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{{Expand German|Wilhelm II. (Württemberg)|date=July 2012}}
{{Short description|Last King of Württemberg from 1891 to 1918}}
{{Expand German|topic=bio|Wilhelm II. (Württemberg)|date=July 2012}}
{{Refimprove|date=December 2009}}
{{Refimprove|date=December 2009}}
{{Infobox royalty
{{Infobox royalty
| name = William II
| name = William II
| succession = [[List of rulers of Württemberg|King of Württemberg]]
| succession = [[King of Württemberg]]
| image = File:König Wilhelm II. 1892.JPG
| image = File:Andersen & Klemm - Wilhelm II. von Württemberg (1892 RB25-21).jpg
| caption = King William in 1892
| reign = 6 October 1891 – 30 November 1918
| reign = 6 October 1891 – 30 November 1918
| predecessor = [[Charles I of Württemberg|Charles I]]
| predecessor = [[Charles I of Württemberg|Charles I]]
| successor = Monarchy abolished
| successor = ''Monarchy abolished''
| full name = Wilhelm Karl Paul Heinrich Friedrich
| full name = {{langx|de|Wilhelm Karl Paul Heinrich Friedrich}}
| spouse = {{plainlist|
| spouse = [[Princess Marie of Waldeck and Pyrmont|Marie of Waldeck and Pyrmont]]<br>[[Charlotte of Schaumburg-Lippe]]
* {{marriage|[[Marie of Waldeck and Pyrmont]]|1877|1882|end=d}}
* {{marriage|[[Charlotte of Schaumburg-Lippe]]|1886}}
}}
| issue = [[Princess Pauline of Württemberg (1877–1965)|Pauline, Princess of Wied]]<br>Prince Ulrich
| issue = [[Princess Pauline of Württemberg (1877–1965)|Pauline, Princess of Wied]]<br>Prince Ulrich
| house = [[House of Württemberg|Württemberg]]
| house = [[House of Württemberg|Württemberg]]
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| death_date = {{Death date and age|1921|10|2|1848|2|25|df=y}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1921|10|2|1848|2|25|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Bebenhausen]], [[Free People's State of Württemberg|Württemberg]], [[Weimar Republic]]
| death_place = [[Bebenhausen]], [[Free People's State of Württemberg|Württemberg]], [[Weimar Republic]]
| religion =[[Lutheran]]
| religion = [[Lutheran]]
|}}
}}
'''William II''' ({{lang-de|Wilhelm II}}; 25 February 1848 – 2 October 1921) was the last [[King of Württemberg]]. He ruled from 6 October 1891 until the abolition of the kingdom on 30 November 1918.
'''William II''' ({{langx|de|Wilhelm Karl Paul Heinrich Friedrich}}; 25 February 1848 – 2 October 1921) was the last [[King of Württemberg]]. He ruled from 6 October 1891 until the dissolution of the kingdom on 30 November 1918. He was the last German ruler to abdicate in the wake of the [[November Revolution of 1918]].


==Early years==
==Early years==
Frederick was born the son of [[Prince Frederick of Württemberg]] (1808–1870) by his wife Princess [[Catherine Frederica of Württemberg]] (1821–1898), herself the daughter of King [[William I of Württemberg]] (1781–1864). His parents were first cousins, being the children of two brothers, and Frederick was their only child.
William was born the son of [[Prince Frederick of Württemberg]] (1808–1870) by his wife Princess [[Catherine Frederica of Württemberg]] (1821–1898), herself the daughter of King [[William I of Württemberg]] (1781–1864). His parents were first cousins, being the children of two brothers, and William was their only child.


Frederick's growing years coincided with a progressive diminished of Württemberg's sovereignty and international presence, concomitant with the process of [[German unification]]. In 1870, Württemberg took the side of [[Prussia]] in the [[Franco-German War]]. In 1871, [[Kingdom of Württemberg|Württemberg]] became a state of the German Reich, a significant limitation on its sovereignty.
William's growing years coincided with a progressive diminution of Württemberg's sovereignty and international presence, concomitant with the process of [[German unification]]. In 1870, Württemberg took the side of [[Prussia]] in the [[Franco-German War]]. In 1871, [[Kingdom of Württemberg|Württemberg]] became a state of the [[German Empire]], a significant limitation on its sovereignty.


