Nicholas sympathized with the national aspirations of the Slavs and was anxious to win control of the Turkish straits but tempered his expansionist inclinations with a sincere desire to preserve peace among the Great Powers. It didnt mean he was present during her christening, though: Alexandrina was just one of the names her elder relatives chose and during the ceremony Alexander I was represented by her uncle, the Duke of York. The third major royal player in World War One, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, also had a very personal stake in things. It didnt take poison and several bullets to kill him. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Her son, Nicholas II of Russia, married Alix of Hesse and by Rhine, yet another granddaughter of Queen Victoria, on 26 November 1894, and she became empress-consort as Alexandra Feodorovna.Victoria, meanwhile, was the grandmother of an emperor, a king-emperor, four queens consort and an empress consort. He changed the German name of his House - Saxe-Coburg-Gotha - to the undeniably British one of Windsor. The most commonly cited example is the fact that Nicholas, his wife, Alexandra, and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany were all first cousins of King George V of the United Kingdom through Queen Victoria . Soon after his accession Nicholas proclaimed his uncompromising views in an address to liberal deputies from the zemstvos, the self-governing local assemblies, in which he dismissed as senseless dreams their aspirations to share in the work of government. After Nicholas II, George Vs first cousin, was overthrown from the Russian throne during the Revolution of 1917, the British Government offered Nicholas II and his family political asylum but George V opposed this decision, seeing the Romanovs presence in his country inappropriate. In pursuing the path of duty, Nicholas had to wage a continual struggle against himself, suppressing his natural indecisiveness and assuming a mask of self-confident resolution. It was a war that inflicted untold horrors on both countries. Queen Victorias Descendants Hardcover April 1, 1998. After Russia entered World War I, Nicholas left the capital to assume command of the army. They were overruled, however, and soon dismissed. He was indifferent to luxury. Inside the Romanovs and Windsors' Last Dinner, Holy Oil Ready For King Charles's Coronation, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. So Alexandra and Kaiser Wilhelm II were first cousins. Czar is the most common form in American usage and the one nearly always employed in the extended senses any tyrant or informally one in authority. But tsar is preferred by most scholars of Slavic studies as a more accurate transliteration of the Russian and is often found in scholarly writing with reference to one. One of her children ("Alix," or Alexandra) married the man who would become Tsar Nicholas II, emperor of Russia. The following year, Nicholas II was officially crowned as the tsar of Russia. Answer (1 of 13): King George V was a maternal first cousin of the Tsar and a paternal first cousin of the Kaiser. Corrections? "He loved the fresh air in any season and spent at least two hours in daily exercise out of doorsfour if he had the chance. Is Queen Elizabeth related to the Romanovs? For a totoal of 820 descendats, about 450 are alive today, residing all over the world. Eventually, distrust of the German Kaiser brings Victoria and the Tsar closer together. The emperor proved such a devoted family man that his journal entries, which were meant to log official affairs of state, instead focused on the everyday goings-on of his wife and kids. In December of that year, Nicholas IIs army was forced to surrender Port Arthur. The daughters were photographed wearing their favorite white dresses and large hats. Before it happened, can anyone blame this family of kings, or their subjects, for assuming that a war between these crowned cousins was all but impossible? When Nicholas II was 19 years old he joined the army. