Princess Margaret of Prussia
Encyclopedia
Princess Margaret of Prussia (Margarete Beatrice Feodora) (22 April 1872 – 22 January 1954) was a daughter of Frederick III, German Emperor
and Victoria, Princess Royal
. She married Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse
. In 1926 they became Landgrave
and Landgravine of Hesse. She lost three sons in both World Wars I
and II
.
, then heir of the German Empire and his wife, Victoria, Princess Royal
, Queen Victoria's eldest daughter. Born on 22 April 1872 in the Hohenzollern's New Palace
in Potsdam
, by the time the infant was christened, her head was covered with short hair like moss, from which she acquired her nickname "Mossy". Her godparent was Emperor Pedro II of Brazil
. She was named Margarethe Beatrice Feodora, and Margaret
, the Crown Princess of Italy, was her godmother.
Princess Margaret grew up amid great privilege and formality.
Together with her sisters, Princess Viktoria
and Princess Sophie, Margaret was deeply attached to her parents, forming an antagonist group to that of her eldest siblings, William II
, Princess Charlotte
and Prince Heinrich
. She remained close to her mother after the death of her father. Margaret was widely regarded as the most popular of Kaiser Wilhelm II's sisters, and she maintained good relations with a wide array of family members.
She was a first cousin of both King George V of the United Kingdom
and Empress Alexandra of Russia; both are grandchildren of Victoria.
.
When he did not reciprocate her affection, she moved on to her second choice, Max's close friend, Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse
, future head of the Hesse-Kassel dynasty and future elected King of Finland.
They were married on 25 January 1893 at the Hohenzollern Stadtschloss in Berlin
on the anniversary of her parents' wedding.
At the time of the wedding, Prince Frederick Charles was not the Head of the House of Hesse-Kassel
.
The position was held by his older and virtually blind brother Landgrave Alexander Friederich, who relinquished it in the mid-1920s in order to enter an unequal marriage.
Prince Frederick Charles, as was his title when he married, was addressed as His Highness, while Princess Margaret warranted Royal Highness. This disparity came to an end in 1925 when Frederick Charles became Landgrave of Hesse
and Head of the house of Hesse-Kassel.
They were distant relatives, his mother having also been a Prussian Princess. The marriage was very happy. Princess Margaret had a strong personality; she would always seem more secure and grounded than her husband.
The couple's main residence during the early years of marriage was Schloss Rumpenheim. In 1901, Princess Margaret inherited Schloss Friedrichshof at the death of her mother.
It was highly unconventional for a husband to reside in his wife's home. However, Margaret was committed to maintain the house of her mother which entailed a great expense and the family moved to Friedrichshof.
In 1918, Margaret's husband accepted the offer of the throne of newly-independent Finland
, but due to German misfortunes in World War I
, soon renounced it. She would have become the Queen of Finland. Her predecessor as Queen-Consort of Finland was her first cousin, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia
(who was also Grand Princess Consort of Finland).
. Prince Maximilian, Princess Margaret's second and favorite son, was serving near Aisne
when he was seriously wounded by machine gun fire in October 1914. He died soon afterward and his body was secretly buried in the village of Caestre by the local people, who learned he was the Kaiser's nephew. The priest refused to identify the grave until the Germans had left Belgium and a compensation was paid. Max's younger brother Wolfgang appealed for help to the British authorities, and eventually, after an enquiry was made, Maximilian's body was returned to his family. Princess Margaret's oldest son, Friedrich Wilhelm died on 12 September 1916 at Kara Orman in Romania
. He was killed in close fighting; his throat was slit by an enemy bayonet.
Two other sons, Philipp and Christoph, embraced Nazism, hoping that Hitler would one day restore the German monarchy. Philipp married Princess Mafalda, daughter of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
.
Due to his close relations with the King of Italy, Philipp was appointed in 1939 to Hitler's personal staff, since he could be a useful channel of communications between Nazi Germany
and Fascist Italy
. When he realized the reality of Nazism, he tried to resign, but he was not able to do so. He used his position and his money to provide passports for Jews and help them to escape to Holland. Publicly, he continued with his duties and occasionally he made private missions in Italy for Hitler. When Italy capitulated, he personally informed Hitler. Hitler's revenge recoiled on Philipp, who was imprisoned in a concentration camp for political prisoners. Mafalda was taken to Buchenwald, where she died of a haemorrhage caused by the amputation of her arm. Landgravine Margaret's fifth son, Christoph, was a staunch supporter of the German war effort, but after the Battle of Stalingrad
, he became frustrated by the limitations placed on his own role in the conflict, and increasingly critical of the German leadership. The Nazi regime turned against his family and he was planning to leave the Nazi party when, in 1943, he died in a plane crash. He was married to Princess Sophie of Greece
, a sister of Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II's husband. Landgravine Margaret also lost one of her daughters-in-law during the war. Wolfgang's wife, Princess Marie Alexandra, when she and seven other women who were aid workers were killed in a bomb attack on Frankfurt
on 29–30 January 1944.
