Disney Prussia: The Braunschweig Version
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rheinsbergContinuing on the note of "contemporary envoy reports are a gold mine", we give you the 1728 - 1733 reports of Wilhelm Stratemann, envoy of the Duchy Braunschweig/Brunswick, whose employers would end up marrying three of their offspring to three of FW's children (Fritz marries Elisabeth Christine, AW marries Louise, Charlotte marries the next Duke of Brunswick), on the fateful years when Hohenzollern family life went from dysfunctional to death sentences for boyfriends and intermittent imprisonment for the oldest son and daughter, respectively. The way Stratemann spins this saga into the most wholesome FW praising account any envoy (including FW's pal Seckendorff, the Imperial envoy at the time) has given yet is something to behold. Furtherly, bear mind this edition of the reports, edited by one Richard Wolff, was published before World War One, which meant that Hohenzollern censorship still applied. This said, Stratemann, with his detailed focus on royal family stories and lack of access to hardcore secret political negotiations, does provide a treasure trove of what would later be called "human interest" stories and useful details on anything from how FW and family celebrated Christmas to the seating chart of Wilhelmine's wedding banquet.
Says Wolff the editor in his introduction:
A fairly clear picture of the personality of Wilhelm Stratemann can be drawn from his letters to Wolfenbüttel Minister Hieronymus von Münchhausen, from the appointment files in the Berlin secret state archive and from the reports themselves. For the first time he appears in the Berlin address calendar of 1706. He must have been in good financial circumstances, because he lived in his own house on Spandauer Strasse, at that time one of the most prestigious streets in the city, until the end of his life released from practicing law in 1718, but retained its privileges and immunities in recognition of his previous good service. Even then he seems to have been drawn into political missions; for, as we learn from Stratemann's later letters, he was used by the king to deal with an unspecified matter in Vienna and elsewhere. The King mentions these services his patent from June 15, 1719, through which he appoints Stratemann as a Prussian court and legation councilor. Soon afterwards, Stratemann must also have been employed by the neighboring court in Brunswick and Wolfenbüttel. He entered into a firm relationship with this court on December 23, 1723, when Duke August Wilhelm of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel appointed him resident and legation councilor at the Berlin court. He was supposed to, as the ducal appointment says: “especially observe matters which arise in the Prussian court at all times with the utmost diligence, loyalty and care(...) Stratemann must have understood how, thanks to his good relations in Berlin, always to satisfy the Brunswick government; because in the subsequent repeated change of government, the credits that were issued each time always boasted of his many years of loyal service to the Brunswick state. The continued increase in his salary (while he had to be content with 200 Reichstalers at first, his annual income from the Brunswick State Coffers finally rose to 700 Talers) and his appointment to the Secret Legation Council on May 26, 1734, show that he was respectful to the Brunswick court Had served. He died on January 1, 1739, at the age of more than 72 years.
Lucky him, because then Fritz became King, and a lot of assumptions were overthrown.
That Stratemann actually was a Prussian, not a Braunschweig subject also explains a lot. His plays as appointed envoy from a Duchy is distinctly lower on the hacking order than all the previous envoys, unsuprisingly, since Braunschweig/Brunswick is another principality in the HRE, not a completely sovereign nation like Denmark or England. Even Saxony is different, due to its Elector also being the King of Poland at the time. So S. is either ultra cautious or really not so much in loop as the others, thought I at first (until getting to Katte's execution). There's no report on any friction between Fritz and FW until January 1730, and then it's very cryptic and only identifiable by footnote with the editor saying this is probably a hint of that. S. is the envoy equivalent of the kind of (old fashioned, not today's) conservative tabloid that writes cute family stories about the Royals and would never, or hardly ever, report anything nasty. So we hear what little Heinrich, age 4, gave SD as a birthday present (a china tea pot - I take it this was selected for him by someone else), or how the wetnurse for baby Ferdinand was selected (which I did find interesting), but nothing at all about FW shouting at his son (and oldest daughter), let alone manhandling or publicly humiliating him. As late as August 18th, S. only knows Katte was arrested "for corresponding with a person of high rank".
Then, after Fritz' arrest is really really public, he keeps reporting rumors that he's about to be forgiven by Dad just the next few days, in September that Katte managed to clear himself almost totally and is facing just a few years of arrest, max. Wilhelmine is consistently reported sick for the remainder of 1730, that's the explanation S. keeps giving for why no one is allowed to see her anymore. She's in a bad state of health. Home arrest, what home arrest? On October 14th, he's noticed the messengers being sent from Wusterhausen to Köpenick (where the war tribunal was held) and back and optimistically concludes FW wants to reopen the palace at Köpenick as Fritz' new residence and forgiveness is really really imminent now. He also has heard that the tribunal wanted to deliver an ultra strict sentence on Katte, but FW, being the merciful King he is, has intervened and provided mercy and will soon declare Katte's pardon.
Just when I was ready to conclude he just doesn't have luck with his spies and paid informants, I check out the November entries, and lo, not only does S. provide a pretty accurate report of the execution, complete with dialogue between Fritz and Katte, but he also, near the end of November (25th) in another entry, has read the three letters Katte wrote (to the King, to his father and to his grandfather) in copies. (He still insists on lightside FW, saying that the King read Katte's letter only two days ago but bitterly regrets it and swears he'd totally have pardoned Katte if he had read it first.) (He also says Hans Heinrich has offered his resignation, and so has Katte's superior Natzmer, but that FW refused to accept it and on the contrary that the Katte family is in for some favors.) And then in December we get back to rumors of Fritz' imminent return to parental favor and neighbourhood, i.e. evidently false intelligence, plus detailed stories about caring pater familias FW and the royal children. So how come his intel on the execution is suddenly dead on? S., you are a man of mystery.
But before getting to the Katte relevant reports, let's have some pre-escape attempt wholesome family life. As mentioned, Strateman got his political intel generally either via rumors or as crumbs from Seckendorff whom he tried to hang out with as often as he could, and thus it's frequently slightly or strongly off the mark. Otoh, he clearly did have a source among the staff in the royal household, whom I have identified based on several factors listed below as the governess of the Princess Sophie (and her two younger sisters, Ulrike and Amalie), and thus anything that happens with the kids is usually first hand. It is pronounced how he flings himself into these stories as opposed to reporting anything like that the other envoys (say, Suhm for Saxony or Dickens for Great Britain) report about the father/ oldest son or husband/wife clashes. So instead of stories about Fritz getting yelled at, you get stories about AW getting gifted with miniature canons and indulged in his love for fireworks. Until it really, really becomes unavoidable to report something else, what with a locked up Crown Prince.
Which isn't to say there's no dark stuff reported at all until then. Stratemann in general recordss incidents with members of the army and the staff; in 1728, two unlucky pages to bring forgot FW's overcoat along on a parade, and it rained. They had to stand for four hours on the block in a public square in shame. In 1730, one Potsdam Giant committed suicide in the room where the tobacco parliament was held (obviously not while it was in session) by hanging himself, because he had been publicly humiliated by his superior officer, and FW was incensed and ordered his body being dragged through the streets and thrown on the dungheap; the guy was born in Tyrol and a Catholic, says our envoy, which makes me conclude he must have been kidnapped.
There's a lot about the squashed desertion/rebellion among the Long Fellows in early 1730 and the various gruesome executions; Stratemann being the Pollyanna of envoys, he says later when reporting on SD's bad state during the last months of her pregnancy (I'll get to this) that clearly, the Queen is distressed because she was so worried about her husband and son being in danger from those evil conspirators.
Actual comment from Fritz on this incident:
It is said that the Crown Prince confessed to his confidant, literally: If it was up to me, I'd open all the gates at Potsdam and would announce: now all the scoundrels can go wherever they please and run, honest men could stay, and would be rewarded according to their merits and behavior in the future.
(This reminds me of a famous King Fritz speech just before Leuthen.)
Back to August 21st 1728, where there's a telling Fritz anecdote reported, apropos the portrait painted of the Russian princess Natalya which is making the rounds in Potsdam:
It was said to the Crown Prince on the 11th in jest: this princess could be a bride for him. He, however, replied: He wouldn't think of a bride for many years more, but if he had to choose one, he wouldn't allow himself to be dictated to. He would hope that his Majesty his father could imagine how he'd have liked it to get a wife forced on him against his will and would have to marry her.
There is a lot of talk in 1729 that Fritz would be allowed to travel to France and Italy, but nothing came out of it. Equally in October 1729, rumor has it the recalled Suhm has ended up at the Fortress Königstein (I've been there, check out the photos, and Stratemann observes philosophically that if true, this would not be surprising, since Suhm was "a creature of Minister Flemming" and when there's a change of minister people often fall; now, Flemming was August's most important minister and majorly responsible of Countess' Cosel's downfall back in the day as he hated her and intrigued against her; the incoming new prime minister was the famous Count Brühl, whose houses Fritz will licence for plunder and whose wife he'll clash with in the 7 Years War.
Dr. Willers, according to Stratemann the guy who taught both Wilhelmine and Fritz in English in preparation for their marriages, is sent away (with honors) from Potsdam in February 1730
Considerate husband FW, when his wife is sick, tells her, sounding a lot like his son later: She should get rid of Dr. Stahl, he (FW) wanted to be her Medicus; she should not drink so much coffee and drink nothing but hot soup instead, then her illness would pass. The Queen promised to do this and asked for the hot soup; and the following day, her condition improved. To illustrate more of FW's praiseworthy uxorious and paternal behavior, Stratemann lets it drop casually that btw, there were actually tensions between the King and his oldest daughter (in non-Stratemann land, this translates to the ongoing fierce marital battle between FW and SD about the English marriages for Fritz and Wilhelmine, and Wilhelmine having refused the alterante suitors FW had presented to her), but now, all is well.
In the entry on March 4th 1730 (one more month to go in SD's last pregnancy), FW tells his "Fieke" that God has given her to him for 24 yers now, he wants to keep her, God can do to the baby whatever he wants as long as he lets FW keep SD. Then he asks her whether she wants to see her children. SD says yes, and that the two oldest should be in the antechambre. FW allows all to enter, enter they do, he's greeted but refuses to give Wilhelmine his hand to kiss because he's still angry. SD gives Wilhelmine a signal, Wilhelmine puts her arms around FW's neck, cries and pleads for him to show her his grace again, he says "It is alright, Wilhelmine, you are my dear daughter".
In the evening, the kids all dine in the antechambre, FW keeps going between the antechambre and SD's bedroom and:
Des Abends hatten alle Königliche Kinder in der VorCammer speisen müssen, da der König zwischen der Königinn Bette und solcher Tafel beständig, unter lieblichen Anreden, spazieren gangen; und wie Se. Majestät angemercket, daß der kleinste Prinz Heinrich geweint, und nach der Ursache gefraget, der Cron-Printz auch darauf geantwortet: daß sein Bruder von den Fischen eßen wollte, so man Ihm gegen die Nacht zu geben weigerte; hatte der König zu der ältesten Prinzeß gesaget: Wilhelmine! gib du Ihm nur ein wenig und will ich dir hiermit aufgetragen haben: daß du, so lange Mama krank ist, Sorge vor Heinrichen trägest. Hieraus nun will man schließen, daß die Versöhnung zwischen dem Könige und der Prinzeß ihre Richtigkeit habe, da sonst der König, wegen Ihr angetragener aber von Ihr refusierter sichern Marriage mit Ihr in einigen Wochen nicht sprechen wollen; woher dann auch der lieben Königinn Maladie wohl guten Theils ihren Ursprung genommen haben mag.
From the Rokoko German (this being the first German diplomat to actually write his reports in German, unlike Suhm, the Imperials or the Prussians), not French) into English: "...and when his majesty noticed that the smallest Prince, Heinrich, was crying, and asked for the cause, the Crown Prince replied that his brother had wanted to eat from the fish which had been refused to him to eat in the evening; then the King told the oldest Princess: Wilhelmine! do give him a bit, and I want to charge you to look after Heinrich as long as Mama is still so ill. From this, one wants to conclude that the reconciliation between the King and the Princess is for real, for otherwise the King due to the marriage she'd been offered and she'd had refused had himself refused to speak to her for several weeks now; which may have been the cause of the malady of the dear Queen
As reported by Wilhelmine in her memoirs, there's a message from Fritz of Wales swearing his (sight unseen) love for her and that she's the only one for him; both she and Fritz are supposed to stay in England for a year after their marriages and then Fritz gets to travel (again, according to what S has heard about the conditions for the English marriages in 1730.
Charles Hotham Sr. (not to be confused with his nephew of the same name), the delegate supposed to finally hash out the conditions for the English marriages, has a very FW experience: When the King had lunched eight days ago with the English envoy du Bourgue, there was a lot of hard drinking; and since his Majesty emptied a cup toasting the King of England's health directed at the Chevalier Hotham, the envoy demanded an equally large cup and asked for permission to toast his Majesty's health as well; which he put to the test, but holdling and emptying this put even his coworkers on week feet, but he still managed to keep his countenance; though at last his legs could not carry him anymore, and he had to be carried to his coach.
As SD's time of giving birth in May 1730 draws near, it's also time to select a wetnurse: On the 29th passato (i.e. the 29th of last month, April), both the Oberhofmeisterin v. Kamecke and the Hofmeisterin de Rouccoul as well as the royal physician Dr. Stahl audited 36 women, among whom there were wives of court councillors and those of lower descent, and have chosen four among them who at the time of the Queen's delivery will provide the first nourishment to the hopefully cheerful sight. Such a choice only regards that such a person have healthy milk and teeth. She shall be hired for a year, and has to expect 1200 Reichstaler salary for her service. Those who were reviewed and fell through were honest and good women, but they still looked somewhat enviously at the remaining four who, however, are wavering between fear and hope as well...
