A biography of 'Vicky', Princess Royal of England, Queen Victoria's eldest child, and 'Fritz', Frederick III, German Emperor and King of Prussia. The great hope of German liberalism, he ascended the throne in March 1888 when stricken by cancer of the larynx and died three months later.
With the wedding in 1858 of Vicky, Princess Royal and Fritz, second in line to the throne of Prussia, hopes were high for a peaceful united Germany. However, four years later Bismarck was appointed Minister-President of Prussia and inaugurated an era of 'blood and iron'. The united Germany he brought about in 1871 was a very different proposition.
Vicky and Fritz's family life saw several tragedies. They lost the guidance of her father the Prince Consort at an unexpectedly early age, their eldest son William was born with a deformed left arm (he and his mother almost died in the process), and their two younger sons died in infancy.
When Frederick ascended the throne in March 1888, he was stricken with cancer of the larynx and died three months later. Had he lived longer and the accession of their unstable son William ('Kaiser Bill') been delayed, there would almost certainly have been no Great War. The widowed Empress died in 1901 and was thankfully spared the sight of England and Germany at war with each other.
Excerpt
A few weeks after her husband's death, Vicky had written of her certainty that one day there would be a reaction among the German people. While they would still praise the national virtues such as the readiness to sacrifice, the capacity for work, and the heroic deeds of their army, they would 'revolt against the poisonous spirit which is now spreading so widely - against the confusion of ideals and the ignoble sense, against idol worshipping, against blindness and delusion which seems to prevent any unprejudiced local judgment!' By then, she knew she would be resting in her grave and reunited in the world hereafter with her husband, 'and they will hardly know what we wanted, and how much we loved our fatherland for which we were permitted to do so little.'
Professional Reviews
A moving testament
The marriage between Queen Victoria's beloved, spirited eldest daughter Vicky and the gentle, cautious Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia eerily mirrored that of Victoria and Albert; both women adored their husbands, lost them, and spent the rest of their lives in mourning. Although this well-written, knowledgeable account follows the politics of the time and reveals the sad irony of Fritz's triumphant accession to the throne just before he died, its main strength is in charting the marriage. Together the couple watch several of their children die in infancy, having nursed them devotedly. With deaths, disappointments and illnesses, the book tells a tragic story, but it is a moving testament to a loving relationship.
- The Good Book Guide, Nov/Dec 2001
A book for every Muslim and everyone wishing to know about their way of life. The Diary of the Camp Manager at Mundihar following the South Asian Earthquake - October 2005. An account of life after the Earthquake in one of the largest of the 161 camp
Jack Kelly was a child performer, son of New York model, Nan Kelly, brother of actress, Nancy Kelly, brother-in-law of actor Edmond O'Brien and cinematographer Fred Jackman, Jr. On TV, from 1957 until 1962, he was James Garner's brother on the show,
