Sophia of Prussia
Princess Sophie Dorothea Ulrike Alice of Prussia, VA ( born June 14, 1870 the New Palace in Potsdam, † January 13, 1932 in Frankfurt am Main ) was by marriage, Crown Princess of Greece and from 1913 to 1917 and again from 1920 to 1922 Queen of the Hellenes.
Life
Sophie, known to her family " sossy ", the third daughter of Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm (1831-1888, later Emperor Frederick III. ) And his wife Victoria (1840-1901), the eldest daughter (hence Princess Royal) was the British Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe- Coburg and Gotha. My paternal grandfather was the first German Emperor and King of Prussia Wilhelm I
The engagement with the Duke of Sparta, the Crown Prince Constantine (1868-1923), eldest son of the Greek King George I and his wife Olga Romanova Konstantinovna, née Grand Duchess of Russia, took place shortly after the death of her father. The wedding was celebrated on 27 October 1889 in Athens. Despite the clear consent of their grandmother, Queen Victoria, and her brother William II, her mother had great reservations about this connection: The Greek throne was uncertain and the country was considered underdeveloped.
From the marriage, which was regarded as harmonious and happy, went six children were born:
- George II (1890-1947), King of Greece ∞ 1921 Princess Elisabeth of Romania ( 1894-1956 )
- Alexander I (1893-1920), King of Greece Aspasia Manos ∞ 1919 ( 1896-1972 )
- Helena (1896-1982) ∞ 1921-28 Crown Prince Charles, the future King Charles II of Romania ( 1893-1953 )
- Paul (1901-1964), King of Greece ∞ 1938 Princess Frederica of Hanover ( 1917-1981 )
- Irene (1904-1974) ∞ 1939 Prince Aimone of Savoy, Duke of Spoleto ( 1900-1948 )
- Catherine (1913-2007) ∞ 1947 Richard Brandram ( 1911-1994 )
Sophie cared intensely about healthcare, hygienic improvements, the school system and the creation of job opportunities for women through the promotion of arts and crafts. In 1891, Sophie decided to convert to the Orthodox faith. This led to a break with her brother, Emperor Wilhelm II, this forbade his sister Sophie and their family to enter Germany. On the advice of the mother ignored this order, and gradually the relationship between the siblings returned to normal.
1913 was Sophie's father, King George I, assassinated and Constantine succeeded him on the throne. At first he was very popular, not least because of its success in the war against Turkey and Bulgaria. At the outbreak of WWI in 1914, Constantine was decided that Greece should remain neutral. The government and the Allies pushed forward to stand against Germany. Man accused the German king friendliness - and of course, it was assumed that the Queen supported her brother of Emperor Wilhelm II. The Royal Palace in Tatoi was destroyed by a fire and after the blockade of the Allies Constantine was forced to go into exile with his family in Switzerland. The eldest son, George, was also suspected of collaborating with the Germans, it was the second son, Alexander, who succeeded his father on the throne. In 1920 Alexander died, of blood poisoning following a monkey bite. Now, the third son, Paul, was asked to take over the throne. After he refused, Constantine was brought back after a change of government and a referendum from exile and enthusiastically welcomed by the people. However, this enthusiasm should be of short duration. After a failed campaign against Turkey Sophie and Constantine were again forced in 1922 to leave the country. The crown went to the eldest son, George, on. Constantine died a few weeks later of a cerebral hemorrhage in Palermo. In later years, Paul King was what he had rejected his father's lifetime. Thus, all three were sons Sophie kings of Greece.
Sophie spent her last years in Florence. She died on January 13, 1932 in Frankfurt am Main, where she was seeking treatment for her cancer. She was buried alongside her husband in the Greek Orthodox Church of Florence page. After the Restoration of the House of Glücksburg in November 1936, the coffins were transferred to Greece and buried in the cemetery of the royal palace in Tatoi.