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

Oh the other engagment photo of the whole family is definatly better. I just like the fact that Lenchen and Louise are in this 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 think he may have smoked cigarettes. I thought I had somewhere a CDV image of Fritz and Bertie together taken around the latter's wedding where they have a cigarette. Not sure though.    It certainly wasn't uncommon back then to smoke cigarettes, but I don't think I've ever heard of him smoking cigars. You're going to have me running back and forth to my books.    

Here's the scan of QV's arrival. She's accompanied by William and in the presence of Vicky, Dona, Charly & Bernard, Moretta, Sophie & Mossy:

Thanks so much for the sketch. Is Vicky the 7th person from the left (including the guard with his back to us)? Dona must be 5th. Interesting how QV is on arm of W and Vicky, who should be the center of attention is off to the side, in a way. I think at this moment, and for weeks earlier, W was being very hostile to Vicky and quite unruly.
QV looks very nice, doesn't she? The look on her face is so much more soft than in most representations of her persona. Here she looks kindly, sublime, gentle, and very grandmother-ish.
The officer in the foreground is saluting with his left hand. Is that a particular protocol of the Kaiser's guard?

The Empress was indeed very committed to ensuring nursing and nurse training was attended to. She really is a major initial force in public health, much of her ideas being adopted globally. In fact, she was a big influence on Bismarck and her son William to create really the first social welfare program in the world. They estasblished a process by which the German elderly would be taken care of by public funds in terms of their health care needs, food, and housing. But, primarily health care. Who knows what other good things Vicky and her dear husband Fritz may have accomplished had they both lived until the 1920s?

Vicky also personally funded the building of churches. There is a wonderful church and school in Kronberg that she built for the town when she established her residence there in the early 1890s.

Thank you HerrKaiser for the information about the Empress Frederick's funding of churches, i didn't know about the one at Kronberg!  
In the Parish Church at Windsor there is information on the Empress's laying the foundation stone for a church in Windsor just down the road, and a photograph. I have never managed to find this church, as it is situated down a few winding streets. But if anyone should like the details of it, i'd be happy to try and find out more, inc. the dates of when she founded it, etc.

Thanks to all of you for your information!  James, I am going to try and find that book....you see my grandmother went to a school of the Empress, she use to tell me about it when I was small, she use to show me ballet steps she learned there and how one must eat at the table and etc.  It was a highlight of her life.  Her grandfather was a General von Karrass who had a leg cut off in a war.  I have his picture (standing on his wooden leg from 1880) it is the only thing she saved when she came to America in 1909.  She has been dead for many years and I am just left with memories of her excitment and joy in talking about the Empress wonderful school.  Apparently the Empress came many times to visit and the girls adored her.         ..Arleen

[European Royal History Journal]

Kaiser Friedrich III's throat cancer stemmed from smoking.  Had better care been given to him, the Kaiser may have survived this illness, and one can only but dream of how different the history of Europe, ney the World, would have been...alas other horrors were rained on humanity instead.

Arturo Beéche

Kaiser Friedrich III's throat cancer stemmed from smoking.  Had better care been given to him, the Kaiser may have survived this illness, and one can only but dream of how different the history of Europe, ney the World, would have been...alas other horrors were rained on humanity instead.

Arturo Beéche

I think this habit did in George V and George VI. I know the latter had to have part of a lung removed. I'm sure it contributed to many other royal deaths either because of cancer, heart trouble or respiratory failure. There are quite a few photos of GV with a cigarette in hand--including a quite atmospheric one of him surrounded by a cloud of smoke. (Very reminiscent of Now Voyager where Bette Davis & Paul Henreid declare their undying love through this hazy cloud. Looking at it through modern eyes and decades of Surgeon General's warnings, it can somewhat diminish the romance of the scene.   )

Some more photos of Fritz:
wedding sketch:

looking quite the handsome German prince

1870s costume ball:

1855:

with Wilhelm:

Here are some I like. All came from the Royal Romances series #25.

This first one is similar to the one ella just posted. Both of the photos are incredible, I think.

Vicky and Fritz in June of 58

This one is from a book called Young Wilhelm, a bio of Willy's life before he was Kaiser

It was taken in Dec. of 1865

I hadn't seen that last one before! Vicky looks so pretty! Love the look on Fritz's face...."Are we done yet?"

Grandduchessella, the one you posted of Fritz with the baby on his knee, the baby is actually Charly, not Willy. Remember "the cap" discussion we had in the Eddy thread?

Kaiser Friedrich III's throat cancer stemmed from smoking.  Had better care been given to him, the Kaiser may have survived this illness, and one can only but dream of how different the history of Europe, ney the World, would have been...alas other horrors were rained on humanity instead.

Arturo Beéche

I never knew Fritz's illness was due to smoking?! And did they have the knowledge back then to treat him properly? Then why wasn't he given the right care?
How different things would have been if dearest Vicky and darling Fritz could have ruled Germany longer! and sooner!

Fritz first noticed a hoarseness in his voice that wouldn't go away, and when the doctors examined him they found a small growth on his vocal chord. They cauterized it and for awhile he was better, but it grew back. There was some confusion as to wether it was cancer. His doctors (English, brought in by Vicky, and German) could not agree on a treatment, and so while they were fighting over what was best for Fritz, he wasn't getting the care he needed. I think the English doctor wanted to perform a drastic operation which could have saved Fritz's life, but would have made him unable to speak above a whisper. The German doctors wouldn't agree because "Who would want a Kaiser who couldn't speak?" Sad, I know. Vicky tried to keep the seriousness of his illness from Fritz, but near the end he must have realised. It wore her out enormously, but she always kept a brave face for him, never allowing him to see her break down. Imagine seeing the love of your life slowly being taken away from you and there's nothing you can do. Vicky always believed the English doctor (Morell Mackenzie) did all he could, but there are still so many doubts and disagreements about the "treatments" Fritz was given.