Empress Frederick (Victoria) & Kaiser Friedrich III (Fritz)

I know that Empress Frederick started a school for young ladies in Charlottenburg sometime in the late 1880 or 90ties.  Can anyone help me out with ANY information about this school?       ..Arleen  

I've read that Frederick was imensely popular in England; that during the Jubilee of QV, Frederick was more enthusiasitically cheered by the crowds than any other royal than QV herself.
What was his popularity a result of? He had a dashing and handsome and large physical appearance, as well as a kind and caring personality and political point of view, but what drove the British to endear him so?

I really think it was a combination of many things. He had married 'their' Princess Royal and had been a part of the extended family for 30 years at that point--longer than any of the other in-laws. While all the details of his illness weren't known, it was known that he'd been bravely battling an illness and thus his strong, manly appearance riding in the parade won the admiration of many. Plus, he apparently cut a mighty dashing figure in his white uniform with the silver breastplate and helmet gleaming in the sun. A Lohengrin come to life.

He was indeed a special man from all accounts. His marriage to Vicky was a match not only made in Heaven, but on earth as well in terms of their potential to create essentially an EU 100 years before it was actually realized. The "what if's" had his reign been long, at least lasting into the early 20th century, are immeasureable.

Frederick is one of the few who is photographed with a smile or grin on his face. His endearing nature seems to have been captured on film.

Anyone with rare photos of the man?

Did any of his children write biographies of their father?

Fritz is a favorite of mine. He just seems like such a gentleman, so brave and good to his family. A real knight in shining armor in my opinion! I don't believe any of his children wrote a biogarphy of him, but 2 of his children did write autobiographies--Willy and Victoria "Moretta." I've never read Willy's, so I'm not sure what he has to say about his father, but I do have Moretta's and here's what she has to say about him...

Describing an annual party for the local children of Bornstadt: "Another race was one I think in England is called a sack race. My father would enter very much into the fun of the thing. He was of a most friendly disposition--kindly and sympathetic, very ready for a joke and thoroughly interested in all that was going on. At these parties he would stand by, chatting to the children and chaffing them. They in their turn were devoted to him, and were always eager to talk to him."

"I remember the village of Eiche, which was close by the Neue Palais. One afternoon a fire broke out, burning down many of the cottages. My father, who had hastened there when the fire started, never left the village until the firemen had finished their work. All the while the fire raged, and it was a big one, my father tried to cheer the homeless villagers, promising to build new homes for them. Of course he kept his word, as he invariably did. It was for these simple great qualities that my father was so much beloved by his people, who gave him the never-to-be-forgotten name of "unser Fritz" (our Fritz), a name by which he is known this very day. In addition to all this, he was uncommonly handsome, very tall, well built and "every inch a king."

When Fritz's father Kaiser Wilhelm I died: "My father was seated in the garden when the news came, and he almost fainted with the shock. None of us can ever know what his feelings were at the time. His father, whom he had always dearly loved and respected, had passed away and he had not been with him: he himself was under sentence of death, he was voiceless, and now he was Emperor--Emperor Frederick III. The bitterness, the irony and the sadness of it all was overwhelming.
 The first thing my father did on entering the house was to fetch his Order of the Black Eagle and pin it on my mother's shoulder. It was a moment I shall never forget, He was bestowing on his beloved wife the highest German order that could ever be bestowed: he was making her Queen of Prussia and German Empress.
 He then turned to Sir Morell Mackenzie, who had been one of the many physicians attending him, and wrote on a piece of paper: "I thank you for having made me live long enough to recompense the valiant courage of my wife.''


Another thing that always touches me is the letter that Bertie Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) wrote to his son George after Fritz's death...'Try, my dear George, never to forget Uncle Fritz. He was one of the finest and noblest characters ever known; if he had a fault he was too good for this world.'

My very favorite picture of Fritz, holding his daughters Mossy and Sophie. I think this picture really encapsulates Fritz's character.


Perhaps a rarer picture of Fritz (along with his daughter Charlotte standing next to him, and Vicky in front of her) and party out ice skating!

If anyone's interested, I've found more from Moretta's book, about Fritz near the end of his life...

