Hermine Reuss of Greiz

Princess Hermine
Spouse Prince Johann George Ludwig Ferdinand August of Schönaich-Carolath (1907-1920)
Wilhelm II, German Emperor (1922-1941)
Issue
Prince Hans Georg of Schönaich-Carolath
Prince Georg Wilhelm of Schönaich-Carolath
Princess Hermine Caroline of Schönaich-Carolath
Prince Ferdinand Johann of Schönaich-Carolath
Henriette, Princess Karl Franz of Prussia
Father Heinrich XXII, Prince Reuss of Greiz
Mother Princess Ida Mathilde Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe
Born 17 December 1887(1887-12-17)
Died 7 August 1947(1947-08-07) (aged 59)

Princess Hermine Reuss of Greiz (German: Hermine Prinzessin Reuß zu Greiz) (17 December 1887 Greiz, Germany - 7 August 1947 Frankfurt (Oder), Germany) was the second wife of Wilhelm II, German Emperor (1859–1941);[1] they were married in 1922, four years after he had abdicated from the thrones of Germany and Prussia.

Contents

Early life

Princess Hermine was the daughter of Heinrich XXII, Prince Reuss of Greiz (28 March 1846 – 19 April 1902), and Princess Ida Mathilde Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe (28 July 1852 – 28 September 1891) the daughter of Adolf I, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe.[1] Her father was the ruler of the Reuss Elder Line principality, in what is present day Thuringia, Germany. Henry XXII was an implacable enemy of Prince Bismarck. Princess Hermine's brother later became Henry XXIV, Prince Reuss of Greiz.

First marriage

Hermine was married, on 7 January 1907 in Greiz to Prince Johann George Ludwig Ferdinand August of Schönaich-Carolath (11 September 1873 – 7 April 1920).[1]

They were the parents to five children:

Marriage to Ex-Emperor Wilhelm II

In January 1922, a son of Princess Hermine sent birthday wishes to the German Emperor Wilhelm, who then invited the boy and his mother to Doorn. Wilhelm found Hermine very attractive, and greatly enjoyed her company. The two had much in common, both being recently widowed: Hermine just over a year and a half before, and Wilhelm only nine months prior.

By early 1922, Wilhelm was determined to marry Hermine. Despite grumblings from Wilhelm's monarchist supporters and the objections of his children, 63-year-old Wilhelm and 34-year-old Hermine married on 5 November 1922 in Doorn.[1] By all accounts, it was a happy marriage. Hermine's first husband had also been older than she was, by fourteen years.

In 1927 Hermine wrote An Empress in Exile: My Days in Doorn, an account of her life up to that time. Hermine remained a constant companion to the aging emperor until his death in 1941. They had no children.

Later life

Hermine's daughter, Henriette, married Wilhelm's grandson, Prince Joachim's son, Prince Karl Franz, (Emperor Wilhelm's stepdaughter and grandson respectively) in 1940.

After the death of Wilhelm II in 1941, Hermine returned to Germany. She lived on her first husband's estate in Silesia until 1945. After the Second World War, Hermine was held under house arrest at Frankfurt an der Oder in the Soviet Zone of Germany.

She died aged 59 at the Paulinenhof Internment Camp near Brandenburg in August 1947.[1] She was buried in the Antique Temple in Potsdam.

Titles from birth to death

Although Wilhem was no longer a reigning monarch at the time of his marriage, he continued to use his titles. Hermine was given the titles of German Empress and Queen of Prussia. By tradition, women were entitled to royal titles, styles and rank of their husbands if their statuses before marriage were considered equal. As Hermine was born in a sovereign house, the marriage complied with the laws of the Prussian nobility. Her titles by birth, marriage and courtesy, were:

Ancestry

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Lundy, Darryl. "The Peerage: Hermine Prinzessin Reuss zu Greiz". http://www.thepeerage.com/p10107.htm#i101066. Retrieved 9 October 2010. 
Hermine Reuss of Greiz
Born: 17 December 1887 Died: 7 August 1947
Titles in pretence
Vacant
Title last held by
Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein		 — TITULAR —
German Empress
Queen of Prussia
9 November 1922 – 4 June 1941
Reason for succession failure:
German monarchies abolished in 1918		 Succeeded by
Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin