Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia: A Fatality at the Battle of Saalfeld

Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia (Friedrich Ludwig Christian, Berlin, Prussia, 18th November 1772 – Saalfield, Prussia, 10th October 1806)

Today we mark the death of a young Prince whose passing was strongly felt by his comrades. Born the son of Prince August Ferdinand and Elisabeth Louise of Brandenburg-Schwedt, Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia was a gifted and brave soldier as well as highly respected musician and composer, lauded by the musical cognoscenti for his skills at the piano.

No doubt the remembered sounds of his celebrated musical improvisations were naught but a distant memory when the Prince went to fight in the French Revolutionary Wars. Wounded at the Siege of Mainz, he nevertheless returned to the field to take up arms against Napoleon in the War of the Fourth Coalition, a conflict that that he was passionate about winning.

In fact, Prince Louis Ferdinand did not only not live to see the outcome of the War of the Fourth Coalition, he did not even make it past the opening battle. At the Battle of Saalfeld, the Prince led over eight thousand men against an opposing French army that was far superior in terms of numbers, though he had no doubt in his ability to triumph in this fiercely fought battle. With their backs to the river and no hope of retreat, Prince Louis Ferdinand gave the order to charge the French cavalry, ideally ensconced on the high ground, but the effort proved futile. 

Guindet, a Quartermaster with the 10th Hussars, offered Louis Ferdinand one last chance to surrender and, unsurprisingly, he turned the offer down. Guindet's response was swift and simple, he killed Louis Ferdinand there and then.

The Prussian defeat at the battle was devastating, as was the loss of the young prince. He was later memorialised in music by Franz Liszt and his own compositions live on to this very day.

Life in the Georgian Court, true tales of 18th century royalty, is available at the links below.

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A Return Engagement for Friedrich von der Trenck

I have acquired, of late, a reputation as a lady who favours tales of the guillotine. I cannot deny that I do like a full-blooded story of the National Razor and, last year, shared with you the escapades of Friedrich von der Trenck, a man who lived an adventurous, exciting life of espionage, danger and, no doubt, romance.

Shortly after I told this tale I was contacted via Twitter by De Zilveren Eeuw (aka Rob), a purveyor of wonderful antiquarian publications. Rob and I have corresponded on many matters of Georgian interest and he kindly furnished me with three Dutch illustrations that tell further episodes in the life of von der Trenck and were published in the adventurer's autobiography. It is my pleasure to share these with you today and Rob has also provided translations of the original text, for which I am eternally grateful!

Part II p 166 number VII / Trenck's visit to king Friedrich of Prussia.

At last the Monarch was so touched, that he was getting up from his chair. – I noticed tears were flowing out of his eyes. – I – embraced his knees.

The first illustration shows von der Trenck being received by Frederick the Great. Once high in the king's favour, Frederick and von der Trenck were torn asunder by gossip and scandal. In this image we see the friends reunited, Frederick so adoring of his sometimes bodyguard that the monarch actually weeps to receive him.

Part II Ip.144 number X / Trenck is coming back from the Front with 4 heads of enemies and acquires a pardon from his condemnation to death by Field-Marshall Münnich

And (I) was coming –  with 4 heads,  tied on the manes of the horse –  back

The second illustration shows von der Trenck returning from the Front carrying the severed heads of his enemies. Condemned to death for going against his commander's orders when fighting the Turks,  von der Trenck made a deal that he would bring the heads of three enemies or lose his own. Sure he would not be able to manage such a feat, Field-Marshall Münnich accepted the wager. In fact, our anti-hero returned with one to spare and once again saved his skin!

Part III p 180 number XI / Trenck ignores his house arrest in Vienna, goes to the theatre, meets his enemy Count Gossau and is trying to throw him out of the box.

 He – snatches Count GOSSAU, and is intending to throw him – down on the pit. GOSSAU is drawing his sword.

In the third image we meet our man at the Viennese theatre. Not for him a peaceful evening of simulated drama, he has to create some of his own and instead becomes embroiled in an altercation with Count Gossau, a long time enemy. As the two men grapple, von der Trenck attempts to push the unfortunate Count out of his box and into the pit below; it took a number of men to pull the opponents apart and save Gossau's skin!

