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{{Short description|German Empress and Queen of Prussia from 1888 to 1918}}
{{Short description|German Empress and Queen of Prussia from 1888 to 1918}}
{{Redirect-distinguish|Auguste Victoria|SS Augusta Victoria (1888)}}
{{for|the ship|SS Augusta Victoria (1888)}}
{{distinguish|Augusta Victoria of Hohenzollern}}
{{Infobox royalty
{{Infobox royalty
⚫
| succession = [[German Empress|German Empress consort]]<br/>[[Queen consort of Prussia]]
| name = Augusta Viktoria
⚫
| succession = [[German Empress|German Empress consort]]<br/>[[Queen of Prussia|Queen consort of Prussia]]
| image = Kaiserin Auguste Victoria.jpg
| image = Kaiserin Auguste Victoria.jpg
| caption = Augusta Victoria, circa 1888
| caption = Augusta Victoria in 1888
| consort = yes
| consort = yes
| reign = 15 June 1888 &ndash; 9 November 1918
| reign = 15 June 1888 &ndash; 9 November 1918
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| issue = {{plainlist|
| issue = {{plainlist|
* [[Wilhelm, German Crown Prince]]
* [[Wilhelm, German Crown Prince]]
* [[Prince Eitel Friedrich of Prussia|Prince Eitel Friedrich]]
* [[Prince Eitel Friedrich]]
* [[Prince Adalbert of Prussia (1884–1948)|Prince Adalbert]]
* [[Prince Adalbert of Prussia (1884–1948)|Prince Adalbert]]
* [[Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia|Prince August Wilhelm]]
* [[Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia|Prince August Wilhelm]]
* [[Prince Oskar of Prussia|Prince Oskar]]
* [[Prince Oskar of Prussia|Prince Oskar]]
* [[Prince Joachim of Prussia|Prince Joachim]]
* [[Prince Joachim of Prussia|Prince Joachim]]
* [[Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia|Viktoria Luise, Duchess of Brunswick]]}}
* [[Viktoria Luise, Duchess of Brunswick]]}}
| full name ={{lang-de|Auguste Viktoria Friederike Luise Feodora Jenny}}
| full name ={{langx|de|Auguste Viktoria Friederike Luise Feodora Jenny}}
| house = [[House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg|Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg]]<!--Do not add a royal house or dynasty unless you have an official source. People are born into dynasties of ruling families. Whether or not a person is confirmed to belong to a dynasty by marriage requires a source that proves that fact. -->
| house = [[Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg]]<!--Do not add a royal house or dynasty unless you have an official source. People are born into dynasties of ruling families. Whether or not a person is confirmed to belong to a dynasty by marriage requires a source that proves that fact. -->
| father = [[Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein]]
| father = [[Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein]]
| mother = [[Princess Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg]]
| mother = [[Princess Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg]]
| birth_date = {{birth date|1858|10|22|df=y}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1858|10|22|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Lubsko|Dolzig Palace]], [[Province of Brandenburg|Brandenburg]], [[Kingdom of Prussia]]<br/>(now Dłużek, [[Poland]])
| birth_place = Dolzig Palace, [[Province of Brandenburg|Brandenburg]], [[Kingdom of Prussia]]<br/>(now [[Dłużek]], [[Poland]])
| death_date = {{death date and age|1921|4|11|1858|10|22|df=y}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1921|4|11|1858|10|22|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Huis Doorn]], [[Kingdom of the Netherlands]]
| death_place = [[Huis Doorn]], [[Kingdom of the Netherlands]]
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}}
}}


'''Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|VA}} (Auguste Viktoria Friederike Luise Feodora Jenny; 22 October 1858 – 11 April 1921) was the last [[German Empire|German Empress]] and [[List of Prussian royal consorts|Queen of Prussia]] by marriage to [[Wilhelm II, German Emperor]].
'''Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|VA}} (Auguste Viktoria Friederike Luise Feodora Jenny; 22 October 1858 – 11 April 1921) was the last [[German Empress]] and [[Queen of Prussia]] by marriage to [[Wilhelm II, German Emperor]].


