The Story of Princess Helena Victoria and Princess Marie Louise—Part 7: Marie Louise and the Kaiser

Princess Marie Louise was close to her
cousin Kaiser Wilhelm II

Princess Marie Louise nurtured a close relationship to her cousin, the Kaiser. In fact, he held a keen affection to the Christians. Amidst the ravages of World War I, the Kaiser had never forgotten to send a congratulatory note to her aunt during their 50th wedding anniversary. The telegram reached England via Sweden through his cousin, Crown Princess Margaret. As for Marie Louise, she referred to her cousin as sympathetic, cheerful, and warm.


While in Anhalt, the princess often went to Potsdam and had tea with the empress, whom Marie Louise found too stiff. Nevertheless, the two ladies nurtured a friendly and close relationship.  In her memoirs, Princess Marie Louise wrote:

“I want to give all...a true and quite different side to the character of that much-maligned man, William II, German Emperor. At heart he was pro-British, though not, I agree in his policy for there his country and its interests had, of necessity always to be first. He was devoted to his grandmother, Queen Victoria, and admired everything English....I can say in perfect truth that the Emperor did not want war. He was against the invasion of Belgium for two reasons – first, he did not wish Germany to break her word, she having guaranteed to neutrality of Belgium, and second that he knew it would bring this country [Britain] into the war. I can also say that when the Emperor saw the telegram sent to Serbia by Berchtold, he was terribly upset....”

“To return to the affection he had for my parents, the following fact will give you a very touching proof of what I am endeavouring to tell you. In 1916 my parents celebrated their golden wedding. I spite of the war, it was a very happy day...in the afternoon, while we were talking, the steward handed a telegram to my mother. It was from the Crown Princess of Sweden, Margaret, daughter of the Duke of Connaught. The telegram was as follows: “William asks me to transmit to you his loyal and devoted good wishes to dear Uncle Christian and Aunt Helena on the occasion of their golden wedding.”