Finally Rob has treated us to a far more respectable image of von der Trenck, posed for a portrait in which he appears all innocence, though we know better.

The Post-Death Travels of Frederick the Great

Frederick II (aka Frederick the Great; Berlin, Prussia, 24th January 1712 – Potsdam, Prussia, 17th August 1786)

Frederick the Great by Anton Graff, 1781

On this day in 1786, Frederick II's reign of more than four decades finally came to an end. Better known as Frederick the Great, he is remembered now for his military victories and a monarchy that placed Prussia in the vanguard of European nations.

On 17th August, the 74 year old king retired to his study in the palace of Sanssouci in Potsdam. Here he settled in an armchair and passed quietly away. He left no children to take his place and was succeeded as King of Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg by his nephew, Frederick William II.

However, if in life Frederick had been a man used to getting his own way, in death things were to change. He had always expressed a wish to be laid to rest beside his adored Italian greyhounds on the terrace at Sanssouci. However, Frederick William II decided that a more appropriate resting place would be a formal tomb within the Potsdam Garrison Church. Here Frederick was destined to lay until World War II, when his remains were spirited away to a hidden location; discovered at the close of the war, they were reburied in Marburg. However, Frederick's travels were far from over and in 1953 he moved again, this time to Hohenzollern Castle, where he was interred until 1991.

Finally, two hundred and five years after Frederick's death, his mortal remains were returned to Sanssoucci where they were placed in state with a full guard of honour. That evening his casket was taken out to the vineyard terrace and Frederick the Great was laid to rest in the plot of his own choosing, his wishes finally fulfilled.

Life in the Georgian Court, true tales of 18th century royalty, is available at the links below.

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Augustus William: The Prince Who Died of a Broken Heart

Prince Augustus William of Prussia (Berlin, Prussia, 9th August 1722 - Oranienburg, Prussia, 12th June 1758)

Augustus William of Prussia by G von Bern

As a lass, I was fascinated by the very concept of Prussia. Something about the word itself seemed impossibly exotic, a land of mystery and, for some reason, snow everywhere. I can't vouch for snow and exoticism but we are in Prussia today to meet Augustus William, a prince of the House of Hohenzollern.

As son of Frederick William I of Prussia and Sophia Dorothea of Hanover, Augustus could count amongst his siblings our old friend and seasoned schemer, Louise Ulrika, and Frederick the Great.

Unlike his sister, Augustus did not hanker after absolutist power and was content to live a life away from the throne. Aged twenty, he married Luise of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, the sister of Frederick the Great's wife, and the couple were parents to four children, all but one of whom survived to adulthood. In fact, though Augustus never ruled in his own right, when his brother died leaving no heirs, Augustus' son came to the throne as Frederick William II of Prussia. 

Augustus won the ire of Frederick thanks to a disastrous showing at the Battle of Kolin during the Seven Years War, at which Augustus unwisely chose to retreat. The furious Frederick suffered his first defeat in this battle and he and his brother never fully reconciled. In fact, when Augustus died twelve months later of a brain tumour the rumour spread that the unhappy prince had actually died of a broken heart.

Life in the Georgian Court, true tales of 18th century royalty, is available at the links below.

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The Remarkable Talent of Otto Nicolai

​​Otto Nicolai (Carl Otto Ehrenfried Nicolai; Königsberg, Prussia, 9th June 1810 – Berlin, Prussia, 11th May 1849)

Otto Nicolai by Josef Kriehuber

When I have had a busy day gadding about in search of new stories and little bits of Georgian silliness, there is nothing I like better than to relax in the salon with a cup of tea and some music. Our tale today takes us to Prussia to meet a man famed for his compositions for the operatic stage, whose talent took him to some of the finest venues in Europe.

Following his birth and the divorce of his parents, Nicolai was cared for in a foster home for the first ten years of his life until his father, Carl Ernst Daniel Nicolai, took him back into his home. Nicolai senior was a composer and musical director and under his father's stern and unhappy tutelage the boy began to learn the rudiments of composition and musical appreciation. Life at home was not happy though and at the age of 16, Nicolai fled for a new life in Stargard. Here he was taken in by August Adler and in the care of this city official, he thrived.