==King of Württemberg==
==King of Württemberg==
[[File:5 mark Wilhelm II - 1900.png|thumb|250px|[[Silver coin]]: 5 marks [[German Empire]], Wilhelm II, 1900]]
Frederick's father died in 1870, but his mother lived to see him seated on the throne of [[Kingdom of Württemberg|Württemberg]]. In 1891, William succeeded his childless maternal uncle, [[Charles I of Württemberg|King Charles I]] (1823–1891) and became King of Württemberg. This was not, as it may seem, a departure from the [[Salic law]] which governed succession in the German states; his claim to the throne came because he was the nearest [[agnatic]] heir of his maternal uncle, as the senior male-line descendant of [[Frederick I of Württemberg]] through ''his'' younger son [[Prince Paul of Württemberg|Prince Paul]].
William's father died in 1870, but his mother lived to see him seated on the throne of [[Kingdom of Württemberg|Württemberg]]. In 1891, William succeeded his childless maternal uncle, [[Charles I of Württemberg|King Charles I]] (1823–1891) and became King of Württemberg. This was not, as it may seem, a departure from the [[Salic law]] which governed succession in the German states; his claim to the throne came because he was the nearest [[agnatic]] heir of his uncle, as the senior male-line descendant of [[Frederick I of Württemberg]] through his younger son [[Prince Paul of Württemberg|Prince Paul]].


King William became a [[Generalfeldmarschall]] during [[World War I]]. In 1918, he was deposed from the throne along with the other German rulers. King William finally abdicated on 30 November 1918.<ref>[http://www.heraldica.org/topics/royalty/HGWurttemberg.htm#1918 Abdication text (in German)]</ref> He died in 1921 at [[Bebenhausen]].
King William became a ''[[Generalfeldmarschall]]'' during [[World War I]]. In 1918, he was deposed from the throne along with the other German rulers. King William finally abdicated on 30 November 1918,<ref>[http://www.heraldica.org/topics/royalty/HGWurttemberg.htm#1918 Abdication text (in German)]</ref> ending over 800 years of the [[House of Württemberg]] rule. He died in 1921 at [[Bebenhausen]].


==Personality and interests==
==Personality and interests==
Considered to be a popular monarch, Frederick had the habit of walking his two dogs in public parks in Stuttgart without being attended by bodyguards or the like. During these excursions, he would often be greeted by his subjects with a simple ''Herr König'' ("Mister King").
Considered to be a popular monarch, William had the habit of walking his two dogs in public parks in Stuttgart without being attended by bodyguards or the like. During these excursions, he would often be greeted by his subjects with a simple ''Herr König'' ("Mister King").


Despite living in a landlocked kingdom, William II was a [[yachting]] enthusiast. The king was instrumental in the establishment of the [[Württembergischer Yacht Club]] (formerly "Königlich Württembergischer Yacht-Club" or ''Royal Yacht Club of Württemberg'') in 1911 on [[Lake Constance]].
Despite living in a landlocked kingdom, William II was a [[yachting]] enthusiast. The king was instrumental in the establishment of the [[Württembergischer Yacht Club]] (formerly "Königlich Württembergischer Yacht-Club" or ''Royal Yacht Club of Württemberg'') in 1911 on [[Lake Constance]].
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*A stillborn daughter (24 April 1882)
*A stillborn daughter (24 April 1882)


Marie died on 30 April 1882 in [[Stuttgart]], from complications resulting from the birth of her third child. William, already depressed by the death of his only son, is said never to have recovered from this blow.
Marie died on 30 April 1882 in [[Stuttgart]], from complications resulting from the birth of their third child. William, already depressed by the death of his only son, is said never to have recovered from this blow.


Nevertheless, he was King and it was his duty to secure the succession. On 8 April 1886, at [[Bückeburg]], he married [[Charlotte of Schaumburg-Lippe|Princess Charlotte of Schaumburg-Lippe]] (1864–1946). They had no children.
Nevertheless, he was King and it was his duty to secure the succession. On 8 April 1886, at [[Bückeburg]], he married [[Charlotte of Schaumburg-Lippe|Princess Charlotte of Schaumburg-Lippe]] (1864–1946). They had no children.


