Thursday, November 15, 2012

Onkel Bertie and Willy discuss a betrothal

November 15, 1902

One of the topics discussed by Kaiser Wilhelm II during his recent visit to King Edward VII was the betrothal of his eldest son, Crown Prince Wilhelm to Princess Alice of Albany,  the King's niece, reports the New York Times.

Princess Alice is nineteen years old and is said to be a "charming girl."   Her mother, the Duchess of Albany, accompanied the Kaiser to England on board the imperial yacht Hohenzollern, and then traveled with him to Sandringham.

Princess Alice and the Crown Prince are second cousins, and are said to be "mutually sympathetic."    The young Princess has become "quite Prussianized " as she has lived in Germany with her mother for most of the last three years.   She has been under "close observation from time to time" by the German Emperor and Empress, as they searched for just the right bride for their eldest son.

Such a dynastic alliance as this marriage would be is seen as bringing Great Britain and Germany "closer together."  Such an alliance would be very unpopular in Germany.

Princess Alice's younger brother, Charles Edward, is the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and has become a "thorough little German."  He is attending military school in Potsdam.

Princess Alice is the daughter of the late Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, youngest brother of King Edward VII.  He died in 1884, several months before the German-born Duchess of Albany gave birth to Prince Charles Edward.

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