July 19, 1920
Former Kaiser Wilhelm II and his family are in mourning following the death of his youngest son, Prince Joachim. The news of the young prince's suicide "was received at Doorn Castle last Saturday night," according to the New York Times. Joachim's death was a "terrific blow" to the Kaiser as Joachim "seemed cheerful and normal" during his most recent visit to Doorn.
The former Kaiserin has not yet been informed of her son's death as she is "suffering from a severe attack of her chronic malady, heart disease." She is said to be "getting weaker hourly."
Wilhelm II is "naturally very depressed." This morning he was seen walking in the grounds of his home with Count von Moltke. Telegrams and letters of sympathy and condolence have been arriving all days from Germany and elsewhere. Former Crown Prince Wilhelm is expected to arrive this evening.
The death of Prince Joachim "came as a great blow" to his eldest brother, as relations between the two "were always of the most friendly nature."
The Duke and Duchess of Brunswick will extend their stay at Doorn. The Duchess is the Kaiser's only daughter, and the one closest in age to Prince Joachim.
Prince Joachim was very popular at Doorn, and "never showed signs of depression in public." He took frequent walks from Doorn into the village, and often stopped to talk to the village children. When the Crown Prince was at Doorn several weeks ago, he and his brother took look walks and drives into the countryside. Wilhelm and Joachim "appeared to enjoy each other's company and to be in good spirits."
Several people, however, noticed that "Joachim when alone would start suddenly to run and then check himself."
The news of Prince Joachim's suicide has caused a "great sensation" in Berlin and their are "diverging versions of how it occurred and what the reasons for it were."
The official statement from Joachim's family is that the Prince "was suffering from nervous collapse caused by the difficulties of a financial settlement with the Prussian State."
Prince Joachim, the family insisted, had "very pessimistic views regarding his future," and he feared that he would lose his home, Villa Liegnitz, which is on the outskirts of Sans Souci in Potsdam.
The failure to reach a settlement increased "Joachim's nervousness," which his family insists was caused by a wound he received in the war.
Prince Joachim's friends disagree with this assessment. They say he "was in perfect physical condition and devoted to all kinds of sports and hunting," and were greatly surprised by the news of his suicide.
Prince Joachim was tall and slender like his eldest brother, "but his features had a somewhat brutal expression, which made it easy to believe rumors that he would occasionally horsewhip his wife, Marie, Princess of Anhalt."
Prince Joachim and Princess Marie Auguste were married in 1916. The Princess is the mother of his only child, a 4-year-old boy, who lived with his father at Villa Liegnitz.
Princess Marie Auguste fled from the marital home more than a year ago on "account of his cruelty."
Prince Joachim was found on Saturday morning with a wound in his chest by his brother Prince Eitel Friedrich, who ordered the Prince to be taken to a hospital next door to the villa. Prince Joachim "regained consciousness," and the two brothers "were observed to have a long and seemingly grave conversation."
Prince Eitel Friedrich did not deny the conversation but "states that Joachim did not tell him the reasons for his act."
The bullet from Joachim's revolver "entered the chest and grazed the heart and lungs." Doctors were unable to save him, and he died at one o'clock on Sunday.
The Hohenzollern family "tried their utmost of keep the manner of the Prince's death concealed," but the Berlin authorities "refused to comply with their wishes."
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