==Succession==
==Succession==
With William II's death in 1921 without male issue, the royal branch of the [[House of Württemberg]] became extinct and the headship of the house devolved to [[Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg]].
On William II's death in 1921 without male issue, the royal branch of the [[House of Württemberg]] became extinct, and the headship of the house devolved to [[Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg]], head of the Catholic [[cadet branch]] of the [[House of Württemberg|dynasty]], based at [[Altshausen]]. Albrecht was a descendant of [[Duke Alexander of Württemberg (1771–1833)|Alexander of Württemberg]], the 7th son of [[Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg]] (1732–1797).


== Arms ==
==Honours==
;German awards<ref name="Handbuch2">{{cite book|title=Staatshandbuch für Württemberg|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6cxCAAAAYAAJ&pg=PR1|year=1889|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=6cxCAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA283 283]}}</ref>
<center>
{{columns-list|colwidth=25em|
{| class="wikitable"
* {{flagcountry|Württemberg}}:<ref>''Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Württemberg'' (1889), "Königliche Orden" pp. [https://books.google.com/books?id=6cxCAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA26 26], [https://books.google.com/books?id=6cxCAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA56 56], [https://books.google.com/books?id=6cxCAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA60 60]</ref>
| <center>[[File:Royal Monogram of King Wilhelm II of Wurttemberg.svg|188px]]<center>Royal Monogram of King Wilhelm II of Württemberg</center>
| <center>[[File:Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Württemberg, 1817.svg|245px]]<center>Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Württemberg, 1817</center>
** [[Order of the Crown (Württemberg)|Grand Cross of the Württemberg Crown]], ''1862''
** Grand Cross of the [[Friedrich Order]]
| <center>[[File:Royal Monogram of King Wilhelm II of Wurttemberg, Variant.svg|195px]]<center>Royal Monogram of King Wilhelm II of Württemberg, Variant</center>
** Knight of the [[Military Merit Order (Württemberg)|Military Merit Order]], ''18 August 1866'';<ref>''Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Württemberg'' (1886/7) "Königliche Orden" p. [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_cc1CAAAAYAAJ/page/n95/mode/2up 52]</ref> Commander, ''7 November 1886''
|}
* {{flag|Anhalt}}: Grand Cross of the [[Order of Albert the Bear]], ''1889''<ref>''[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_LR03AAAAYAAJ/page/n33 Hof- und Staats-Handbuch für des Herzogtum Anhalt]'' (1894), "Herzoglicher Haus-Orden Albrecht des Bären" p. 17</ref>
</center>
* {{Flag|Baden}}: Knight of the [[House Order of Fidelity]], ''1876''<ref>''Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Baden'' (1910), "Großherzogliche Orden" [https://digital.blb-karlsruhe.de/blbihd/periodical/pageview/1881287 p. 39]</ref>
* {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Bavaria}}:
** [[Order of St. Hubert|Knight of St. Hubert]], ''1877''<ref>''[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_nTedipoxoGcC/page/n37 Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreichs Bayern]'' (1906), "Königliche Orden" p. 7</ref>
** Grand Cross of the [[Military Order of Max Joseph]]
* {{flag|Brunswick}}: Grand Cross of the [[Order of Henry the Lion]], ''1899''<ref>''Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Herzogtums Braunschweig für 1905''. Braunschweig 1905. Meyer. p. 11</ref>
