Charles I of Württemberg
Charles (German: Karl Friedrich Alexander; 6 March 1823 – 6 October 1891) was King of Württemberg, from 25 June 1864 until his death in 1891.[1][2]
Charles I | |||||
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King of Württemberg | |||||
Reign | 25 June 1864 – 6 October 1891 | ||||
Predecessor | William I | ||||
Successor | William II | ||||
Born | Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg | 6 March 1823||||
Died | 6 October 1891 68) Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg | (aged||||
Burial | 8 October 1891 Schlosskirche, Stuttgart, Germany | ||||
Spouse | |||||
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House | Württemberg | ||||
Father | William I of Württemberg | ||||
Mother | Pauline Therese of Württemberg | ||||
Religion | Lutheranism |
Early life
Charles was born on 6 March 1823 in Stuttgart as the son of King William I and his third wife Pauline Therese (1800–1873).[3] As the king's eldest son he became Crown Prince of Württemberg.
Marriage and King of Württemberg
On 13 July 1846 Karl married Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaievna of Russia, the daughter of Tsar Nicholas I and Charlotte of Prussia.[3] (Charlotte was a daughter of Frederick William III of Prussia and of Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; she took the name Alexandra Feodorovna upon her marriage into the Russian imperial family.) Karl acceded to the throne of Württemberg upon his father's death in 1864.
The couple had no children, perhaps because of Karl's homosexuality.[4] Karl became the object of scandal several times for his closeness with various men - most notoriously with the American Charles Woodcock, a former chamberlain whom Karl elevated to Baron Savage in 1888.[5][6] Karl and Charles became inseparable, going so far as to appear together in public dressed identically. The resulting outcry forced Karl to renounce his favorite. Woodcock returned to America, and Karl found private consolation some years later with the technical director of the royal theater, Wilhelm George.[4]
In 1870, Olga and Karl adopted Olga's niece Vera Konstantinovna, the daughter of her brother Grand Duke Konstantin.
Politics
He sided with Austria in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, but after the battle of Sadowa concluded a secret military treaty with Prussia, and took part on her side in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–'71, joining the new German Empire at the close of 1870.[7]
He died, childless, in Stuttgart on 6 October 1891, and was succeeded as King of Württemberg by his sister's son, William II. He is buried, together with his wife, in the Old Castle in Stuttgart.
Honours
Arms
- Royal Monogram of King Charles I of Württemberg
- Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Württemberg, 1817
- Royal Monogram of King Charles I of Württemberg, Variant
Ancestry
Ancestors of Charles I of Württemberg |
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Bibliography
For Karl's homosexuality and other familiar issues:
- Queen Olga of Württemberg. Traum der Jugend goldener Stern, Reutlingen, Günther Neske, 1955
- Jette Sachs-Colignon. Königin Olga von Württemberg, Stieglitz, 2002
- Paul Sauer. Regent mit mildem Zepter. König Karl von Württemberg, Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt Stuttgart, 1999
References
- "Karl I, King of Württemberg". Unofficial Royalty. 2017-05-14. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
- Kessler, P L. "Kingdoms of Germany - Württemberg". www.historyfiles.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
- "King Karl I of Württemberg".
- Sabine Thomsen. Die württembergischen Königinnen. Charlotte Mathilde, Katharina, Pauline, Olga, Charlotte – ihr Leben und Wirken [The Queens of Wuerttemberg: Charlotte Matilde, Katharina, Pauline, Olga, Charlotte – Their Lives and Legacies]. Silberburg-Verlag, 2006.
- Jette Sachs-Colignon. Königin Olga von Württemberg, Stieglitz, 2002.
- [Mann für Mann, Bernd-Ulrich Hergemöller, Pages 409, 410]
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One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Ripley, George; Dana, Charles A., eds. (1879). . The American Cyclopædia. - Justus Perthes, Almanach de Gotha 1891 (1891) page 90
- "Toison Espagnole (Spanish Fleece) - 19th century" (in French), Chevaliers de la Toison D'or. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Charles I of Württemberg. |
Charles I of Württemberg Born: 6 March 1823 Died: 6 October 1891 | ||
Regnal titles | ||
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Preceded by William I |
King of Württemberg 1864–1891 |
Succeeded by William II |