Next entry picking up the nursing matter: Since the, God willing, happy delivery of the Queen is expected to happen daily, the Oberhofmeisterin, the chief royal physician and the midwife had to stay overnight at the palace for the last three days now, and since a few days a certain number of canon firers has been commanded to the walls in order to fire the usual cheerful salutes; and rumor has it that his highness the Duke, offered to stay at the palace during his time here, has declined to do this as not to incommodate the Queen.
The four chosen women have presented themselves to the Queen, and she has picked among them the wife of a retired French Captain, named de Coulon, who is a honest and good person, as her wetnurse.
*The Duke: Charlotte's engagement to the future Duke of Braunschweig-Bevern had been celebrated only a few weeks earlier, to team Braunschweig was still there.
From our loyal correspondance from Brunswick, more idyllic Hohenzollern family scenes, as the birth of Ferdinand is used by people to petition the King while offering their congratulations: Many petitions are being given to the King on this occasion, one of which I want to mention; for the youngest princess, Amalie, had been given by her nurse a memorandum in which she recommended and asked for her husband, who'd been a wine trader and whose trade had been ruined, to be hired by the royal cellar; ; but since the Princess Amalie couldn't quite read out the petition, the Princess Ulrike took it into her hands and adressed the King thusly: My dear Papa! I, too, come in order to ask for a huge favor. Amalie's nurse doesn't have any bread and asks for her husband to be given a lowly emmployment. Princess Amalie, also present, throws herself on the ground before the King and sadly says: "Oh yes! Dear Papa! Bread, bread for my nurse! which the King replies thusly: Don't bother me like this, you shall be granted all and your nurse shall have bread.
With this background, and no word on FW humiliating Fritz in front of the army at Zeithain, the fateful summer trip by father and son being used as an escape attempt comes completely out of the blue. As I mentioned earlier, Stratemann hasn't heard about it (or at least doesn't mention it) as late as August 18th, at which point all the other envoys know, and when he does report Katte's arrest, he doesn't mention Fritz by name as the reason of it. He keeps reporting through September and October that the father/son reconciliation is imminent, that FW if anything will lessen Katte's sentence, that all will be well. Then comes November with its execution, of which Stratemann suddenly has far better intel than he used to in matters Crown Prince and Katte. And he has a fascinating follow-up on this in the middle of his wholesome family anecdotes, as none other than little August Wilhelm has heard about Katte's demise.
German original:
Berlin, den 11. November 1730.
Nach dem jüngst gemeldetermaßen, der Lieut. v. Katte gestern vor 8 Tagen, unter einer Escorte von 30 Mann Gens d'Armes in Begleitung des Ritt-Meisters v. Aßeburg und des Gens d'Armerie Feld Predigers nach der 10 Meil von hier entlegenen Veste Cüstrin gebracht und daselbst den 3. Tag darauf, am vergangenen Sonntage, abgeliefert worden; hat der, auf Königl. Befehl, dahin voraus gegangene Geh. Rath pp. Gerbet, in Gegenwart des gleichfalls aldar schon an gelangt gewesenen Obristen v. Derschau und anderer dazu bestimmter Officiern, demselben abermahls das Todesurtheil vorlesen und auf den folgenden Tag, dessen die Execution ankündigen müßen. Der Feld Prediger hat demnach die Devotion mit ihm continuiret, da andern Morgens der Condemnatus bald nach 7 Uhr im Schloße sich auf einen daselbst angefahrenen Sand-Haufen, gleich gegen des Cron-Prinzen Fenster über, eingefunden und wie Se. Königl. Hoheit ihn darauf angeredet. Mons. Katte! ich bitte euch vergebet mir, wann Ich euch zu leyde gethan und Ursache an euern Tode bin; und er sich dagegen hinwieder ganz constant in Antwort vernehmen laßen: Ihro Hoheit haben nicht Ursache um Vergebung zu bitten, weil Sie mir nichts zu wieder gethan und ich selbst meines Todes Ursache bin.
Er darauf mit Gebet sich zu Gott gewandt, so folglich sich selbst die Augen verbunden und also in gleicher Constance des Henckers Schwerd Schlag abgewartet, der dann auch so glücklich gelungen, daß mit einem Hieb der Kopf vom Cörper abgesondert worden; welchem necht man dem Leichnam mit dem ausgebreiteten schwarzen Tuch bedecket und also bis 2 Uhr Nachmittags zum Schau liegen laßen; da man selben in einen Sarg geleget und die bestellte 12 Bürger des Orts selbigen so folglich zur Beerdigung auf den Kirchhof getragen; mit welcher Tragedie dann in so weit dieser Actus geendet, und wird gesagt: daß, wann der König dieses decollierten Lieutnants Verbrechen nach der rigoeur hätte bestrafen lassen wollen und nicht consideration für die viele vornehme Verwandten Se. Maj. selben mit einerweit eclatanteren Todes-Strafe belegen können.
English translation:
Berlin, November 11, 1730.
As has been recently reported, Lieut. v. Katte 8 days ago yesterday, under an escort of 30 men Gens d'Armes accompanied by the Ritt-Master v. Aßeburg and the Gens d'Armerie field preacher has been taken to the Fortress Küstrin, which is 10 miles from here, and delivered there on the third day on the following Sunday; on royal order, Councillor . Gerbet, in the presence of Colonel v. Derschau and other officers appointed for this purpose again proceeded to read out the death sentence to the same and had to announce his imminent execution to hiom for the following day. The field preacher has therefore continued the devotion with him, since next morning the Condemnatus, soon after 7 o'clock, found himself in the castle on a heap of sand approached there, right across the window of the Crown Prince, and as his Royal Highness addressed him: " Mons. Katte! I ask you to forgive me for what I have done to you, for being the cause of your death; and he, on the other hand, let himself be heard quite constantly in reply: Your Highness have no reason to ask for forgiveness, because you have done nothing to me, and I am the cause of my death myself.
He then turned to God with prayer, so consequently blindfolded himself and thus waited with the same constancy for the executioner's sword stroke, who then succeeded so happily that with one blow the head was separated from the body; then one covered the corpse with the spread out black cloth and thus left it for display until 2 o'clock in the afternoon; then it was put in a coffin and the 12 citizens of the place ordered to do so carried it to the burial in the churchyard; With what tragedy then this Actus ended, and it is said: that when the King would have wanted this decollated lieutenant to have crime punished according to the rigoeur and no consideration for the many distinguished relative, he would have been able to impose a far more striking death penalty on the same.
Given S. earlier reports all those imminent pardons, the turnaround to "FW totally could have made it worse!" (i.e. FW's own argument) is especially startling. And the fact that it all checks out - the dialogue exchange, the sandheap, Katte binding his own eyes, leaving the body until 2 pm precisely. What's more, the three letters he sends with later dispatch are also accurate. In the same November 25th entry where S. mentions the three letters and having read copies, he also provides us with this priceless tale about, wait for it, young AW confronting FW with Katte:
German original: Sonsten wird pargiret: daß der zweyte Königl. Prinz jüngster Tagen beim Exercieren, da ein Officier ihm die Handgriffe bey bringen sollen, ganz ermüdet worden und nicht mehr damit fortfahren wollen; wie nun des Königs Majt. zu Ihm gelaget, wenn Du nicht exerciren
willst, so sollst Du auch kein port d'epée mehr tragen; worauf der Prinz geantwortet: mein lieber Papa! das will ich wohl gleich wieder geben; wie der König darauf repliciret: Wilhelm! so kanst Du auch kein Officier sein; hätte der Prinz erwidert; da frage ich nichts nach, mein lieber Papa läßet ja einen Officiers die Köpfe abhauen.
Was nun hiermit weiter vorgefallen, übergehet man billig mit Stillschweigen; inzwischen habe der König geargwohnet: daß gegen den Prinzen jemand dergleichen Reden geführet haben müßte; weswegen Er etwas hart angelaßen, solches zu bekennen; Er hat aber keinen genannt; indessen soll der Kriegs Rath Lindener als Informator, deswegen ein scharfes Bad haben ausstehen müßen.
English translation, : It's also told that the second royal prince the other day during drilling grew exhausted when an officer was supposed to teach him all the right grips, and hadn't wanted to continue; then the King came to him, he told him, if you don't want to drill anymore, you'll have to return your sword, to which the Prince replied: Dear Papa! I want to return it at once! and the King answered: Wilhelm! Then you can't be an officer! To which the Prince supposedly returned, I don't care for it, my dear Papa orders his officers' heads to be cut off.
What then happened should rather be covered with silence; by now the King suspects someone has been talking in front of the Prince with such speeches, and he's approached him somewhat harshly to confess to this; but (AW) did not provide anyone's name; but still, the Councillor Lindener as the likely informant has been in hot waters because of this.
mildred_of_midgard assumes Johnn, the previous Danish envoy's subordinate and new Danish envoy, to have been Stratemann's source for all this. Meanwhile, Löwenöhr (Strateman's spelling of the name) himself is in disgrace with FW: The Danish envoy v. Löwenöhr, whom the King used to like always, has not been allowed to come before the King's grace anymore since he supposedly knew of a design il favoured by the King, and didn't report it. Now he lives basically incognito and it is believed he'll soon return again to his sick sovereign.
(He's in disgrace because Katte told him about the escape plan, as a reminder.)
Stratemann reports the story of the soldier who lights the candle again for Fritz after extinguishing it according to FW's order in that month of November when he suddenly has all the goods. This account must be one of the earliest, and contemporary to it happening. Though if Stratemann has heard about it, chances are FW did, too, so I doubt this soldier could do this for much longer.
In the same entry as he reports the return of Major von Schach from Küstrin, S has heard a rumor about Peter Keith: It is also said: that Lieutenant v. Keith, who'd made himself invisible in Wesel in the month of August and withdrew to Holland and furtherly to England, has become a naturalized citzen there and has been equipped by his Great-British Majesty with a company. I guess this man congratulates himself heartily that he has escaped from a great anger in this country and now finds himself in such happy circumstances.
Stratemann includes a sympathy poem written for Fritz in late 1730. It turns out to have been written by the “Geheimer Kriegs- und Domänenrat” Wilke, subordinate of Hlle who is otherwise known to complain about Fritz' non-stop poetry in his reports to Berlin. (And indeed did cmplain about Wilke encouraging the poetry by delivering a poem.) In German. With a reply poem by Fritz. In German. Note that the poem contains nothing objectionable, they just hope Fritz will get through the dark times and that the sun of grace will shine on him again. Stratemann, interestingly, also provides the entire (French) text of the poem Katte wrote while under arrest at his regiment still in Berlin which you probably know from various biographies. Here it is:
Vers composés par Mr.de Katte, lors qu'il-etoit Prisonnier dans la Guarde des Gensd'Armes.
Cest toi fortune inconstante,
fausse Divinité!
Qui pour remplir nôtre attente.
charme nôtre Vanité;
Menteuse! dans tes promesses,
Injuste! dans tes largesses,
Terrible! dans tes revers,
Il n'-y-a jour qui-finisse
Sans nous montrer bon Caprice
par mille tours divers.
Celui qui la curiosité portera
a lire cette ecriture apprendra
que l'ecrivain a-été mit aux arrests
par l'Ordre desa Majesté
le 16me d'Auot 1730
non sans esperance de
se revoir bientôt
én liberté, quoique
la façon d'ont-il-a-été gardé
Par le temps et la Patience
En obtient les fruits d'une bonne Conscience;
Si vous voulés savoir qui c'est,
Le nom de Katte vous l'apprendra,
Toujours constant en Esperance.
This so far is the sole passage in French. (It also lacks one line, courtesy of the editor; Mildred provides a complete version here. ) Since the next few entries are all Wilhelmine and family related, I'll fast forward here to another intriguing Katte mention, this time of Hans Heinrich, more than half a year later:
Berlin, July 28th 1731: Supposedly General Lieutenant v. Katte after leading his regiment at the revue before the King got off his horse and put his sword at the King's feet, and asked again for his demission, whereupon his majesty showed himself very much displeased. Rumor even has it (Hans Heinrich) got arrested as a consequence.
Now, obviously the arrest didn't happen - I don't think biographers would have overlooked that! -, but this is also the first time I heard about Hans Heinrich making this gesture. Since the revue was a really big public spectacle (this is also why Fritz was pissed off when Heinrich didn't salute him properly in the after the 7 Years War, remember), such a gesture would have been quite something. And does argue it's FW Hans Heinrich is struggling for forgive. Not to mention that it gives the lie to the "Hans Heinrich totally on board with FW executing his son!" version. All the more so since Stratemann is really the most FW friendly envoy ever.
Back to the winter of 1730/1731. Case in point: the same entry that has the AW anecdote also includes this story: It is said that his royal highness recently wrote a submissive letter to His Majesty his lord father, and in it, due to the now allowed changes regarding his earlier limited stay in Küstrin, has given submissive thanks, with many sayings from the bible, which is very seemly towards an once angry but now soothed father, and the King when the letter was read to him squeezed many tears from his eyes. His Majesty also supposedly declared that the entire country was open to his Fritz, he should be able to go and live within the country wherever he pleases.
This, mind, the same month that we know FW wrote the furious "if there would be 100 000 Kattes I'd have them beheaded" rant, had SD toast to England's demise and according to Guy Dickens said he was now sorry re: Katte whose death had to rest heavily on Fritz' conscience, what with Fritz being the one to blame.
So much fo Katte. Back to Hohenzollern family affairs.
S. notes that Ulrike is much in favor, being other than Charlotte FW's favourite daughter for now. So how does this family celebrate the Christmas of 1730?
December 23rd 1730: Her Majesty the Queen spent most of the day with her daughter, the oldest princess, who still hasn't recovered from her illnesss. The second and third prince, too, have come down with a strong cold and cough. The Crown Prince now presides over the government of Küstrin and reports almost daily from events there to the King's greatest pleasure. When his Royal Highness for the first time arrived at the council chamber, the second Secretary, as an acccomplished poet, had welcomed him with a few verses, whereupon the Prince briefly replied in the same fashion. These verses circulate only in a few hands, and I'm not yet allowed to get them, but I will try and will communicate them accordingly.