* {{flagicon|Saxe-Coburg and Gotha}} {{flagicon|Saxe-Altenburg}} {{flagicon|Saxe-Meiningen}} [[Ernestine duchies]]: Grand Cross of the [[Saxe-Ernestine House Order]], ''1874''<ref>''[https://zs.thulb.uni-jena.de/rsc/viewer/jportal_derivate_00244601/Sachsen_Coburg_Gotha_497472023_497472813_1884_8_0074.tif?logicalDiv=jportal_jparticle_00483785 Staatshandbücher für das Herzogtum Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha]'' (1884), "Herzogliche Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden" p. 32</ref>
* {{flagicon image|Flagge_Großherzogtum_Hessen_ohne_Wappen.svg}} [[Hesse and by Rhine]]: Grand Cross of the [[Ludwig Order]], ''24 March 1893''<ref name="hesse">{{citation|title=Großherzoglich Hessische Ordensliste|chapter=Ludewigs-orden|page=5|lang=German|location=Darmstadt|year=1914|publisher=Staatsverlag|via=hathitrust.org}}</ref>
* {{flagicon image|Flagge Fürstentum Lippe.svg}} {{flagicon|Schaumburg-Lippe}} [[House of Lippe|Lippe]]:
** Cross of Honour of the House Order of Lippe, 1st Class
** Military Merit Medal (Schaumburg-Lippe)
* {{Flagicon image|Flagge Großherzogtümer Mecklenburg.svg}} [[Mecklenburg]]: [[House Order of the Wendish Crown|Grand Cross of the Wendish Crown]], with Crown in Ore
* {{flagicon|Nassau}} [[House of Nassau-Weilburg|Nassau Ducal Family]]: [[Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau|Knight of the Gold Lion of Nassau]]
* {{flag|Oldenburg}}: [[House and Merit Order of Peter Frederick Louis|Grand Cross of the Order of Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig]], with Golden Crown, ''13 February 1877''<ref>{{cite book|title=Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Großherzogtums Oldenburg0: 1879|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AD6sPIakAuMC&pg=PR1|year=1879|publisher=Schulze|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=AD6sPIakAuMC&pg=PA34 34]}}</ref>
* {{flag|Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach}}: [[Order of the White Falcon|Grand Cross of the White Falcon]], ''1892''<ref>''[https://zs.thulb.uni-jena.de/rsc/viewer/jportal_derivate_00185861/Staatshandbuch_Film_Nr_16_0245.tif Staatshandbuch für das Großherzogtum Sachsen / Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200906150133/https://zs.thulb.uni-jena.de/rsc/viewer/jportal_derivate_00185861/Staatshandbuch_Film_Nr_16_0245.tif |date=2020-09-06 }}'' (1900), "Großherzogliche Hausorden" p. 16</ref>
* {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Saxony}}:
** [[Order of the Rue Crown|Knight of the Rue Crown]], ''1886''<ref name="Sachsen1901">{{cite book|author=Sachsen|title=Staatshandbuch für den Königreich Sachsen: 1901|year=1901|publisher=Heinrich|chapter=Königlich Orden|page=[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015030492006&view=1up&seq=44&skin=2021 4]|location=Dresden|via=hathitrust.org}}</ref>
** Grand Cross of the [[Military Order of St. Henry]]
* {{flagicon image|Flag of the Kingdom of Prussia (1803-1892).svg}} [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]]:
** [[Order of the Black Eagle|Knight of the Black Eagle]], ''1 June 1870''; with Collar, ''1872''<ref name="prus">{{citation|title=Königlich Preussische Ordensliste|journal=Preussische Ordens-Liste|volume=1|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878831&view=1up&seq=5&skin=2021|pages=[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878831&view=1up&seq=15&skin=2021 7], [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878831&view=1up&seq=1007&skin=2021 935], [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878831&view=1up&seq=1124&skin=2021 1052]|lang=German|location=Berlin|year=1886|via=hathitrust.org}}</ref>
** Grand Commander's Cross of the Royal [[House Order of Hohenzollern]], ''11 June 1879''<ref name="prus"/>
** Knight of Honour of the [[Johanniter Order]], ''28 July 1885''<ref name="prus"/>
** [[Pour le Mérite]] (military)
** [[Iron Cross]], 2nd Class
* {{flagicon|Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen}} [[Hohenzollern]]: Cross of Honour of the Princely [[House Order of Hohenzollern]], 1st Class
}}


