Prince Heinrich XXXII Reuss of Köstritz
Encyclopedia
Prince Heinrich XXXII Reuss of Köstritz (4 March 1878 - 6 May 1935) was the eldest surviving son of Prince Heinrich VII Reuss of Köstritz and his wife Princess Marie Alexandrine of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
.
As Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
was childless for much of her marriage, Heinrich XXXII was third-in-line to the Dutch throne, after the claims of his cousin William Ernest, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
and his mother Princess Marie Alexandrine
. William Ernest had made it clear however that he would not give up his title in favor of becoming king. Furthermore, Marie Alexandrine was elderly and prone to sickness. Thus it was assumed that she would give up her claim in favor of her eldest son, Heinrich XXXII. Consequently, Heinrich was for all intents and purposes the heir to the Dutch throne until the birth of Crown Princess Juliana
in 1909.
, where his father was German ambassador there, and had previously been ambassador to Vienna
. The House of Reuss was one of Europe's oldest royal families, and Heinrich belonged to a younger branch of the family.
, Heinrich XXXII could claim descent from William II of the Netherlands
. As such, he was a second cousin of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
, whose long length of childless marriage and miscarriages was increasingly causing speculation about the succession to the Dutch throne.
Heinrich's cousin William Ernest, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
was for much of this period heir presumptive
to the Dutch throne. However, the Dutch constitution explicitly prohibited their sovereign from a foreign house from holding another title. The Grand Duke had made it known on more than one occasion his preference for his own duchy versus inheriting the Netherlands crown, as the latter would have required a great deal more work and time. As a consequence, had William Ernest renounced his claim to the throne, his aunt Princess Marie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach would have stood next in line. As her eldest son, Heinrich XXXII would next have been in line. Princess Marie was an elderly widow however, and many press reports indicated that she would possibly be giving up her claim to the throne in favor of her eldest son. Heinrich had three younger brothers and a sister, who would have been next line after him. After Marie's children, Heinrich's aunt Princess Elisabeth Sybille of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
would have been next in line.
and China
, as well to other countries across the world to fulfill his naval duties.
As the assumed heir to the Dutch throne, Heinrich XXXII traveled to the United States
in 1906, journeying to San Francisco, Chicago
, New York
, Washington D.C., among others. He was described as a very "democratic young nobleman", and was a guest of honor with the German ambassador Speck von Sternburg at the embassy in Washington. No room reservation had been made for him when he arrived at a hotel in Washington, and the desk clerk not recognizing him, asked Heinrich to sign his name in the guest book; this he did, signing "Prince Henry of Reuss, Belair, Md". One account described him as "one of the most democratic and interesting of all the younger royal sons of Europe".
While in the country, Heinrich met with many leaders in business and industry, and was seen to be profoundly interested in their work. After returning from abroad, Heinrich decided to further develop his interest in business, industry, and commerce. He soon quit the imperial navy. In the spring of 1907 after passing difficult entrance exams, he matriculated at the University of Cologne
's School of Commerce to pursue business interests. The program was considered the most important business college on the continent. The university director, Prof. Eckert, noted in his inaugural address to students of Heinrich's presence, drawing attention to the fact that the prince's "resolve to devote himself to business pursuits, breaks the prejudice [of]...noble birth" being incompatible with "commercial gain". Eckert went on to say that the school had previously failed to attract young royalty because of its status as a "purely commercial university"; Heinrich's presence, he hoped, would encourage more members of royal families to attend at Cologne
. Heinrich's attendance did indeed attract a great deal of attention throughout Germany, as it was the first occasion that a member of one of the reigning houses in Europe joined a business college.
, Heinrich's mother. It was considered particularly interesting and appropriate that Heinrich would attend school for commerce and business because the Netherlands
was a country noted for both.
After his education was completed, it was expected that Heinrich would return to the United States for a stay of several months in order to apply his business lessons to practical application. Instead, Heinrich found employment at the German embassy in Paris
. As a result of his education and character, Heinrich was well-known and well regarded in the Netherlands, and left a favorable impression when he stayed there. He was said to be modest, with artistic tastes and interests as a painter and sculptor; furthermore, he was an admirer of Dutch artists like Rembrandt and Franz Hals, which may have helped his popularity. Despite this, the Dutch people were still fervently hoping for the birth of an heir to Queen Wilhelmina, as evident in newspapers during that time. The Dutch treasured their neutrality in the face of war, and were thus fearful of German encroachment, especially since Heinrich himself had served in the Imperial navy, and had close ties to the Imperial family
. One publication lamented that if the Queen were to remain childless, the Dutch Crown "was bound to pass into the possession of a German prince, whose birth, training, and affiliations would naturally have led him to bring Holland within the sphere of the German Empire, at the expense of her independence, both national and economic".