December 24th: The court jeweller has created presents in gold and silver in the worth of 12/m Reichstaler, of which the Queen had golden pieces for her cabinet, the princes and princesses had silver lates. Princess Charlotte, our Prince of Bevern's bride, received an expensive jewel, some silver kitchen supply, shovels and pliers, and a few pretty things to dress herself up. His Highness her groom shall receive a set of laces, next to a golden set Point d'Espange and other treats sent to him on the occasion of Holy Christ's feast. Now the Princess Ulrike had asked for a while to receive the King's portrait as a Christmas present, and it was among her gifts; when the third prince (i.e. Heinrich) noticed, he asked for a portrait as well, and did receive one, about which this princess showed herself somewhat disgusted. The King went on Christmas Eve in his own person with an entourage to the local Christmas Market and bought entertaining pleasantries for the little princes and princesses. (...) At the first day of Christmas, the widowed Madam General v. Dörfling had had carried a good bowl of cooked Sauerkraut with a roasted fat goose to the palace, as his Majestly loves to eat this dish, and on the holiday a bowl with beautiful apples, which has been received very graciously.
Okay, while I doubt Heinrich asking for Dad's portrait was about more than "big sis got something special, I'd like to have one of those as well", it does provide ammo together with the fish for supper at the start of the year if you want to make a case that FW at this early point indulged him somewhat. And of course FW going shopping for his kids shows him in full loving pater familias vein. Our editor chides Wilhelmine again for her "harsh, unloving" picture of her parents in her memoirs. Note: at this point Stratemann still insists she's simply ill. In 1731, he'll finally admit she wasn't ill, she has been locked up, for months, and I'll get to the conditions which honestly brought it home to me she really was no less imprisoned as Fritz had been, just in her own rooms. Now, in late 1730, rumor has it FW wants to marry little Sophie to BayreuthFriedrich. Sophie therafter keeps getting referenced as the bride of the Erbprinz of Bayreuth. Then, on January 6th 1731, Stratemann reports this rumor:
January 6th: After the King these last days told the Princess Sophie that the Prince Heir of Bayreuth desired to have her as his wife, she started to cry heartily and pronounced that she didn't want to marry at all, but wanted to stay with the clerical career for which she'd been meant earlier. The King supposedly returned to this: it couldn't happen, the bridegroom would soon arrive, who'd please her being a handsome prince, which the princess gave no reply to, but later towards her governess Fräulein de Joccourt sounded very sad about. Now the completely unfounded rumor is making the rounds that the oldest Princess, who is still sick, wishes to replace her sister as the future Abbess of Hertford.
This is one of the few times where I think we can pinpoint who is Stratemann's source for this story, i.e., Sophie's governess. Bear in mind Sophie is barely pubescent at this point. And destined to marry the godawful Schwedt cousin. Poor Sophie.
On January 13th, Stratemann finally admits in his report that a) Fritz' release and rejoining the family isn't so imminent after all, and b) Wilhelmine isn't sick, she's in disgrace, locked up, and still not reconciled with Dad.
Of the Crown Prince, nothing has been said, and so it doesn't seem that he will appear at the 24th on the occasion of his birthday in Potsdam after all. The oldest Princess remains completely in her room, and thus circumstances argue that a complete reconciliation on both parts is still full of impediments. Her Majesty the Queen, however, enjoys with her husband the King a most endearing complete harmony and bliss, and thus rumor has it that she's expecting another child.
Yeah, not so much, Stratemann.
January 27th: As soon as the King left for Potsdam on the 19th, the Queen went to the oldest Princess, which she hadn't seen during the fourteen days spent with the King, and this most regarded Princess, who hasn't left her room since the 27th of August, which means in five months, went downstairs for to the Queen on the following Sunday the 20th, which I guess the King must have permitted; still, one is assured that the King does not yet permit (Wilhelmine) to appear in front of him, and the much hoped for complete reconciliation with the Crown Prince still seems to be far away; and yet the young gentleman lives very pleasantly at Küstrin and is so popular among so many that the artisans and low workers have said: they want to donate a penny of their daily salaries to his royal highness; then the nobility in the entire country keeps sending food supplies; in the midst of this the King took from the Prince the sole much loved valet left and transfered the later to Halle to get an appointment as Torschreiber (Gate Secretary, literally) with 30 Reichstaler per year as a salary, about which he (the valet) pretended to be embarrassed, but in the end accepted it with devotion.
February sees the rumor that Bayreuth Friedrich (who, if you recall, isn't in Germany, he's on his Grand Tour) has died, which of course isn't true.
On March 10th, Wilhelmine is still in disgrace: The reconciliation of the oldest royal princess has still made no progress, and there isn't much hope for it; by now, the court preachers have received an order to pray with her once a week in her room, but not to preach to her. She hasn't received communion for eight months now, and since August 16th has not been allowed to see any ladies in her chamber other than the governesses of the royal princesses and the Queen's Dames d'honeur. According to rumor, she tries to pass her time with music.
Not receiving communion might not seem a harsh punishment to us, but it's actually really nasty, because if Wilhelmine had died during that time, she'd have died in a damned state. Anyway, see what I mean about Wihelmine being kept as much a prisoner as Fritz? Actually more so, since he gets to attend and work in the Küstrin government, which might not be the most thrilling of occupations but is at least something other than sit and brood in a room.
On March 24th, FW allows Wilhelmine to come from Berlin to Potsdam but still under great restriction and without seeing her. Otoh, he does see his other daughters
At once when they arrived His Majesty ordered the fourth princess, Sophie, the bride of the Prince of Bayreuth and the youngest Princess Amalie to him, and when he saw the Princess Sophie, he was somwhat surprised at her size. Two months ago, she'd entered her thirteenth year, and has grown taller than her three older sisters, and so the King said to her: Sophie! What have you done to grow so tall, you grow taller than me, let me see your shoes. When he saw her shoes had heels of about two inches, the King said: Away with those! You don't need them anymore. On the next morning, the King visited the smallest prince, who is now nearly a year old, and took along the two above named princesses. When the King noticed that the Princess Sophie wasn't as tall anymore as the other day and saw with appreciation the flat shoes, he told her very sweet things.
And finally, Wilhelmine gets a break:
At last the royal decision regarding the oldest Princess has been made that she was allowed to receive communion at a service to be held in her chamber, which she'd wished to do in the cathedral with the rest of the people but has been refused to for unknown causes; when the second court preacher Steinberg this last Sunday held a service in the audience room of the princess, her royal highness, her stewardess Fr. v. Wittenhorst-Sonsfeld, the Queen's lady of honor Fr. v. Bodenbruch, and the Baroness de Joccourt, the governess of the three younger princesses, attended. One still hopes the Princess after having spent eight months in her retreat would be reconciled, but this hasn't happened yet, but it is expected to happen within the next four weeks and the arrival of the foreign dignitaries.
Again, I say the Baroness de Joccourt is Stratemann's likely source, not just for these but for all the stories featuring the kids.
More stories from Küstrin about how everyone, not just local nobility but French, Dutch, British and from the other German states keeps sending food and drink to Fritz but under incognito names and everyone is rooting for FW to release him.
Gundling, quondam historian treated as court fool by FW and the one guy with a serious claim of having been worse treated than Fritz by FW, dies. Stratemann gives a description of his ghastly funeral. Gundling's arch enemy and successor, Fassmann, who ridiculed him in a speech at said funeral quickly finds out what it means to be FW's new punching bag. He's sent fool garnments and refuses to wear them (Stratemann: But they were presents! How could he!). Flash foward to July, and Fassmann has had it, and we get a nasty reminder of 18th century antisemitism to boot:
Councillor Faßman who'd been appointed Court Fool has fled, because he does not want to be a Bouffon de la Cour, and it is said he has deserted to England. Most recently, he had a clash at Potsdam with a Jew named Marcus who has often been used by the court for such offices, and had to receive a slap in the face by the later, which the Jew had been licensed to do by a higher authority, whereupon (Fassmann) threw him on the ground and kicked him, and tore at his hair and strangled him so much that he'd have killed him if (Marcus) had not been saved by the surrounding officers. Faßmann then said to the King: he'd once had set the condition that he didn't want to be vexed by anyone, no matter how high ranking, much less by an infamous Jew, and thus he's left royal service and did not return.
Back to spring:
May 31st: After the arrival of the Prince of Dessau at Potsdam on the 10th, the later along with the Duke of Bevern has had a long conversation with the King which mostly concerned the reconciliation with the Crown Prince and the oldest Princess. The King supposedly remained harsh and wasn't movable, but one still flatters oneself: that his Majesty will be moved by these two best of princes. If it comes to this, the Prince of Dessau will go to Küstrin himself and pick the Crown Prince up there. Regarding the oldest Princess, it's said that within a few days, her destiny will be cleared up. A few days ago, she has been visited by General and Secret Councillor of his Majesty v. Grumbkow as well as the General Leutnants v. Borck, v. Podewils and v. Thulemeier, all four arriving in a chaise without announcement at the palace, and spent over an hour with the Princess. The sisters of the Princess and their governesses as well as her stewardess v. Wittenhorst-Sonsfeld and two of the Queen's ladies had been present at first then suddenly all had retired from the room and some with them greatly upset so that they had to take the red powder by Stahl. Of the proposition which was made to the Princess by these ministers of the cabinet, there is much conflicting rumor. Some claim to guess that a new marriage has been proposed to the Princess, either with the ruling Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth (i.e. BayreuthFriedrich's DAD) or with his Prince3 Heir who otherwise had been meant for the fourth Princess. But everything is still uncertain, and it's been covered up. But one thing is true; when the Princess came down to supper this evening, she wasn't, as she used to since allowed to supper, in a cheered up mood, but completely withdrawn in thoughts, and hardly spoke a word during the entire meal.
Editor Richard Wolff: the Margravine gives one of her typical exaggarated descriptions of this meeting in her memoirs of these four gentlemen trying to "bully" her into marriage.
And lo, it's public submission time for Wilhelmine:
Before the arrival of the King, the oldest, the fourth and the sixth Princess (and the first one after an encounter with the Queen) positioned themselves in his Majesty's rooms and received the King; when the oldest Princess threw herself at the King's feet and pleaded with his Majesty: to forgive her with what she has angered her merciful Papa; and squeezed out some tears while saying this, at which the King, too has cried a bit, and thus this Princess, after a retreat to her room of nine months, has not only been received again with grace but has now been put in new circumstances; but what will happen next and whose bride she shall be, time will show. The Queen has been received by the above named three princesses and Her Majesty had been very glad to find the oldest Princess, whom she hasn't seen for four months, reconciled with the King, for we all know that this Princess above all others has been close to the Queen's heart. And now the only thing lacking is that the Crown Prince, too, will be released into Freedom, to make everyone's joy complete.
In fairness, as of this point, anyone would have said Wilhelmine had been SD's favourite daughter and confidant, given not just SD pushing the English marriage for her. Still, the contrast between SD resenting the hell out of Wilhelmine's accepting the Bayreuth marriage in rl (and in younger Seckendorff's description when Wilhelmine is already married, so we don't have to rely on Wilhelmine's own word about this) and Stratemann's description is striking.
One hadn't believe the affair at first; but since the oldest Princess has submitted herself completely to the King's will, she's been gifted with much rich clothing, a purse and other precious triflings; and thus there can be no doubt (as to the reconciliation). Princess Ulrike, who since a year has been the King's greatest favourite and had been preferred to her older sister Sophie, has now been degraded due to a minor mistake. Despite her being only eleven years of Age, she still possess a great mind and thus a noble spirit; and thus she's very touchy about this and torments herself: at the King's demand, the Queen has taken the diamond earrings which the Queen of Sweden had given (Ulrike) some years ago away, and then she had to sit at the table with her youngest sister Princess (Amalie) despite having been allowed to sit for a year at the King's table.
On June 5th, Wilhelmine's engagement to Bayreuth Friedrich officially takes place. Stratemann thinks Bayreuth Friedrich only learned at the last minute he wouldn't get Sophie but Wilhelmine. To truly appreciate his description of the engagement party, bear in mind SD hated Bayreuth Friedrich's guts. (Or rather, hated that he married her daughter, making him the symbol of her defeat in the marital battle.)
The noble engaged couple sat at the high point of the table, and the King's pleasure was above measure. His highness the Duke of Würtemberg emptied a large cup while toasting the health of the engaged couple. After supper, the groom led his bride to the ballroom, but the King at once took her from him and started the dance with her; then he danced with the Princess Bride of Bevern (i.e. Charlotte, and then with Princess Sophie. The first two were warmly embraced by the King, and they kissed his Majesty's hands, which was repeated twice or thrice. When the two youngest princesses saw that the King had not asked them to dance, they, too, kissed his hands, and thus the King has danced with his five princess daughters en suite. The noble groom had been told by the King to ask the Queen to dance, but when her Majesty excused herself, the Prince Heir shrugged; but when the King tried again by telling her that the King asked her to do this, she no more refused but danced with the Heir Prince, whereupon Her Majesty did the same thing with the Duke of Würtemberg and the Duke of Bevern, and finally with the King himself, who held both of her hands, during the dance itself, too. He kept kissing her hand, and the ball ended only at three in the morning.
Meanwhile ,the British envoy: Wilhelmine looked pale and if she'd faint the entire time, and the Queen was upset and almost in tears, and the King glowered. Taking the British bias into acccount, I suppose the truth was somewhere in between, but Stratemann's polyanna-ness is still striking. Mind you, FW able to dance with all five of his daughters is not a picture one usually has of him.
Wilhelmine gets supportive poetry (in German) too, on the occasion of her engagement. An anonymous poem is making the rounds according to Stratemann:
One sees the secretly circulating verses that an adroit poet has made on the occasion of the oldest Princess' future departure for Bayreuth, and which go thusly:
Geh, Englische Prinzeß! mit deinem werthen Francken,
Gott und die Nach-Welt wird dir deine Treue dancken,
Indeßen bleibt dein Ruhm der ganzen Welt bekandt:
Denn wo Du lebst, da ist das rechte Engelland.