;Foreign awards<ref name="Handbuch2"/>
==Styles==
* {{flagicon|Austrian Empire}} {{flagicon|Kingdom of Hungary|1885}} [[Austria-Hungary]]:
** Grand Cross of the [[Order of St. Stephen of Hungary|Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen]], ''1886''<ref>[http://tornai.com/rendtagok.htm "A Szent István Rend tagjai"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101222022855/http://tornai.com/rendtagok.htm|date=22 December 2010}}</ref>
** [[Military Merit Cross (Austria-Hungary)|Military Merit Cross]], 1st Class
* {{flag|Kingdom of Italy}}: [[Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation|Knight of the Annunciation]], ''25 September 1893''<ref name="dell'interno1898">{{cite book|author=Italia : Ministero dell'interno|title=Calendario generale del Regno d'Italia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0dnhcmSJ6FcC&pg=PP5|year=1898|publisher=Unione tipografico-editrice|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=0dnhcmSJ6FcC&pg=PA54 54]}}</ref>
* {{flag|Empire of Japan}}: Grand Cordon of the [[Order of the Chrysanthemum]], ''23 May 1896''<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=149}}</ref>
* {{flag|Netherlands}}: [[Order of the Netherlands Lion|Grand Cross of the Netherlands Lion]]
* {{flag|Russian Empire}}:
** [[Order of St. Andrew|Knight of St. Andrew]]
** [[Order of St. Alexander Nevsky|Knight of St. Alexander Nevsky]]
** [[Order of the White Eagle (Russian Empire)|Knight of the White Eagle]]
** [[Order of St. Anna|Knight of St. Anna]], 1st Class
** [[Order of Saint Stanislaus (House of Romanov)|Knight of St. Stanislaus]], 1st Class
** [[Order of St. George|Knight of St. George]], 4th Class
* {{flagcountry|Restoration (Spain)}}: [[Order of the Golden Fleece|Knight of the Golden Fleece]], ''3 May 1892''<ref>{{citation|chapter-url=http://hemerotecadigital.bne.es/issue.vm?id=0000963792&search=&lang=es|chapter=Caballeros de la insigne orden del toisón de oro|title=Guía Oficial de España|date=1895|access-date=21 March 2019|page=166|language=es}}</ref>
* {{flag|Sweden}}: [[Order of the Seraphim|Knight of the Seraphim]], ''9 July 1913''<ref>{{citation|title=Sveriges statskalender|year=1915|page=671|url=https://runeberg.org/statskal/1915/0671.html|via=runeberg.org|access-date=2018-01-06|language=sv}}</ref>
* {{flagcountry|United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland}}: [[Order of the Garter|Stranger Knight Companion of the Garter]], ''23 February 1904''<ref name=p72>Shaw, Wm. A. (1906) ''The Knights of England'', '''I''', London, [https://archive.org/stream/cu31924092537418#page/n161/mode/2up p. 72]</ref> (expelled in 1915)