The cellar in which they had taken refuge collapsed under the weight of the building, rendering Marie Alexandra's body barely recognizable.
Landgravine Margaret, very much the matriarch, was at the centre of her large and dynamic family. During and after World War II
, she took care of many of her grandchildren and tried to preserve a centre at Friedrichshof as their parents faced various tribulations.
who was preparing to remarry. Princess Sophia and Landgravine Margaret denounced it to the Frankfurt authorities; the culprits were imprisoned but not until August 1951; the Hesse family received what had been recovered, only 10 percent of what had been stolen.
Landgravine Margaret, the last surviving child of Emperor Frederick III
, died in Kronberg on 22 January 1954, 22 years after her husband and exactly 53 years to the day after her British grandmother Queen Victoria. She was 81 years old.
Frederick III, German Emperor
Frederick III was German Emperor and King of Prussia for 99 days in 1888, the Year of the Three Emperors. Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Karl known informally as Fritz, was the only son of Emperor William I and was raised in his family's tradition of military service...
and Victoria, Princess Royal
Victoria, Princess Royal
The Princess Victoria, Princess Royal was the eldest child of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert. She was created Princess Royal of the United Kingdom in 1841. She became German Empress and Queen of Prussia by marriage to German Emperor Frederick III...
. She married Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse
Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse
Frederick Charles Louis Constantine, Prince and Landgrave of Hesse , Friedrich Karl Ludwig Konstantin Prinz und Landgraf von Hessen-Kassel in German, was the brother-in-law of the German Emperor William II and the elected King of Finland from 9 October to 14 December 1918.-Early life:Frederick was...
. In 1926 they became Landgrave
Landgrave
Landgrave was a title used in the Holy Roman Empire and later on by its former territories. The title refers to a count who had feudal duty directly to the Holy Roman Emperor...
and Landgravine of Hesse. She lost three sons in both World Wars I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Early life
Princess Margaret of Prussia was the youngest of eight children born to Frederick III, German EmperorFrederick III, German Emperor
Frederick III was German Emperor and King of Prussia for 99 days in 1888, the Year of the Three Emperors. Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Karl known informally as Fritz, was the only son of Emperor William I and was raised in his family's tradition of military service...
, then heir of the German Empire and his wife, Victoria, Princess Royal
Victoria, Princess Royal
The Princess Victoria, Princess Royal was the eldest child of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert. She was created Princess Royal of the United Kingdom in 1841. She became German Empress and Queen of Prussia by marriage to German Emperor Frederick III...
, Queen Victoria's eldest daughter. Born on 22 April 1872 in the Hohenzollern's New Palace
New Palace (Potsdam)
The New Palace is a palace situated on the western side of the Sanssouci royal park in Potsdam, Germany. The building was begun in 1763, after the end of the Seven Years' War, under Frederick the Great and was completed in 1769...
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....
, by the time the infant was christened, her head was covered with short hair like moss, from which she acquired her nickname "Mossy". Her godparent was Emperor Pedro II of Brazil
Pedro II of Brazil
Dom Pedro II , nicknamed "the Magnanimous", was the second and last ruler of the Empire of Brazil, reigning for over 58 years. Born in Rio de Janeiro, he was the seventh child of Emperor Dom Pedro I of Brazil and Empress Dona Maria Leopoldina and thus a member of the Brazilian branch of...
. She was named Margarethe Beatrice Feodora, and Margaret
Margherita of Savoy
Margherita of Savoy , was the Queen consort of the Kingdom of Italy during the reign of her husband, Umberto I.-Family:...
, the Crown Princess of Italy, was her godmother.
Princess Margaret grew up amid great privilege and formality.
Together with her sisters, Princess Viktoria
Princess Viktoria of Prussia
Princess Viktoria of Prussia was the second daughter of Frederick III, German Emperor and his wife Victoria, Princess Royal, a daughter of Queen Victoria...
and Princess Sophie, Margaret was deeply attached to her parents, forming an antagonist group to that of her eldest siblings, William II
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...
, Princess Charlotte
Princess Charlotte of Prussia
Princess Charlotte of Prussia , Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen was the second child born to Prince Friedrich of Prussia and Princess Victoria...
and Prince Heinrich
Prince Heinrich of Prussia
Prince Henry of Prussia was a younger brother of German Emperor William II and a Prince of Prussia...
. She remained close to her mother after the death of her father. Margaret was widely regarded as the most popular of Kaiser Wilhelm II's sisters, and she maintained good relations with a wide array of family members.
She was a first cousin of both King George V of the United Kingdom
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
and Empress Alexandra of Russia; both are grandchildren of Victoria.