The poem makes a pun between "Englisch" as in "English", and "Englisch" as in old fashioned German for "Engelhaft" in modern German, "Angelic". You might recall that Isabella makes a similar pun in a letter to Maria Christina. I'll try my hand regardless. First the literal translation:
Go, English/Angelic Princess! with your worthy Franconian,
God and posterity will thank you for your loyalty,
and in the meantime, your fame is known to the entire world,
for where you live, that's where the true country of the English/Angels is.
Verse:
Oh English Princess, go with your Franconian man,
God knows your loyalty, and posterity will thank you then.
Still, all the world knows of your fame:
For where you live, that's Angelcountry all the same.
Now according to Stratemann, FW is hell bent on making Wilhelmine and future Margrave have sex and consumate the marriage before it's a marriage. Why? Because that would make it legal as a marriage, and rumor has it the Brits are making trouble by pointing to Fritz' of Wales' earlier claim to Wilhelmine's hand, which supposedly invalidates her current engagement. Mind you, having read Hervey's memoirs where the whole thing only gets half a sentence mention, I really doubt that, but I can see SD spreading such a rumor via her daughter's governesses, which, see above, I think were Stratemann's sources.
And then, come August, we get the big Fritz submission, of which Stratemann reports nothing new.
Post- submission at Küstrin, Stratemann reports that now the marriage game for Fritz has been restarted. Also, his return to Potdam is, once again, imminent:
" The local rooms of the Crown Prince are with all eagerness being redecorated, and it's even said that the King had ordered all the wallpaper that used to be in these rooms, and all the books and papers which were still here, to be burned. "
Same entry (August 25th 1731): the next unlucky guy to succeed Gundling and the rage-quitting Faßmann doesn't fare much better:
The successor of the late Councillor Gundeling and of Faßmann as court historian, v. Drost, has been offered by the King a salary of 1000 Reichstaler, but he keeps protesting and doesn't want to accept this office and the treats going with it; but he has still been ordered to Potsdam, and it's not doubted that given time, he'll accept everything since he's not capable of avoiding this.
Don't be so sure, Stratemann. Fritz gets three new beautiful riding horses sent to him to Küstrin; he's now reported as socializing with the Wreechs. Meanwhile, Wilhelmine has been allowed to drink coffee with Fritz of Bayreuth Otoh, Stratemann reports Fritz' secret library has been sold, though the buyer, a "French merchant", no name given, has announced he's holding it for Fritz as a future present.
It's the anniversary of the battle of Malplaquet (most devastating European battle pre 7 Years War; young FW, Seckendorff and Grumbkow were all youthful participants, and their relationship started there) which FW celebrates each year, this time by being so drunk he can't get up from the floor anymore without his servants' help.
September 22nd: hunting time, AW allowed to participate for the first time, Heinrich has fallen sick : The royal Prince August Wilhelm has been permitted to go hunting for the first time, with a gun, and he has sent the first shot partridge to the old governess of the royal children, Madame v. Roucoulles, as a present.
(Adult AW will not be a fan of hunting.)
Meanwhile, Drost, too, has gotten the hell out of Prussia rather than accept Gundling's job, "and nobody knows where. His colleague the advocate, however, has shown himself here again, and will probably be commissioned in his place. (...) The Medicus shall wear the same costume as the late Gundlng, and if he wants to, it will be permitted to him to let his wife come to Prussia, and it will be allowed to him to take his creditor, v. Lövenklau, as his Maitre d'Hotel.
So will this concessions make the guy accept the job? Stay tuned...
In October, FW proves he doesn't necessarily stiff actors: A strong man who has arrived from Italy this week has been at the King's and has displayed his strength and has presented comedies with his troupe which consists of about 20 people, whereupon both Majesties and the court were so pleased that ihe did not only receive gifts but has been permitted to show his arts in this country for money; which is why he has ordered a house made of wood to be built at Neumarkt here, and willl debut next week. However, there's still an ongoing problem:
The King supposedly has a burning desire to debate again with a learned man like Gundling or Faßmann history as well als all matters in Europe, and wants to have such a man near his person again, which is why the vice director of Halberstadt, v. Dacheröden, who has proved during his last stay here that he is a capable man, has been suggested. So the King in order to close the arrangement quickly has given an order already.
Yeah, well...
It's getting near November, when Wilhelmine is supposed to marry. Her sister Friederike, who has married the Margrave of Ansbach even before Fritz' escape attempt, is coming to Berlin for the first time since that marriage for the occasion. FW decides to hire some musicians to celebrate her arrival.
Thus a few of the royal Polish musicians have come from Dresden. What's more, the so called Dönhoff-Horrible Band Of Musicians has arrived as a backup, which consists of lame clubfeets, one eyed and humpback bodies, so that everyone will be shattered by the ensuing noise.
I bet. Ugh at 18th century abelism.
November 20th 1731: Wilhelmine's wedding starts: The Crown Prince has not come from Küstrin, despite the Princess Bride kept begging with letter after letter for it, and no royal order has been edited to him, either.
SD is much displeased at the new comedians making sex jokes and wants to protet her daughters from same, so the three youngest princesses aren't allowed to attend the comedian appearances anymore. Stratemann gives a thorough description of the ceremonies and what everyone was wearing. Like I said, he's the old fashioned conservative gossip magazine of envoys. The bedding ceremony:
The King has helped the groom undress, the Queen has helped the bride, and then the later's eyes were bound while the bridal crown which was taken from her head has been given to another, who happened to be her youngest sister Princess Amalie, who took it. Then the noble couple had to go into bed in charming sleeping wear in front of all the illustrious guests, while the King held a little joking sermon and has sung a funny song, and then said: they should kiss each other now. Which they either out of awe or out of dumbness did not do, but probably wanted to postpone for another time. After everyone withdrew, the bridal couple was transported in chaises to the apartment destined for them, to which the King and the Queen followed them. They wished them a good night, and withdrew again; meanwhile, dancing kept up until late at night. (...)
Post Scriptum. De dato Berlin, 24. Nov. 1731. Last night around 7 pm and when the ball had already been started hours earlier, the Crown Prince, at first completely unknown and not with his cavaliers, has appeared at court. As soon as he was recognized by the princesses, his sisters (plural, yes), the joy has been indescribable, and many, many people both illustrious and not have shed tears of joy, including the Crown Prince himself. His Royal Highness looked somewhat serious while there was dancing, and hasn't danced with a lady other than his sisters and some princely people. He wore a grey suit, which had silver tressings at the edges, and which is referred in this country as a Secret Councillor Coat. So it is said that the King two days ago has sent an urgent message to Küstrin calling his royal highness here.
Stratemann will later say something more about Fritz at the wedding, which is typical for his style: first the white washed version, then somewhat later the admittance there were maybe some flies in the ointment after all.
There's a sketch of the wedding table and who sat where! So if anyone wants to write fanfic about Wilhelmine's wedding, this is really the book to consujlt. Even Polyanna Stratemann notes that SD retired early each evening of the wedding festivities after the first day.
(Sidenote: "Prince Wilhelm" and "Prince Heinrich" are the Schwedt cousins, not "our" AW and Heinrich respectively. AW and our Heinrich are listed as "2nd Royal Prince" and "3rd Royal Prince".)
FW is reported in a great mood throughout the week of Wilhelmine's wedding celebrations:
The King shows his tenderness towards the royal children in public, as they kissed the King's hands a dozen times, and have been allowed to kiss him on the mouth as well, which both the Margravine of Ansbach (Friederike) and her sister, the Princess Bride of Bevern (Charlotte) did at once, and then the former had to kiss her husband on the King's demand; morever, the Princess of Bayreuth and the little princesses received the grace to kiss their Papa and be kissed by him.
After Count Seckendorff declared supper to have ended, the King gave in front of all illustrious guests with unusual solemnity to the Crown Prince the sword of an officer, and the uniform to go with it, along with the regiment Golz which was transfered to him, which is why on the following days one saw the Prince at the parade wearing a blue coat to the greatest marvelling of the public, as his royal highness just a year ago when the Cavalry and the Colonel Lieutenant office of the King's Regiment had been taken from him had vowed never again to wear a blue coat.
On the dispatch dated December 11th 1731, Stratemann admits that maybe it wasn't all harmony at the wedding:
Secretly, one is assured: that the Crown Prince when he was present here has shown a disagreeable face to some people, and that this has been the cause of his sudden departure back to Küstrin, and that this is why it's now doubtful that the Prince will get the Golz regiment and other privileges after all.
Okay. According to Wilhelmine's memoirs, Fritz was cold-to-rude towards her new husband and distant to her, and Grumbkow (neglecting to mention that he'd advised Fritz to put up some boundaries) told her the King was displeased by this. I had written this off as double talk by Grumbkow, but I can't think of who else Fritz was noticed to have been rude to at the wedding, causing this rumor to reach Polyanna Stratemann's ears.
On December 29, 1731, we get a description of the Hohenzollern Clan celebrating the Christmas of 1731:
On Christmas Eve, the King has ordered small frogs to be exposed in the antechamber in order to amuse the little princes and princesses, and has given presents to all the family of royal blood, which were very precius and consisted of silver pieces and gallant trifles. The Prince of Bayreuth and his wife were given presents in the worth of 1000 Reichstaler. The Margrave of Ansbach and his wife got presents in the same worth, and many boxes were filled with them. What the two oldest princesses thus received were other than two precious boxes dozens of plates, knives, forks and spoons, big silver soup bowls, great candelabras, two big spoons for potatos, a barber bowl with a pot and a box to put the soap into. Princess Charlotte the Bevern Bride has received two silver brooms for the kitchen and other silver pieces. Princess Sophie got the least of all from the King, as she was only given two plates and some pretty trifles, but the Queen has more than made up for this since her Majesty gave her secretly a big cruxific full of diamonds. Princess Ulrike, who is the King's current favourite, has been given various gallant trifles in addition to three big plates and one candelabra. The little princes received an equal share of silver coins but also silver rods, with which the King hit the Prince Wilhelm's fingers with in jest, whereupon the Prince was shocked and by jumping back had a bad fall, which is why he's now confined to a sickbed.
No matter how pleasantly this evening passed, the next Christmas Day the King was suffering from a strong colic and threw up, so that her Majesty, too, has not left her room. In the evening, the joyful news was spread that the King through the main doctor Stahl's care and eagerness has been completely recovered.
At first I thought: I don't know where he got the frogs in December from. And the German word is "Fröschling", which I can't translate in another fashion but "little frog". Then it occured to me that the current German term for "Firecracker" is "Knallfrosch", so "Fröschlinge" might have been the Rococo term for them, which would make sense given the previously reported fondness AW had for fireworks which FW indulged him with. However: on this occasion, poor AW.
Stratemann hears rumors that give yet another reason why Fritz left Berin not overhwelmed with joy:
The local fish market wants to know about the Crown Prince's recent return to Küstrin: that a marriage has been offered to this dear lord which he hasn't been able to agree with joy on yet.
Given whom Fritz ends up marrying, this is rather coy from the Brunswick envoy.
January 12th 1732: At Christmas, the Crown Prince has been in Frankfurt, where the students have prepared a song and some music for him. But his marriage keeps nearly every journalist busy to get the scoop on, without knowing any certainties.
Since this Frankfurt (an der Oder) musical presentation is one of the two origin stories for Fritz/Fredersdorf we have, I note they spent the Christmas of 1731 together, at least.
Stratemann's tactful hint that Fritz is no yett keen on EC: There is much rumor about this prince's current establishment about which, due to worrisome causes, discreet silence must be kept; one has to wait for the certain success.
In early 1732, Franz Stephan's impending arrival causes quite a buzz. He shows up on February 15th, i.e. a good month before the official Fritz/EC engagment party (March 10th), and is a hit with most people, including Fritz.
The report about the engagement party is written on March 15th: The Crown Prince has started the ball with the Queen after supper on this most special engagement day, the King with the Duchess of Bevern, then with the Princess Bride and some of his princess daughters, and all the illustrious foreign visitors have shown themselves joyful and happy, and entertained themselves with both old and new dances. (..) The Duke of Lorraine finds much joy here, and his royal highness likes this residence in particular, due to the free conversation and not being bound to any ceremony, but also due to the daily interaction with the Royal family, and he has said: that he'd rather sit and eat with the young princes and princesses than at the Queen's table.
I bet, Franzl, I bet. I mean, if you had the choice to sit with glowering SD or with the kids from AW and Ulrike downwards, whom would you pick?
FW has a great idea for an extra (and cheap) engagement present for his new Braunschweig in-laws:
The smallest royal Prince, August Ferdinand, who is now nearly two years old and has been called August so far, now following the highest order should be adressed as Prince Ferdinand, which is the name he received from the Duke of Bevern, whereas the first one was in honor of the King of Poland.
(August the Strong, who will be dead soon, courtesy of drinking too much with Grumbkow.)
The rest of the dispatches has the news that Wilhelmine has written she's really happy with her new husband in Bayreuth, the Protestant religious refugees from Salzburg arrive, and then there's the sudden time jump of a year to 1733 when Fritz gets married. No more interesting stuff. But no matter; Stratemann certainly delivered before that.