==Biography==
==Biography==
===Early life and family===
===Early life and family===
[[Image:Rittergut Dolzig Sammlung Duncker.png|thumb|Dolzig Castle, [[Alexander Duncker|Sammlung Duncker]]]]
[[Image:Rittergut Dolzig Sammlung Duncker.png|thumb|263px|Dolzig Castle, [[Alexander Duncker|Sammlung Duncker]]]]
[[File:Erwin_Spindler_Ansichtskarte_Primkenau_2.jpg|thumb|263px|Primkenau Castle]]
Augusta Victoria was born at [[Dłużek, Lubusz Voivodeship|Dolzig]] Castle, the eldest daughter of [[Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein|Frederick VIII]], future Duke of [[List of rulers of Schleswig-Holstein|Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg]], and [[Princess Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg]],<ref>{{cite book|title=Gothaisches genealogisches Taschenbuch nebst diplomatisch-statistischem Jahrbuch: 1873|date=1873|publisher=Gotha|page=30|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mIFXAAAAcAAJ&q=22+October+1858+Dolzig&pg=PA30|access-date=26 March 2018|language=de}}</ref> a niece of [[Queen Victoria]], through Victoria's half-sister Feodora. She grew up at Dolzig until the death of her grandfather, [[Christian August II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg]], in 1869. The family then moved to [[:File:Schloss_Primkenau_Sammlung_Duncker.jpg|Castle Primkenau]] and the estate her father had inherited. She was known within her family as "Dona"<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Littell|first1=Eliakim|last2=Littell|first2=Robert S.|title=The Last Hohenzollern Empress|journal=The Daily Telegraph|date=1921|volume=309|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RIY1AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA507|access-date=27 March 2018|language=en}}</ref>
Augusta Victoria was born at [[Dolzig]] Castle, the eldest daughter of [[Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein|Frederick VIII]], future Duke of [[List of rulers of Schleswig-Holstein|Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg]], and [[Princess Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg]],<ref>{{cite book|title=Gothaisches genealogisches Taschenbuch nebst diplomatisch-statistischem Jahrbuch: 1873|date=1873|publisher=Gotha|page=30|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mIFXAAAAcAAJ&q=22+October+1858+Dolzig&pg=PA30|access-date=26 March 2018|language=de}}</ref> a niece of [[Queen Victoria]], through Victoria's half-sister [[Princess Feodora of Leiningen|Feodora]]. She grew up at Dolzig until the death of her grandfather, [[Christian August II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg]], in 1869. The family then moved to [[:File:Schloss_Primkenau_Sammlung_Duncker.jpg|Castle Primkenau]] and the estate her father had inherited. She was known within her family as ''Dona''.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Littell|first1=Eliakim|last2=Littell|first2=Robert S.|title=The Last Hohenzollern Empress|journal=The Daily Telegraph|date=1921|volume=309|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RIY1AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA507|access-date=27 March 2018|language=en}}</ref>


===Crown Princess===
===Crown Princess===
On 27 February 1881, Augusta married her half-second cousin [[Wilhelm II, German Emperor|Prince Wilhelm of Prussia]]. Augusta's maternal grandmother [[Princess Feodora of Leiningen]] was the [[Sibling#Half-sibling|half-sister]] of [[Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom|Queen Victoria]], who was Wilhelm's maternal grandmother.
On 27 February 1881, Augusta married her half-second cousin [[Wilhelm II, German Emperor|Prince Wilhelm of Prussia]]. Augusta's maternal grandmother [[Princess Feodora of Leiningen]] was the [[Sibling#Half-sibling|half-sister]] of [[Queen Victoria]], who was Wilhelm's maternal grandmother.


Wilhelm had earlier proposed to his first cousin, [[Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine (1864–1918)|Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine]] (known in the family as "Ella"), a daughter of his mother's own sister, but she declined. He did not react well, and was adamant that he would soon marry another princess.
Wilhelm had earlier proposed to his first cousin, [[Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine]] (known in the family as "Ella"), a daughter of his mother's own sister, but she declined. He did not react well, and was adamant that he would soon marry another princess.


Wilhelm's family was originally against the marriage with Augusta Victoria, whose father was not even a sovereign. However, Chancellor [[Otto von Bismarck]] was a strong proponent of the marriage, believing that it would end the dispute between the Prussian government and Augusta's father.<ref>Radziwill, p. 30.</ref> In the end, Wilhelm's intransigence, the support of Bismarck, and a determination to move beyond the rejection of his proposal to Ella, led the reluctant imperial family to give official consent.
Wilhelm's family was originally against the marriage with Augusta Victoria, whose father was not even a sovereign. However, Chancellor [[Otto von Bismarck]] was a strong proponent of the marriage, believing that it would end the dispute between the Prussian government and Augusta's father.<ref>Radziwill, p. 30.</ref> In the end, Wilhelm's intransigence, the support of Bismarck, and a determination to move beyond the rejection of his proposal to Ella, led the reluctant imperial family to give official consent.
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Augusta and her mother-in-law grew closer for a few years when Wilhelm became emperor, as Augusta was often lonely while he was away on military exercises and turned to her mother-in-law for the companionship of rank, although she never left her children alone with her lest they be influenced by her well-known [[liberalism]]. Nevertheless, the two were often seen riding in a carriage together. Augusta was at Victoria's bedside when she died of breast cancer in 1901.
Augusta and her mother-in-law grew closer for a few years when Wilhelm became emperor, as Augusta was often lonely while he was away on military exercises and turned to her mother-in-law for the companionship of rank, although she never left her children alone with her lest they be influenced by her well-known [[liberalism]]. Nevertheless, the two were often seen riding in a carriage together. Augusta was at Victoria's bedside when she died of breast cancer in 1901.


