Former lady in waiting sues Ernst Gunther, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein

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June 6, 1901

The New York Times reports on a "sensational case" before the First District Court of Berlin  where Anna Milewski, former lady-in-waiting to the late Princess Amelie of Schleswig-Holstein, and the head of the Schleswig-Holstein family, Duke Ernst Gunther.

The Duke is the brother of Empress Auguste Viktoria.

Miss Milewski "asserts that Princess Amelie  received only 12,000 marks annually from the defendant."  She also states that "she had a fortune of her own, amounting to 80,000 marks," which allowed her to make loans to the Princess, "who, being in the last stages of consumption," was "proceeding slowly to Egypt."

During Princess Amelia's stay in Malta, Miss Milewski stated that the princess engaged "as her chamberlain, an American named Walker," who was unaware of the princess' financial resources,  "induced her to incur large expenses."    After Princess Amelia  arrived in Cairo, the plaintiff asked her to restore "to her the sum of 20,000 francs."

Miss Milewski declares at the insistence of Duke Ernst Gunther, the Adjutant to Prince Joachim of Prussia,  the Egyptian police arrested her in the street, and she was "forcibly and inhumanely transported back to Prussia, where she became very ill."

Meanwhile, according to her declaration, Mr. Walker "forcibly took the plaintiff's 20,000 francs from her trunk," and settled Princess Amelie's unpaid bills.    He also used the money to pay "defray the cost" of transporting the late Princess' body home.   

Miss Milewski is asking for the return of the 20,000 francs with interest.   Duke Ernst Gunther has "challenged the accuracy" of several of her statements, and the Court has declared that, "before the proceedings were carried further," the Duke, who remains in Cairo, must depose.


Princess Karoline Amelie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg-Sonderburg was the third child of Duke Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glucksburg and Countess Louisa-Sophie Danneskjold-Samsoe.   He ceded his rights to his eldest surviving son, Friedrich.

Princess Karoline Amelie was born at Augustenberg on January 15, 1826.  She died at Cairo on May 3, 1901.  She never married.