OTD - 14 June 1870 - Sophia of Prussia
14 June 1870 marks the birth of Sophia of Prussia. This lovely event took place
at the New Palace in Potsdam near Berlin in Prussia (now a part of Germany).
Family
Sophia was the daughter of Frederick III (who became later German Emperor)
and Victoria, Princess Royal.
Sophia was thus a granddaughter of Queen Victoria of The United Kingdom.
Her paternal grandparents were Wilhelm I, German Emperor and
Princess Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.
Sophia was a member of the House of Hohenzollern.
Sophie was eleven years younger than her brother the future
Wilhelm II, German Emperor.
6 days after Sophia's birth, Napoleon III of France declared war to Prussia.
Childhood
Sophia was known as Sossy during her childhood. Two other brothers
Sigismund and Waldemar died during their childhood. This made that Sophia
and her sisters had a good bond with their mother Victoria. She was raised
with a great love for England and she made frequent visits to her grandmother
Victoria of the United Kingdom.
Love and Marriage
In the summer of 1887, Sophia of Prussia met Constantine 'Tino' of Greece.
Queen Victoria watched their growing relationship and she wrote:
"Is there a chance of Sophies marrying Tino? It would be very nice for
her, for he is very good."
In March 1888, after the funeral of Emperor Wilhelm I, Constantine stayed
in Berlin at the Hohenzolleren court. There they fell in love and their
engagement was announced on 3 September 1888. This was seen with lots of
suspicion by Sophia's elder brother Wilhelm I . It wasn't supported at all by
the Greek Royal Family because Sophia had a Lutheran faith.
The same year on 15 June 1888, one day after Sophia's B-Day, her father
Frederick III, German Emperor died of throat cancer.
However on 27 October 1889 Sophia married to Constantine of Greece in
Athens. They were third cousins in descent of Tsar Paul I of Russia and
second cousins from Frederick William III of Prussia.
After their wedding the royal couple moved to a small villa located on
Kifisias Avenue, while their Diadochos Palace was built for them.
Children
Sophia and Constantine had 6 children:
- King George II of Greece;
- King Alexander of Greece;
- Princess Helen of Greece and Denmark;
- King Paul of Greece;
- Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark;
- Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark.
She had lots of grandchildren inter alia:
Queen Alexandra of Yugoslavia;
Michael I of Romania;
Constantine I of Greece;
Queen Sofia of Spain;
Duty
Sophia tried to learn modern Greek and in less than nine months after the
marriage Sophia gave birth to a son. She called him George after his
grandfather. Sophia decided to give up her Lutheran faith and to take up
the Orthodox faith. The Greek Royal Family was delighted with this news.
Sophia went to Germany to tell her older brother Wilhelm (who was the chief
of the Lutheran faith in Germany) about her decision. He was displeased and
his wife Augusta Victoria as well. For three years the Emperor forbade his
sister to enter Germany. But Sophia converted from faith on 2 May 1891.
In Greece, Sophia did a lot of social work, just as her mother-in-law, Queen
Olga of Greece. She led many initiatives in the field of education, developed
hospitals and orphanages. She also helped to set up soup kitchens for the poor.
In 1897 the Thirty Years' War against the Ottomans broke out about Crete. This
ended in a defeat for Greece. Sophia and other members of the Greek Royal
Family helped with the Red Cross for the wounded soldiers.
After the War an anti monarchical movement was set up in Greece, while
Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany openly supported the Ottoman Empire.
The Greek population thought this was with the consent of his sister.
Constantine and Sophia chose to live outside the country. This took place in
1898. They went to Berlin. In 1899 Sophia and her husband returned to Greece.
On 22 January 1901, Queen Victoria died in Osborne House. Sophia traveled
to the United Kingdom as a representant of the Greek Royal Family.
Later, in the summer of 1901, Sophia went to Germany to look after her
mother , whos health continued to decline. She died on 5 August 1901.
In Greece the situation worsened inter alia due to the position of Crete.
The Royal Couple moved again to Germany and in Athens discussions about
the royal house of Glücksburg were made. They wanted to found a republic
instead of a monarchy.
Meanwhile there were problems between the royal couple. The first years the
marriage of Constantine and Sophie was harmonious but soon her husband
had lots of affairs. From 1912 the couple lived separated. Like her mother,
Sophia raised her children with a love for England.