A government bill was presented to the Dutch States-General
in 1905 for a revision of the constitution. Its purpose was to revise the laws of succession, and allow the governing body the right to select their own ruler in the event of Queen Wilhelmina dying childless. At the same time, it was proposed that Heinrich XXXII should be proclaimed Crown Prince of Holland, take up residence at the Hague, and become more familiar with the Dutch people. If the various parties involved refused, they proposed pursuing the bill and changing the succession so that they might choose a more agreeable candidate; the majority of the Dutch people were in favor of the latter plan.
In 1907, there were fears that Wilhelmina was going to abdicate in favor of her Saxe-Weimar cousins, as a clause in a recent legislative bill submitted to the Dutch parliament called for the exclusion from the succession of children born after the abdication of a sovereign. Such fears were misplaced however, as Wilhelmina later elaborated that she had no wish of abdicating, and that the legislation was directed at the widowed and childless Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, who, though well known to be considering giving up his claim to the throne, was considering marrying again; there would have been considerable confusion as a result were he to give up the succession claim in favor of his aunt Marie, only to later pass his claim onto any children he might have.
In 1909, the country's hopes were finally realized. After suffering numerous miscarriages, an heir, Crown Princess Juliana
was finally born to Queen Wilhelmina, thus securing the Dutch succession for another generation.
, coincidentally a cousin of Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld
, husband of Princess Juliana
. He was seventeen years older, and they were divorced the following year, on 18 February 1921. Two months later, Marie Adelheid subsequently remarried to Heinrich's youngest brother Prince Heinrich XXXV Reuss of Köstritz, producing one son before their divorce in 1923. Marie Adelheid would become a prominent Nazi socialite in later years, serving as an aide to Richard Walther Darré. Her choice of third husband, commoner Hanno Konopath, was in reaction to her first two unhappy marriages, and would reflect her changing views of a new nobility dictated not only by blood, but also support of certain ideals.
Prince Heinrich XXXII never remarried, and died childless on 6 May 1935, aged 57, at Bad Tölz
, Germany
.
Princess Marie Alexandrine of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
Princess Marie Alexandrine of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was the eldest daughter and second child of Charles Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and his wife Princess Sophie of the Netherlands.Through her mother, Marie was second-in-line to the Dutch throne after her nephew William Ernest, Grand...
.
As Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Wilhelmina was Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. She ruled the Netherlands for fifty-eight years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World War I and World War II, the economic crisis of 1933, and the decline of the Netherlands as a major colonial...
was childless for much of her marriage, Heinrich XXXII was third-in-line to the Dutch throne, after the claims of his cousin William Ernest, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
William Ernest, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
Wilhelm Ernst Karl Alexander Friedrich Heinrich Bernhard Albert Georg Hermann was the last Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.-Biography:...
and his mother Princess Marie Alexandrine
Princess Marie Alexandrine of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
Princess Marie Alexandrine of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was the eldest daughter and second child of Charles Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and his wife Princess Sophie of the Netherlands.Through her mother, Marie was second-in-line to the Dutch throne after her nephew William Ernest, Grand...
. William Ernest had made it clear however that he would not give up his title in favor of becoming king. Furthermore, Marie Alexandrine was elderly and prone to sickness. Thus it was assumed that she would give up her claim in favor of her eldest son, Heinrich XXXII. Consequently, Heinrich was for all intents and purposes the heir to the Dutch throne until the birth of Crown Princess Juliana
Juliana of the Netherlands
Juliana was the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands between 1948 and 1980. She was the only child of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Henry...
in 1909.
Family and early life
Prince Heinrich XXXII Reuss of Köstritz was born on 4 March 1878 in ConstantinopleConstantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, where his father was German ambassador there, and had previously been ambassador to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. The House of Reuss was one of Europe's oldest royal families, and Heinrich belonged to a younger branch of the family.