It was Adler who truly nurtured Nicolai's talent and he paid for the young man to travel to Berlin and study with Carl Friedrich Zelter. This was to be the making of Nicolai and from here he travelled to Italy where his reputation grew apace. He studied in Rome for years before, aged just 27, he was appointed Kapellmeister at the Viennese Kärntnertortheater. However, he did not settle in Vienna and within a year was back in Rome, where he began to work on operatic compositions.

Nicolai gave Vienna a second shot in 1841 following a failed romance with a singer named Erminia Frezzolini. Keen to make a new start, he took the role of Kapellmeister at the Vienna Court Opera, founding the Vienna Philarmonic. Well-respected and highly influential, he enjoyed enormous success and moved in the highest circles. He would remain in Berlin until 1849, when he accepted the role of Hofkapellmesiter at the Berlin Staatsoper, a role he gladly accepted. He returned to Berlin in triumph and his first and only German opera, The Merry Wives of Windsor, opened to great acclaim in Spring that year.

On 11th May 1849, Nicolai was elected into the Royal Prussian Academy of Arts; that same day he died, falling victim to a massive stroke.

James Gillray: Fashionable Contrasts

It is no secret that one of my favourite figures of the Georgian era is, of course, the famed caricaturist, James Gillray. Gillray captured the essence of the long 18th century, portraying its most famed figures in sometimes the most unflattering light. 

Fashionable Contrasts by James Gillray, 1792

One of his most famous works is Fashionable Contrasts and since today marks the birthday of the owner of the most delicate feminine feet pictured in the work, I thought I would take a look at this famed print.

James Gillray

When Princess Frederica Charlotte of Prussia married Frederick, Duke of York and Albany on 29th September 1791, she entered into a love affair with the British press who were charmed by her supposed daintiness. By all accounts a very slightly built lady, she was possessed of two things that seemed to drive people to distraction and just what were those two things?

Her tiny feet.

Supposedly measuring less than six inches in length and usually clad in exquisite footwear, the feet became famed. Copies of her tiny shoes were sold as royal souvenirs and fashionable ladies wore their own shoes ever smaller in an attempt to emulate her. To Gillray, this clamour over the Duchess was too good an opportunity to miss.

Frederica Charlotte of Prussia by Joseph Friedrich August Darbes

Fashionable Contrasts;—or—The Duchess's little Shoe yeilding to the Magnitude of the Duke's Foot, was published by Hannah Humphrey on 24th January 1792. It depicts the tiny feet of the Duchess of York in jewelled slippers, caught in an obviously compromising position with the large and ungainly feet of her husband, the Duke. A simple yet instantly recognisable image, the print was enormously popular and has since become one of Gillray's best known and loved prints. 

Frederick, Duke of York by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1788

This simple yet withering attack was an instant hit and the adoration of the feet of the Duchess suddenly became just a little less vocal, until it had faded completely. In fact, the marriage of the Duke and Duchess was not to last and Frederica and her celebrated feet retired to a life of eccentricity in Surrey, where she spent the rest of her days.

Life in the Georgian Court, true tales of 18th century royalty, is available at the links below.

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A Deadly Affair: Count Johann Friedrich Struensee

Count Johann Friedrich Struensee (Prussia, 5th August 1737 – Copenhagen, Denmark, 28th April 1772)

Johann Friedrich Struensee by Hans Hansen after Jens Juel, 1824

Today we mark the death of a polarising figure in Scandinavian court politics, Count Johann Friedrich Struensee. My post on Queen Caroline Mathilde, right back in the early weeks of the Guide, remains a popular item almost a year after it was first published and I thought it might be germane to revisit this turbulent story, with a look at the final act of the life of Struensee.

Struensee was brought into the Danish court to quell the eccentricities of King Christian VII and his decision to emply the doctor was initially applauded by his counsellors, who saw the physician as a much-needed stabilising influence. In fact it was to prove a pivotal moment in the history of the Danish monarchy, shaking the house of Oldenburg to its foundations.  Within a year of Struensee's arrival at court the unhappy Queen Caroline Mathilde and Struensee were lovers; as the king decended deeper into madness, so Struensee's influence at court increased until, in late 1770, he was elected privy counsellor.