Says Wolff the editor in his introduction:
A fairly clear picture of the personality of Wilhelm Stratemann can be drawn from his letters to Wolfenbüttel Minister Hieronymus von Münchhausen, from the appointment files in the Berlin secret state archive and from the reports themselves. For the first time he appears in the Berlin address calendar of 1706. He must have been in good financial circumstances, because he lived in his own house on Spandauer Strasse, at that time one of the most prestigious streets in the city, until the end of his life released from practicing law in 1718, but retained its privileges and immunities in recognition of his previous good service. Even then he seems to have been drawn into political missions; for, as we learn from Stratemann's later letters, he was used by the king to deal with an unspecified matter in Vienna and elsewhere. The King mentions these services his patent from June 15, 1719, through which he appoints Stratemann as a Prussian court and legation councilor. Soon afterwards, Stratemann must also have been employed by the neighboring court in Brunswick and Wolfenbüttel. He entered into a firm relationship with this court on December 23, 1723, when Duke August Wilhelm of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel appointed him resident and legation councilor at the Berlin court. He was supposed to, as the ducal appointment says: “especially observe matters which arise in the Prussian court at all times with the utmost diligence, loyalty and care(...) Stratemann must have understood how, thanks to his good relations in Berlin, always to satisfy the Brunswick government; because in the subsequent repeated change of government, the credits that were issued each time always boasted of his many years of loyal service to the Brunswick state. The continued increase in his salary (while he had to be content with 200 Reichstalers at first, his annual income from the Brunswick State Coffers finally rose to 700 Talers) and his appointment to the Secret Legation Council on May 26, 1734, show that he was respectful to the Brunswick court Had served. He died on January 1, 1739, at the age of more than 72 years.
Lucky him, because then Fritz became King, and a lot of assumptions were overthrown.
That Stratemann actually was a Prussian, not a Braunschweig subject also explains a lot. His plays as appointed envoy from a Duchy is distinctly lower on the hacking order than all the previous envoys, unsuprisingly, since Braunschweig/Brunswick is another principality in the HRE, not a completely sovereign nation like Denmark or England. Even Saxony is different, due to its Elector also being the King of Poland at the time. So S. is either ultra cautious or really not so much in loop as the others, thought I at first (until getting to Katte's execution). There's no report on any friction between Fritz and FW until January 1730, and then it's very cryptic and only identifiable by footnote with the editor saying this is probably a hint of that. S. is the envoy equivalent of the kind of (old fashioned, not today's) conservative tabloid that writes cute family stories about the Royals and would never, or hardly ever, report anything nasty. So we hear what little Heinrich, age 4, gave SD as a birthday present (a china tea pot - I take it this was selected for him by someone else), or how the wetnurse for baby Ferdinand was selected (which I did find interesting), but nothing at all about FW shouting at his son (and oldest daughter), let alone manhandling or publicly humiliating him. As late as August 18th, S. only knows Katte was arrested "for corresponding with a person of high rank".
Then, after Fritz' arrest is really really public, he keeps reporting rumors that he's about to be forgiven by Dad just the next few days, in September that Katte managed to clear himself almost totally and is facing just a few years of arrest, max. Wilhelmine is consistently reported sick for the remainder of 1730, that's the explanation S. keeps giving for why no one is allowed to see her anymore. She's in a bad state of health. Home arrest, what home arrest? On October 14th, he's noticed the messengers being sent from Wusterhausen to Köpenick (where the war tribunal was held) and back and optimistically concludes FW wants to reopen the palace at Köpenick as Fritz' new residence and forgiveness is really really imminent now. He also has heard that the tribunal wanted to deliver an ultra strict sentence on Katte, but FW, being the merciful King he is, has intervened and provided mercy and will soon declare Katte's pardon.
Just when I was ready to conclude he just doesn't have luck with his spies and paid informants, I check out the November entries, and lo, not only does S. provide a pretty accurate report of the execution, complete with dialogue between Fritz and Katte, but he also, near the end of November (25th) in another entry, has read the three letters Katte wrote (to the King, to his father and to his grandfather) in copies. (He still insists on lightside FW, saying that the King read Katte's letter only two days ago but bitterly regrets it and swears he'd totally have pardoned Katte if he had read it first.) (He also says Hans Heinrich has offered his resignation, and so has Katte's superior Natzmer, but that FW refused to accept it and on the contrary that the Katte family is in for some favors.) And then in December we get back to rumors of Fritz' imminent return to parental favor and neighbourhood, i.e. evidently false intelligence, plus detailed stories about caring pater familias FW and the royal children. So how come his intel on the execution is suddenly dead on? S., you are a man of mystery.
But before getting to the Katte relevant reports, let's have some pre-escape attempt wholesome family life. As mentioned, Strateman got his political intel generally either via rumors or as crumbs from Seckendorff whom he tried to hang out with as often as he could, and thus it's frequently slightly or strongly off the mark. Otoh, he clearly did have a source among the staff in the royal household, whom I have identified based on several factors listed below as the governess of the Princess Sophie (and her two younger sisters, Ulrike and Amalie), and thus anything that happens with the kids is usually first hand. It is pronounced how he flings himself into these stories as opposed to reporting anything like that the other envoys (say, Suhm for Saxony or Dickens for Great Britain) report about the father/ oldest son or husband/wife clashes. So instead of stories about Fritz getting yelled at, you get stories about AW getting gifted with miniature canons and indulged in his love for fireworks. Until it really, really becomes unavoidable to report something else, what with a locked up Crown Prince.
Which isn't to say there's no dark stuff reported at all until then. Stratemann in general recordss incidents with members of the army and the staff; in 1728, two unlucky pages to bring forgot FW's overcoat along on a parade, and it rained. They had to stand for four hours on the block in a public square in shame. In 1730, one Potsdam Giant committed suicide in the room where the tobacco parliament was held (obviously not while it was in session) by hanging himself, because he had been publicly humiliated by his superior officer, and FW was incensed and ordered his body being dragged through the streets and thrown on the dungheap; the guy was born in Tyrol and a Catholic, says our envoy, which makes me conclude he must have been kidnapped.
There's a lot about the squashed desertion/rebellion among the Long Fellows in early 1730 and the various gruesome executions; Stratemann being the Pollyanna of envoys, he says later when reporting on SD's bad state during the last months of her pregnancy (I'll get to this) that clearly, the Queen is distressed because she was so worried about her husband and son being in danger from those evil conspirators.
Actual comment from Fritz on this incident:
It is said that the Crown Prince confessed to his confidant, literally: If it was up to me, I'd open all the gates at Potsdam and would announce: now all the scoundrels can go wherever they please and run, honest men could stay, and would be rewarded according to their merits and behavior in the future.
(This reminds me of a famous King Fritz speech just before Leuthen.)
Back to August 21st 1728, where there's a telling Fritz anecdote reported, apropos the portrait painted of the Russian princess Natalya which is making the rounds in Potsdam:
It was said to the Crown Prince on the 11th in jest: this princess could be a bride for him. He, however, replied: He wouldn't think of a bride for many years more, but if he had to choose one, he wouldn't allow himself to be dictated to. He would hope that his Majesty his father could imagine how he'd have liked it to get a wife forced on him against his will and would have to marry her.
There is a lot of talk in 1729 that Fritz would be allowed to travel to France and Italy, but nothing came out of it. Equally in October 1729, rumor has it the recalled Suhm has ended up at the Fortress Königstein (I've been there, check out the photos, and Stratemann observes philosophically that if true, this would not be surprising, since Suhm was "a creature of Minister Flemming" and when there's a change of minister people often fall; now, Flemming was August's most important minister and majorly responsible of Countess' Cosel's downfall back in the day as he hated her and intrigued against her; the incoming new prime minister was the famous Count Brühl, whose houses Fritz will licence for plunder and whose wife he'll clash with in the 7 Years War.
Dr. Willers, according to Stratemann the guy who taught both Wilhelmine and Fritz in English in preparation for their marriages, is sent away (with honors) from Potsdam in February 1730
Considerate husband FW, when his wife is sick, tells her, sounding a lot like his son later: She should get rid of Dr. Stahl, he (FW) wanted to be her Medicus; she should not drink so much coffee and drink nothing but hot soup instead, then her illness would pass. The Queen promised to do this and asked for the hot soup; and the following day, her condition improved. To illustrate more of FW's praiseworthy uxorious and paternal behavior, Stratemann lets it drop casually that btw, there were actually tensions between the King and his oldest daughter (in non-Stratemann land, this translates to the ongoing fierce marital battle between FW and SD about the English marriages for Fritz and Wilhelmine, and Wilhelmine having refused the alterante suitors FW had presented to her), but now, all is well.
In the entry on March 4th 1730 (one more month to go in SD's last pregnancy), FW tells his "Fieke" that God has given her to him for 24 yers now, he wants to keep her, God can do to the baby whatever he wants as long as he lets FW keep SD. Then he asks her whether she wants to see her children. SD says yes, and that the two oldest should be in the antechambre. FW allows all to enter, enter they do, he's greeted but refuses to give Wilhelmine his hand to kiss because he's still angry. SD gives Wilhelmine a signal, Wilhelmine puts her arms around FW's neck, cries and pleads for him to show her his grace again, he says "It is alright, Wilhelmine, you are my dear daughter".
In the evening, the kids all dine in the antechambre, FW keeps going between the antechambre and SD's bedroom and:
Des Abends hatten alle Königliche Kinder in der VorCammer speisen müssen, da der König zwischen der Königinn Bette und solcher Tafel beständig, unter lieblichen Anreden, spazieren gangen; und wie Se. Majestät angemercket, daß der kleinste Prinz Heinrich geweint, und nach der Ursache gefraget, der Cron-Printz auch darauf geantwortet: daß sein Bruder von den Fischen eßen wollte, so man Ihm gegen die Nacht zu geben weigerte; hatte der König zu der ältesten Prinzeß gesaget: Wilhelmine! gib du Ihm nur ein wenig und will ich dir hiermit aufgetragen haben: daß du, so lange Mama krank ist, Sorge vor Heinrichen trägest. Hieraus nun will man schließen, daß die Versöhnung zwischen dem Könige und der Prinzeß ihre Richtigkeit habe, da sonst der König, wegen Ihr angetragener aber von Ihr refusierter sichern Marriage mit Ihr in einigen Wochen nicht sprechen wollen; woher dann auch der lieben Königinn Maladie wohl guten Theils ihren Ursprung genommen haben mag.
From the Rokoko German (this being the first German diplomat to actually write his reports in German, unlike Suhm, the Imperials or the Prussians), not French) into English: "...and when his majesty noticed that the smallest Prince, Heinrich, was crying, and asked for the cause, the Crown Prince replied that his brother had wanted to eat from the fish which had been refused to him to eat in the evening; then the King told the oldest Princess: Wilhelmine! do give him a bit, and I want to charge you to look after Heinrich as long as Mama is still so ill. From this, one wants to conclude that the reconciliation between the King and the Princess is for real, for otherwise the King due to the marriage she'd been offered and she'd had refused had himself refused to speak to her for several weeks now; which may have been the cause of the malady of the dear Queen
As reported by Wilhelmine in her memoirs, there's a message from Fritz of Wales swearing his (sight unseen) love for her and that she's the only one for him; both she and Fritz are supposed to stay in England for a year after their marriages and then Fritz gets to travel (again, according to what S has heard about the conditions for the English marriages in 1730.
Charles Hotham Sr. (not to be confused with his nephew of the same name), the delegate supposed to finally hash out the conditions for the English marriages, has a very FW experience: When the King had lunched eight days ago with the English envoy du Bourgue, there was a lot of hard drinking; and since his Majesty emptied a cup toasting the King of England's health directed at the Chevalier Hotham, the envoy demanded an equally large cup and asked for permission to toast his Majesty's health as well; which he put to the test, but holdling and emptying this put even his coworkers on week feet, but he still managed to keep his countenance; though at last his legs could not carry him anymore, and he had to be carried to his coach.
As SD's time of giving birth in May 1730 draws near, it's also time to select a wetnurse: On the 29th passato (i.e. the 29th of last month, April), both the Oberhofmeisterin v. Kamecke and the Hofmeisterin de Rouccoul as well as the royal physician Dr. Stahl audited 36 women, among whom there were wives of court councillors and those of lower descent, and have chosen four among them who at the time of the Queen's delivery will provide the first nourishment to the hopefully cheerful sight. Such a choice only regards that such a person have healthy milk and teeth. She shall be hired for a year, and has to expect 1200 Reichstaler salary for her service. Those who were reviewed and fell through were honest and good women, but they still looked somewhat enviously at the remaining four who, however, are wavering between fear and hope as well...
Next entry picking up the nursing matter: Since the, God willing, happy delivery of the Queen is expected to happen daily, the Oberhofmeisterin, the chief royal physician and the midwife had to stay overnight at the palace for the last three days now, and since a few days a certain number of canon firers has been commanded to the walls in order to fire the usual cheerful salutes; and rumor has it that his highness the Duke, offered to stay at the palace during his time here, has declined to do this as not to incommodate the Queen.
The four chosen women have presented themselves to the Queen, and she has picked among them the wife of a retired French Captain, named de Coulon, who is a honest and good person, as her wetnurse.
*The Duke: Charlotte's engagement to the future Duke of Braunschweig-Bevern had been celebrated only a few weeks earlier, to team Braunschweig was still there.
From our loyal correspondance from Brunswick, more idyllic Hohenzollern family scenes, as the birth of Ferdinand is used by people to petition the King while offering their congratulations: Many petitions are being given to the King on this occasion, one of which I want to mention; for the youngest princess, Amalie, had been given by her nurse a memorandum in which she recommended and asked for her husband, who'd been a wine trader and whose trade had been ruined, to be hired by the royal cellar; ; but since the Princess Amalie couldn't quite read out the petition, the Princess Ulrike took it into her hands and adressed the King thusly: My dear Papa! I, too, come in order to ask for a huge favor. Amalie's nurse doesn't have any bread and asks for her husband to be given a lowly emmployment. Princess Amalie, also present, throws herself on the ground before the King and sadly says: "Oh yes! Dear Papa! Bread, bread for my nurse! which the King replies thusly: Don't bother me like this, you shall be granted all and your nurse shall have bread.
With this background, and no word on FW humiliating Fritz in front of the army at Zeithain, the fateful summer trip by father and son being used as an escape attempt comes completely out of the blue. As I mentioned earlier, Stratemann hasn't heard about it (or at least doesn't mention it) as late as August 18th, at which point all the other envoys know, and when he does report Katte's arrest, he doesn't mention Fritz by name as the reason of it. He keeps reporting through September and October that the father/son reconciliation is imminent, that FW if anything will lessen Katte's sentence, that all will be well. Then comes November with its execution, of which Stratemann suddenly has far better intel than he used to in matters Crown Prince and Katte. And he has a fascinating follow-up on this in the middle of his wholesome family anecdotes, as none other than little August Wilhelm has heard about Katte's demise.