Augusta also had less than cordial relationships with some of Wilhelm's sisters, particularly the recently married Crown Princess [[Sophia of Prussia|Sophie of Greece]]. In 1890, when Sophie announced her intention to convert to Greek Orthodoxy, Dona summoned her and told her that if she did so, not only would Wilhelm find it unacceptable as the head of the [[Evangelical State Church of Prussia's older Provinces]], but she would be barred from Germany and her soul would end up in Hell. Sophie replied that it was her business whether or not she did. Augusta became hysterical and gave birth prematurely to her son, Prince [[Prince Joachim of Prussia|Joachim]], as a result of which she was overprotective of him for the rest of his life, believing that he was delicate. Evidently, so did Wilhelm; he wrote to his mother that if the baby died, Sophie would have murdered it.
Augusta also had less than cordial relationships with some of Wilhelm's sisters, particularly the recently married Crown Princess [[Sophia of Prussia|Sophie of Greece]]. In 1890, when Sophie announced her intention to convert to Greek Orthodoxy, Dona summoned her and told her that if she did so, not only would Wilhelm find it unacceptable as the head of the [[Evangelical State Church of Prussia's older Provinces]], but she would be barred from Germany and her soul would end up in Hell. Sophie replied that it was her business whether or not she did. Augusta became hysterical and gave birth prematurely to her son, Prince [[Prince Joachim of Prussia|Joachim]], as a result of which she was overprotective of him for the rest of his life, believing that he was too delicate. Evidently, so did Emperor Wilhelm; he wrote to his mother that if the baby had died, Sophie would have murdered it.


===Later life===
===Later life===
In 1920, the shock of exile and abdication, combined with the breakdown of Joachim's marriage and his subsequent suicide, proved too much for Augusta's health. She died in 1921, in [[Huis Doorn]] at [[Doorn]] in the Netherlands. Wilhelm, still reeling over the same losses, was devastated by her death. The [[Weimar Republic]] allowed her remains to be transported back to Germany, where they still lie in the [[Temple of Antiquities]], not far from the New Palace, Potsdam. Because he was not permitted to enter Germany, Wilhelm could accompany his wife on her last journey only as far as the German border.
In 1920, the shock of exile and abdication, combined with the breakdown of Joachim's marriage and his subsequent suicide, proved too much for Augusta's health. She died in 1921, in [[Huis Doorn]] at [[Doorn]] in the Netherlands. Wilhelm, still reeling over the same losses, was devastated by her death. The [[Weimar Republic]] allowed her remains to be transported back to Germany, where they still lie in the [[Temple of Antiquities]], not far from the New Palace, Potsdam. Because he was not permitted to enter Germany, Wilhelm could accompany his wife on her last journey only as far as the German border. She was buried in [[Antique Temple]], [[Sanssouci Park]], [[Potsdam]], [[Germany]].


===Issue===
===Issue===
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*[[Wilhelm, German Crown Prince]] (1882–1951); married [[Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin]].
*[[Wilhelm, German Crown Prince]] (1882–1951); married [[Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin]].
*[[Prince Eitel Friedrich of Prussia|Prince Eitel Friedrich]] (1883–1942); married [[Duchess Sophia Charlotte of Oldenburg]].
*[[Prince Eitel Friedrich]] (1883–1942); married [[Duchess Sophia Charlotte of Oldenburg]].
*[[Prince Adalbert of Prussia (1884–1948)|Prince Adalbert]] (1884–1948); married [[Princess Adalbert of Prussia|Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen]].
*[[Prince Adalbert of Prussia (1884–1948)|Prince Adalbert]] (1884–1948); married [[Princess Adalbert of Prussia|Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen]].
*[[Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia|Prince August Wilhelm]] (1887–1949); married [[Princess Alexandra Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg]].
*[[Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia|Prince August Wilhelm]] (1887–1949); married [[Princess Alexandra Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg]].
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==In literature==
==In literature==
The funeral of Augusta Victoria is reflected upon in the novel by [[Katherine Anne Porter]], '' [[Ship of Fools (Porter novel)|Ship of Fools]]''. In it, a German passenger silently reminisces on the funeral and its cinematic showing to a small colony of Germans living abroad in [[Mexico]] and describes the outpouring of public grief that was seen within that community. Augusta Victoria's passing is viewed among Germans who lived through the First World War as the ending of a great [[epoch (reference date)|epoch]], the conclusion of which forever divorces them from their maternal country and enshrines Augusta Victoria as a venerable saint and symbol of a Germany long past.<ref>{{cite book|last=Porter|first=Katharine Anne|title=Ship of Fools|url=https://archive.org/details/shipoffool00port|url-access=registration|year=1984|publisher=Back Bay Books/Little, Brown and Company|location=New York|isbn=978-0-316-71390-0|pages=[https://archive.org/details/shipoffool00port/page/81 81-82]}}</ref>
The funeral of Augusta Victoria is reflected upon in the novel by [[Katherine Anne Porter]], '' [[Ship of Fools (Porter novel)|Ship of Fools]]''. In it, a German passenger silently reminisces on the funeral and its cinematic showing to a small colony of Germans living abroad in [[Mexico]] and describes the outpouring of public grief that was seen within that community. Augusta Victoria's passing is viewed among Germans who lived through the First World War as the ending of a great [[epoch]], the conclusion of which forever divorces them from their maternal country and enshrines Augusta Victoria as a venerable saint and symbol of a Germany long past.<ref>{{cite book|last=Porter|first=Katharine Anne|title=Ship of Fools|url=https://archive.org/details/shipoffool00port|url-access=registration|year=1984|publisher=Back Bay Books/Little, Brown and Company|location=New York|isbn=978-0-316-71390-0|pages=[https://archive.org/details/shipoffool00port/page/81 81-82]}}</ref>