Caroline Mathilde by Francis Cotes

By the time of Struensee's rise to power the king was confined and often incoherent, so his former doctor enjoyed a period of virtually unchallenged authority, initiating over a thousand reforms that began with the total restructure of the unwieldy Danish cabinet. One might have expected Christian to be disturbed by these developments but in fact it was the opposite; he delighted in the unusual arrangement, glad to see his wife happy, his own marital responsibilities discharged and the burden of government business lifted from his shoulders. 

However, the ruling classes did not share their monarch's delight and when the queen gave birth to a daughter who was assumed to be Struensee's child, they moved in earnest against him. Facing higher taxes, reduced privilege and more reforms than they knew what to do with, the cabinet and court turned against the queen and her lover, their previously anaemic support for Christian returning with a fervour.

Woodcut depicting the arrest of Johann Friedrich Struensee

On 17th January 1772, Caroline Mathilde and Struensee were arrested. Struensee was charged with usurping royal authority and subjected to interrogation and torture. He mounted an eloquent and passionate defence of his actions but the die was already cast and Struensee was sentenced to have his hand severed and then to be beheaded, drawn and quartered. He was held in readiness for execution at Kastellet in Copenhagen and on 28th April was conveyed to the scaffold.

Woodcut depicting the execution of Johann Friedrich Struensee

Here the grisly sentence was enacted before an audience of tens of thousands. Queen Caroline Mathilde and her daughter were sent into exile in Celle, where the queen died aged just 23, never seeing Denmark again.

Life in the Georgian Court, true tales of 18th century royalty, is available at the links below.

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The Marriage of Prince Louis of Prussia and Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

We have witnessed a royal marriage and the nuptials of an emperor and today we return to the altar for the story of a festive wedding, though it was a far from happy one.

At 20 years old, the young and eligible Prince Louis Charles of Prussia was in need of a wife and his father, King Frederick William II of Prussia, was searching Europe for suitable candidates. His son loved living the high life and the king was determined that he would make him a fine match, hoping to secure some dynastic ties at the same time.

Prince Louis Charles of Prussia by Edward Francis Cunningham, 1786

Whilst visiting the theatre in Frankfurt-am-Main, Frederick William met sisters Louise and Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Aged 17 and 15 respectively, the king found the sisters utterly charming and after some negotiations with their father, Charles II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, it was agreed that Louise would marry Crown Prince Frederick William and Frederica would be wed to the younger Prince Louis.

The marriage of Louis and Frederica took place on 26th December 1793 and from the start, the couple did not get along. Louis barely saw his wife and instead kept the company of his mistresses, on whom he lavished time and attention. Encouraged by his father to do his princely duty, Louis and Frederica eventually had three children together, two of whom survived to adulthood, though their offspring did nothing to bring the unhappy couple closer. The court gossips murmured that the unhappy woman sought solace in the company of her uncle-in law, Prince Louis Ferdinand, but whether this is true or not, her neglectful husband appeared hardly to care.

Princess Frederica by Johann Friedrich August Tischbein, 1797

In fact, the marriage was over in three years when Louis died of diphtheria in 1796. Frederica married three more times, eventually becoming Queen of Hanover through her marriage to Ernest Augustus, son of our very own George III.

Life in the Georgian Court, true tales of 18th century royalty, is available at the links below.

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The Life of Wilhelmine of Prussia, Queen Consort of the Netherlands

Wilhelmine of Prussia (Potsdam, Germany, 18th November 1774 – The Hague, The Netherlands, 12th October 1837) 

After a weekend of dark tales, today we return to more familiar territory with the life of a noble lady, Queen Wilhelmine of the Netherlands. Born into the House of Hohenzollern, she became Queen of the Netherlands though not a wildly popular lady due to her withdrawn personality. A lover and patron of the arts, Wilhelmine's life was an unsettled one as she and her husband fled the forces of Napoleon.