In 1913, the First Balkan War ended with a defeat for the Ottoman Empire.
Greece was expanded.
On 18 March 1913, King George I of Greece was assassinated. Sophia was in
Athens were she learned that she was now Queen Consort of Greece.
On 4 august 1914 the First World War took place, Sophia was in Eastbourne
with several of her children, the Queen quickly returned to Greece.
Greece officially proclaimed its neutrality. But the people thought Sophia was
pro German. The King and the Queen were losing their support from the
country.
On 11 June 1917 the Greek Royal Family secretly left the palace. The next day
Constantine and Sophia left Greece. Their second son was now King. He
ruled as King Alexander I of Greece.
Sophia and their family moved to Switzerland. In Greece Alexander I was cut
off from his family.
On 25 October 1920 Alexander of Greece died and Constantine and Sophia
returned to their country. But this return didn't bring peace to the country.
Then the Greek-Turko war broke out. It ended with a Greek defeat in
August-September 1921, thousands of Greeks were murdered.
On 27 September 1922 King Constantine of Greece abdicated in favour of his
son George II of Greece.
On 11 January 1923, Constantine I of Greece died and Sophia found herself
more isolated than ever.
Sophia moved to Tuscany and there she was surrounded with some of her
children and grandchildren. There she found some stability.
In 1929 she went to Doorn, The Netherlands, for the 70th. B-Day of her
brother the former Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany.
In 1930 Sophia's health worsened and she went to a hospital in Frankfurt. She
became better and in 1931 she traveled to Great Britain, Bavaria and Venice.
But in September she went again to Frankfurt and her health went worse. She
was diagnosed with cancer.
Death
On 13 January 1932 Sophia died in Frankfurt. She was buried in Florence next
to her husband and her mother-in-law.
In 1936, with the restauration of King George II of Greece, Sophia's body and
the ones from other members of the Greek Royal Family were transferred to the
Tatoi Palace in Athens.
It was interesting to read and to learn more about Sophia of Prussia, who
became Queen Consort of Greece the more for the history of Greece.
Sophia also was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.
To learn more about her maternal family check these links:
Link 1
Link 2
Link 3
Source pictures: Wikipedia
at the New Palace in Potsdam near Berlin in Prussia (now a part of Germany).
Family
Sophia was the daughter of Frederick III (who became later German Emperor)
and Victoria, Princess Royal.
Sophia was thus a granddaughter of Queen Victoria of The United Kingdom.
Her paternal grandparents were Wilhelm I, German Emperor and
Princess Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.
Sophia was a member of the House of Hohenzollern.
Sophie was eleven years younger than her brother the future
Wilhelm II, German Emperor.
6 days after Sophia's birth, Napoleon III of France declared war to Prussia.
Childhood
Sophia was known as Sossy during her childhood. Two other brothers
Sigismund and Waldemar died during their childhood. This made that Sophia
and her sisters had a good bond with their mother Victoria. She was raised
with a great love for England and she made frequent visits to her grandmother
Victoria of the United Kingdom.
Love and Marriage
In the summer of 1887, Sophia of Prussia met Constantine 'Tino' of Greece.
Queen Victoria watched their growing relationship and she wrote:
"Is there a chance of Sophies marrying Tino? It would be very nice for
her, for he is very good."
In March 1888, after the funeral of Emperor Wilhelm I, Constantine stayed
in Berlin at the Hohenzolleren court. There they fell in love and their
engagement was announced on 3 September 1888. This was seen with lots of
suspicion by Sophia's elder brother Wilhelm I . It wasn't supported at all by
the Greek Royal Family because Sophia had a Lutheran faith.
The same year on 15 June 1888, one day after Sophia's B-Day, her father
Frederick III, German Emperor died of throat cancer.
However on 27 October 1889 Sophia married to Constantine of Greece in
Athens. They were third cousins in descent of Tsar Paul I of Russia and
second cousins from Frederick William III of Prussia.
After their wedding the royal couple moved to a small villa located on
Kifisias Avenue, while their Diadochos Palace was built for them.
Children
Sophia and Constantine had 6 children:
- King George II of Greece;
- King Alexander of Greece;
- Princess Helen of Greece and Denmark;
- King Paul of Greece;
- Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark;
- Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark.