=== Arms ===
*'''25 February 1848 – 25 June 1864''': ''His Royal Highness'' Prince William of Württemberg
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
*'''25 June 1864 – 6 October 1891''': ''His Royal Highness'' The Crown Prince of Württemberg
*'''6 October 1891 – 30 November 1918''': ''His Majesty'' The King of Württemberg
| [[File:Royal Monogram of King Wilhelm II of Wurttemberg.svg|188px]]<br>Royal Monogram of King Wilhelm II of Württemberg
* '''30 November 1918 – 2 October 1921''': ''His Majesty'' King William II of Württemberg
| [[File:Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Württemberg 1817-1921.svg|245px]]<br>Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Württemberg, 1817
| [[File:Royal Monogram of King Wilhelm II of Wurttemberg, Variant.svg|195px]]<br>Royal Monogram of King Wilhelm II of Württemberg, Variant
| [[File:Coat of Arms of Charles I and William II of Württemberg (Order of the Golden Fleece).svg|180px]]<br>Coat of Arms of King Wilhelm II as a Knight of the Golden Fleece
|}


==Ancestry==
==Ancestry==
Three of William's four grandparents were of the [[House of Württemberg]], an example of [[Royal intermarriage]].
{{ahnentafel
{{ahnentafel
|collapsed=yes |align=center
|collapsed=yes |align=center
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|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
|boxstyle_5=background-color: #9fe;
|1= 1. '''William II of Württemberg'''
|1= 1. '''William II of Württemberg'''
|2= 2. [[Prince Frederick of Württemberg]]
|2= 2. [[Prince Frederick of Württemberg]]
Line 82: Line 129:
|5= 5. [[Princess Charlotte of Saxe-Hildburghausen]]
|5= 5. [[Princess Charlotte of Saxe-Hildburghausen]]
|6= 6. [[William I of Württemberg]]
|6= 6. [[William I of Württemberg]]
|7= 7. [[Pauline Therese of Württemberg|Duchess Pauline of Württemberg]]
|7= 7. [[Pauline Therese of Württemberg|Duchess Pauline Therese of Württemberg]]
|8= 8. [[Frederick I of Württemberg]] (=12)
|8= 8. [[Frederick I of Württemberg]]
|9= 9. [[Duchess Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel]] (=13)
|9= 9. [[Duchess Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel]]
|10= 10. [[Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg]]
|10= 10. [[Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg]]
|11= 11. [[Duchess Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz]]
|11= 11. [[Duchess Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz]]
|12= 12. [[Frederick I of Württemberg]] (=8)
|12= 12. [[Frederick I of Württemberg]] (= 8)
|13= 13. [[Duchess Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel]] (=9)
|13= 13. [[Duchess Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel]] (= 9)
|14= 14. [[Duke Louis of Württemberg]]
|14= 14. [[Duke Louis of Württemberg]]
|15= 15. [[Princess Henriette of Nassau-Weilburg (1780–1857)|Princess Henriette of Nassau-Weilburg]]
|15= 15. [[Princess Henriette of Nassau-Weilburg]]
|16= 16. [[Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg]] (=24, 28)
|17= 17. [[Margravine Sophia Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt]] (=25, 29)
|18= 18. [[Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick]]
|19= 19. [[Princess Augusta of Great Britain]]
|20= 20. [[Ernest Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen]]
|21= 21. Princess [[Ernestine of Saxe-Weimar]]
|22= 22. [[Charles II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg|Charles II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz]]
|23= 23. [[Princess Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt]]
|24= 24. [[Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg]] (=16, 28)
|25= 25. [[Margravine Sophia Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt]] (=17, 29)
|26= 26. [[Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick]] (=18)
|27= 27. [[Princess Augusta of Great Britain]] (=19)
|28= 28. [[Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg]] (=16, 24)
|29= 29. [[Margravine Sophia Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt]] (=17, 25)
|30= 30. [[Charles Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg]]
|31= 31. [[Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau]]
}}
}}

==Decorations and awards==
;German awards
* {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Bavaria}}: Knight Grand Cross of the [[Military Order of Max Joseph]]
* {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Prussia}}: [[Pour le Mérite]]
* {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Saxony}}: Knight Grand Cross of the [[Military Order of St. Henry]]
* {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Württemberg}}: Grand Master of the following Orders:
** [[Order of the Crown (Württemberg)|Order of the Crown]]
** [[Military Merit Order (Württemberg)|Order of Military Merit]]
** [[Friedrich Order]]
** [[Order of Olga]]

;Foreign awards
* {{flagcountry|Austria-Hungary}}:
** Knight Grand Cross of the [[Order of St. Stephen of Hungary]] - 1886<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20101222022855/http://tornai.com/rendtagok.htm</ref>
** [[Military Merit Cross (Austria-Hungary)|Military Merit Cross]], 1st Class
* {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Italy}}: Knight of the [[Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation]]
* {{flagcountry|Restoration (Spain)}}: Knight of the [[Order of the Golden Fleece]] - 1892<ref>[http://www.antiquesatoz.com/sgfleece/knights6.htm "Toison Espagnole (Spanish Fleece) - 19th century"] (in French), ''Chevaliers de la Toison D'or''. Retrieved 2018-08-07.</ref>
* {{flag|Sweden}}: Knight of the [[Royal Order of the Seraphim]] - 9 July 1913
* {{flagcountry|United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland}}: Knight of the [[Order of the Garter]] - 23 February 1904<ref name=p72>Wm. A. Shaw, ''The Knights of England'', Volume I (London, 1906) [https://archive.org/stream/cu31924092537418#page/n161/mode/2up page 72]</ref> (Expelled in 1915)


==See also==
==See also==
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{{Commons category|William II of Württemberg}}
{{Commons category|William II of Württemberg}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{PM20|FID=pe/023776}}


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{{S-bef|before=[[Charles I of Württemberg|Charles I]]}}
{{S-bef|before=[[Charles I of Württemberg|Charles I]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[List of rulers of Württemberg|King of Württemberg]]|years=1891–1918}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[King of Württemberg]]|years=1891–1918}}
{{S-non|reason=Monarchy abolished|reason2=[[German Revolution of 1918–19|German Revolution]]}}
{{S-non|reason=Monarchy abolished|reason2=[[German Revolution of 1918–19|German Revolution]]}}
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{{S-new|loss|reason=[[Weimar Republic|Republic declared]]}}
{{S-new|loss|reason=[[Weimar Republic|Republic declared]]}}
{{S-tul|title=[[List of rulers of Württemberg|King of Württemberg]]|years=1918–1921|reason=[[German Revolution of 1918–19|Kingdom abolished in 1918]]}}
{{S-tul|title=[[King of Württemberg]]|years=1918–1921|reason=[[German Revolution of 1918–19|Kingdom abolished in 1918]]}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg|Duke Albrecht]]}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg|Duke Albrecht]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{s-end}}