Princess Wilhelmine was destined for a privilege from the moment of her birth as the daughter of King Frederick William II of Prussia and Queen Frederica Louisa. She was brought up by her great-uncle, Frederick the Great, who kept a strictly disciplinarian household. Educated with an eye to making a good match, at the age of 16 a marriage was brokered that would secure a valuable political alliance and Wilhelmine was wed to her cousin, William, Prince of Orange, making their their home at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague. Although their marriage was one of political convenience, Wilhelmine and William fell in love; their partnership produced four children, three of whom survived into adulthood and went on to illustrious marriages of their own.

William I of the Netherlands by Joseph Paelinck, 1819

When France invaded the Dutch Republic in 1795 the couple fled the Palace and within the year made a new home for themselves in Berlin. Here they would remain for a decade when they were forced to flee the French again, eventually settling in Poland. Throughout their roaming and when they fell into reduced financial circumstances, William and Wilhelmine remained devoted to one another and she was to remain her husband's closest and most trusted adviser. 

After Napoleon's defeat at Leipzig the family finally returned to the Netherlands, eventually to be named king and queen. Although William was an active and politically involved king, Wilhelmine's naturally unassuming and shy demeanour meant that she rarely appeared in public and this was the cause of some considerable criticism from the people of the Netherlands who saw her as haughty and aloof.

In fact, her years as queen were limited by her failing health and the last 20 years of her life were plagued by illness and infirmity. She died in Noordeinde Palace and was buried in the New Church in Delft, William passing away six years later following an abdication and scandalous remarriage.

Life in the Georgian Court, true tales of 18th century royalty, is available at the links below.

The Political Manoeuvrings of Maria Anna, Electress of Bavaria

Maria Anna Sophia of Saxony (Maria Anna Sophia Sabina Angela Franciska Xaveria; Dresden, Germany, 29th August 1728 – Munich, Germany, 17th February 1797) 

Maria Anna by Georg Desmarées

We're graced with the presence of another regal lady here on Gin Lane today, so we've got the best tea service out. A shrewd negotiator, talented politician and even more of a force to be reckoned with than grandmother Gilflurt herself, it's time to hear the story of Maria Anna Sophia, Electress of Bavaria.

Maria Anna was born to privilege as one of fifteen children of King Augustus III of Poland and his wife, Maria Josepha of Austria. Among her siblings she could count at least one monarch and the mother to three French kings; raised to expect the best of everything, she was by all accounts an intelligent and thoughtful young lady.

Maximilian III Joseph, Elector of Bavaria by Georg Desmarées, 1776

In 1747 Maria Anna married the Bavarian Elector, Maximilian III Joseph, son of Holy Roman Emperor Charles VII. Maximilian Joseph was noted as an enlightened monarch who championed industry and education. The couple were together for thirty years but their marriage remained childless, meaning that succession was far from assured when Maximilian Joseph died in 1777.

Fearing for the future of the lands her husband had commanded, Maria Anna watched in horror as Austria began to encroach on Maximilian Joseph's territory, heralding the start of the War of Bavarian Succession. With her late husband's sister, Maria Antonia of Bavaria, Maria Anna opened secret negotiations with Frederick II of Prussia. She set out the case for the independence of Bavaria against its ever-more aggressive Austrian neighbours and ensured the succession of the dynastic line of her choosing. Deals were struck, bargains were made and Maria Anna secured the future of her adopted homeland.

Fürstenried Palace

This intervention secured her place in the affections of the Bavarian people and she remained beloved of both public and nobility for the remainder of her life. Retiring from the public eye, Maria Anna took up residence in Fürstenried Palace and remained there happily until her death.

Life in the Georgian Court, true tales of 18th century royalty, is available at the links below.

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Johann Hamann: The Magus of the North

Johann Georg Hamann (Königsberg, Kingdom of Prussia, 27th August 1730 – Münster, Germany, 21st June 1788) 

My first, very brief topic here on the Guide was a philosopher and now, a couple of months and many quills later, I'm back where I began with a thinking chap. There are a fair few philosophers of one stripe or another around Covent Garden but they're somewhat dependent on the gin bottle for their thoughts so I shan't be wasting any ink on them!