Marriage
Princess Margaret was first attracted to Prince Maximilian of BadenPrince Maximilian of Baden
Maximilian of Baden was a German prince and politician...
.
When he did not reciprocate her affection, she moved on to her second choice, Max's close friend, Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse
Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse
Frederick Charles Louis Constantine, Prince and Landgrave of Hesse , Friedrich Karl Ludwig Konstantin Prinz und Landgraf von Hessen-Kassel in German, was the brother-in-law of the German Emperor William II and the elected King of Finland from 9 October to 14 December 1918.-Early life:Frederick was...
, future head of the Hesse-Kassel dynasty and future elected King of Finland.
They were married on 25 January 1893 at the Hohenzollern Stadtschloss 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...
on the anniversary of her parents' wedding.
At the time of the wedding, Prince Frederick Charles was not the Head of the House of Hesse-Kassel
House of Hesse
The House of Hesse is a European royal dynasty from the region of Hesse, originally and still formally the House of Brabant.-History:The origins of the House of Hesse begin with the marriage of Sophie of Thuringia, daughter of Louis IV, Landgrave of Thuringia and Elizabeth of Hungary with Henry...
.
The position was held by his older and virtually blind brother Landgrave Alexander Friederich, who relinquished it in the mid-1920s in order to enter an unequal marriage.
Prince Frederick Charles, as was his title when he married, was addressed as His Highness, while Princess Margaret warranted Royal Highness. This disparity came to an end in 1925 when Frederick Charles became Landgrave of Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
and Head of the house of Hesse-Kassel.
They were distant relatives, his mother having also been a Prussian Princess. The marriage was very happy. Princess Margaret had a strong personality; she would always seem more secure and grounded than her husband.
The couple's main residence during the early years of marriage was Schloss Rumpenheim. In 1901, Princess Margaret inherited Schloss Friedrichshof at the death of her mother.
It was highly unconventional for a husband to reside in his wife's home. However, Margaret was committed to maintain the house of her mother which entailed a great expense and the family moved to Friedrichshof.
In 1918, Margaret's husband accepted the offer of the throne of newly-independent Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, but due to German misfortunes in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, soon renounced it. She would have become the Queen of Finland. Her predecessor as Queen-Consort of Finland was her first cousin, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia
Alexandra Fyodorovna of Hesse
Alix of Hesse and by Rhine later Alexandra Feodorovna Romanova , was Empress consort of Russia as spouse of Nicholas II, the last Emperor of the Russian Empire...
(who was also Grand Princess Consort of Finland).
Children
Landgravine Margaret and her husband Frederick Charles of Hesse had six children, including two sets of twins:- HH Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Hesse-Kassel (1893–1916), killed in actionKilled in actionKilled in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
WWI. - HH Prince Maximilian of Hesse-Kassel (20 October 1894–1914), killed in actionKilled in actionKilled in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
WWI. - HRH Prince Philipp of Hesse-Kassel (6 Nov 1896–25 Oct 1980 RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
), married on 23 Sept 1925 to HRH Princess Mafalda of Savoy (19 Nov 1902 RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
-28 Aug 1944), had issue. - HH Prince Wolfgang of Hesse-Kassel (1896–1989), married Princess Marie Alexandra of BadenPrincess Marie Alexandra of BadenPrincess Marie Alexandra of Baden was a Princess and Landgravine of Hesse and wife of the designated Crown Prince of Finland.-Family:...
, no issue. - HH Prince Richard Wilhelm Leopold of Hesse-Kassel (14 May 1901–11 Feb 1969).
- HH Prince Christoph of Hesse-Kassel (14 May 1901–11 Feb 1943), married Princess Sophie of Greece and DenmarkPrincess Sophie of Greece and DenmarkPrincess Sophie of Greece and Denmark was the fourth child and youngest daughter of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg, making her the elder sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
(26 June 1914 Mon Repos, CorfuCorfuCorfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
-24 Nov 2001 BavariaBavariaBavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
) on 13 Dec 1930 (civil) and 15 Dec 1930 (religious), had issue. Killed in actionKilled in actionKilled in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
WWII.
Family tragedies
Margaret's elder sons, Friedrich Wilhelm and Maximilian, were killed in action during World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Prince Maximilian, Princess Margaret's second and favorite son, was serving near Aisne
Aisne
Aisne is a department in the northern part of France named after the Aisne River.- History :Aisne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Île-de-France, Picardie, and Champagne.Most of the old...
when he was seriously wounded by machine gun fire in October 1914. He died soon afterward and his body was secretly buried in the village of Caestre by the local people, who learned he was the Kaiser's nephew. The priest refused to identify the grave until the Germans had left Belgium and a compensation was paid. Max's younger brother Wolfgang appealed for help to the British authorities, and eventually, after an enquiry was made, Maximilian's body was returned to his family. Princess Margaret's oldest son, Friedrich Wilhelm died on 12 September 1916 at Kara Orman in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. He was killed in close fighting; his throat was slit by an enemy bayonet.
