Charlotte of Schaumburg-Lippe
Charlotte of Schaumburg-Lippe | |
---|---|
Queen consort of Württemberg | |
Tenure | 6 October 1891 – 30 November 1918 |
Born | Schloss Ratiborschitz, Bohemia | 10 September 1864
Died | 16 July 1946 Bebenhausen | (aged 81)
Spouse | |
Calvinism |
Princess Charlotte of Schaumburg-Lippe (10 October 1864 – 16 July 1946) was
Biography
Early life
Charlotte was born in Schloss Ratiborschitz,
. Besides general cultural interests such as music and art she was also very keen on sporting pursuits such as swimming, tennis, cycling and - unusual for a woman of the time - skiing. She also had an extraordinary passion for hunting.Marriage
On 8 April 1886 she married the heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Württemberg, Crown Prince Wilhelm, who succeeded in 1891 as King William II of Württemberg (Wilhelm II. von Württemberg).[1] She was his second wife, and like her predecessor Princess Marie of Waldeck and Pyrmont was held to be of no political consequence. If the marriage had taken place for reasons of state - Wilhelm had no male heir - it was a miscalculation, as Charlotte produced no children.
As a princess of Württemberg she lived initially in
, which after the revolution of 1918 became Charlotte's permanent home.In 1890, William brought his new wife to England, where the Princess May of Teck commented, "We liked Charlotte very much, she is a good honest soul tho' rather too brusque, she seems to get on well with all the members of the Württemberg family which denotes great tact".[1]
Queen of Württemberg
King Wilhelm II enjoyed great popularity among his contemporaries, but Queen Charlotte's relationship with the people of Württemberg was by contrast very reserved, as appears from publications of the time in which a distinct enthusiasm towards the king is matched by an equally apparent coolness towards the queen. Her childlessness doubtless contributed to this, but by itself is not a sufficient explanation.
The principal reason appears to lie in Charlotte's perceived reluctance to carry out her public and ceremonial duties as it was felt she should have done. For example, she preferred to celebrate her birthdays in the privacy of Friedrichshafen rather than in visible togetherness with her subjects. She left the king mostly on his own to oversee military parades, and after a few years no longer accompanied him in the public celebration of the Kaiser's birthday. She was also not thought regal enough for her new position; the
Charlotte nevertheless displayed an interest in and openness towards some social causes, mostly to do with the benefit of women. As convention demanded, she took over from her predecessor the patronage of a large number of social and charitable organisations, among them the body of deaconesses (Diakonissenwesen), the Swabian Women's Union (Schwäbische Frauenverein), the Württemberg Savings Bank (Württembergische Sparkasse) and the Red Cross. Among these her interest was most noticeably engaged by those to do in some way with women's causes. She was not of course personally involved in the women's movement as such, but did demonstrate a willingness to further institutions that in various ways improved the lot and social position of women, lending her royal authority above all to support establishments that provided education and training to enable girls to be independent and to provide for themselves through their work. She showed a particular involvement as patron of the Württemberg Union of Women Painters (Württembergische Malerinnenverein) and the first humanistic Gymnasium for girls in Württemberg, the Charlottengymnasium in Stuttgart (today the Hölderlingymnasium).
Her support of the Malerinnenverein connects to her interest in art and culture. Together with her husband she was active in the country's cultural life and often went to the theatre and the opera.
After the
Queen Charlotte died at Bebenhausen on 16 July 1946 aged 82. She was not only the last Queen of Württemberg but the last surviving queen of any German state:
Ancestry
Ancestors of Charlotte of Schaumburg-Lippe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
References
Sources
- Lorenz, Mertens, Press (eds.), 1997: Das Haus Württemberg. Ein biographisches Lexikon, p. 335. Stuttgart; ISBN 3-17-013605-4
- Decker-Hauff, H, 1997: Frauen im Hause Württemberg, p. 276. DRW-Verlag: Leinfelden-Echterdingen ISBN 3-87181-390-7
- Pope-Hennessy, James (1959). Queen Mary 1867-1953. London: George Allen and Unwin Unlimited. ISBN 0-04-923025-5.
- Thomsen, S., 2006: Die württembergischen Königinnen: Charlotte Mathilde, Katharina, Pauline, Olga, Charlotte - ihr Leben und Wirken. Tübingen