The most popular man in Germany is the Kaiser, and the Kaiserin is
the most popular woman. William II may have his critics, but no one
can deny that in him Augusta Victoria has found what she considers an
ideal husband. The only domestic tyranny that I heard of his engaging
in is, that every birthday he gives the Kaiserin twelve hats for a
present. These hats he picks out himself, and she has to wear them.
From the pictures one sees of the Kaiserin wearing a hat one does
feel that he is a sort of barbarian and rather rough on his wife. On
her last birthday when I was in Berlin, she would allow no gifts to
be given her--perhaps she wanted one year without hats--and instead,
she requested all the givers to send wine, jams and preserves to the
soldiers. This collection was called the Kaiserin's birthday gift.
[Illustration: _The Kaiserin of Germany._]
Except for the present war, the life and reign of Augusta Victoria has
been a peaceful one, and it is now twenty-eight years since she became
the first lady in the land. She was born in the little castle of Dolzig
in Schleswig-Holstein, and there she spent her childhood with her two
younger sisters and her brother. The young Prince Wilhelm of Prussia,
the present Kaiser, was a half cousin of the young Princess, their
mothers being half sisters. Prince Wilhelm had seen her but once at an
English court party given by a mutual relative, and it was not until he
was invited to a hunting-party at her father's castle that they became
acquainted.
[Illustration: _The Crown Princess Cecilia._]
[Illustration: _Princess Eitel Friedrich, Wife of Second Son._]
The hunting-party was in 1878, and it brought a great booty. The story
goes that after the hunt the young Prince was walking in the garden
when suddenly he came upon the young Princess--that was the beginning
of the courtship, and a year later they were married. When Bismarck
heard the news he exclaimed, "A happy ending to a kingdom's drama."
Bismarck had probably arranged the match, for Schleswig-Holstein was
restless and needed to be bound more securely to the states of Germany.
[Illustration: _Princess Adalbert, Wife of Third Son._]
The Prince and Princess entered Berlin through the Brandenburg Gate.
Six years later, Emperor Wilhelm I died, and less than a year later
his son died, and Kaiser Wilhelm II and Augusta Victoria ascended the
throne.
On the 6th of May, 1882, the present Crown-Prince was born. His father
was so excited that he opened the window of the Marble Palace and
yelled across to his father's palace, "Father, it is a boy. Hurrah! The
fourth German Kaiser!" The child was christened with the full name of
Friedrich Wilhelm Victor August Ernst.
[Illustration: _Princess August Wilhelm, Wife of Fourth Son._]
After this came five more boys, one after the other--Eitel Friedrich
on July 7, 1883; Adalbert on July 14, 1884; August Wilhelm on January
29, 1887; Oskar on July 6, 1888; and Joachim on December 17, 1890. The
youngest child was a daughter, Victoria Louise, born on September 13,
1892.
All the children are now married, and strange to say every one of them
has married a German, and all of royal blood except the wife of Prince
Oskar, and she was a baroness.
[Illustration: _Baroness von Ruppin, Wife of Fifth Son._]
The wedding of the Crown Prince and the Duchess Cecilia of
Mecklenburg-Schwerin took place on June 6, 1905. The Crown Princess has
very high connections, coming from the same family as the famous Queen
Louise. Her mother is a Russian Princess, and she is a first cousin to
the late Czar. Her sister is the Queen of Denmark, and when she goes to
Denmark to pay a visit to her sister, the two walk through the streets
of Copenhagen arm in arm with the king.
[Illustration: _Princess Joachim, Wife of Sixth Son._]
Her democratic spirit has made her very popular with the German people,
and she is said to be the one person who dares to defy her imperial
father-in-law, and as a result he admires her very much and is very
fond of her. Four years ago, the Kaiser forbade the officers to tango.
The very next day after this edict the Crown Princess hired a tango
teacher. The Kaiser only laughed. He liked her spirit.
She is very tall, almost as tall as her tall husband. She is almost
of the Russian type and has dark hair and very bright eyes. The German
women look to her to set the styles. She dresses a great deal in white
and like the Kaiserin wears very large hats. Although very rich in her
own right she does not wear extravagant clothes but rather sensible
things.
[Illustration: _Victoria Louise, Duchess of Brunswick, Daughter of the
Kaiser._]
She is very active and capable, and is a splendid mother, spending
much of her time with her four boys and her little daughter, helping to
train them herself. The eldest boy is now ten years old, and the little
girl was born since the war. She has her own palace in Berlin, but she
spends most of her time at Potsdam or at Danzig, the favorite resort of
the royal pair.
At the silver wedding of the Kaiser and Kaiserin, Prince Eitel
Friedrich and the Grand Duchess Charlotte of Oldenburg were married.
The Duchess is a grand-daughter of Prince Carl, the famous general of
1870. She is quite different from the vivacious Cecilia, being of a
quiet temperament. She has no children.
A year later the fourth son of the Kaiser, Prince August Wilhelm,
was married to Princess Alexandra Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein. She
is so pretty that they call her the "Beautiful Princess." Almost any
day one can see her riding around in her carriage with her little boy
at her side. She is a first cousin to her husband, being a daughter
of the favorite sister of the Kaiserin. She is by far the favorite
daughter-in-law of the Kaiserin's, and the two are often seen together.
Her child is a beautiful boy of four years. Both she and the child are
very often photographed.
Prince Adalbert, the third son, was the next to be married, and in
1911 he married Princess Adelheid of Saxe-Meiningen. Princess Adelheid
is a very sad princess, for since her marriage she has lost both her
parents. She has no children.
[Illustration: _The Crown Princess and Her Four Sons on the Balcony of
Her Castle Watching the Departure of the Troops._]
The next royal child to be married was Victoria Louise, who has always
been very popular in Germany. She is the Kaiser's favorite child and
he always said that his only daughter should marry whom she pleased.
When she picked August of Brunswick every one was satisfied, for it
settled for once and all the Guelph claim to the Brunswick throne.
The Germans like to believe that this was a love match, for they do
not like to think that their dear little Princess Victoria Louise was
sacrificed to the plans of the State, but on all sides you hear rumors
that she is not happy and that her husband is always "away," and "away"
doesn't mean at the front either, for they say he doesn't care much
for fighting. She has two children. She spends most of her time in
Brunswick, but sometimes she meets her husband in Berlin, and they go
to either the Adlon or Bristol Hotel.
The fifth son, Prince Oskar, was morganatically married in 1914 to the
Baroness von Rippen, a beautiful and high-minded lady with whom he was
very much in love. Of all the royal ladies she has the most charming
face. At first the Kaiser wasn't very keen on this marriage, but when
the war broke out he gave his consent. They have one baby born in 1916.
The youngest son was married in the spring of 1916, and the wedding
of Prince Joachim and the Princess Marie of Anhalt was a quiet war
marriage. This summer a boy was born.