She had lots of grandchildren inter alia:
Queen Alexandra of Yugoslavia;
Michael I of Romania;
Constantine I of Greece;
Queen Sofia of Spain;
Duty
Sophia tried to learn modern Greek and in less than nine months after the
marriage Sophia gave birth to a son. She called him George after his
grandfather. Sophia decided to give up her Lutheran faith and to take up
the Orthodox faith. The Greek Royal Family was delighted with this news.
Sophia went to Germany to tell her older brother Wilhelm (who was the chief
of the Lutheran faith in Germany) about her decision. He was displeased and
his wife Augusta Victoria as well. For three years the Emperor forbade his
sister to enter Germany. But Sophia converted from faith on 2 May 1891.
In Greece, Sophia did a lot of social work, just as her mother-in-law, Queen
Olga of Greece. She led many initiatives in the field of education, developed
hospitals and orphanages. She also helped to set up soup kitchens for the poor.
In 1897 the Thirty Years' War against the Ottomans broke out about Crete. This
ended in a defeat for Greece. Sophia and other members of the Greek Royal
Family helped with the Red Cross for the wounded soldiers.
After the War an anti monarchical movement was set up in Greece, while
Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany openly supported the Ottoman Empire.
The Greek population thought this was with the consent of his sister.
Constantine and Sophia chose to live outside the country. This took place in
1898. They went to Berlin. In 1899 Sophia and her husband returned to Greece.
On 22 January 1901, Queen Victoria died in Osborne House. Sophia traveled
to the United Kingdom as a representant of the Greek Royal Family.
Later, in the summer of 1901, Sophia went to Germany to look after her
mother , whos health continued to decline. She died on 5 August 1901.
In Greece the situation worsened inter alia due to the position of Crete.
The Royal Couple moved again to Germany and in Athens discussions about
the royal house of Glücksburg were made. They wanted to found a republic
instead of a monarchy.
Meanwhile there were problems between the royal couple. The first years the
marriage of Constantine and Sophie was harmonious but soon her husband
had lots of affairs. From 1912 the couple lived separated. Like her mother,
Sophia raised her children with a love for England.
In 1913, the First Balkan War ended with a defeat for the Ottoman Empire.
Greece was expanded.
On 18 March 1913, King George I of Greece was assassinated. Sophia was in
Athens were she learned that she was now Queen Consort of Greece.
On 4 august 1914 the First World War took place, Sophia was in Eastbourne
with several of her children, the Queen quickly returned to Greece.
Greece officially proclaimed its neutrality. But the people thought Sophia was
pro German. The King and the Queen were losing their support from the
country.
On 11 June 1917 the Greek Royal Family secretly left the palace. The next day
Constantine and Sophia left Greece. Their second son was now King. He
ruled as King Alexander I of Greece.
Sophia and their family moved to Switzerland. In Greece Alexander I was cut
off from his family.
On 25 October 1920 Alexander of Greece died and Constantine and Sophia
returned to their country. But this return didn't bring peace to the country.
Then the Greek-Turko war broke out. It ended with a Greek defeat in
August-September 1921, thousands of Greeks were murdered.
On 27 September 1922 King Constantine of Greece abdicated in favour of his
son George II of Greece.
On 11 January 1923, Constantine I of Greece died and Sophia found herself
more isolated than ever.
Sophia moved to Tuscany and there she was surrounded with some of her
children and grandchildren. There she found some stability.
In 1929 she went to Doorn, The Netherlands, for the 70th. B-Day of her
brother the former Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany.
In 1930 Sophia's health worsened and she went to a hospital in Frankfurt. She
became better and in 1931 she traveled to Great Britain, Bavaria and Venice.
But in September she went again to Frankfurt and her health went worse. She
was diagnosed with cancer.
Death
On 13 January 1932 Sophia died in Frankfurt. She was buried in Florence next
to her husband and her mother-in-law.
In 1936, with the restauration of King George II of Greece, Sophia's body and
the ones from other members of the Greek Royal Family were transferred to the
Tatoi Palace in Athens.
It was interesting to read and to learn more about Sophia of Prussia, who
became Queen Consort of Greece the more for the history of Greece.
Sophia also was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.
To learn more about her maternal family check these links:
Link 1
Link 2
Link 3
Source pictures: Wikipedia
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