Prince Joachim Albrecht deprived of military honors because of romance

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April 8, 1908

The Marquise de Fontenoy's column today focuses on the plight of Prince Joachim Albrecht of Prussia, who was "recently cashiered by the Kaiser from the German army and deprived of all his military honors and dignities" due to his "persistence in his intentions" to marry the "notorious cafe chantant divette, Baroness Liebenberg."

The loss of his honors is cushioned, however, by the #2,000,000 he inherited from his grandfather, the Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, who died recently.
Prince Joachim Albrecht was already a wealthy man even before his grandfather's bequest as one of the three sons and heirs of the late Prince Albrecht of Prussia, who served as regent of the duchy of Brunswick. Prince Albrecht was "celebrated in his day as one of the wealthiest scions of royalty of the old world."

With this great wealth, Prince Joachim Albrecht is "virtually independent" of the Kaiser, as long as he remains outside of Prussia.

The Kaiser, as head of the family, has the power to deprive Joachim Albrecht "of his share and his annuities" from the Hohenzollern entailed properties. He can also order the prince's arrest should Joachim Albrecht "venture onto Prussian soil."

But as long as he remains outside of Prussia, he "runs no risk of loss of liberty," and he is not concerned by the loss of his Hohenzollern appanage or his expulsion from the Army.

Joachim Albrecht's brother, Prince Friedrich Heinrich, has also inherited a "large fortune" from the Duke of Saxe-Altenburg and has also been expelled by the Kaiser from the army because of a recent scandal. Only Prince Friedrich Wilhelm has kept himself out of trouble, and remains in the army, although he does not enjoy "to any degree the goodwill of his kinsman the kaiser."