Dutch succession
Background
Through his maternal grandmother Princess Sophie of the NetherlandsPrincess Sophie of the Netherlands
Princess Sophie of the Netherlands was the only daughter of King William II of the Netherlands and of his wife Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna of Russia...
, Heinrich XXXII could claim descent from William II of the Netherlands
William II of the Netherlands
William II was King of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Duke of Limburg from 7 October 1840 until his death in 1849.- Early life and education :...
. As such, he was a second cousin of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Wilhelmina was Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. She ruled the Netherlands for fifty-eight years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World War I and World War II, the economic crisis of 1933, and the decline of the Netherlands as a major colonial...
, whose long length of childless marriage and miscarriages was increasingly causing speculation about the succession to the Dutch throne.
Heinrich's cousin William Ernest, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
William Ernest, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
Wilhelm Ernst Karl Alexander Friedrich Heinrich Bernhard Albert Georg Hermann was the last Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.-Biography:...
was for much of this period heir presumptive
Heir Presumptive
An heir presumptive or heiress presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir or heiress apparent or of a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question...
to the Dutch throne. However, the Dutch constitution explicitly prohibited their sovereign from a foreign house from holding another title. The Grand Duke had made it known on more than one occasion his preference for his own duchy versus inheriting the Netherlands crown, as the latter would have required a great deal more work and time. As a consequence, had William Ernest renounced his claim to the throne, his aunt Princess Marie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach would have stood next in line. As her eldest son, Heinrich XXXII would next have been in line. Princess Marie was an elderly widow however, and many press reports indicated that she would possibly be giving up her claim to the throne in favor of her eldest son. Heinrich had three younger brothers and a sister, who would have been next line after him. After Marie's children, Heinrich's aunt Princess Elisabeth Sybille of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
Princess Elisabeth Sybille of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
Princess Elisabeth Sybille of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was the first wife of Duke Johann Albrecht of Mecklenburg, Regent of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and of the Duchy of Brunswick.She was the daughter of Karl Alexander, Grand Duke of...
would have been next in line.
Education, military career, and travel
Heinrich was an officer of the Imperial German navy, holding the rank of lieutenant. As such, he traveled in 1905 to JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, as well to other countries across the world to fulfill his naval duties.
As the assumed heir to the Dutch throne, Heinrich XXXII traveled to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1906, journeying to San Francisco, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Washington D.C., among others. He was described as a very "democratic young nobleman", and was a guest of honor with the German ambassador Speck von Sternburg at the embassy in Washington. No room reservation had been made for him when he arrived at a hotel in Washington, and the desk clerk not recognizing him, asked Heinrich to sign his name in the guest book; this he did, signing "Prince Henry of Reuss, Belair, Md". One account described him as "one of the most democratic and interesting of all the younger royal sons of Europe".
While in the country, Heinrich met with many leaders in business and industry, and was seen to be profoundly interested in their work. After returning from abroad, Heinrich decided to further develop his interest in business, industry, and commerce. He soon quit the imperial navy. In the spring of 1907 after passing difficult entrance exams, he matriculated at the University of Cologne
University of Cologne
The University of Cologne is one of the oldest universities in Europe and, with over 44,000 students, one of the largest universities in Germany. The university is part of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, an association of Germany's leading research universities...
's School of Commerce to pursue business interests. The program was considered the most important business college on the continent. The university director, Prof. Eckert, noted in his inaugural address to students of Heinrich's presence, drawing attention to the fact that the prince's "resolve to devote himself to business pursuits, breaks the prejudice [of]...noble birth" being incompatible with "commercial gain". Eckert went on to say that the school had previously failed to attract young royalty because of its status as a "purely commercial university"; Heinrich's presence, he hoped, would encourage more members of royal families to attend at Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
. Heinrich's attendance did indeed attract a great deal of attention throughout Germany, as it was the first occasion that a member of one of the reigning houses in Europe joined a business college.
Popularity in the Netherlands
While pursuing his interests in commerce, Heinrich was still to all intents and purposes the heir to the Dutch throne, as his cousin William Ernest had now made it clear his desire to keep his current title, and pass his claim onto his elderly aunt Princess Marie of ReussPrincess Marie Alexandrine of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
Princess Marie Alexandrine of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was the eldest daughter and second child of Charles Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and his wife Princess Sophie of the Netherlands.Through her mother, Marie was second-in-line to the Dutch throne after her nephew William Ernest, Grand...