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. Updates? Historians have long speculated as to whether Nicholas IIs daughter, Anastasia, might have survived the shooting but in 2007, a DNA analysis conclusively identified her body. Portrait of Emperor Alexander I - Alexandrina Victoria was actually named after him. With a great big kiss for your lovely little face, she wrote George when he was a naval officer. King George V and his physically similar cousin Tsar Nicholas II in German military uniforms in Berlin, 1913. The main objective of Nicholas IIs foreign policy during his early reign was to maintain the status quo in Europe, rather than to conquer new territory. Wilhelms mother was the sister of Georges father; Georges mother and Nicholas mother were sisters from the Danish royal family. But storm clouds were gathering on this summer visit. What happens when Queen Victoria was queen. Uncle Bertie is in very good spirits and very friendly, almost too much so, Nicholas once complained in a letter to his mother, the Dowager Czarina Marie. Tsar Nicholas, his wife, and their children were eventually murdered in July 1918 as part of the Bolshevik Revolution. Never since the days of the ancien rgime of pre-revolutionary France had monarchy seemed so firmly entrenched. Her biographer Christopher Higgins quoted her regretting she was not a man and couldnt take part in the Crimean War. Any ambiguity of ownership was settled very simply after the revolution, for all the Romanov assets in Russia itself were seized by the Bolshevik government. With self-preservation being one of the chief motivations of monarchy, by 1910 Europe's sovereigns, or at least their advisers, had had the foresight to adapt themselves to the more liberal tenor of the times. This website uses cookies. Later, in the 1870s, when Russia won a war against the Ottoman Empire and London and St. Petersburg were on the brink of war, as the British feared Russia controlling the Middle East, Victoria said: You cant trust these Russians.. For the rulers of the world's three greatest nations - King George V of Great Britain and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia on the one hand, and the German Kaiser on the other - were not simply cousins . Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, King George V of Britain and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany were cousins. As the digital director for Town & Country, Caroline Hallemann covers culture, entertainment, and a range of other subjects, .css-1du65oy{color:#323232;display:block;font-family:NewParis,Georgia,Times,serif;font-weight:normal;margin-bottom:0.3125rem;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;-webkit-font-smoothing:auto;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-1du65oy:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-1du65oy{font-size:1.0625rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-1du65oy{font-size:1.0625rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-1du65oy{font-size:1.3125rem;line-height:1.2;}}Holy Oil Ready For King Charles's Coronation, Harry & Meghan Reportedly in Talks Over Frogmore, Charles & Camila Will Visit France & Germany, William & Kate Reunite with Norwegian Royals, Kate Recreated a Past Outfit for St. David's Day, Royals Confirmed to Attend Charles's Coronation. Crowns in Conflict by Theo Aronson (John Murray, 1986), Royal Sunset by Gordon Brook-Shepherd (Doubleday, 1987), Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert Massie (Gollancz, 1968), King George V by Kenneth Rose (Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1983), The Fall of the Dynasties by Edmond Taylor (Doubleday, I963). "The lamps are going out all over Europe, we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime," British Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey remarked on the eve of their entry into war on the side of Russia. His domestic life was serene. The Duma was slighted, and voluntary patriotic organizations were hampered in their efforts; the gulf between the ruling group and public opinion grew steadily wider. Nothing could better have symbolised the extraordinary early 20th-century flowering of European monarchy than this spectacular parade. All of those sentiments connected to Russia meant nothing to Victoria when compared to the political rivalry. He had received a military education from his tutor, and his tastes and interests were those of the average young Russian officers of his day. War and revolution in the ensuing decade heaped assassination, defeat and exile upon them. I know nothing of the business of ruling. Conservatives plotted Nicholass deposition in the hope of saving the monarchy. The power vacuum was filled by Alexandra, who elevated unqualified favourites like Rasputin and disregarded signs of impending revolution. Yet at first the monarchs of Europe did not take the incident too seriously. Behind the queen is a portrait of her deceased consort, Prince Albert, by German artist Franz Xaver Winterhalter. Two families sat down to dinner aboard the yacht Victoria and Albert on August 2nd, 1909, to be served an exquisitely prepared meal: cold quail, timbales of pear, and glace. The region had been in a state of ferment for years, and the assassination of the heir to the Hapsburg Empire, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, by a Serbian nationalist, was