Two other sons, Philipp and Christoph, embraced Nazism, hoping that Hitler would one day restore the German monarchy. Philipp married Princess Mafalda, daughter of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
Victor Emmanuel III was a member of the House of Savoy and King of Italy . In addition, he claimed the crowns of Ethiopia and Albania and claimed the titles Emperor of Ethiopia and King of Albania , which were unrecognised by the Great Powers...
.
Due to his close relations with the King of Italy, Philipp was appointed in 1939 to Hitler's personal staff, since he could be a useful channel of communications between Nazi 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...
and Fascist Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. When he realized the reality of Nazism, he tried to resign, but he was not able to do so. He used his position and his money to provide passports for Jews and help them to escape to Holland. Publicly, he continued with his duties and occasionally he made private missions in Italy for Hitler. When Italy capitulated, he personally informed Hitler. Hitler's revenge recoiled on Philipp, who was imprisoned in a concentration camp for political prisoners. Mafalda was taken to Buchenwald, where she died of a haemorrhage caused by the amputation of her arm. Landgravine Margaret's fifth son, Christoph, was a staunch supporter of the German war effort, but after the Battle of Stalingrad
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943...
, he became frustrated by the limitations placed on his own role in the conflict, and increasingly critical of the German leadership. The Nazi regime turned against his family and he was planning to leave the Nazi party when, in 1943, he died in a plane crash. He was married to Princess Sophie of Greece
Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark
Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark was the fourth child and youngest daughter of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg, making her the elder sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
, a sister of Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II's husband. Landgravine Margaret also lost one of her daughters-in-law during the war. Wolfgang's wife, Princess Marie Alexandra, when she and seven other women who were aid workers were killed in a bomb attack on Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
on 29–30 January 1944.
The cellar in which they had taken refuge collapsed under the weight of the building, rendering Marie Alexandra's body barely recognizable.
Landgravine Margaret, very much the matriarch, was at the centre of her large and dynamic family. During and after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, she took care of many of her grandchildren and tried to preserve a centre at Friedrichshof as their parents faced various tribulations.
Last years
Landgravine Margaret had difficult years after 1945; they were compounded by the theft from Schloss Friedrichshof in November 1945 of the family jewellery, valued at over 2 million pounds. After World War II, Friedrichshof was used as an officer's club by the military authorities during the American occupation. Princess Margaret's son Wolfgang, fearing for the jewels, had buried them in a subcellar of the castle. On 5 November 1945, the manager of the club, Captain Kathleen Nash, discovered the jewels and together with her future husband, Colonel Jack Durant, and Major David Watson, stole the treasure and took the jewels out of Germany. In early 1946, Princess Margaret discovered the theft when the family wanted to use the jewels for the wedding of Princess SophiaPrincess Sophie of Greece and Denmark
Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark was the fourth child and youngest daughter of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg, making her the elder sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
who was preparing to remarry. Princess Sophia and Landgravine Margaret denounced it to the Frankfurt authorities; the culprits were imprisoned but not until August 1951; the Hesse family received what had been recovered, only 10 percent of what had been stolen.
Landgravine Margaret, the last surviving child of Emperor Frederick III
Frederick III, German Emperor
Frederick III was German Emperor and King of Prussia for 99 days in 1888, the Year of the Three Emperors. Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Karl known informally as Fritz, was the only son of Emperor William I and was raised in his family's tradition of military service...
, died in Kronberg on 22 January 1954, 22 years after her husband and exactly 53 years to the day after her British grandmother Queen Victoria. She was 81 years old.
Titles and styles
- 22 April 1872 – 25 January 1893: Her Royal Highness Princess Margaret of Prussia
- 25 January 1893 – 15 March 1925: Her Royal Highness The Hereditary Princess of Hesse
- 9 October 1918 – 14 December 1918: Her Majesty The Queen of FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and KareliaKareliaKarelia , the land of the Karelian peoples, is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for Finland, Russia, and Sweden...
, Duchess of Åland, Grand Duchess of Lapland, Lady of KalevaKalevalaThe Kalevala is a 19th century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish and Karelian oral folklore and mythology.It is regarded as the national epic of Finland and is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature...
and the NorthPohjolaPohjola or Pohja is a location in Finnish mythology, sometimes translated in English as Northland or Pohjoland. It is one of the two main polarities in the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala, along with Kaleva or Väinölä. Its name is derived from the word pohjoinen meaning the compass point north... - 15 March 1925 – 28 May 1940: Her Royal Highness The Landgravine of Hesse
- 28 May 1940 – 22 January 1954: Her Royal Highness The Dowager Landgravine of Hesse