Prince Paul of Württemberg
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Prince Paul of Württemberg (German:Paul Heinrich Karl Friedrich August von Württemberg) (born St. Petersburg, Russia, 19 January 1785; died Paris, France, 16 April 1852) was a German prince and the fourth child and second son of Frederick I of Württemberg and Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel.
Soon after Paul's birth, his mother separated from his father during a stay in Russia with Frederick's sister's mother-in-law Catherine II of Russia. Augusta died in exile in Reval in 1788. In 1797, Frederick married Charlotte, Princess Royal, eldest daughter of George III of the United Kingdom, and she supervised the education of Paul and his two surviving siblings Wilhelm and Catherine. Charlotte regarded Paul as 'a very comical boy and, in my partial eyes, his manners are like Adolphus [Charlotte's younger brother]".[1]
As Paul grew up, her opinion changed. During a visit to London in 1814, Paul, along with many other princes, was taken to visit the Ascot races by the Prince Regent. He behaved badly, getting the Prince of Orange blind drunk. "For thirteen years he has done nothing but offend his father with the improprieties of his conduct", his stepmother wrote.[2]
On 28 September 1805 in Ludwigsburg, Paul married Princess Charlotte of Saxe-Hildburghausen, second daughter of Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen. They had five children :
- Charlotte (9 January 1807 - 2 February 1873); married Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich of Russia
- Frederick (21 February 1808 - 9 May 1870); married his cousin Princess Katherine of Württemberg and was the father of William II of Württemberg.
- Paul Friedrich (7 March 1809 - 28 May 1810)
- Pauline (25 February 1810 - 7th July 1856); married William, Duke of Nassau; mother of Sophia of Nassau, wife of Oscar II of Sweden. Through Pauline, Paul is an ancestor of the present Belgian, Danish, Dutch, Luxembourg, Norwegian and Swedish Royal families.
- August (24 January 1813 - 12 January 1885); married (morganatically) Marie Bethge and had issue.
In 1815 Paul moved from his home in Stuttgart to Paris, leaving his wife and two sons, but taking his daughters with him. There he led a relatively modest life, but was frequently in the company of intellectuals such as Georges Cuvier. Paul's family did not approve of this, and ordered him to return to Württemberg, but he refused.[3] While in Paris, he fathered two illegitimate daughters by mistresses.
Paul died there aged 67.
[edit] References
- ^ Fraser, Flora (2007). Princesses - The Six Daughters of George III. London: John Murray, pp.196. ISBN 0719561094.
- ^ Fraser, Flora (2007). Princesses - The Six Daughters of George III. London: John Murray, pp.281. ISBN 0719561094.
- ^ Zeepvat, Charlotte (2006). Romanov Autumn. Stroud: Sutton, pp.21-22. ISBN 0750944188.
