Prince Wilhelm of Prussia to marry commoner

Embed from Getty Images

April 19, 1933

German monarchists were surprised today by the announcement that Prince Wilhelm, eldest son of former Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany, is engaged to a German commoner, reports the New York Times.

The bride-to-be is Dorothea von Salviati, whose father served as a court marshal to the late Princess Viktoria of Schaumburg-Lippe, a sister of former Kaiser Wilhelm II.

Prince Wilhelm is second in line to the former German throne, and many have considered the prince to be a "logical candidate" for restoration.  Under the old Prussian law, he would remain eligible for the succession, but his children would have no rights.  But also under the "monarchical law", the marriage would have to be approved by the head of the family.

Embed from Getty Images

Former Crown Prince Wilhelm apparently knew very little "if anything" about the engagement.  He and his wife are in Italy. Representatives of the former ruling house, who learned about the engagement from the newspapers, are now "frantically" trying to contact the Crown Prince and Crown Princess.

The bride's family does not belong to the old German nobility.   Her ancestors came "to Prussia from Italy" less than 200 years ago." 

Prince Wilhelm first met Miss von Salviati six years ago in Bonn, where she lived.  The Prince was attending university in Bonn.  The Prince and Miss von Salviati's brother were members of the "celebrated" fraternity Borussia.

He studied law and economics and currently manages one of his father's estates in Upper Silesia. 

It is expected that his family, especially the former Kaiser, will oppose the marriage.