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
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File:German State Prussia Wedding Medal 1881 Prince Wilhelm and Auguste Victoria, obverse.jpg|left|German State Prussia, Wedding Medal 1881 Prince Wilhelm and Auguste Victoria, obverse.
File:German State Prussia Wedding Medal 1881 Prince Wilhelm and Auguste Victoria, obverse.jpg|left|German State Prussia, Wedding Medal 1881 Prince Wilhelm and Auguste Victoria, obverse.
File:German State Prussia Wedding Medal 1881 Prince Wilhelm and Auguste Victoria, reverse.jpg|left|The reverse shows the couple in Medieval costumes in front of 3 squires carrying the shields of Prussia, Germany, and Schleswig-Holstein.
File:German State Prussia Wedding Medal 1881 Prince Wilhelm and Auguste Victoria, reverse.jpg|left|The reverse shows the couple in Medieval costumes in front of 3 squires carrying the shields of Prussia, Germany, and Schleswig-Holstein.
File:Philip Alexius de Laszlo - Auguste Viktoria, Deutsche Kaiserin, 1908.jpg|right|Portrait of the Queen of Prussia, by [[Philip de Laszlo]], 1908.
File:Philip Alexius de Laszlo - Auguste Viktoria, Deutsche Kaiserin, 1908.jpg|right|Portrait of the Queen of Prussia, by [[Philip de László]], 1908.
File:Bundesarchiv Bild 102-00621, Kaiserin Auguste Viktoria mit Tochter.jpg|right|With daughter Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia, Berlin (1911)
File:Bundesarchiv Bild 102-00621, Kaiserin Auguste Viktoria mit Tochter.jpg|right|With daughter Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia, Berlin (1911)
</gallery>
</gallery>
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;National honours<ref name = "HofUndStaat">[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_lHkOAAAAYAAJ/page/n35 Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Preußen] (1886–87), Genealogy p. 2</ref>
;National honours<ref name = "HofUndStaat">[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_lHkOAAAAYAAJ/page/n35 Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Preußen] (1886–87), Genealogy p. 2</ref>
* Knight Grand Cordon with Collar of the [[Order of the Black Eagle|Imperial and Royal Order of the Black Eagle]]<ref name="Honours">{{cite web|url=http://c7.alamy.com/comp/DRJCYF/augusta-viktoria-of-schleswig-holstein-wife-of-wilhelm-ii-DRJCYF.jpg|title=Empress Augusta Victoria wearing Orders and Decorations|website=C7.alamy.com|access-date=8 July 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://c7.alamy.com/comp/BA7PGA/william-ii-2711859-461941-german-emperor-1561888-9111918-with-wife-BA7PGA.jpg|format=JPG|title=Image|website=C7.alamy.com|access-date=8 July 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://c7.alamy.com/comp/DRDKH1/princess-auguste-viktoria-of-schleswig-holstein-DRDKH1.jpg|format=JPG|title=Image|website=C7.alamy.com|access-date=8 July 2018}}</ref>
* Knight Grand Cordon with Collar of the [[Order of the Black Eagle|Imperial and Royal Order of the Black Eagle]] ''25 June 1888''<ref name="Honours">{{cite web|url=http://c7.alamy.com/comp/DRJCYF/augusta-viktoria-of-schleswig-holstein-wife-of-wilhelm-ii-DRJCYF.jpg|title=Empress Augusta Victoria wearing Orders and Decorations|website=C7.alamy.com|access-date=8 July 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://c7.alamy.com/comp/BA7PGA/william-ii-2711859-461941-german-emperor-1561888-9111918-with-wife-BA7PGA.jpg|format=JPG|title=Image|website=C7.alamy.com|access-date=8 July 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://c7.alamy.com/comp/DRDKH1/princess-auguste-viktoria-of-schleswig-holstein-DRDKH1.jpg|format=JPG|title=Image|website=C7.alamy.com|access-date=8 July 2018}}</ref>