{{Final hereditary rulers in the German Empire}}
{{Princes of Württemberg}}
{{Princes of Württemberg}}
{{Pretenders to the Württemberg throne since 1918}}
{{Pretenders to the Württemberg throne since 1918}}

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{{Authority control}}


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[[Category:1848 births]]
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[[Category:People from Stuttgart]]
[[Category:19th-century kings of Württemberg]]
[[Category:20th-century kings of Württemberg]]
[[Category:Nobility from Stuttgart]]
[[Category:Field marshals of the German Empire]]
[[Category:Field marshals of the German Empire]]
[[Category:Kings of Württemberg]]
[[Category:Kings of Württemberg]]
[[Category:Protestant monarchs]]
[[Category:19th-century German landowners]]
[[Category:Members of the Württembergian Chamber of Lords]]
[[Category:Members of the Württembergian Chamber of Lords]]
[[Category:Knights of the Golden Fleece]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Military Order of Max Joseph]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Crown (Württemberg)]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Military Merit Order (Württemberg)]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Friedrich Order]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Military Order of St. Henry]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class)]]
[[Category:Monarchs who abdicated]]
[[Category:Monarchs who abdicated]]
[[Category:Burials at Alter Friedhof, Ludwigsburg]]
[[Category:Burials at Alter Friedhof, Ludwigsburg]]
[[Category:Generals of Cavalry of Württemberg]]
[[Category:Generals of Cavalry of Württemberg]]
[[Category:German Army generals of World War I]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class)]]
[[Category:Extra Knights Companion of the Garter]]
[[Category:Knights of the Golden Fleece of Spain]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Military Order of Max Joseph]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Netherlands Lion]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 1st class]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Russia)]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of St. George of the Fourth Degree]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Iron Cross, 2nd class]]
[[Category:Pretenders to the throne of Württemberg]]
[[Category:20th-century German landowners]]

Latest revision as of 14:41, 28 December 2024

William II
King William in 1892
King of Württemberg
Reign6 October 1891 – 30 November 1918
PredecessorCharles I
SuccessorMonarchy abolished
Born(1848-02-25)25 February 1848
Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg
Died2 October 1921(1921-10-02) (aged 73)
Bebenhausen, Württemberg, Weimar Republic
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1877; died 1882)​
​
​
(m. 1886)​
IssuePauline, Princess of Wied
Prince Ulrich
Names
German: Wilhelm Karl Paul Heinrich Friedrich
HouseWürttemberg
FatherPrince Frederick of Württemberg
MotherPrincess Catherine of Württemberg
ReligionLutheran

William II (German: Wilhelm Karl Paul Heinrich Friedrich; 25 February 1848 – 2 October 1921) was the last King of Württemberg. He ruled from 6 October 1891 until the dissolution of the kingdom on 30 November 1918. He was the last German ruler to abdicate in the wake of the November Revolution of 1918.

Early years

[edit]

William was born the son of Prince Frederick of Württemberg (1808–1870) by his wife Princess Catherine Frederica of Württemberg (1821–1898), herself the daughter of King William I of Württemberg (1781–1864). His parents were first cousins, being the children of two brothers, and William was their only child.

William's growing years coincided with a progressive diminution of Württemberg's sovereignty and international presence, concomitant with the process of German unification. In 1870, Württemberg took the side of Prussia in the Franco-German War. In 1871, Württemberg became a state of the German Empire, a significant limitation on its sovereignty.

King of Württemberg

[edit]
Silver coin: 5 marks German Empire, Wilhelm II, 1900

William's father died in 1870, but his mother lived to see him seated on the throne of Württemberg. In 1891, William succeeded his childless maternal uncle, King Charles I (1823–1891) and became King of Württemberg. This was not, as it may seem, a departure from the Salic law which governed succession in the German states; his claim to the throne came because he was the nearest agnatic heir of his uncle, as the senior male-line descendant of Frederick I of Württemberg through his younger son Prince Paul.

King William became a Generalfeldmarschall during World War I. In 1918, he was deposed from the throne along with the other German rulers. King William finally abdicated on 30 November 1918,[1] ending over 800 years of the House of Württemberg rule. He died in 1921 at Bebenhausen.

