Antique Temple in Potsdam.
[edit] Titles from birth to death
Although Wilhem was no longer a reigning monarch at the time of his marriage, he continued to use his titles. Hermine was given the titles of German Empress and Queen of Prussia. By tradition, women were entitled to royal titles, styles and rank of their husbands if their statuses before marriage were considered equal or not "morganatic". As Hermine was born of a sovereign house, the marriage complied with the laws of the Prussian nobility. Her titles by birth, marriage, and courtesy were:
- 17 December 1887 – 1907: Her Serene Highness Princess Hermine Reuss of Greiz[1]
- 7 January 1907 – 9 November 1922: Her Serene Highness Princess Hermine of Schönaich-Carolath
- 9 November 1922 – 4 June 1941: Her Imperial & Royal Majesty The German Empress, Queen of Prussia
- 4 June 1941 – 7 August 1947: Her Imperial & Royal Majesty The Dowager German Empress, Dowager Queen of Prussia
[edit] Ancestry
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[edit] References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Hermine Reuss |
- ^ a b c d e f Lundy, Darryl. "Hermine Prinzessin Reuss zu Greiz". The Peerage. http://www.thepeerage.com/p10107.htm#i101066. Retrieved 9 October 2010.
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Hermine Reuss of Greiz
Born: 17 December 1887 Died: 7 August 1947 |
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| Titles in pretence | ||
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| Vacant
Title last held by
Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein |
— TITULAR — German Empress Queen of Prussia 9 November 1922 – 4 June 1941 Reason for succession failure: German monarchies abolished in 1918 |
Succeeded by Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin |
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