the culmination of a train of events leading inexorably to war. Queen Elizabeth is a great-great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Philip is Victoria's great-great-grandson. To some, the Romanovs personified wealth and privilege, with their palaces, art collections, and Faberge eggs. King George V and his physically similar cousin Tsar Nicholas II in German military uniforms in Berlin, 1913. His isolation was virtually complete. But on July 17, 1917, during the days of World War I, George V changed the name of the British royal house from the German-sounding House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to the House of Windsor. Nicholas II was the first cousin of King George V of England as both of their mothers Marie and Alexandra were the daughters of King Christian IX of Denmark. Trailed by anxious detectives, the two oldest, Olga and Tatiana, even ventured into the town of Cowes, buying postcards and trinkets in local shops. What was the Poor Law in the Victorian era? (family tree image by Marcia Underwood; see essay for image credits) Wilhelm's mother was the sister of George's father; George's mother and Nicholas' mother were . His daughter Marie became queen of Romania when she married Crown Prince Ferdinand (later, Ferdinand I). Czar Nicholas II of Russia with his cousin, Prince George, Duke of York. The extended family were puzzled by Alexandras controversial attachment to Rasputin, but the Russian couple would hear no criticism of Father Grigori. How were the Tsar and King George related? In 1881, when Nicholas II was 13 years old, his grandfather, Alexander II, was assassinated by a revolutionary bomber. Is Prince Andrew Moving to Frogmore Cottage? The Romanovs were forced to go to Siberia, and there they died. So the Russian Imperial family was left to its fate. Nicholas II was married to Alexandra Fedorovna, Queen Victoria's granddaughter, but not only that. Nickie and Georgie jokingly commemorated their resemblance on the Isle of Wight, photographed side by side and arm in arm, wearing yachting suits. In the main, it was those sovereigns without personal power who kept their thrones, and those wielding too much power who lost them. Tsar Nicholas ll and his children Grand Duchess Olga, Grand Duchess Tatiana, Grand Duchess Maria, Grand Duchess Anastasia, and Tsarevich Alexei aboard their royal yacht in 1911. Nicholas II was an uncompromising autocrat, and this stance helped provoke the Russian Revolution of 1905. Her relatives were murdered by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Revolution in 1918, and she was a distant cousin of Russia's last tsar, Nicholas II. Did Duchess Anastasia Survive Her Familys Execution? Tsar Nicholas Ii Queen Victoria. Despite all that was happening, Nicholas II managed to marry Princess Alix of Hesse-Darmstadt (commonly known as .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Alexandra) within a month of Alexander IIIs passing. Nicholas was also married to Alexandra, daughter of Alexander . His view of his role as autocrat was childishly simple: he derived his authority from God, to whom alone he was responsible, and it was his sacred duty to preserve his absolute power intact. He had few intellectual pretensions but delighted in physical exercise and the trappings of army life: uniforms, insignia, parades. A new episode of The Crown delves into the bonds between the two families. Prince Andrew Romanoff (born Andrew Andreevich Romanov; 21 January 1923), a grand-nephew of Nicholas II, and a great-great-grandson of Nicholas I, is currently the Head of the House of Romanov.Currently, Andrew Andreevich lives with his wife, the American painter Inez Storer, in Inverness, California. One can appreciate why Kaiser Wilhelm II, at the outbreak of war in 1914, exclaimed that 'Nicky' had 'played him false'. This was the occasion of the celebrated Parade of Kings, when over 50 royal horsemen - a swaggering cavalcade of emperors, kings, crown princes, archdukes, grand dukes and princes - followed the slowly trundling coffin through the streets of London. Young Alexander II, back then - tsarevich and heir to the Russian throne. The younger sister of Alexandra, Queen Consort of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, Dagmar of Denmark (1847-1928) married the future Tsar Alexander III on 9 November 1866. When he tried to get home to Petrograd, the Duma (the elected legislature), which had by then turned on him, prevented him from boarding the train. Accordingly, the German titles of all kings relatives were relinquished instead, George V created his male relatives British equivalents. How Prince Harry Is Related to the Romanovs, The True Story of the Romanov Family's