Born the son of a barber-surgeon and a midwife, Johann Hamann initially studied theology and philosophy before switching to law and then prevaricating between any number of subjects. Unable to settle on one topic he never completed his studies and instead took up a position as governor and tutor to the children of a wealthy family. Further business roles followed and he travelled widely and spent freely until, with his last penny spent, Hamann found himself destitute, his friends deserting him as his coffers dwindled.

In search of a new start the young man devoted himself to religious studies and also to Katharina Berens, the sister of a family friend. Deeply in love with Katharina, he was devastated when her family refused permission for them to marry on the grounds of Hamann's sudden and devout faith and withdrew back to the family home. With the help of his friend, Immanuel Kant, Hamann secured a position as a civil servant and devoted his free time to study and writing under pen names including the Knight of the Rose-Cross and the Magus of the North. Despite his deep religious faith he took up home with a woman and had four children with her, maintaining a happy family household.

Hamann's writings were always brief; he disliked long-winded exposition and exposed on the philosophical importance of language. He was a critic of the Enlightenment and wrote of the vital importance of religion, believing that faith, not reason, was central to human experience. His writings influenced the later German Sturm und Drang movement and had a profound effect on other thinkers including Kierkegaard and Goethe, who followed his complex theories and developed them in their own work. 

Towards the end of his life Hamann's writings became even deeper and he examined the very foundations of philosophy and humanity, frequently challenging head-on the theories of his contemporaries. In the final months of his life he travelled to Münster at the invitation of Princess Gallitzin to discuss philosophy with her; Hamann died during this trip, leaving behind a wealth of writings that still fascinate today.

Frederick William III of Prussia: A Reluctant Reformer

Frederick William III  (Potsdam, Prussia, 3rd August 1770 – Berlin, Germany, 7th June 1840) 

We're still in a travelling mood so I thought we'd make a stop in Prussia and meet a king who abandoned his plans for political neutrality and found his might tested by the Napoleonic armies.

Born to Frederick William II of Prussia and Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt, the destiny of Frederick William III was never in doubt. As a boy, Frederick and his brother, Prince Heinrich, were sent to live and study under Count Hans von Blumenthal at his home in Paretz, where they passed many happy childhood days and undertook the obligatory Grand Tour. Frederick was a studious and serious young man who greatly enjoyed his time in Paretz, so much so that he would one day buy the von Blumenthal estate, returning there many times with his own family.

Frederick's military career began in adolescence and by the age of twenty, he was already a Colonel, experiencing his first taste of battle just a couple of years later. As he had enjoyed a peaceful boyhood, so too was he blessed with a happy and fruitful marriage to Luise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who enjoyed great popularity with the people of Prussia. The politically aware and ambitious Luise would prove one of Frederick's strongest influences in matter of foreign policy,  her advice and opinions having far-reaching consequences for her adopted homeland. 

Luise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz by Jozef Maria Grassi, 1804

Frederick William became King of Prussia on 16 November 1797. A sober young man, becoming king did nothing to alter Frederick; rather, he set about trying to change the throne he had inherited. At odds with what he saw as the low moral and political standards of the court, he made immediate attempts at reform. Whilst court expenses were slashed and long-serving ministers who had grown seemingly irremovable and increasingly irrelevant were dismissed, the new king proved somewhat less successful when it came to matters of foreign policy. Despite his own efforts to remain neutral in the ongoing Napoleonic Wars, Frederick allowed himself to be persuaded into battle by the wishes of his wife and her preferred ministers. This change of direction was to prove fatal as the Prussian army was crushed at Jena-Auerstädt, on 14th October 1806, with William and Luise at its head. The powerful country was left humiliated, its military reputation in tatters and as Napoleon occupied Berlin, the royal family fled for East Prussia and the protection of Emperor Alexander I of Russia.

Frederick William III  and his Family by Heinrich Anton Dähling, 1806

Luise was crushed by the defeat and the pregnant queen sought a personal audience with Napoleon, at which she begged him not to be too harsh on Prussia; though he was charmed by her, he would make no concessions to the country he had defeated. Stripped of vast swathes of territory and subject to enormous financial punishment, Frederick accepted the punishment on behalf of his country. Queen Luise had other ideas and championed a number of minsters in their efforts to implement reforms in Prussia to ensure they would never face such humiliation again. 