, Heinrich's mother. It was considered particularly interesting and appropriate that Heinrich would attend school for commerce and business because the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
was a country noted for both.
After his education was completed, it was expected that Heinrich would return to the United States for a stay of several months in order to apply his business lessons to practical application. Instead, Heinrich found employment at the German embassy in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. As a result of his education and character, Heinrich was well-known and well regarded in the Netherlands, and left a favorable impression when he stayed there. He was said to be modest, with artistic tastes and interests as a painter and sculptor; furthermore, he was an admirer of Dutch artists like Rembrandt and Franz Hals, which may have helped his popularity. Despite this, the Dutch people were still fervently hoping for the birth of an heir to Queen Wilhelmina, as evident in newspapers during that time. The Dutch treasured their neutrality in the face of war, and were thus fearful of German encroachment, especially since Heinrich himself had served in the Imperial navy, and had close ties to the Imperial family
House of Hohenzollern
The 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...
. One publication lamented that if the Queen were to remain childless, the Dutch Crown "was bound to pass into the possession of a German prince, whose birth, training, and affiliations would naturally have led him to bring Holland within the sphere of the German Empire, at the expense of her independence, both national and economic".
Constitutional issues and the birth of an heir
States-General of the Netherlands
The States-General of the Netherlands is the bicameral legislature of the Netherlands, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The parliament meets in at the Binnenhof in The Hague. The archaic Dutch word "staten" originally related to the feudal classes in which medieval...
in 1905 for a revision of the constitution. Its purpose was to revise the laws of succession, and allow the governing body the right to select their own ruler in the event of Queen Wilhelmina dying childless. At the same time, it was proposed that Heinrich XXXII should be proclaimed Crown Prince of Holland, take up residence at the Hague, and become more familiar with the Dutch people. If the various parties involved refused, they proposed pursuing the bill and changing the succession so that they might choose a more agreeable candidate; the majority of the Dutch people were in favor of the latter plan.
In 1907, there were fears that Wilhelmina was going to abdicate in favor of her Saxe-Weimar cousins, as a clause in a recent legislative bill submitted to the Dutch parliament called for the exclusion from the succession of children born after the abdication of a sovereign. Such fears were misplaced however, as Wilhelmina later elaborated that she had no wish of abdicating, and that the legislation was directed at the widowed and childless Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, who, though well known to be considering giving up his claim to the throne, was considering marrying again; there would have been considerable confusion as a result were he to give up the succession claim in favor of his aunt Marie, only to later pass his claim onto any children he might have.
In 1909, the country's hopes were finally realized. After suffering numerous miscarriages, an heir, Crown Princess Juliana
Juliana of the Netherlands
Juliana was the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands between 1948 and 1980. She was the only child of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Henry...
was finally born to Queen Wilhelmina, thus securing the Dutch succession for another generation.
Marriage
On 19 May 1920, Heinrich married Princess Marie Adelheid of Lippe-BiesterfeldPrincess Marie Adelheid of Lippe-Biesterfeld
Marie Adelheid of Lippe-Biesterfeld was a daughter of Prince Rudolf of Lippe-Biesterfeld and his wife Princess Luise of Ardeck....
, coincidentally a cousin of Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld
Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld
Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld , later Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, was prince consort of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and father of six children, including the current monarch Queen Beatrix....
, husband of Princess Juliana
Juliana of the Netherlands
Juliana was the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands between 1948 and 1980. She was the only child of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Henry...
. He was seventeen years older, and they were divorced the following year, on 18 February 1921. Two months later, Marie Adelheid subsequently remarried to Heinrich's youngest brother Prince Heinrich XXXV Reuss of Köstritz, producing one son before their divorce in 1923. Marie Adelheid would become a prominent Nazi socialite in later years, serving as an aide to Richard Walther Darré. Her choice of third husband, commoner Hanno Konopath, was in reaction to her first two unhappy marriages, and would reflect her changing views of a new nobility dictated not only by blood, but also support of certain ideals.
Prince Heinrich XXXII never remarried, and died childless on 6 May 1935, aged 57, at Bad Tölz
Bad Tölz
Bad Tölz is a town in Bavaria, Germany, and administrative center of the district of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen.- History :Since the retreat of the glaciers at the end of the Ice Age, archaeology has shown continuous occupation of the site of Bad Tölz...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.