Execution, Modern Descendants of the Russian Royal Family, Holy Oil Ready For King Charles's Coronation, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, his wife Alexandra, and their five children, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Nicholas II, Russian in full Nikolay Aleksandrovich, (born May 6 [May 18, New Style], 1868, Tsarskoye Selo [now Pushkin], near St. Petersburg, Russiadied July 17, 1918, Yekaterinburg), the last Russian emperor (18941917), who, with his wife, Alexandra, and their children, was killed by the Bolsheviks after the October Revolution. Family was family. .css-1du65oy{color:#323232;display:block;font-family:NewParis,Georgia,Times,serif;font-weight:normal;margin-bottom:0.3125rem;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;-webkit-font-smoothing:auto;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-1du65oy:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-1du65oy{font-size:1.0625rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-1du65oy{font-size:1.0625rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-1du65oy{font-size:1.3125rem;line-height:1.2;}}Holy Oil Ready For King Charles's Coronation, Harry & Meghan Reportedly in Talks Over Frogmore, Charles & Camila Will Visit France & Germany, William & Kate Reunite with Norwegian Royals, Kate Recreated a Past Outfit for St. David's Day, Royals Confirmed to Attend Charles's Coronation. Emeritus Professor of Russian History, University of Toronto. In such cases Nicholas generally hesitated but ultimately yielded to Alexandras pressure. Rendering them unassailable (or so they fondly imagined) was the fact that the monarchs of Europe were all closely related. Tel: 020 7416 5320 Embracing the story of modern warfare, the IWM is particularly strong on World War One. Identical cousins! Neither by upbringing nor by temperament was Nicholas fitted for the complex tasks that awaited him as autocratic ruler of a vast empire. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! Read MacMillans essay to learn much more about the lessons of 1914 for our age. After the Duma elected their own provisional committee built of progressive bloc members, and the soldiers sent to quash the St. Petersburg riots mutinied, Nicholas II had no other choice but to step down from the monarchy. The demonstrators appealed to Nicholas II to improve working conditions and establish a popular assembly. A grotesque situation resulted: in the midst of a desperate struggle for national survival, competent ministers and officials were dismissed and replaced by worthless nominees of Rasputin. I was devoted to Nicky, who was the kindest of men and thorough gentleman: loved his country and people.. Between 2015 and 2019, I published a total of . She was a poor relation until, in something of a Cinderella story, she became engaged to the oldest son of Edward VI, the Duke of Clarence, and, after he died suddenly of pneumonia, married the second son, George. Not knowing Marie, and realizing that there may still be many difficulties, my thoughts and feelings are rather mixed, Victoria wrote in her diary. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Here was a moment of supreme monarchical glory. The emperor, mild of manner, was tough as old boots. Under her influence he sought the advice of spiritualists and faith healers, most notably Grigori Rasputin, who eventually acquired great power over the imperial couple. King Constantine II of Greece's great-grandmother was a Romanov grand duchess for example, and so the Greek royals, including Princess Olympia, are all distant relatives of the Romanov family as well. How is Queen Elizabeth related to Tsar Nicholas? Philip's children and grandchildren, including William and Harry, are therefore related to the Romanovs too. Back in Russia, the devout Alexandra had already come under the influence of the monk Grigori Rasputin, a holy man who alone seemed able to bring Alexei relief when he was in an acute phase. This website uses cookies. Such down-to-earth delights were not to be enjoyed by their mother, the Czarina Alexandra, who had a bad headache on and off during the visit, and also suffered from a weak heart. But perhaps her greatest source of discomfort was her nerves. The Isle of Wight visit may have called for grander meals than Nicholas liked and more family demands than Alexandra could easily cope with. Born in Madrid, Romanov is the son of Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna Romanova, the self-proclaimed heir to Russias imperial throne. Alongside his cousin the Grandmother of Europe, Christian IX earned the nickname the "Father-in-Law of Europe." The Nine (Ten) Sovereigns Of Victoria And Christian The four-day visit