German original:
Berlin, den 11. November 1730.
Nach dem jüngst gemeldetermaßen, der Lieut. v. Katte gestern vor 8 Tagen, unter einer Escorte von 30 Mann Gens d'Armes in Begleitung des Ritt-Meisters v. Aßeburg und des Gens d'Armerie Feld Predigers nach der 10 Meil von hier entlegenen Veste Cüstrin gebracht und daselbst den 3. Tag darauf, am vergangenen Sonntage, abgeliefert worden; hat der, auf Königl. Befehl, dahin voraus gegangene Geh. Rath pp. Gerbet, in Gegenwart des gleichfalls aldar schon an gelangt gewesenen Obristen v. Derschau und anderer dazu bestimmter Officiern, demselben abermahls das Todesurtheil vorlesen und auf den folgenden Tag, dessen die Execution ankündigen müßen. Der Feld Prediger hat demnach die Devotion mit ihm continuiret, da andern Morgens der Condemnatus bald nach 7 Uhr im Schloße sich auf einen daselbst angefahrenen Sand-Haufen, gleich gegen des Cron-Prinzen Fenster über, eingefunden und wie Se. Königl. Hoheit ihn darauf angeredet. Mons. Katte! ich bitte euch vergebet mir, wann Ich euch zu leyde gethan und Ursache an euern Tode bin; und er sich dagegen hinwieder ganz constant in Antwort vernehmen laßen: Ihro Hoheit haben nicht Ursache um Vergebung zu bitten, weil Sie mir nichts zu wieder gethan und ich selbst meines Todes Ursache bin.
Er darauf mit Gebet sich zu Gott gewandt, so folglich sich selbst die Augen verbunden und also in gleicher Constance des Henckers Schwerd Schlag abgewartet, der dann auch so glücklich gelungen, daß mit einem Hieb der Kopf vom Cörper abgesondert worden; welchem necht man dem Leichnam mit dem ausgebreiteten schwarzen Tuch bedecket und also bis 2 Uhr Nachmittags zum Schau liegen laßen; da man selben in einen Sarg geleget und die bestellte 12 Bürger des Orts selbigen so folglich zur Beerdigung auf den Kirchhof getragen; mit welcher Tragedie dann in so weit dieser Actus geendet, und wird gesagt: daß, wann der König dieses decollierten Lieutnants Verbrechen nach der rigoeur hätte bestrafen lassen wollen und nicht consideration für die viele vornehme Verwandten Se. Maj. selben mit einerweit eclatanteren Todes-Strafe belegen können.
English translation:
Berlin, November 11, 1730.
As has been recently reported, Lieut. v. Katte 8 days ago yesterday, under an escort of 30 men Gens d'Armes accompanied by the Ritt-Master v. Aßeburg and the Gens d'Armerie field preacher has been taken to the Fortress Küstrin, which is 10 miles from here, and delivered there on the third day on the following Sunday; on royal order, Councillor . Gerbet, in the presence of Colonel v. Derschau and other officers appointed for this purpose again proceeded to read out the death sentence to the same and had to announce his imminent execution to hiom for the following day. The field preacher has therefore continued the devotion with him, since next morning the Condemnatus, soon after 7 o'clock, found himself in the castle on a heap of sand approached there, right across the window of the Crown Prince, and as his Royal Highness addressed him: " Mons. Katte! I ask you to forgive me for what I have done to you, for being the cause of your death; and he, on the other hand, let himself be heard quite constantly in reply: Your Highness have no reason to ask for forgiveness, because you have done nothing to me, and I am the cause of my death myself.
He then turned to God with prayer, so consequently blindfolded himself and thus waited with the same constancy for the executioner's sword stroke, who then succeeded so happily that with one blow the head was separated from the body; then one covered the corpse with the spread out black cloth and thus left it for display until 2 o'clock in the afternoon; then it was put in a coffin and the 12 citizens of the place ordered to do so carried it to the burial in the churchyard; With what tragedy then this Actus ended, and it is said: that when the King would have wanted this decollated lieutenant to have crime punished according to the rigoeur and no consideration for the many distinguished relative, he would have been able to impose a far more striking death penalty on the same.
Given S. earlier reports all those imminent pardons, the turnaround to "FW totally could have made it worse!" (i.e. FW's own argument) is especially startling. And the fact that it all checks out - the dialogue exchange, the sandheap, Katte binding his own eyes, leaving the body until 2 pm precisely. What's more, the three letters he sends with later dispatch are also accurate. In the same November 25th entry where S. mentions the three letters and having read copies, he also provides us with this priceless tale about, wait for it, young AW confronting FW with Katte:
German original: Sonsten wird pargiret: daß der zweyte Königl. Prinz jüngster Tagen beim Exercieren, da ein Officier ihm die Handgriffe bey bringen sollen, ganz ermüdet worden und nicht mehr damit fortfahren wollen; wie nun des Königs Majt. zu Ihm gelaget, wenn Du nicht exerciren
willst, so sollst Du auch kein port d'epée mehr tragen; worauf der Prinz geantwortet: mein lieber Papa! das will ich wohl gleich wieder geben; wie der König darauf repliciret: Wilhelm! so kanst Du auch kein Officier sein; hätte der Prinz erwidert; da frage ich nichts nach, mein lieber Papa läßet ja einen Officiers die Köpfe abhauen.
Was nun hiermit weiter vorgefallen, übergehet man billig mit Stillschweigen; inzwischen habe der König geargwohnet: daß gegen den Prinzen jemand dergleichen Reden geführet haben müßte; weswegen Er etwas hart angelaßen, solches zu bekennen; Er hat aber keinen genannt; indessen soll der Kriegs Rath Lindener als Informator, deswegen ein scharfes Bad haben ausstehen müßen.
English translation, : It's also told that the second royal prince the other day during drilling grew exhausted when an officer was supposed to teach him all the right grips, and hadn't wanted to continue; then the King came to him, he told him, if you don't want to drill anymore, you'll have to return your sword, to which the Prince replied: Dear Papa! I want to return it at once! and the King answered: Wilhelm! Then you can't be an officer! To which the Prince supposedly returned, I don't care for it, my dear Papa orders his officers' heads to be cut off.
What then happened should rather be covered with silence; by now the King suspects someone has been talking in front of the Prince with such speeches, and he's approached him somewhat harshly to confess to this; but (AW) did not provide anyone's name; but still, the Councillor Lindener as the likely informant has been in hot waters because of this.
mildred_of_midgard assumes Johnn, the previous Danish envoy's subordinate and new Danish envoy, to have been Stratemann's source for all this. Meanwhile, Löwenöhr (Strateman's spelling of the name) himself is in disgrace with FW: The Danish envoy v. Löwenöhr, whom the King used to like always, has not been allowed to come before the King's grace anymore since he supposedly knew of a design il favoured by the King, and didn't report it. Now he lives basically incognito and it is believed he'll soon return again to his sick sovereign.(He's in disgrace because Katte told him about the escape plan, as a reminder.)
Stratemann reports the story of the soldier who lights the candle again for Fritz after extinguishing it according to FW's order in that month of November when he suddenly has all the goods. This account must be one of the earliest, and contemporary to it happening. Though if Stratemann has heard about it, chances are FW did, too, so I doubt this soldier could do this for much longer.
In the same entry as he reports the return of Major von Schach from Küstrin, S has heard a rumor about Peter Keith: It is also said: that Lieutenant v. Keith, who'd made himself invisible in Wesel in the month of August and withdrew to Holland and furtherly to England, has become a naturalized citzen there and has been equipped by his Great-British Majesty with a company. I guess this man congratulates himself heartily that he has escaped from a great anger in this country and now finds himself in such happy circumstances.
Stratemann includes a sympathy poem written for Fritz in late 1730. It turns out to have been written by the “Geheimer Kriegs- und Domänenrat” Wilke, subordinate of Hlle who is otherwise known to complain about Fritz' non-stop poetry in his reports to Berlin. (And indeed did cmplain about Wilke encouraging the poetry by delivering a poem.) In German. With a reply poem by Fritz. In German. Note that the poem contains nothing objectionable, they just hope Fritz will get through the dark times and that the sun of grace will shine on him again. Stratemann, interestingly, also provides the entire (French) text of the poem Katte wrote while under arrest at his regiment still in Berlin which you probably know from various biographies. Here it is:
Vers composés par Mr.de Katte, lors qu'il-etoit Prisonnier dans la Guarde des Gensd'Armes.
Cest toi fortune inconstante,
fausse Divinité!
Qui pour remplir nôtre attente.
charme nôtre Vanité;
Menteuse! dans tes promesses,
Injuste! dans tes largesses,
Terrible! dans tes revers,
Il n'-y-a jour qui-finisse
Sans nous montrer bon Caprice
par mille tours divers.
Celui qui la curiosité portera
a lire cette ecriture apprendra
que l'ecrivain a-été mit aux arrests
par l'Ordre desa Majesté
le 16me d'Auot 1730
non sans esperance de
se revoir bientôt
én liberté, quoique
la façon d'ont-il-a-été gardé
Par le temps et la Patience
En obtient les fruits d'une bonne Conscience;
Si vous voulés savoir qui c'est,
Le nom de Katte vous l'apprendra,
Toujours constant en Esperance.
This so far is the sole passage in French. (It also lacks one line, courtesy of the editor; Mildred provides a complete version here. ) Since the next few entries are all Wilhelmine and family related, I'll fast forward here to another intriguing Katte mention, this time of Hans Heinrich, more than half a year later:
Berlin, July 28th 1731: Supposedly General Lieutenant v. Katte after leading his regiment at the revue before the King got off his horse and put his sword at the King's feet, and asked again for his demission, whereupon his majesty showed himself very much displeased. Rumor even has it (Hans Heinrich) got arrested as a consequence.
Now, obviously the arrest didn't happen - I don't think biographers would have overlooked that! -, but this is also the first time I heard about Hans Heinrich making this gesture. Since the revue was a really big public spectacle (this is also why Fritz was pissed off when Heinrich didn't salute him properly in the after the 7 Years War, remember), such a gesture would have been quite something. And does argue it's FW Hans Heinrich is struggling for forgive. Not to mention that it gives the lie to the "Hans Heinrich totally on board with FW executing his son!" version. All the more so since Stratemann is really the most FW friendly envoy ever.
Back to the winter of 1730/1731. Case in point: the same entry that has the AW anecdote also includes this story: It is said that his royal highness recently wrote a submissive letter to His Majesty his lord father, and in it, due to the now allowed changes regarding his earlier limited stay in Küstrin, has given submissive thanks, with many sayings from the bible, which is very seemly towards an once angry but now soothed father, and the King when the letter was read to him squeezed many tears from his eyes. His Majesty also supposedly declared that the entire country was open to his Fritz, he should be able to go and live within the country wherever he pleases.
This, mind, the same month that we know FW wrote the furious "if there would be 100 000 Kattes I'd have them beheaded" rant, had SD toast to England's demise and according to Guy Dickens said he was now sorry re: Katte whose death had to rest heavily on Fritz' conscience, what with Fritz being the one to blame.
So much fo Katte. Back to Hohenzollern family affairs.
S. notes that Ulrike is much in favor, being other than Charlotte FW's favourite daughter for now. So how does this family celebrate the Christmas of 1730?
December 23rd 1730: Her Majesty the Queen spent most of the day with her daughter, the oldest princess, who still hasn't recovered from her illnesss. The second and third prince, too, have come down with a strong cold and cough. The Crown Prince now presides over the government of Küstrin and reports almost daily from events there to the King's greatest pleasure. When his Royal Highness for the first time arrived at the council chamber, the second Secretary, as an acccomplished poet, had welcomed him with a few verses, whereupon the Prince briefly replied in the same fashion. These verses circulate only in a few hands, and I'm not yet allowed to get them, but I will try and will communicate them accordingly.
December 24th: The court jeweller has created presents in gold and silver in the worth of 12/m Reichstaler, of which the Queen had golden pieces for her cabinet, the princes and princesses had silver lates. Princess Charlotte, our Prince of Bevern's bride, received an expensive jewel, some silver kitchen supply, shovels and pliers, and a few pretty things to dress herself up. His Highness her groom shall receive a set of laces, next to a golden set Point d'Espange and other treats sent to him on the occasion of Holy Christ's feast. Now the Princess Ulrike had asked for a while to receive the King's portrait as a Christmas present, and it was among her gifts; when the third prince (i.e. Heinrich) noticed, he asked for a portrait as well, and did receive one, about which this princess showed herself somewhat disgusted. The King went on Christmas Eve in his own person with an entourage to the local Christmas Market and bought entertaining pleasantries for the little princes and princesses. (...) At the first day of Christmas, the widowed Madam General v. Dörfling had had carried a good bowl of cooked Sauerkraut with a roasted fat goose to the palace, as his Majestly loves to eat this dish, and on the holiday a bowl with beautiful apples, which has been received very graciously.