* Knight Grand Cordon of the [[Order of the Red Eagle|Imperial and Royal Order of the Red Eagle]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://c7.alamy.com/comp/D988P1/mural-depicting-four-generations-of-the-hohenzollern-dynasty-at-the-D988P1.jpg|format=JPG|title=Image|website=C7.alamy.com|access-date=8 July 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://c7.alamy.com/comp/DYF4DJ/photograph-of-augusta-victoria-of-schleswig-holstein-on-a-horse-1912-DYF4DJ.jpg|format=JPG|title=Image|website=C7.alamy.com|access-date=8 July 2018}}</ref>
* Knight Grand Cordon of the [[Order of the Red Eagle|Imperial and Royal Order of the Red Eagle]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://c7.alamy.com/comp/D988P1/mural-depicting-four-generations-of-the-hohenzollern-dynasty-at-the-D988P1.jpg|format=JPG|title=Image|website=C7.alamy.com|access-date=8 July 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://c7.alamy.com/comp/DYF4DJ/photograph-of-augusta-victoria-of-schleswig-holstein-on-a-horse-1912-DYF4DJ.jpg|format=JPG|title=Image|website=C7.alamy.com|access-date=8 July 2018}}</ref>
* Grand Mistress Dame of the [[Order of Louise|Imperial and Royal Decoration of Louise, Special Class]]<ref name="Honours" /><ref name="Decorations">{{cite web|url=https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/find-a-grave-prod/photos/2009/28/6298_123324810398.jpg|title=Empress Augusta Victoria wearing decorations|website=S3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com|access-date=8 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224053641/https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/find-a-grave-prod/photos/2009/28/6298_123324810398.jpg|archive-date=24 February 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* Grand Mistress Dame of the [[Order of Louise|Imperial and Royal Decoration of Louise, Special Class]]<ref name="Honours" /><ref name="Decorations">{{cite web|url=https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/find-a-grave-prod/photos/2009/28/6298_123324810398.jpg|title=Empress Augusta Victoria wearing decorations|website=S3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com|access-date=8 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224053641/https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/find-a-grave-prod/photos/2009/28/6298_123324810398.jpg|archive-date=24 February 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>
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** Dame Grand Cross of the [[Order of Elizabeth|Imperial and Royal Order of Elizabeth, in Diamonds]], ''1900''<ref name="osterreich">{{citation|chapter-url=https://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=shb&datum=1918&page=424&size=45|chapter=Ritter-orden|title=Hof- und Staatshandbuch der Österreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie|date=1918|location=Vienna|publisher=Druck und Verlag der K.K. Hof- und Staatsdruckerei|page=[https://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=shb&datum=1918&page=702&size=45 328]}}</ref>
** Dame Grand Cross of the [[Order of Elizabeth|Imperial and Royal Order of Elizabeth, in Diamonds]], ''1900''<ref name="osterreich">{{citation|chapter-url=https://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=shb&datum=1918&page=424&size=45|chapter=Ritter-orden|title=Hof- und Staatshandbuch der Österreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie|date=1918|location=Vienna|publisher=Druck und Verlag der K.K. Hof- und Staatsdruckerei|page=[https://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=shb&datum=1918&page=702&size=45 328]}}</ref>
** Dame of the [[Order of the Starry Cross|Imperial and Royal Order of the Starry Cross, 1st Class]]
** Dame of the [[Order of the Starry Cross|Imperial and Royal Order of the Starry Cross, 1st Class]]
* {{flagicon|Kingdom of Portugal}} [[House of Braganza|Portuguese Royal Family]]: Dame Grand Cross of the [[Order of Saint Isabel|Royal Order of Saint Isabel]]
* {{flagicon|Kingdom of Portugal}} [[Portuguese Royal Family]]: Dame Grand Cross of the [[Order of Saint Isabel|Royal Order of Saint Isabel]]
* {{flagicon|Romania}} [[Kingdom of Romania|Romania]]: Dame Grand Cross of the [[Order of Carol I]]
