Sisters

Marlene A Eilers Koenig collection

Princess Hermine and Princess Ida of Reuss, the youngest two children of Heinrich XXII, Prince of Reuss zu Greiz, and Princess Ida of Schaumburg-Lippe.

Hermine was born at Greiz on December 17, 1887.  On January 7, 1907, she married Prince Johann Georg of Schoenaich-Carolath (1873-1920).  Two years after her husband's death, Hermine married Kaiser Wilhelm II, as his second wife.  Hermine died on August 7, 1947 in Frankfurt an der Oder, then under Russian occupation.  Hermine and her first husband had five children: Hans (1907-1943, killed in action), Georg (1909-1927), Caroline  (1910), Ferdinand (1913-1973) and Henriette (1918-1972).  Princess Henriette was the first wife of Prince Karl Franz Josef of Prussia, a grandson of Kaiser Wilhelm II.

Prince Hermine's maternal uncle, Prince Adolf of Schaumburg-Lippe was married to Wilhelm II's sister, Princess Viktoria.

Ida was born at Greiz on September 4, 1891.  She married at Greiz on November 7, 1907 to Christoh Martin, Prince of Stolberg-Rossla (1888-1949).  She died at Ortenberg on March 29, 1977.  Ida and Christoph were the parents of four children:  Caroline (1912-1996), Heinrich (1914-1974), Johann Martin, Prince of Stolberg-Rossla  (1917-19821), and Marie (1921-1975).

The Stolberg-Rossla line became extinct when Johann Martin died. 

In her autobiography, An Empress in Exile,  Hermine described her youngest sister, as "being a sickly baby, was the spoiled darling of the family."