Despite being so young, Vicky made an impression on Friedrich (Fritz), who was eleven years older.įour years later, in 1855, Fritz was invited back to England by Victoria and Albert for a visit to their Scottish home Balmoral. On a visit to the Great Exhibition, nine-year-old Vicky was allowed to accompany the group as a companion to Louise. Wilhelm and Augusta brought their two children, 20-year-old Friedrich and 13-year-old Louise. In 1851, Prince Wilhelm of Prussia (the future Wilhelm I, King of Prussia and German Emperor) and his wife Augusta were invited to London by Queen Victoria to visit the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park, which her husband Prince Albert was instrumental in organizing. Photograph taken at Balmoral to mark the Princess Royal’s engagement to Prince Friedrich of Prussia on SeptemFrom left to right: Prince Friedrich of Prussia, The Princess Royal, Prince Alfred (seated on the grass), Princess Alice, Princess Helena, Queen Victoria, Princess Louise, Prince Albert and The Prince of Wales Credit – Photograph by George Washington Wilson, The Royal Collection Trust His time at the University of Bonn helped solidify his liberal, reforming beliefs.įor more about Fritz, see Friedrich III, German Emperor, King of Prussia The Engagement Fritz interrupted his military training at the age of 18 to study history, politics, law, and public policy at the University of Bonn.

In addition, he also received a military education. Naturally, Fritz studied the traditional Hohenzollern areas of fencing, riding, gymnastics, and practical craft skills such as carpentry, book printing, and bookbinding. He had a talent for foreign languages, becoming fluent in English and French, and also studying Latin. He studied history, geography, physics, music, and religion. His younger sister Louise married Friedrich I, Grand Duke of Baden.įritz received both a military and a classical education. The elder of the two children of the future Wilhelm I, German Emperor, King of Prussia and his wife Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, he was given the names Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Karl but was known in the family as Fritz.

The future Friedrich III, German Emperor, King of Prussia was born at the Neues Palais in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany on October 18, 1831. However, once married and in Prussia, Vicky and her husband were politically isolated and their liberal and Anglophile views clashed with the authoritarian ideas of the Minister-President of Prussia, Otto von Bismarck.įor more about Vicky, see Unofficial Royalty: Victoria, Princess Royal, German Empress, Queen of Prussia Friedrich’s Early Lifeįriedrich, circa 1841 Credit – Wikipedia Both Prince Albert and Queen Victoria ardently hoped that Vicky’s marriage would make the ties between London and Berlin closer and lead to a unified and liberal Germany. Once Vicky was engaged to be married to her Prussian prince, her father Prince Albert personally taught her politics and modern European history and had her write essays about events in Prussia. All Vicky’s governesses and tutors were impressed with her intelligence. Later, Vicky studied science, literature, Latin, and history. Vicky started learning French with a French tutor when she was eighteen months old and then began learning German at age three. Named Victoria after her mother and called Vicky in the family, she was created Princess Royal shortly before her first birthday. The eldest of the nine children and the eldest of the five daughters of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was born on November 21, 1840, at Buckingham Palace, nine months after her parents’ marriage. Queen Victoria with her eldest child Victoria, Princess Royal circa 1845 Credit – Wikipedia

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