Personality and interests

[edit]

Considered to be a popular monarch, William had the habit of walking his two dogs in public parks in Stuttgart without being attended by bodyguards or the like. During these excursions, he would often be greeted by his subjects with a simple Herr König ("Mister King").

Despite living in a landlocked kingdom, William II was a yachting enthusiast. The king was instrumental in the establishment of the Württembergischer Yacht Club (formerly "Königlich Württembergischer Yacht-Club" or Royal Yacht Club of Württemberg) in 1911 on Lake Constance.

Marriages and children

[edit]

On 15 February 1877 at Arolsen he married Princess Marie of Waldeck and Pyrmont (1857–1882). They had three children:

Marie died on 30 April 1882 in Stuttgart, from complications resulting from the birth of their third child. William, already depressed by the death of his only son, is said never to have recovered from this blow.

Nevertheless, he was King and it was his duty to secure the succession. On 8 April 1886, at Bückeburg, he married Princess Charlotte of Schaumburg-Lippe (1864–1946). They had no children.

Succession

[edit]

On William II's death in 1921 without male issue, the royal branch of the House of Württemberg became extinct, and the headship of the house devolved to Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg, head of the Catholic cadet branch of the dynasty, based at Altshausen. Albrecht was a descendant of Alexander of Württemberg, the 7th son of Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg (1732–1797).

Honours

[edit]
German awards[2]
Foreign awards[2]

Arms

[edit]

Royal Monogram of King Wilhelm II of Württemberg
Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Württemberg, 1817
Royal Monogram of King Wilhelm II of Württemberg, Variant
Coat of Arms of King Wilhelm II as a Knight of the Golden Fleece

Ancestry

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to William II of Württemberg.
  1. ^ Abdication text (in German)
  2. ^ a b Staatshandbuch für Württemberg. 1889. p. 283.
  3. ^ Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Württemberg (1889), "Königliche Orden" pp. 26, 56, 60
  4. ^ Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Württemberg (1886/7) "Königliche Orden" p. 52
  5. ^ Hof- und Staats-Handbuch für des Herzogtum Anhalt (1894), "Herzoglicher Haus-Orden Albrecht des Bären" p. 17
  6. ^ Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Baden (1910), "Großherzogliche Orden" p. 39
  7. ^ Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreichs Bayern (1906), "Königliche Orden" p. 7
  8. ^ Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Herzogtums Braunschweig für 1905. Braunschweig 1905. Meyer. p. 11
  9. ^ Staatshandbücher für das Herzogtum Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha (1884), "Herzogliche Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden" p. 32
  10. ^ "Ludewigs-orden", Großherzoglich Hessische Ordensliste (in German), Darmstadt: Staatsverlag, 1914, p. 5 – via hathitrust.org
  11. ^ Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Großherzogtums Oldenburg0: 1879. Schulze. 1879. p. 34.
  12. ^ Staatshandbuch für das Großherzogtum Sachsen / Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach Archived 2020-09-06 at the Wayback Machine (1900), "Großherzogliche Hausorden" p. 16
  13. ^ Sachsen (1901). "Königlich Orden". Staatshandbuch für den Königreich Sachsen: 1901. Dresden: Heinrich. p. 4 – via hathitrust.org.
  14. ^ a b c "Königlich Preussische Ordensliste", Preussische Ordens-Liste (in German), 1, Berlin: 7, 935, 1052, 1886 – via hathitrust.org
  15. ^ "A Szent István Rend tagjai" Archived 22 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ Italia : Ministero dell'interno (1898). Calendario generale del Regno d'Italia. Unione tipografico-editrice. p. 54.
  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. 149.
  18. ^ "Caballeros de la insigne orden del toisón de oro", Guía Oficial de España (in Spanish), 1895, p. 166, retrieved 21 March 2019
  19. ^ Sveriges statskalender (in Swedish), 1915, p. 671, retrieved 2018-01-06 – via runeberg.org
  20. ^ Shaw, Wm. A. (1906) The Knights of England, I, London, p. 72
[edit]
William II of Württemberg
Born: 25 February 1848 Died: 2 October 1921
Regnal titles
Preceded by King of Württemberg
1891–1918 		Monarchy abolished
Titles in pretence
Loss of title
 — TITULAR —
King of Württemberg
1918–1921
Reason for succession failure:
Kingdom abolished in 1918 		Succeeded by
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