Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Encyclopedia
Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (Cecilie Auguste Marie; 20 September 1886 – 6 May 1954) was a Crown Princess of Germany and Prussia as the wife of German Crown Prince William, the son of German Emperor William II
. Cecilienhof
Palace in Potsdam
as well as the sailing ship Herzogin Cecilie
were named after her, as was the SS Kronprinzessin Cecilie
.
and Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia
.
Duchess Cecilie married William on 6 June 1905 in Berlin
. Once she was married she was styled Her Imperial and Royal Highness
The German Crown Princess and was also Crown Princess of Prussia. Her husband died in 1951, making her Dowager Princess. Cecilie died on 6 May 1954 of a stroke and had been ill for some time leading up to this. She and her husband are buried in the grounds of Hohenzollern Castle.
Their children were:
|-
William II, German Emperor
Wilhelm II was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia, ruling the German Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia from 15 June 1888 to 9 November 1918. He was a grandson of the British Queen Victoria and related to many monarchs and princes of Europe...
. Cecilienhof
Cecilienhof
Schloss Cecilienhof is a palace in the northern part of the Neuer Garten park in Potsdam, Germany, close to the Jungfernsee lake. Since 1990 it is part of the Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin UNESCO World Heritage Site....
Palace in Potsdam
Potsdam
Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
as well as the sailing ship Herzogin Cecilie
Herzogin Cecilie
Herzogin Cecilie was a German four-mast barque , named after German Crown Princess Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin , spouse of Crown Prince Wilhelm of Prussia .- History :...
were named after her, as was the SS Kronprinzessin Cecilie
SS Kronprinzessin Cecilie
SS Kronprinzessin Cecilie was an ocean liner built in Stettin, Germany in 1906 for North German Lloyd that had the largest steam reciprocating machinery ever fitted to a ship. The last of four ships part of the kaiser class, she was also the last German ship to have been built with four funnels....
.
Family
She was the daughter of Frederick Francis III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-SchwerinFrederick Francis III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Friedrich Franz III was the penultimate Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.-Biography:He was born in Schloss Ludwigslust the son of Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and his first wife Princess Augusta of Reuss-Köstritz...
and Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia
Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia
Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia was a daughter of Grand Duke Michael Nicolaievich of Russia; she married Grand Duke Friedrich Franz III of Mecklenburg-Schwerin...
.
Duchess Cecilie married William on 6 June 1905 in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. Once she was married she was styled Her Imperial and Royal Highness
Imperial and Royal Highness
Imperial and Royal Highness is a style possessed by someone who either through birth or marriage holds two individual styles, Imperial Highness and Royal Highness....
The German Crown Princess and was also Crown Princess of Prussia. Her husband died in 1951, making her Dowager Princess. Cecilie died on 6 May 1954 of a stroke and had been ill for some time leading up to this. She and her husband are buried in the grounds of Hohenzollern Castle.
Their children were:
- Prince Wilhelm of PrussiaPrince Wilhelm of Prussia (1906-1940)Prince Wilhelm of Prussia was the eldest child and son of Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany and Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. At his birth, he was second in line to the German throne, and was expected to one day succeed to the throne after the deaths of his father and grandfather, both of...
(1906–1940); married Dorothea von Salviati, had issue. - Prince Louis Ferdinand of PrussiaLouis Ferdinand, Prince of Prussia-Children:* Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia , married firstly Waltraud Freytag on 22 August 1967 in Plön, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany; secondly Ehrengard von Reden on 23 April 1976; thirdly Sibylle Kretschmer. He renounced his succession rights on 18 September 1967...
, Head of the House of HohenzollernHouse of HohenzollernThe House of Hohenzollern is a noble family and royal dynasty of electors, kings and emperors of Prussia, Germany and Romania. It originated in the area around the town of Hechingen in Swabia during the 11th century. They took their name from their ancestral home, the Burg Hohenzollern castle near...
(1907–1994); married Kira Kirillovna of Russia, had issue. - Prince Hubertus of PrussiaPrince Hubertus of PrussiaPrince Hubertus Karl Wilhelm of Prussia was the third son of Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany and Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.-Marriage and issue:...
(1909–1950); married Baroness Maria von Humboldt-Dachroeden, no issue; married Magdalena of Reuss, had issue. - Prince Friedrich of PrussiaPrince Frederick of PrussiaPrince Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Christoph of Prussia , a.k.a. in England as "Mr. Friedrich von Preussen", was the son of Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany and Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.-Family:...
(1911–1966); married Lady Brigid GuinnessLady Brigid GuinnessLady Brigid Guinness was the youngest daughter of Rupert Guinness, 2nd Earl of Iveagh and wife of Prince Frederick of Prussia, grandson of Wilhelm II, German Emperor.-Early life:...
, had issue. - Princess Alexandrine of Prussia (1915–1980)
- Princess Cecilie of Prussia (1917–1975)
Biography
Cecilie had a happy childhood. She was selected as a the bride for the Crown prince, and the wedding in 1905 was reported as a spectacular public event, with an artistically decorated procession through Brandenburger Tor in Berlin. Cecilie quickly adapted to the role of Crown Princess and became popular both by the public and within the court. She is described as quiet but friendly, a natural beauty with an interest in fashion. She became a role model for German women within fashion, and was also interested in social issues, especially women's education. Several schools and roads were named after her. Cecilie and William drifted apart because of William's adultery, and after the abolition of the monarchy, they separated. When her spouse and parents-in-law left Germany in 1919, she preferred to stay in Berlin with her children. William was allowed to return in 1923 but their relationship was finished and they only met for official occasions such as family weddings and similar events. Cecilie was active within several charity and royalist organisations until all private organisations were taken over by the Nazi party in 1933. During 1933-1945, she lived a private life on Cecilienhof in Potsdam, where she hosted concerts, several of them conducted by famous musicians. In February 1945, she left Potsdam to escape the Soviet army and moved to Bavaria. She lived in Bad Kissingen and 1952-54 in Stuttgart before her death.Titles and styles
- 20 September 1886 – 6 June 1905 Her Highness Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
- 6 June 1905 - 20 July 1951 Her Imperial & Royal Highness The German Crown Princess, Crown Princess of Prussia
- 20 July 1951 - 6 May 1954 Her Imperial & Royal Highness The Dowager German Crown Princess, Dowager Crown Princess of Prussia
Honours
- Dame of the Order of LouiseOrder of LouiseThe Order of Louise was founded in 1814 by Frederick William III of Prussia to honor his late wife, the much beloved Queen Luise . This order was chivalric in nature, but was intended strictly for women whose service to Germany was worthy of such high national recognition...
- Dame of the Royal Order of Queen Maria LuisaOrder of Queen Maria LuisaThe Royal Order of Queen María Luisa is an Order created by Charles IV of Spain by royal decree in April 21 1792 at the request of his wife Queen Maria Luisa, to have a way to reward noble women who distinguished themselves for their services and talents, so it was established as a distinction...
(Spain)
Ancestry
Sources
|-|-