July 18, 1908
Prince Hermann of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, who is second in line after his father to the grand ducal throne, appears to be following in the footsteps of his extravagant father, Prince Wilhelm, as he was recently declared bankrupt, according to the Marquise de Fontenoy's latest report.
He has also suffered the ignominy of being retired from the army, and has been placed under a "curatel." This is means he has been deprived "of the right of owning for managing any properties. His affairs have been "vested in the hands of trustees.
These actions have been taken due to Prince Hermann's extravagant lifestyle. His father, Prince Wilhelm, was forced by the Grand Duke to live outside the country due to his frequent financial problems.
After serving for several years in the foreign services of the Dutch Army in Sumatra, Prince Wilhelm moved to the United States, where he assumed the name Wilhelm Rohde. He received a salary for his work as well as a small allowance from his family, but it was never enough. Prince Wilhelm soon found himself in debt, and was often in dire straits. He worked as a riding master, a store clerk, salesman and waiter, but when he became ill, his family "took compassion on him" and brought Prince Wilhelm home.
In 1885, Wilhelm married Princess Gerda of Isenburg-Büdingen. Prince Hermann Carl Bernhard Ferdinand Friedrich Wilhelm August Paul Philipp was born on Valentine's Day in 1886. He has a brother, Prince Albert, who is 10 months his junior, and a sister, Princess Sophie, who was born in July 1888.
Prince and Princess Wilhelm live in Heidelberg, but are largely shunned by their royal cousins due to Wilhelm's behavior.
Now Hermann, too, will feel the coldness as the royal houses of Europe close their doors to him due to his financial shenanigans.
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