was far from the first meeting of these two royal families. * this post has been amended to further clarify the cousin relationships among these men. *, (family tree image by Marcia Underwood; seeessay for image credits). After its ambitions in the Far East were checked by Japan, Russia turned its attention to the Balkans. Alternatively, Prince Philip, who was born on 10June 1921 on the Greek island of Corfu to Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg, is related to Queen Victoria through his mothers side. Rather than gamble, consume nine-course meals, and chase women, as his father did, George, shy and conservative, preferred the life of a country gentleman. Get the week's best stories straight to your inbox. Weak as water was the private opinion Edward VII held of his nephew, while the shy and reserved Nicholas felt that the gregarious King Edward patronized him. A faithful husband, George was obsessed with stamp collecting and shooting birds. But Wilhem was the grandson of Queen Victoria. Over the course of WWI, Russia endured major losses and was subject to extreme poverty and high inflation. On July 16, 1918, imprisoned Czar Nicholas II, his wife, and their five children were awoken in the middle of the night and led down to a basement room. Nevertheless, while Alix lived in Germany, Victorias influence wasnt overwhelming, so the queen had to tolerate her relatives decision once again. In his absence, the empress grew increasingly withdrawn and ever more dependent on Rasputin, who heavily influenced her political view on matters at home. Season five, episode six of .css-gegin5{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#9a0500;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-gegin5:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}The Crown, Ipatiev House, focuses on the relationship between the British royal family and the Romanovs, and how Prince Philip's DNA helped to identify the Romanovs' remains. Wilhelm was born on the 27th of January 1859 in Berlin, Prussia. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. In April 1915 the equally irresolute Tsar Nicholas II took the fatal step of assuming personal command of the army. He strove to regain his former powers and ensured that in the new Fundamental Laws (May 1906) he was still designated an autocrat. This was inspired by the whole anti-German sentiment in the United Kingdom during World War I. Even if it was true, it could not lead anywhere, as Russia and Great Britain were two rivaling countries in Europe: Alexander went back to St. Petersburg and Victoria married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, who would end up dying in 1861, leaving her in mourning for the rest of her life. Desperate to find an effective treatment for Alexei, Nicholas II and Alexandra even went so far as to let the monk Rasputin hypnotize the boy. In the nineteenth century, many members of the European royal families were closely related to each other. Instead, World War One proved once and for all that the family ties between the reigning houses of Europe were more or less irrelevant. On January 5, 1905, Father George Gapon led a sizable but peaceful demonstration of workers in St. Petersburg. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The table, set for 44 guests, was dotted with vases of red roses. When World War I broke out in 1914, the conflict quickly became "a savage rebuke to the idea that close familial links . why so many soldiers survived the trenches. His trousers were on the scruffy side and his boots were dilapidated. The Russian tsar Nicholas II was assassinated with his family by the Bolsheviks in 1918, and he is regarded as the country's last tsar. But it was also a deeply personal event. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Christian's lines of descent in Greece and Britain are how current British monarch Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip are related to one another, and to Victoria. Learn how Bloody Sunday of 1905 and the outbreak of World War I led to the collapse of the reign of Tsar Nicholas Romanov. By the spring of 1905, his fleet was decimated in the Battle of Tsushima. Its hard to say something definite about their relations but rumors were that the two young people had fallen for each other. Author of. Even had the invitation not been withdrawn, historians agree that its doubtful the Bolsheviks would ever have allowed Nicholas to leave Russia. The British and the French fought alongside the Turks against the Russian army. Queen Victoria was sometimes called the Grandmamma of Europe, and there was hardly a Continental court that did not boast at least one of her relations. The parents joy soon turned to