* {{flagicon|Romania}} [[Kingdom of Romania|Romania]]: Dame Grand Cross of the [[Order of Carol I]]
* {{flagicon|Russian Empire}} [[House of Romanov|Russian Imperial Family]]: Dame Grand Cordon of the [[Order of Saint Catherine|Imperial Order of Saint Catherine]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/auguste-viktoria-german-empress-queen-of-prussia-2210185811041921-picture-id548801089|format=JPG|title=Image|website=Media.gettyimages.com|access-date=8 July 2018}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|Russian Empire}} [[Russian Imperial Family]]: Dame Grand Cordon of the [[Order of Saint Catherine|Imperial Order of Saint Catherine]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/auguste-viktoria-german-empress-queen-of-prussia-2210185811041921-picture-id548801089|format=JPG|title=Image|website=Media.gettyimages.com|access-date=8 July 2018|archive-date=27 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180327212052/http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/auguste-viktoria-german-empress-queen-of-prussia-2210185811041921-picture-id548801089|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|Restoration (Spain)}} [[Spanish Royal Family]]: 830th Dame Grand Cross of the [[Order of Queen Maria Luisa|Royal Order of Queen Maria Luisa]], ''16 May 1881''<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://hemerotecadigital.bne.es/issue.vm?id=0000941464&search=&lang=es|title=Guía Oficial de España|date=1887|journal=Guía Oficial de España|access-date=21 March 2019|page=166}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|Restoration (Spain)}} [[Spanish Royal Family]]: 830th Dame Grand Cross of the [[Order of Queen Maria Luisa|Royal Order of Queen Maria Luisa]], ''16 May 1881''<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://hemerotecadigital.bne.es/issue.vm?id=0000941464&search=&lang=es|title=Guía Oficial de España|date=1887|journal=Guía Oficial de España|access-date=21 March 2019|page=166}}</ref>
* {{flag|Empire of Japan}}: Dame Grand Cordon of the [[Order of the Precious Crown]], ''13 April 1902''<ref>{{cite book|author=刑部芳則|title=明治時代の勲章外交儀礼|url=http://meijiseitoku.org/pdf/f54-5.pdf|year=2017|publisher=明治聖徳記念学会紀要|language=ja|page=157}}</ref>
* {{flag|Empire of Japan}}: Dame Grand Cordon of the [[Order of the Precious Crown]], ''13 April 1902''<ref>{{cite book|author=刑部芳則|title=明治時代の勲章外交儀礼|url=http://meijiseitoku.org/pdf/f54-5.pdf|year=2017|publisher=明治聖徳記念学会紀要|language=ja|page=157}}</ref>
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|9= 9. [[Princess Louise Auguste of Denmark]]
|9= 9. [[Princess Louise Auguste of Denmark]]
|10= 10. [[Christian Conrad Sophus Danneskiold-Samsøe|Count Christian Conrad Sophus Danneskiold-Samsøe]]
|10= 10. [[Christian Conrad Sophus Danneskiold-Samsøe|Count Christian Conrad Sophus Danneskiold-Samsøe]]
|11= 11. [[Henriette Danneskiold-Samsøe|Johanne Henriette Valentine Kaas]]
|11= 11. [[Johanne Henriette Valentine Kaas]]
|12= 12. [[Karl Ludwig, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg]]
|12= 12. [[Karl Ludwig, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg]]
|13= 13. [[Countess Amalie Henriette of Solms-Baruth]]
|13= 13. [[Countess Amalie Henriette of Solms-Baruth]]
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{{s-tul|title=[[German Empire|German Empress consort]]<br />[[Queen consort of Prussia]]|years=9 November 1918 – 11 April 1921}}
{{s-tul|title=[[German Empire|German Empress consort]]<br />[[Queen consort of Prussia]]|years=9 November 1918 – 11 April 1921}}
{{s-vac|next=[[Hermine Reuss of Greiz|Princess Hermine Reuss of Greiz]]}}
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[[Category:Queens consort of Prussia]]
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[[Category:Wilhelm II]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of Saint Catherine]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of Saint Catherine]]

