Crownprince Wilhelm & Crownprincess Cecilie, their family, Part I

[Prince_Christopher]

The road Cecilie's life took speaks tons to how a person's life can change. From daughter of the heir to the throne of the German Empire, arguably the monarchy with greatest power in terms of monarchial authority and national industrial output etc, to a housewife in Amarillo is quite a change. Apparently, all with diginity and grace and acceptance.

I agree with you so much here, HerrKaiser.  I guess that is one reason she is so intriguing.

One never knows what turns lie ahead....

BTW, thanks for the great picture, Danjel.

[Marlene]

another pic of Cecilie

this may have been one of the last postcards of Cecilie published before the war.  

[julia.montague]

[HerrKaiser]

But, why did Cecilie want to meet Anna? Was there some sort of higher motive? Was Cecilie particularly fond of her niece or desperately hopeful someone survived? thanks.

[stepan]

Cecilie first met Anna Anderson in 1925 in the house of a inspector Grunberg who was involved in her case. I suppose Cecilie was interested in her Russian relatives and in the case of  Anna Anderson and as they were both in Berlin it was easy to arrange  a meeting. She later said that Anna looked like Xenia,the tsar´s sister and that she almost believed that it must be Anastasia.But she said that it was impossible to communicate with her as AA remained completely silent either from obstinasy or bewilderment. She could not decide which. Cecilie also confirmed what AA said about GD Ernst Ludwig´s trip to Russia in 1916. She had heard it from her father-in- law,the Kaiser. Cecilie continued to believe in Anna,met her again and corresponded with her until her death.

[Eric_Lowe]

I tghink it one of the things that baffled me, Anna knew about the "secret " trip of Ernie {that had been dismissed by history books until then). Cecilie was in a position to know, and I guess on that point I dismiss Anna any possibility of being a crazy German factory girl. Anna knew things and her appearance was not a fluke of history and needed more investigation. However Cecilie's son Louis Ferdinand was not convinced.

[Svetabel]

Another photo from the same occasion in 1911. There is no Cecilie in the picture but you can see her mother, GDss of Mecklenbourg-Schwerin




From left to right: GDss Anastasia, GDss Olga, GDss Anastasia Mikhailovna (Cecilie's mother), Empress Alexandra, Tsarevitch Alexey, GDss Maria, GDss Maria Pavlovna-elder, GDss Viktoria Fedorovna (Ducky), GDss Olga Alexandrovna, GDss Tatiana

[HerrKaiser]

These group photos are great where the royals are caught in such a moment. It begs the question..what situations were there that they stood in what appears to be a photo op-style? Who was in the crowd looking at them and who would have taken the pictures? These seem much more like when celebs leave an event or arrive somewhere and pause for casual photos and accomodate the paparazzi.

[HerrKaiser]

These group photos are great where the royals are caught in such a moment. It begs the question..what situations were there that they stood in what appears to be a photo op-style? Who was in the crowd looking at them and who would have taken the pictures? These seem much more like when celebs leave an event or arrive somewhere and pause for casual photos and accomodate the paparazzi.

Yes, they seem off guard. Hence I wonder if there was a practice of presenting themselves in public and standing there for public viewing and photos? Did they ever intermingle with their subjects? thanks!

[Teddy]

Svetabel, from which book did you got those last picutes?

[Svetabel]

Svetabel, from which book did you got those last picutes?

Do you mean that group-photo? It's from a well-known book "Nikolay II. THe Last Emperor of Russia", by M.Iroshnikov, L.Protzay and Yu.Shelaev. The English variant of this book is "The Sunset of the Romanovs".

[Maria_Pavlovna]

Princess Alexanderine of Prussia

[HerrKaiser]

When did Cecelie actually move into Cecelienhof in Potsdam? I know it was in the midst of WWI. Did she remain there during the revolution and afterward? Was she ever in danger?

[Bernardino]

Hello  

While it’s clear that some of Prince Louis Ferdinand’s sons marriages were not dynastic, I have some doubts about the dynastic validity (dependant of the head of the House) of some other marriages since 1918:

1 ) Pr Wilhelm Viktor (1919-1989), marriage to Marie Antoinette, Ctss Hoyos, Bss zu Stichsenstein.

2 ) Pr Hubertus (1909-1950), 1st marriage to Bss Maria Anna von Humboldt-Dachroeden (div. 1943)

3 ) Pr Friedrich (1911-1966), marriage to Lady Brigid Guinness. If this marriage was dynastic, I believe those of their children were not.

I would appreciate corrections and additions.

Thank you in advance.

[Marlene]

Hello  

While it’s clear that some of Prince Louis Ferdinand’s sons marriages were not dynastic, I have some doubts about the dynastic validity (dependant of the head of the House) of some other marriages since 1918:

1 ) Pr Wilhelm Viktor (1919-1989), marriage to Marie Antoinette, Ctss Hoyos, Bss zu Stichsenstein.

2 ) Pr Hubertus (1909-1950), 1st marriage to Bss Maria Anna von Humboldt-Dachroeden (div. 1943)

3 ) Pr Friedrich (1911-1966), marriage to Lady Brigid Guinness. If this marriage was dynastic, I believe those of their children were not.

I would appreciate corrections and additions.

Thank you in advance.

All three marriages were dynastic.  You are right concerning the marriages of Friedrich's sons.  However, none sought permission to marry from LF as well.