concern as Alexei was diagnosed with hemophilia. The last Russian tsar, Nicholas II, was executed by the Soviet government in 1918. George and Nickys mothers, Alexandra and Dagmar, were sisters, which explains why they looked so alike. It wasnt Queen Victoria who shaped the British foreign policy, as she relied on her governmental leaders, but she strongly supported the anti-Russian cause. January 22 is the anniversary of Queen Victoria's death in 1901. Prince George, arriving with his parents on the Victoria and Albert, brought his wife, Mary of Teck, their daughter, Mary, and their oldest son, 15-year-old David. Nicholas II and George V were first cousins through their mothers, both Danish princesses and sisters who made grand marriages. Every item on this page was chosen by a Town & Country editor. Mary adapted to the simple tastes of her husband and to the difficult demands of her in-laws. BBC 2014 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Alexandra Feodorovna ( Russian: ; 6 June [ O.S. Her son, Nicholas II of Russia, married Alix of Hesse and by Rhine, yet another granddaughter of Queen Victoria, on 26 November 1894, and she became empress-consort as Alexandra Feodorovna. Nicholas and Alexandra were keeping Alexeis hemophilia a secret from everyone outside the immediate family, including their English relatives. To prevent exposure of the scandalous hold Rasputin had on the imperial family, Nicholas interfered arbitrarily in matters properly within the competence of the Holy Synod, backing reactionary elements against those concerned about the Orthodox churchs prestige. In fact, it is Queen Victoria's connection to the Romanov's that links many members of European royal families to the doomed Russian royals. All Rights Reserved. She was followed by a third, named Maria, in 1899 and a fourth, named Anastasia, in 1901. This means he is King George V's first cousin. Without the support of either the politicians or the generals, the Tsar had to submit. For food, he favored simple Russian dishes like beetroot soup, cabbage soup, or porridge.. House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and the last Romanovs are related through 2 people. Yet on formal occasions he felt ill at ease. He was another first cousin of George V, whose mother, Alexandra of Denmark, was the sister of the Tsars mother, Dagmar of Denmark. Prince Michael is related to the last Tsar through his maternal grandmother, Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna. 3- Heavy taxes on peasants. On the night of July 16-17, 1918, Nicholas II and his family were murdered by Bolsheviks under Vladimir Lenin, in Yekaterinburg, Russia . What happened to these priceless Romanov tiaras after 1917 Revolution? In fact, when the remains of two children thought to be Maria and Alexei Romanov were found in a field in 2007, it was Prince Philip's DNA that was used to identify them, news which was revealed in 2016. Kaiser Wilhelm II (Willie) was particularly assiduous in keeping touch with his cousins Georgie and Nicky. He called her Motherdear and never seems to have craved an emotional boundary. Because Alexandra was originally from Germany, suspicion spread that she might have even deliberately sabotaged Russia, ensuring its defeat in the war. Once he ascended the throne, Nicholas II had to marry and have children expediently, in order to secure a future heir to the throne. Kate Middleton Makes the Case for Houndstooth. His attempt to maintain and strengthen Russian influence in Korea, where Japan also had a foothold, was partly responsible for the Russo-Japanese War (190405). Although he was the crown prince of Russia, while in the military he attended few political meetings except for those held by the state council and the committee of ministers. In fact, he confessed to a close friend, "I am not prepared to be a tsar. Although a figure in the public eye, Empress Alexandra was something of a homebody, who preferred to spend the majority of her time at the palace at Tsarskoe Selo. Although, technically, Franz Joseph, Nicholas II and Wilhelm II could perhaps have curtailed the coming hostilities, they were at the mercy of more powerful forces: the generals, the politicians, the arms manufacturers, and the relentless timetables of mobilisation. The British sovereign, in the person of King George V, handled things much better. What may have played a part was that Alexandra, when young, was an ethereal beauty with blonde hair tumbling down to her waist. Kaiser Wihelm's mother was Victoria, the eldest daughter of Queen Victoria. Though he possessed great personal charm, he was by nature timid; he shunned close contact with his subjects, preferring the privacy of his family circle.