Latest revision as of 01:29, 21 October 2024

For the ship, see SS Augusta Victoria (1888).
Not to be confused with Augusta Victoria of Hohenzollern.
Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein
Augusta Victoria in 1888
German Empress consort
Queen consort of Prussia
Tenure15 June 1888 – 9 November 1918
Born(1858-10-22)22 October 1858
Dolzig Palace, Brandenburg, Kingdom of Prussia
(now Dłużek, Poland)
Died11 April 1921(1921-04-11) (aged 62)
Huis Doorn, Kingdom of the Netherlands
Burial19 April 1921
Antique Temple, Potsdam, Germany
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1881)​
Issue
Names
German: Auguste Viktoria Friederike Luise Feodora Jenny
HouseSchleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg
FatherFrederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein
MotherPrincess Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein VA (Auguste Viktoria Friederike Luise Feodora Jenny; 22 October 1858 – 11 April 1921) was the last German Empress and Queen of Prussia by marriage to Wilhelm II, German Emperor.

Biography

[edit]

Early life and family

[edit]
Dolzig Castle, Sammlung Duncker
Primkenau Castle

Augusta Victoria was born at Dolzig Castle, the eldest daughter of Frederick VIII, future Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg, and Princess Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg,[1] a niece of Queen Victoria, through Victoria's half-sister Feodora. She grew up at Dolzig until the death of her grandfather, Christian August II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg, in 1869. The family then moved to Castle Primkenau and the estate her father had inherited. She was known within her family as Dona.[2]

Crown Princess

[edit]

On 27 February 1881, Augusta married her half-second cousin Prince Wilhelm of Prussia. Augusta's maternal grandmother Princess Feodora of Leiningen was the half-sister of Queen Victoria, who was Wilhelm's maternal grandmother.

Wilhelm had earlier proposed to his first cousin, Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine (known in the family as "Ella"), a daughter of his mother's own sister, but she declined. He did not react well, and was adamant that he would soon marry another princess.

Wilhelm's family was originally against the marriage with Augusta Victoria, whose father was not even a sovereign. However, Chancellor Otto von Bismarck was a strong proponent of the marriage, believing that it would end the dispute between the Prussian government and Augusta's father.[3] In the end, Wilhelm's intransigence, the support of Bismarck, and a determination to move beyond the rejection of his proposal to Ella, led the reluctant imperial family to give official consent.

Empress

[edit]

Augusta was known as "Dona" within the family. She had a somewhat lukewarm relationship with her mother-in-law, Victoria, who had hoped that Dona would help to heal the rift between herself and Wilhelm; this was not to be the case. The empress was also annoyed that the title of head of the Red Cross went to Dona, who had no nursing or charity experience or inclination (though in her memoirs, Princess Viktoria Luise paints a different picture, stating that her mother loved charity work). Augusta often took pleasure in snubbing her mother-in-law, usually small incidents, such as telling her that she would be wearing a different dress than the one Victoria recommended, that she would not be riding to get her figure back after childbirth as Wilhelm had no intention of stopping at one son, and informing her that Augusta's daughter, Viktoria, was not named after her (though, again, in her memoirs, Viktoria Luise states that she was named after both her grandmother and her great-grandmother, Queen Victoria).

Augusta and her mother-in-law grew closer for a few years when Wilhelm became emperor, as Augusta was often lonely while he was away on military exercises and turned to her mother-in-law for the companionship of rank, although she never left her children alone with her lest they be influenced by her well-known liberalism. Nevertheless, the two were often seen riding in a carriage together. Augusta was at Victoria's bedside when she died of breast cancer in 1901.

Augusta also had less than cordial relationships with some of Wilhelm's sisters, particularly the recently married Crown Princess Sophie of Greece. In 1890, when Sophie announced her intention to convert to Greek Orthodoxy, Dona summoned her and told her that if she did so, not only would Wilhelm find it unacceptable as the head of the Evangelical State Church of Prussia's older Provinces, but she would be barred from Germany and her soul would end up in Hell. Sophie replied that it was her business whether or not she did. Augusta became hysterical and gave birth prematurely to her son, Prince Joachim, as a result of which she was overprotective of him for the rest of his life, believing that he was too delicate. Evidently, so did Emperor Wilhelm; he wrote to his mother that if the baby had died, Sophie would have murdered it.

Later life

[edit]

In 1920, the shock of exile and abdication, combined with the breakdown of Joachim's marriage and his subsequent suicide, proved too much for Augusta's health. She died in 1921, in Huis Doorn at Doorn in the Netherlands. Wilhelm, still reeling over the same losses, was devastated by her death. The Weimar Republic allowed her remains to be transported back to Germany, where they still lie in the Temple of Antiquities, not far from the New Palace, Potsdam. Because he was not permitted to enter Germany, Wilhelm could accompany his wife on her last journey only as far as the German border. She was buried in Antique Temple, Sanssouci Park, Potsdam, Germany.