When the Queen died amid national mourning in 1810, reforms continued and in 1813, Frederick somewhat reluctantly agreed to the Kalisz Union, forging an alliance with Russia agains Napoleon. The Prussian king and his armies would spend two years travelling Europe, these diplomatic efforts finally rewarded with territorial gains at the Congress of Vienna.

Frederick William III painted later in life

Frederick William III's efforts at reform were far narrower than his advisors or first wife would have liked, betraying his essentially traditional character. Initial plans for a constitution were to come to nothing and whilst he was keen to implement administrative reform, he stopped short of accepting changes that might have an impact on his own powers. He was conspicuously overshadowed in his political dealings not only with France and Russia, but with talented ministers from Prussia itself, including Baron von Stein,  a particular favourite of the queen.

Countess Auguste von Harrach

Frederick married again in 1824 though his second wife, Countess Auguste von Harrach, never enjoyed the political influence nor public affection of Luise. Upon his death in 1840 his son, Frederick William IV, took the throne of Prussia, once more starting along the road to reform.

Life in the Georgian Court, true tales of 18th century royalty, is available at the links below.

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Espionage and Adventure: Friedrich von der Trenck

Friedrich Freiherr von der Trenck (Prussia, 16th February 1726 – Paris, France, 25th July 1794)

Well, my fan is all-a-flutter because today on the Guide we are remembering a man of action, the ever-adventurous Friedrich von der Trenck.

Born into a military family, von der Trenck initially pursued a career in law but the lure of an adventurous life proved too strong and by 1744 he was stationed in Silesia as on officer of Frederick the Great. His swift rise, numerous decorations and occasional indiscretions did not endear our hero to everyone and when the moment came to cast doubt on this favourite of the King, they grabbed it with both hands. In an unfortunate twist of fate, von der Trenck's cousin was fighting on the opposing Austrian side at Silesia and when the two men corresponded with one another, rumours began to spread that von der Trenck was an Austrian spy. Despite his bravery in battle and loyalty to his Prussian rulers and comrades, he was imprisoned at Glatz. His initial period of captivity was one of relative ease but his repeated efforts to escape resulted in a new sentence, this one of hard labour.

The daring escape by M.de Sallieth after J.van Meurs (1788)

After several increasingly audacious failed escape attempts, von der Trenck finally made a desperate, bid for freedom, surviving a forty foot drop from the walls of the fortress before evading capture throughout a long winter night. Fleeing Prussia he initially resumed his military career in Hungary before moving on to Russia where, he told his friends, he was highly favoured by Tsarina Elizabeth. He remained in Russia for a number of years where he enjoyed a long affair with an unnamed, married noblewoman who some have suggested was the Tsarina herself.

Even now Frederick had not given up on recapturing the escaped convict so, when von der Trenck returned to his homeland in 1753 to attend the funeral of his mother, the King made a move.

 von der Trenck by Dutch engraver Willem Kok (Dutch translation, 1788)

Upon von der Trenck's arrival in Danzig he was rearrested and taken to the Magdeburg Citadel, where he was held in manacles in a tiny, isolated cell. This time there would be no escape and he was to remain in captivity for a decade until his freedom was secured by special petition of Empress Maria Theresa. Upon his release, von der Trenck made up for lost time as he established himself as a mercenary, merchant and writer, producing a highly successful, very colourful autobiography that became required reading for the thrill-seeking public!

Eventually, von der Trenck became the Austrian spy he had been suspected of being all those years before and it was this new adventure that was to prove his undoing. Undercover in  revolutionary France, he was discovered and went to the guillotine on 25th July 1794. He was posthumously given the title of Count by the King of Prussia, a rank that passed to the eldest of his fourteen children.

His is a story worthy of the most breathless adventure novel, a life of flamboyant highs and devastating lows and he even found time for a dash of illicit romance! Come to think of it, one of the more excitable Gilflurt aunties was in Russia in the late 1740s; I wonder...

You can see more wonderful pictures from the life of this remarkable character here! 

My thanks to fabulous Twitter follower De Zilveren Eeuw for the wonderful engravings that accompany this post!