Wednesday, February 25, 2009

King Edward at Kronberg

February 25, 1901

King Edward VII and Kaiser Wilhelm II arrived today at Kronberg and were driven in a sleigh to Schloss Friedrichshof to have lunch with Edward's older sister and Wilhelm's mother, Empress Friedrich (the Princess Royal). The King spent about a quarter of an hour at his sister's bedside. It was "observed that His Majesty on leaving betrayed no special anxiety" regarding the Empress Friedrich's condition.
The Kaiser had driven over from Homburg to join the King and other guests for lunch. All told, seventeen people were present for the lunch. The Kaiser sat next to his uncle, and raised his glass in silence to him. King Edward VII returned the compliment.
The Kaiser also took ten minutes out of his busy schedule to visit his mother. He then returned to Homburg by sleigh, "traversing nearly six miles in twenty minutes, behind two Hungarian horses."
King Edward also traveled to Homburg by sleigh, where he had tea with the Kaiser, before returning to Kronberg.
At the King's "particular request," the Kaiser did not join him for dinner, and the King was able to dine quietly with two of his nieces, Crown Princess Sophie of Greece and Princess Margarete of Hesse.

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