Issue

[edit]

Augusta gave birth to seven children by Wilhelm II:

In literature

[edit]

The funeral of Augusta Victoria is reflected upon in the novel by Katherine Anne Porter, Ship of Fools. In it, a German passenger silently reminisces on the funeral and its cinematic showing to a small colony of Germans living abroad in Mexico and describes the outpouring of public grief that was seen within that community. Augusta Victoria's passing is viewed among Germans who lived through the First World War as the ending of a great epoch, the conclusion of which forever divorces them from their maternal country and enshrines Augusta Victoria as a venerable saint and symbol of a Germany long past.[4]

[edit]
  • German State Prussia, Wedding Medal 1881 Prince Wilhelm and Auguste Victoria, obverse.
    German State Prussia, Wedding Medal 1881 Prince Wilhelm and Auguste Victoria, obverse.
  • The reverse shows the couple in Medieval costumes in front of 3 squires carrying the shields of Prussia, Germany, and Schleswig-Holstein.
    The reverse shows the couple in Medieval costumes in front of 3 squires carrying the shields of Prussia, Germany, and Schleswig-Holstein.
  • Portrait of the Queen of Prussia, by Philip de László, 1908.
    Portrait of the Queen of Prussia, by Philip de László, 1908.
  • With daughter Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia, Berlin (1911)
    With daughter Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia, Berlin (1911)

Honours

[edit]
Imperial monogram
National honours[5]
Foreign honours[5]

Arms

[edit]
  • Coat of Arms of Empress Augusta Victoria
    Coat of Arms of Empress Augusta Victoria
  • Imperial Monogram of Empress Augusta Victoria
    Imperial Monogram of Empress Augusta Victoria
  • Variation of Empress Augusta Victoria's Monogram
    Variation of Empress Augusta Victoria's Monogram
  • Monogram of the Königin Augusta Garde-Grenadier-Regiment Nr.4
    Monogram of the Königin Augusta Garde-Grenadier-Regiment Nr.4

Ancestry

[edit]

See also

[edit]
'Kaiserin Auguste 'Viktoria', Lambert 1891

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Gothaisches genealogisches Taschenbuch nebst diplomatisch-statistischem Jahrbuch: 1873 (in German). Gotha. 1873. p. 30. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  2. ^ Littell, Eliakim; Littell, Robert S. (1921). "The Last Hohenzollern Empress". The Daily Telegraph. 309. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  3. ^ Radziwill, p. 30.
  4. ^ Porter, Katharine Anne (1984). Ship of Fools. New York: Back Bay Books/Little, Brown and Company. pp. 81-82. ISBN 978-0-316-71390-0.
  5. ^ a b Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Preußen (1886–87), Genealogy p. 2
  6. ^ a b c d "Empress Augusta Victoria wearing Orders and Decorations". C7.alamy.com. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  7. ^ "Image" (JPG). C7.alamy.com. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  8. ^ "Image" (JPG). C7.alamy.com. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  9. ^ "Image" (JPG). C7.alamy.com. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  10. ^ "Image" (JPG). C7.alamy.com. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  11. ^ a b c d "Empress Augusta Victoria wearing decorations". S3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com. Archived from the original on 24 February 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  12. ^ "Rote Kreuz-Medaille", Königlich Preussische Ordensliste (in German), Berlin, 1895, p. 268 – via hathitrust.org{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  13. ^ Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Württemberg (1907), "Königliche Orden" p. 136
  14. ^ "Ritter-orden", Hof- und Staatshandbuch der Österreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie, Vienna: Druck und Verlag der K.K. Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, 1918, p. 328
  15. ^ "Image". Media.gettyimages.com. Archived from the original (JPG) on 27 March 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  16. ^ "Guía Oficial de España". Guía Oficial de España: 166. 1887. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  17. ^ 刑部芳則 (2017). 明治時代の勲章外交儀礼 (PDF) (in Japanese). 明治聖徳記念学会紀要. p. 157.
  18. ^ "Court Circular". The Times. No. 36808. London. 1 July 1902. p. 3.
  19. ^ Joseph Whitaker (1894). An Almanack for the Year of Our Lord ... J. Whitaker. p. 112.

Sources

[edit]
  • Radziwill, Catherine (1915). The Royal Marriage Market of Europe. New York: Funk and Wagnalls Company. ISBN 1-4589-9988-2.
  • Van der Kiste, John: The last German Empress: A life of Empress Augusta Victoria, Consort of Emperor William II. CreateSpace, 2015
  • Thomas Weiberg: … wie immer Deine Dona. Verlobung und Hochzeit des letzten deutschen Kaiserpaares. Isensee-Verlag, Oldenburg 2007, ISBN 978-3-89995-406-7.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein.
Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein
Cadet branch of the House of Oldenburg
Born: 22 October 1858 Died: 11 April 1921
German royalty
Preceded by German Empress consort
Queen consort of Prussia
15 June 1888 – 9 November 1918 		Monarchy abolished
Titles in pretence
Loss of title
 — TITULAR —
German Empress consort
Queen consort of Prussia
9 November 1918 – 11 April 1921 		Vacant
Title next held by
Princess Hermine Reuss of Greiz
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