Prince Charles of Prussia

Prince Charles Painting by Franz Krüger (1852) Spouse Princess Marie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Issue Prince Friedrich Karl Louise, Landgravine of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld Anna, Princess Friedrich Wilhelm of Hesse-Kassel House House of Hohenzollern Born 29 June 1801(1801-06-29) Died 21 January 1883(1883-01-21) (aged 81)

Prussian Royalty House of Hohenzollern Frederick William III Children    Frederick William IV    William I    Alexandra Feodorovna, Empress of Russia    Princess Frederica    Prince Charles of Prussia    Alexandrine, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg    Prince Ferdinand    Princess Louise    Prince Albert of Prussia

Prince Frederick Charles Alexander of Prussia (June 29, 1801- January 21, 1883) born in Charlottenburg, was a younger son of Frederick William III of Prussia and Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Although he served as a Prussian general for much of his adult life, Prince Charles is often remembered for his vast patronage and collections of art and armor.^[1]

Biography

Marriage and issue

Prince Charles' wife Princess Marie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, c. 1843.

On May 26, 1827 in Charlottenburg, he married Princess Marie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, a daughter of Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and his wife Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia.^[2] She was an older sister of Augusta of Saxe-Weimar, wife of his brother Wilhelm I. They had three children together:

• Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia (b. 1828-1885). Married Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau; father of Louise Margaret, Duchess of Connaught and Strathearn.
• Princess Louise of Prussia (1829–1901). Married Alexis of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfel
• Princess Anna of Prussia (1836–1918). Married Friedrich Wilhelm of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel)

The family lived in Wilhelmstrasse, opposite the residence of German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck.^[3] In possession of great wealth and a great art collector, their palace contained many art treasures.^[1] Charles was also a collector of rare weaponry, and carefully acquired and preserved knives, swords, daggers, rifles, pistols, and revolvers from many different countries and time periods.^[3] As a result of his vast collection, one source stated his palace was "one of the most famous repositories of bric-a-brac in Europe...his collection of arms and armor is believed to know no rival save in the great State armories at Turin and Vienna".^[1] It was said that Charles bore little resemblance to his Hohenzollern cousins, possessing a narrow and colorless face and gray hair along with a stooping posture.^[3]

Army career

Prince Charles entered the Prussian army in 1811 at age 10 with the rank of lieutenant in a regiment of the guard. In 1819 he became a member of the Prussian Staatsrat. In 1820 he became a major in the First regiment of Foot Guards. In 1822 he became colonel of the 12th Infantry regiment and in 1824 he was promoted to major general.

In 1830 he commanded the 2nd Guards Division. He was further promoted to lieutenant-general in 1832 and general of infantry in 1844. He served as Inspector-General (1848) and as Generalfeldzeugmeister and chief of the artillery (1854). Charles served as Governor of Mainz from 1864-1866. In 1852 Charles became „Herrenmeister“ of the Order of Saint John (Bailiwick of Brandenburg).

Death

In 1882, Prince Charles' foot slipped while getting up from dinner, and consequently fractured his left thigh.^[1] As he had already been in delicate health from his advanced age, sources reported that survival was unlikely.^[1] He died the following year, on January 21, 1883 in Berlin. His last words were "Long live the Emperor".^[2] At the time of his death, he was the only surviving brother of Emperor Wilhelm I. His death disrupted plans for a silver wedding anniversary celebration for his nephew and niece, as well as plans for a visit from the Prince and Princess of Wales to Berlin.^[1][2]

Ancestry

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f} "Prince Charles of Prussia", The New York Times (Berlin), 19 June 1882 
2. ^ ^{a b c} "Kaiser William's Brother Dead", The New York Times (Berlin), 22 January 1883 
3. ^ ^{a b c} "Prince Charles of Prussia", The New York Times, 8 February 1883 

External links