Okay, while I doubt Heinrich asking for Dad's portrait was about more than "big sis got something special, I'd like to have one of those as well", it does provide ammo together with the fish for supper at the start of the year if you want to make a case that FW at this early point indulged him somewhat. And of course FW going shopping for his kids shows him in full loving pater familias vein. Our editor chides Wilhelmine again for her "harsh, unloving" picture of her parents in her memoirs. Note: at this point Stratemann still insists she's simply ill. In 1731, he'll finally admit she wasn't ill, she has been locked up, for months, and I'll get to the conditions which honestly brought it home to me she really was no less imprisoned as Fritz had been, just in her own rooms. Now, in late 1730, rumor has it FW wants to marry little Sophie to BayreuthFriedrich. Sophie therafter keeps getting referenced as the bride of the Erbprinz of Bayreuth. Then, on January 6th 1731, Stratemann reports this rumor:
January 6th: After the King these last days told the Princess Sophie that the Prince Heir of Bayreuth desired to have her as his wife, she started to cry heartily and pronounced that she didn't want to marry at all, but wanted to stay with the clerical career for which she'd been meant earlier. The King supposedly returned to this: it couldn't happen, the bridegroom would soon arrive, who'd please her being a handsome prince, which the princess gave no reply to, but later towards her governess Fräulein de Joccourt sounded very sad about. Now the completely unfounded rumor is making the rounds that the oldest Princess, who is still sick, wishes to replace her sister as the future Abbess of Hertford.
This is one of the few times where I think we can pinpoint who is Stratemann's source for this story, i.e., Sophie's governess. Bear in mind Sophie is barely pubescent at this point. And destined to marry the godawful Schwedt cousin. Poor Sophie.
On January 13th, Stratemann finally admits in his report that a) Fritz' release and rejoining the family isn't so imminent after all, and b) Wilhelmine isn't sick, she's in disgrace, locked up, and still not reconciled with Dad.
Of the Crown Prince, nothing has been said, and so it doesn't seem that he will appear at the 24th on the occasion of his birthday in Potsdam after all. The oldest Princess remains completely in her room, and thus circumstances argue that a complete reconciliation on both parts is still full of impediments. Her Majesty the Queen, however, enjoys with her husband the King a most endearing complete harmony and bliss, and thus rumor has it that she's expecting another child.
Yeah, not so much, Stratemann.
January 27th: As soon as the King left for Potsdam on the 19th, the Queen went to the oldest Princess, which she hadn't seen during the fourteen days spent with the King, and this most regarded Princess, who hasn't left her room since the 27th of August, which means in five months, went downstairs for to the Queen on the following Sunday the 20th, which I guess the King must have permitted; still, one is assured that the King does not yet permit (Wilhelmine) to appear in front of him, and the much hoped for complete reconciliation with the Crown Prince still seems to be far away; and yet the young gentleman lives very pleasantly at Küstrin and is so popular among so many that the artisans and low workers have said: they want to donate a penny of their daily salaries to his royal highness; then the nobility in the entire country keeps sending food supplies; in the midst of this the King took from the Prince the sole much loved valet left and transfered the later to Halle to get an appointment as Torschreiber (Gate Secretary, literally) with 30 Reichstaler per year as a salary, about which he (the valet) pretended to be embarrassed, but in the end accepted it with devotion.
February sees the rumor that Bayreuth Friedrich (who, if you recall, isn't in Germany, he's on his Grand Tour) has died, which of course isn't true.
On March 10th, Wilhelmine is still in disgrace: The reconciliation of the oldest royal princess has still made no progress, and there isn't much hope for it; by now, the court preachers have received an order to pray with her once a week in her room, but not to preach to her. She hasn't received communion for eight months now, and since August 16th has not been allowed to see any ladies in her chamber other than the governesses of the royal princesses and the Queen's Dames d'honeur. According to rumor, she tries to pass her time with music.
Not receiving communion might not seem a harsh punishment to us, but it's actually really nasty, because if Wilhelmine had died during that time, she'd have died in a damned state. Anyway, see what I mean about Wihelmine being kept as much a prisoner as Fritz? Actually more so, since he gets to attend and work in the Küstrin government, which might not be the most thrilling of occupations but is at least something other than sit and brood in a room.
On March 24th, FW allows Wilhelmine to come from Berlin to Potsdam but still under great restriction and without seeing her. Otoh, he does see his other daughters
At once when they arrived His Majesty ordered the fourth princess, Sophie, the bride of the Prince of Bayreuth and the youngest Princess Amalie to him, and when he saw the Princess Sophie, he was somwhat surprised at her size. Two months ago, she'd entered her thirteenth year, and has grown taller than her three older sisters, and so the King said to her: Sophie! What have you done to grow so tall, you grow taller than me, let me see your shoes. When he saw her shoes had heels of about two inches, the King said: Away with those! You don't need them anymore. On the next morning, the King visited the smallest prince, who is now nearly a year old, and took along the two above named princesses. When the King noticed that the Princess Sophie wasn't as tall anymore as the other day and saw with appreciation the flat shoes, he told her very sweet things.
And finally, Wilhelmine gets a break:
At last the royal decision regarding the oldest Princess has been made that she was allowed to receive communion at a service to be held in her chamber, which she'd wished to do in the cathedral with the rest of the people but has been refused to for unknown causes; when the second court preacher Steinberg this last Sunday held a service in the audience room of the princess, her royal highness, her stewardess Fr. v. Wittenhorst-Sonsfeld, the Queen's lady of honor Fr. v. Bodenbruch, and the Baroness de Joccourt, the governess of the three younger princesses, attended. One still hopes the Princess after having spent eight months in her retreat would be reconciled, but this hasn't happened yet, but it is expected to happen within the next four weeks and the arrival of the foreign dignitaries.
Again, I say the Baroness de Joccourt is Stratemann's likely source, not just for these but for all the stories featuring the kids.
More stories from Küstrin about how everyone, not just local nobility but French, Dutch, British and from the other German states keeps sending food and drink to Fritz but under incognito names and everyone is rooting for FW to release him.
Gundling, quondam historian treated as court fool by FW and the one guy with a serious claim of having been worse treated than Fritz by FW, dies. Stratemann gives a description of his ghastly funeral. Gundling's arch enemy and successor, Fassmann, who ridiculed him in a speech at said funeral quickly finds out what it means to be FW's new punching bag. He's sent fool garnments and refuses to wear them (Stratemann: But they were presents! How could he!). Flash foward to July, and Fassmann has had it, and we get a nasty reminder of 18th century antisemitism to boot:
Councillor Faßman who'd been appointed Court Fool has fled, because he does not want to be a Bouffon de la Cour, and it is said he has deserted to England. Most recently, he had a clash at Potsdam with a Jew named Marcus who has often been used by the court for such offices, and had to receive a slap in the face by the later, which the Jew had been licensed to do by a higher authority, whereupon (Fassmann) threw him on the ground and kicked him, and tore at his hair and strangled him so much that he'd have killed him if (Marcus) had not been saved by the surrounding officers. Faßmann then said to the King: he'd once had set the condition that he didn't want to be vexed by anyone, no matter how high ranking, much less by an infamous Jew, and thus he's left royal service and did not return.
Back to spring:
May 31st: After the arrival of the Prince of Dessau at Potsdam on the 10th, the later along with the Duke of Bevern has had a long conversation with the King which mostly concerned the reconciliation with the Crown Prince and the oldest Princess. The King supposedly remained harsh and wasn't movable, but one still flatters oneself: that his Majesty will be moved by these two best of princes. If it comes to this, the Prince of Dessau will go to Küstrin himself and pick the Crown Prince up there. Regarding the oldest Princess, it's said that within a few days, her destiny will be cleared up. A few days ago, she has been visited by General and Secret Councillor of his Majesty v. Grumbkow as well as the General Leutnants v. Borck, v. Podewils and v. Thulemeier, all four arriving in a chaise without announcement at the palace, and spent over an hour with the Princess. The sisters of the Princess and their governesses as well as her stewardess v. Wittenhorst-Sonsfeld and two of the Queen's ladies had been present at first then suddenly all had retired from the room and some with them greatly upset so that they had to take the red powder by Stahl. Of the proposition which was made to the Princess by these ministers of the cabinet, there is much conflicting rumor. Some claim to guess that a new marriage has been proposed to the Princess, either with the ruling Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth (i.e. BayreuthFriedrich's DAD) or with his Prince3 Heir who otherwise had been meant for the fourth Princess. But everything is still uncertain, and it's been covered up. But one thing is true; when the Princess came down to supper this evening, she wasn't, as she used to since allowed to supper, in a cheered up mood, but completely withdrawn in thoughts, and hardly spoke a word during the entire meal.
Editor Richard Wolff: the Margravine gives one of her typical exaggarated descriptions of this meeting in her memoirs of these four gentlemen trying to "bully" her into marriage.
And lo, it's public submission time for Wilhelmine:
Before the arrival of the King, the oldest, the fourth and the sixth Princess (and the first one after an encounter with the Queen) positioned themselves in his Majesty's rooms and received the King; when the oldest Princess threw herself at the King's feet and pleaded with his Majesty: to forgive her with what she has angered her merciful Papa; and squeezed out some tears while saying this, at which the King, too has cried a bit, and thus this Princess, after a retreat to her room of nine months, has not only been received again with grace but has now been put in new circumstances; but what will happen next and whose bride she shall be, time will show. The Queen has been received by the above named three princesses and Her Majesty had been very glad to find the oldest Princess, whom she hasn't seen for four months, reconciled with the King, for we all know that this Princess above all others has been close to the Queen's heart. And now the only thing lacking is that the Crown Prince, too, will be released into Freedom, to make everyone's joy complete.
In fairness, as of this point, anyone would have said Wilhelmine had been SD's favourite daughter and confidant, given not just SD pushing the English marriage for her. Still, the contrast between SD resenting the hell out of Wilhelmine's accepting the Bayreuth marriage in rl (and in younger Seckendorff's description when Wilhelmine is already married, so we don't have to rely on Wilhelmine's own word about this) and Stratemann's description is striking.
One hadn't believe the affair at first; but since the oldest Princess has submitted herself completely to the King's will, she's been gifted with much rich clothing, a purse and other precious triflings; and thus there can be no doubt (as to the reconciliation). Princess Ulrike, who since a year has been the King's greatest favourite and had been preferred to her older sister Sophie, has now been degraded due to a minor mistake. Despite her being only eleven years of Age, she still possess a great mind and thus a noble spirit; and thus she's very touchy about this and torments herself: at the King's demand, the Queen has taken the diamond earrings which the Queen of Sweden had given (Ulrike) some years ago away, and then she had to sit at the table with her youngest sister Princess (Amalie) despite having been allowed to sit for a year at the King's table.
On June 5th, Wilhelmine's engagement to Bayreuth Friedrich officially takes place. Stratemann thinks Bayreuth Friedrich only learned at the last minute he wouldn't get Sophie but Wilhelmine. To truly appreciate his description of the engagement party, bear in mind SD hated Bayreuth Friedrich's guts. (Or rather, hated that he married her daughter, making him the symbol of her defeat in the marital battle.)
The noble engaged couple sat at the high point of the table, and the King's pleasure was above measure. His highness the Duke of Würtemberg emptied a large cup while toasting the health of the engaged couple. After supper, the groom led his bride to the ballroom, but the King at once took her from him and started the dance with her; then he danced with the Princess Bride of Bevern (i.e. Charlotte, and then with Princess Sophie. The first two were warmly embraced by the King, and they kissed his Majesty's hands, which was repeated twice or thrice. When the two youngest princesses saw that the King had not asked them to dance, they, too, kissed his hands, and thus the King has danced with his five princess daughters en suite. The noble groom had been told by the King to ask the Queen to dance, but when her Majesty excused herself, the Prince Heir shrugged; but when the King tried again by telling her that the King asked her to do this, she no more refused but danced with the Heir Prince, whereupon Her Majesty did the same thing with the Duke of Würtemberg and the Duke of Bevern, and finally with the King himself, who held both of her hands, during the dance itself, too. He kept kissing her hand, and the ball ended only at three in the morning.
Meanwhile ,the British envoy: Wilhelmine looked pale and if she'd faint the entire time, and the Queen was upset and almost in tears, and the King glowered. Taking the British bias into acccount, I suppose the truth was somewhere in between, but Stratemann's polyanna-ness is still striking. Mind you, FW able to dance with all five of his daughters is not a picture one usually has of him.
Wilhelmine gets supportive poetry (in German) too, on the occasion of her engagement. An anonymous poem is making the rounds according to Stratemann:
One sees the secretly circulating verses that an adroit poet has made on the occasion of the oldest Princess' future departure for Bayreuth, and which go thusly:
Geh, Englische Prinzeß! mit deinem werthen Francken,
Gott und die Nach-Welt wird dir deine Treue dancken,
Indeßen bleibt dein Ruhm der ganzen Welt bekandt:
Denn wo Du lebst, da ist das rechte Engelland.
The poem makes a pun between "Englisch" as in "English", and "Englisch" as in old fashioned German for "Engelhaft" in modern German, "Angelic". You might recall that Isabella makes a similar pun in a letter to Maria Christina. I'll try my hand regardless. First the literal translation:
Go, English/Angelic Princess! with your worthy Franconian,
God and posterity will thank you for your loyalty,
and in the meantime, your fame is known to the entire world,
for where you live, that's where the true country of the English/Angels is.
Verse:
Oh English Princess, go with your Franconian man,
God knows your loyalty, and posterity will thank you then.
Still, all the world knows of your fame:
For where you live, that's Angelcountry all the same.
Now according to Stratemann, FW is hell bent on making Wilhelmine and future Margrave have sex and consumate the marriage before it's a marriage. Why? Because that would make it legal as a marriage, and rumor has it the Brits are making trouble by pointing to Fritz' of Wales' earlier claim to Wilhelmine's hand, which supposedly invalidates her current engagement. Mind you, having read Hervey's memoirs where the whole thing only gets half a sentence mention, I really doubt that, but I can see SD spreading such a rumor via her daughter's governesses, which, see above, I think were Stratemann's sources.
And then, come August, we get the big Fritz submission, of which Stratemann reports nothing new.
Post- submission at Küstrin, Stratemann reports that now the marriage game for Fritz has been restarted. Also, his return to Potdam is, once again, imminent:
" The local rooms of the Crown Prince are with all eagerness being redecorated, and it's even said that the King had ordered all the wallpaper that used to be in these rooms, and all the books and papers which were still here, to be burned. "
Same entry (August 25th 1731): the next unlucky guy to succeed Gundling and the rage-quitting Faßmann doesn't fare much better:
The successor of the late Councillor Gundeling and of Faßmann as court historian, v. Drost, has been offered by the King a salary of 1000 Reichstaler, but he keeps protesting and doesn't want to accept this office and the treats going with it; but he has still been ordered to Potsdam, and it's not doubted that given time, he'll accept everything since he's not capable of avoiding this.