"His fortitude was amazing. He would spend hours every day in dealing with state matters, reading reports and discussing Cabinet affairs with Prince Bismark. He made some army changes and took steps to erect buildings, and did what he could to encourage liberal ideas. He suffered terribly, but only when he was away from official eyes would he make signs for a little physical relief to be administered to him, slight only as it could be.
My last birthday, in the life-time of my father, occurred then, on the 12th of April. Papa expressed the wish that I should lunch with him in his room, and I was pleased beyond measure. I had the surprise, moreover, of receiving a beautiful diamond necklace which is still one of my most cherished possessions.
 One event cheered these dark days, and that was the visit of Queen Victoria and her daughter, my Aunt Beatrice, with Prince Henry of Battenberg. ...Papa loved having his mother-in-law near him. Often when he was too ill to get up she would sit at his bedside talking to him. They seemed to understand one another, and their ideas on state affairs seemed to meet with mutual admiration. ...I remember well how my dear grandmother prayed to God for his salvation and for Divine help. The leave taking between the two was the most pathetic moment of all my life, save perhaps the moments of the death of my own parents and husband. ...The fourteenth of June was my sister Sophie's eighteenth birthday. My father wrote on a piece of paper that he wished us to go to the Pfaueninsel to celebrate the day and amuse Sophie. None of us could bear even the thought of going and we told him that, if he did not mind, all of us, including the birthday child, would be far happier staying with him. He allowed us to stay. For some hours now he had been unable to take nourishment, That same evening he grew worse. Mamma and I could not bring ourselves to leave him, so we decided to remain up all night in the sitting room next to his bedroom. After I had watched with Mamma for the greater part of the night, she urged me to take some rest; so I reluctantly retired, but had scarcely been a minute in my bedroom when there came a knock at my door. The nurse was there with an urgent message from my mother that said I should come back at once. I went to her immediately, shaking with fear. We had to be very cautions in going in and out lest we startled our darling patient, who was already making signs to us, inquiring why we had not gone to bed. About six in the morning we realized that he was sinking. I gave him a little orange-juice, a drink he liked very much, and it seemed to refresh him. Mamma then told me to fetch my brother William, who had been staying at the palace for the night, and by the time I returned with him, the rest of the family had gathered around.
 What we had anticipated, and so greatly feared, now quickly came. He tried to write a few words of love to us, but the effort was too much. He was raised up in bed, and looking at us with tenderness in his dear beautiful blue eyes, he seemed to bless us all. The end was peaceful; the noblest and never-to-be-forgotten Soverign and the best of fathers was taken from us and his eyes were closed forever."

Does anyone ever feel like they work as a typist/researcher for the AP? No, I like sharing any information and pictures I may have with people, because I realize not everyone has access to these old books, etc.  

I always loved that photo of Fritz too. Again, from CZ's wondeful book!

This is one of my favorites. I was lucky enough to get this print over 10 yrs ago and it hangs on my wall. It's a double-page spread.


This is Fritz at the time of the Jubilee (the white uniform, etc...)

What a man. In retrospect, perhaps the single most key figure in the last 125 years of history if, having either come to the throne earlier or lived longer, would have created a very different set of circumstances and thus leading Europe away from the core elements causing WWI and WWII.

In addition to his utterly wonderful personal traits, he seems to have been a very competent leader, obviously endorsed by the English completely and his military leadership is also classic. He led his own troops into battle (in particular the Austrian war), quite uncommon after Napoleon, and since Fritz, I am not aware of another figure doing so.

I did not know QV came to visit Fritz and Vicky after their becoming Kaiser and Kaiserin. Was this a large state visit or a quiet family visit specifically resulting from his deteriorating health?

He is definitely a favorite of mine, and once again, the only one who shows his smile and grin in photos. This alone separates him from all others, and ever so endearing.

By the by, his statue in the platz next to NassauerHof hotel in Wiesbaden is definitely a stopping point.

Fritz has always been one of my favorites of male royals. His marriage to Vicky is definitely one of the great royal romances. Her letters after his death are just heart-rending. QV's visit was strictly a private one. She was met at the station by some of her grandchildren but without any great pomp. No one would've been up to it, plus the court was in mourning for William I still. I think she had even told Vicky this, that she just wanted a quiet visit with her dear SIL and a chance to say goodbye. I have a sketch of her arrival, I'll have to dig it out and scan it.

It is unfortunate that poor Fritz's life and legacy are so often overshadowed by his more famous father and son.
I like this pic from his engagment day in Sep. of 55

Oh--I don't think I've seen that one before! So handsome! Vicky was such a lucky woman, and she knew it!

Oh--I don't think I've seen that one before! So handsome! Vicky was such a lucky woman, and she knew it!

I think that picture is from one of the bios on Vicky though I can't place which one.  

The engagement day picture is indeed a great one. Even in such a pose, his pleasing demeanor and clearly warm and engaging facial expression is overwhelmingly unique. I hope to see GrandduchessElla's sketches of QV's arrival in Berlin.

How did Fritz get so unlucky as to have gotten throat cancer in the first place? Was cancer a family trait? Did he smoke cigars?

I was in the room at the Neues Palais in which Fritz passed away. The room has been kept as a memorial. It is so simple with the letter F inlaid on the floor at the foot of his bed. It was moving to be in the same spot where such history took place.

I have no actual info on the school, but in "The royal families of Europe", by Geoffrey Hindley (which is a great, friendly formatted book) I remember a picture of the Empress at a girls school, I noted it because info on her is so sparse, but because i thought it was very modern-royal of her to be visiting schools.

"In Berlin, the Empress Friedrich established schools for the higher education of girls and for nurses' training. She patronized the arts and learning, becoming one of the organizers of the 1872 Industrial Art Exhibition.
" - thats from - http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/science_fair_projects_encyclopedia/Victoria,_Princess_Royal.

thats all i could find:)