Wilhelm | |
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German Crown Prince Crown Prince of Prussia |
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The German Crown Prince.
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Head of the House of Hohenzollern | |
Period | 4 June 1941 – 20 July 1951 |
Predecessor | Wilhelm II |
Successor | Prince Louis Ferdinand |
Born |
Marmorpalais, Potsdam, Germany |
6 May 1882
Died | 20 July 1951 Hechingen, Württemberg-Hohenzollern, Germany |
(aged 69)
Burial | 26 July 1951 Hohenzollern Castle, Wurttemberg-Hohenzollern, Germany |
Spouse | Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (m. 1905–51) |
Issue |
Prince Wilhelm Prince Louis Ferdinand Prince Hubertus Prince Friedrich Princess Alexandrine Princess Cecilie, Mrs. Harris |
House | Hohenzollern |
Father | Wilhelm II, German Emperor |
Mother | Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein |
German Crown Prince Wilhelm (German: Kronprinz Wilhelm von Preußen; 6 May 1882 – 20 July 1951), full name Friedrich Wilhelm Victor August Ernst, was the last Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Prussia and the German Empire. He was born on 6 May 1882 in the Marmorpalais in Potsdam, the eldest child of the future German Emperor Wilhelm II and his wife Empress Augusta Victoria. After the death of his grandfather Emperor Frederick III, Wilhelm became Crown Prince of Germany at the age of six, retaining that title for more than 30 years until the fall of the empire on 5 November 1918. During World War I, he commanded the 5th Army from 1914 to 1916 and was commander of Army Group German Crown Prince for the remainder of the war. Crown Prince Wilhelm became Head of the House of Hohenzollern on 4 June 1941 following the death of his father and held the position until his own death on 20 July 1951.
Wilhelm was born on 6 May 1882 in the Marmorpalais of Potsdam in the Province of Brandenburg. He was the eldest son of Wilhelm II, the last German Emperor (1859–1941) and his first wife, Princess Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein (1858–1921). When he was born, his great-grandfather, Kaiser Wilhelm I, was the reigning emperor and his grandfather, Crown Prince Frederick, was heir to the throne, making Wilhelm third in line to the throne. He was the eldest of the Kaiser's seven children, and his birth sparked an argument between his parents and grandmother. Before Wilhelm was born, his grandmother had expected to be asked to help find a nurse, but since her son did everything he could to snub her, the future Wilhelm II asked his aunt Helena to help. His mother was hurt and his great-grandmother furious. When his great-grandfather and grandfather both died in 1888, six-year-old Wilhelm became the heir-apparent to the German and Prussian thrones.