Don't be so sure, Stratemann. Fritz gets three new beautiful riding horses sent to him to Küstrin; he's now reported as socializing with the Wreechs. Meanwhile, Wilhelmine has been allowed to drink coffee with Fritz of Bayreuth Otoh, Stratemann reports Fritz' secret library has been sold, though the buyer, a "French merchant", no name given, has announced he's holding it for Fritz as a future present.
It's the anniversary of the battle of Malplaquet (most devastating European battle pre 7 Years War; young FW, Seckendorff and Grumbkow were all youthful participants, and their relationship started there) which FW celebrates each year, this time by being so drunk he can't get up from the floor anymore without his servants' help.
September 22nd: hunting time, AW allowed to participate for the first time, Heinrich has fallen sick : The royal Prince August Wilhelm has been permitted to go hunting for the first time, with a gun, and he has sent the first shot partridge to the old governess of the royal children, Madame v. Roucoulles, as a present.
(Adult AW will not be a fan of hunting.)
Meanwhile, Drost, too, has gotten the hell out of Prussia rather than accept Gundling's job, "and nobody knows where. His colleague the advocate, however, has shown himself here again, and will probably be commissioned in his place. (...) The Medicus shall wear the same costume as the late Gundlng, and if he wants to, it will be permitted to him to let his wife come to Prussia, and it will be allowed to him to take his creditor, v. Lövenklau, as his Maitre d'Hotel.
So will this concessions make the guy accept the job? Stay tuned...
In October, FW proves he doesn't necessarily stiff actors: A strong man who has arrived from Italy this week has been at the King's and has displayed his strength and has presented comedies with his troupe which consists of about 20 people, whereupon both Majesties and the court were so pleased that ihe did not only receive gifts but has been permitted to show his arts in this country for money; which is why he has ordered a house made of wood to be built at Neumarkt here, and willl debut next week. However, there's still an ongoing problem:
The King supposedly has a burning desire to debate again with a learned man like Gundling or Faßmann history as well als all matters in Europe, and wants to have such a man near his person again, which is why the vice director of Halberstadt, v. Dacheröden, who has proved during his last stay here that he is a capable man, has been suggested. So the King in order to close the arrangement quickly has given an order already.
Yeah, well...
It's getting near November, when Wilhelmine is supposed to marry. Her sister Friederike, who has married the Margrave of Ansbach even before Fritz' escape attempt, is coming to Berlin for the first time since that marriage for the occasion. FW decides to hire some musicians to celebrate her arrival.
Thus a few of the royal Polish musicians have come from Dresden. What's more, the so called Dönhoff-Horrible Band Of Musicians has arrived as a backup, which consists of lame clubfeets, one eyed and humpback bodies, so that everyone will be shattered by the ensuing noise.
I bet. Ugh at 18th century abelism.
November 20th 1731: Wilhelmine's wedding starts: The Crown Prince has not come from Küstrin, despite the Princess Bride kept begging with letter after letter for it, and no royal order has been edited to him, either.
SD is much displeased at the new comedians making sex jokes and wants to protet her daughters from same, so the three youngest princesses aren't allowed to attend the comedian appearances anymore. Stratemann gives a thorough description of the ceremonies and what everyone was wearing. Like I said, he's the old fashioned conservative gossip magazine of envoys. The bedding ceremony:
The King has helped the groom undress, the Queen has helped the bride, and then the later's eyes were bound while the bridal crown which was taken from her head has been given to another, who happened to be her youngest sister Princess Amalie, who took it. Then the noble couple had to go into bed in charming sleeping wear in front of all the illustrious guests, while the King held a little joking sermon and has sung a funny song, and then said: they should kiss each other now. Which they either out of awe or out of dumbness did not do, but probably wanted to postpone for another time. After everyone withdrew, the bridal couple was transported in chaises to the apartment destined for them, to which the King and the Queen followed them. They wished them a good night, and withdrew again; meanwhile, dancing kept up until late at night. (...)
Post Scriptum. De dato Berlin, 24. Nov. 1731. Last night around 7 pm and when the ball had already been started hours earlier, the Crown Prince, at first completely unknown and not with his cavaliers, has appeared at court. As soon as he was recognized by the princesses, his sisters (plural, yes), the joy has been indescribable, and many, many people both illustrious and not have shed tears of joy, including the Crown Prince himself. His Royal Highness looked somewhat serious while there was dancing, and hasn't danced with a lady other than his sisters and some princely people. He wore a grey suit, which had silver tressings at the edges, and which is referred in this country as a Secret Councillor Coat. So it is said that the King two days ago has sent an urgent message to Küstrin calling his royal highness here.
Stratemann will later say something more about Fritz at the wedding, which is typical for his style: first the white washed version, then somewhat later the admittance there were maybe some flies in the ointment after all.
There's a sketch of the wedding table and who sat where! So if anyone wants to write fanfic about Wilhelmine's wedding, this is really the book to consujlt. Even Polyanna Stratemann notes that SD retired early each evening of the wedding festivities after the first day.
(Sidenote: "Prince Wilhelm" and "Prince Heinrich" are the Schwedt cousins, not "our" AW and Heinrich respectively. AW and our Heinrich are listed as "2nd Royal Prince" and "3rd Royal Prince".)
FW is reported in a great mood throughout the week of Wilhelmine's wedding celebrations:
The King shows his tenderness towards the royal children in public, as they kissed the King's hands a dozen times, and have been allowed to kiss him on the mouth as well, which both the Margravine of Ansbach (Friederike) and her sister, the Princess Bride of Bevern (Charlotte) did at once, and then the former had to kiss her husband on the King's demand; morever, the Princess of Bayreuth and the little princesses received the grace to kiss their Papa and be kissed by him.
After Count Seckendorff declared supper to have ended, the King gave in front of all illustrious guests with unusual solemnity to the Crown Prince the sword of an officer, and the uniform to go with it, along with the regiment Golz which was transfered to him, which is why on the following days one saw the Prince at the parade wearing a blue coat to the greatest marvelling of the public, as his royal highness just a year ago when the Cavalry and the Colonel Lieutenant office of the King's Regiment had been taken from him had vowed never again to wear a blue coat.
On the dispatch dated December 11th 1731, Stratemann admits that maybe it wasn't all harmony at the wedding:
Secretly, one is assured: that the Crown Prince when he was present here has shown a disagreeable face to some people, and that this has been the cause of his sudden departure back to Küstrin, and that this is why it's now doubtful that the Prince will get the Golz regiment and other privileges after all.
Okay. According to Wilhelmine's memoirs, Fritz was cold-to-rude towards her new husband and distant to her, and Grumbkow (neglecting to mention that he'd advised Fritz to put up some boundaries) told her the King was displeased by this. I had written this off as double talk by Grumbkow, but I can't think of who else Fritz was noticed to have been rude to at the wedding, causing this rumor to reach Polyanna Stratemann's ears.
On December 29, 1731, we get a description of the Hohenzollern Clan celebrating the Christmas of 1731:
On Christmas Eve, the King has ordered small frogs to be exposed in the antechamber in order to amuse the little princes and princesses, and has given presents to all the family of royal blood, which were very precius and consisted of silver pieces and gallant trifles. The Prince of Bayreuth and his wife were given presents in the worth of 1000 Reichstaler. The Margrave of Ansbach and his wife got presents in the same worth, and many boxes were filled with them. What the two oldest princesses thus received were other than two precious boxes dozens of plates, knives, forks and spoons, big silver soup bowls, great candelabras, two big spoons for potatos, a barber bowl with a pot and a box to put the soap into. Princess Charlotte the Bevern Bride has received two silver brooms for the kitchen and other silver pieces. Princess Sophie got the least of all from the King, as she was only given two plates and some pretty trifles, but the Queen has more than made up for this since her Majesty gave her secretly a big cruxific full of diamonds. Princess Ulrike, who is the King's current favourite, has been given various gallant trifles in addition to three big plates and one candelabra. The little princes received an equal share of silver coins but also silver rods, with which the King hit the Prince Wilhelm's fingers with in jest, whereupon the Prince was shocked and by jumping back had a bad fall, which is why he's now confined to a sickbed.
No matter how pleasantly this evening passed, the next Christmas Day the King was suffering from a strong colic and threw up, so that her Majesty, too, has not left her room. In the evening, the joyful news was spread that the King through the main doctor Stahl's care and eagerness has been completely recovered.
At first I thought: I don't know where he got the frogs in December from. And the German word is "Fröschling", which I can't translate in another fashion but "little frog". Then it occured to me that the current German term for "Firecracker" is "Knallfrosch", so "Fröschlinge" might have been the Rococo term for them, which would make sense given the previously reported fondness AW had for fireworks which FW indulged him with. However: on this occasion, poor AW.
Stratemann hears rumors that give yet another reason why Fritz left Berin not overhwelmed with joy:
The local fish market wants to know about the Crown Prince's recent return to Küstrin: that a marriage has been offered to this dear lord which he hasn't been able to agree with joy on yet.
Given whom Fritz ends up marrying, this is rather coy from the Brunswick envoy.
January 12th 1732: At Christmas, the Crown Prince has been in Frankfurt, where the students have prepared a song and some music for him. But his marriage keeps nearly every journalist busy to get the scoop on, without knowing any certainties.
Since this Frankfurt (an der Oder) musical presentation is one of the two origin stories for Fritz/Fredersdorf we have, I note they spent the Christmas of 1731 together, at least.
Stratemann's tactful hint that Fritz is no yett keen on EC: There is much rumor about this prince's current establishment about which, due to worrisome causes, discreet silence must be kept; one has to wait for the certain success.
In early 1732, Franz Stephan's impending arrival causes quite a buzz. He shows up on February 15th, i.e. a good month before the official Fritz/EC engagment party (March 10th), and is a hit with most people, including Fritz.
The report about the engagement party is written on March 15th: The Crown Prince has started the ball with the Queen after supper on this most special engagement day, the King with the Duchess of Bevern, then with the Princess Bride and some of his princess daughters, and all the illustrious foreign visitors have shown themselves joyful and happy, and entertained themselves with both old and new dances. (..) The Duke of Lorraine finds much joy here, and his royal highness likes this residence in particular, due to the free conversation and not being bound to any ceremony, but also due to the daily interaction with the Royal family, and he has said: that he'd rather sit and eat with the young princes and princesses than at the Queen's table.
I bet, Franzl, I bet. I mean, if you had the choice to sit with glowering SD or with the kids from AW and Ulrike downwards, whom would you pick?
FW has a great idea for an extra (and cheap) engagement present for his new Braunschweig in-laws:
The smallest royal Prince, August Ferdinand, who is now nearly two years old and has been called August so far, now following the highest order should be adressed as Prince Ferdinand, which is the name he received from the Duke of Bevern, whereas the first one was in honor of the King of Poland.
(August the Strong, who will be dead soon, courtesy of drinking too much with Grumbkow.)
The rest of the dispatches has the news that Wilhelmine has written she's really happy with her new husband in Bayreuth, the Protestant religious refugees from Salzburg arrive, and then there's the sudden time jump of a year to 1733 when Fritz gets married. No more interesting stuff. But no matter; Stratemann certainly delivered before that.
Tags:
- amalie of prussia,
- charles hotham,
- david faßmann,
- franz i. stephan,
- frederick the great,
- friedrich iii. von brandenburg-bayreuth,
- friedrich wilhelm i.,
- hans heinrich von katte,
- hans hermann von katte,
- hohenzollerns,
- jacob paul von gundling,
- katte execution,
- peter karl christoph von keith,
- prince augustus william of prussia,
- prince ferdinand of prussia,
- prince henry of prussia,
- sophia dorothea of hannover,
- ulrich friedrich von suhm,
- ulrike of sweden,
- wilhelm stratemann,
- wilhelmine of bayreuth
no subject
Date: 2020-10-09 02:47 am (UTC)Just a note for reference for the future reader of this post, the Katte poem has a line accidentally omitted by the editor. The complete poem as I reconstruct it is here.
One nitpick that I forgot to point out in discussions:
(August the Strong, who is now dead.)
August died in early 1733, so in March 1732, he still has a few months to go
before Grumbkow drinks him to death.Otherwise, this whole thing was amaaaaaazing. And I'm still charmed by the little frogs = fireworks.
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Date: 2020-10-09 04:14 am (UTC)Yes, this! :DDDD
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Date: 2020-10-09 03:40 pm (UTC)Also, trust me, I only translated a selection. :) But I had to share the goodness.
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Date: 2020-10-09 07:12 pm (UTC)Donnerstag bin auf dem neumühleschen Saugarten gewesen und haben an zwanzig Stück Sauen todt gemacht; es sind acht hauende Schweine, zwei Bachen und das übrige Fröschlinge gewesen; sie gehen hier reissend los, und hat der Jagdschreiber ein Stücker zehn auf dem Platz verkauft. (from here - rough translation: "Thursday I went to the neumühlesche Saugarten [a game reserve for boars] and killed about twenty; eight male pigs, two female ones, and the rest young ones [Fröschlinge]; they are in high demand and the [Jagdschreiber - no idea what that's in English] sold ten at once." - by the way, this was towards the end of the time when he was still trying to convince FW that he was totally trying to get better at hunting; might have been the last mention of that, though)
See also this reference that google gave me, which says that "Fröschlinge are one year old pigs" (or younger presumably).
So, yeah. I rather love the fireworks, but possibly there were some small pigs running around?
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Date: 2020-10-09 07:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-10-09 08:18 pm (UTC)I clearly need to improve not only my German but also my understanding of livestock practices so I can contribute more to this fandom. :D
Well spotted,
Also, this means we're back to