Have read this book now, which is pretty short, and pretty depressing, though not in all regards. One of the frustrating things about the three brothers is that they were capable of not being assholes to women in unwanted marriages, even of befriending them... as long as they themselves weren't married to the ladies in question.
(BTW, considering the Heinrich bio was Eva Ziebura's first book on matters Hohenzollern and this is one of her latest, with nearly fifteen years between the time of publication, it's interesting to see her getting more critical on her fave Heinrich (re: his wife only, though) while also also presenting Fritz as not quite as much of a jerk, well, other than to his wife and brothers.)
Since we have a lot repeating names (several Wilhelmines and Amalies), I've decided to come up with a nickname system to avoid confusion.
Wilhelmine - is our Margravine of Bayreuth Mina - is Heinrich's wife, otherwise known as Princess Wilhelmine of Hessen-Kassel Wilhelmine Minor - is AW's daughter Wilhelmine, favored niece of Fritz
Amalie - is the unmarried sister, music lover and sharp tongued mother critisizer Louise - is Louise Amalie, AW's wife, also EC's sister
Ferdinand - youngest Hohenzollern brother Ferd - EC's and Louise's brother, not dying in one of Fritz' battles
Elisabeth Christine can stay EC, as only her aunt, MT's mother is called the same, and that lady does not show up in this tale.
So: EC and her sister Louise, the two Braunschweig-Bevern girls, have one big disadvantage from the start when marrying into this family, well, other than their grooms not wanting them in general - they don't have the cultural education that SD provided for her daughters, and they don't have wit - or to put it French, as the brothers did - ésprit. They also either stuttered or, as Ziebura speculates based on the description, lisped, meaning people had trouble understanding them at first. And both were pretty shy when arriving in the crazy dysfunctional clan of doom. (Mina, however, will later prove that you can be beautiful, witty, well educated and a hit in society and still get your life trainwrecked by marrying a Hohenzollern.) Fritz' unflattering description of his fiancee in letters to all and sunder, not just Wilhelmine, are well known.
EC, who notices she's seen as a disappointment, knocks herself out to improve. She studies French and music. She intercedes for Fritz with her terrifying father-in-law, who likes her (modest, silent in public - just what a woman should be). She gets him money loans from brother Ferd. And for the Rheinsberg years, this all seems to pay off. They get along. He's nice, even calls her "sweet" in a letter not adressed to Dad. Then FW dies, Fritz becomes king, and immediately makes it clear how things will be from now on. That he does not want her as part of his life in any way he can possibly avoid. This, incidentally, doesn't just mean homoscial life with the boys, it includes family outings with other female Hohenzollerns present - when he's visiting SD and Amalie, either together or apart. When it's Carnival time in Berlin EC has no idea whether or not she's supposed to participate until less than a day before getting short notice that yes, she's supposed to show up at event x and reprsent with him. Otoh, when there is a big state event in Sanssouci and Fritz belatedly realises he needs some ladies present, does he ask his wife? He does not. He really does not want her there. Instead, he quickly drags his sister and a few other ladies from Berlin and has them brought back there late at night. Writes a lamenting EC to brother Ferd, when her husband and those of his siblings currently around are off to one a non-Wusterhausen Hohenzollern country residence: "They're all gone, and I'm sitting around here like a prisoner."
So she's possibly the only person who is really really happy when AW marries her sister Louise. (Since she won't be alone anymore and will have an ally at court who loves her.) That marriage had been arranged in FW's time but happened post-Fritz ascending to the throne. Like I said in an earlier post, AW was, at best, indifferent. They had sex, they had kids, but zilch interaction beyond that. Louise during AW's life time is hardly noticed by anyone, she's regarded as utterly bland and dull and just trying to please everyone as best she can. After falling in love with Sophie von Pannwitz, AW tries to get permission from his brother to divorce her, but no dice. (She is, though, the one case which actually gets a surprisingly happy ending... of sorts... later.) In the last year of his life, post disgrace, AW, proving that he's not immune from "when miserable,kick downwards" syndrome so popular in his family, and changes his will stating that his wife is to be pensioned of but the kids are to be raised by his sister-in-law. Given his wife is actually pregnant at the time of his death, this comes across as stunningly cold and cruel, so it's a lucky thing Fritz decides to ignore that part of the will, but more about this later.)
Then there's Mina. That her marriage came to be counts as one instance where Ziebura argues Fritz was actually being more a jerk than FW, because at least the enforced Fritz/EC marriage had a dynastic reason, as Fritz was the crown prince. Otoh, the only point of Heinrich's marriage was to put him through the same thing Fritz had been put through, and never mind the unlucky bride. There was zero dynastic reason - AW at that point had already sired two male Hohenzollern kids, and between his brothers and those nephews, the royal line was definitely secure.
So Mina arrives in Berlin, she's, as mentioned, beautiful, witty, charming, well educated, and as opposed to poor dull EC and Louise, she's a hit with the royal family and everyone else from the start. SD adores her (this never happened with her sisters-in-law). AW and Ferdinand both flirt intensely with her, Fritz approves of her and is complimentary in letters about her. Heinrich, at that point, is at least polite and it looks like they can have an arrangement that works. (He's also okay with his brothers flirting with her, since this provides at least the platonic romantic games he has no interest in playing.) She's nicknamed "the fairy" - "die Fee" - which in German and French, btw has no slang connotations with homosexuality. (Considering that AW beyond the courtly flirtations keeps up an intense correspondance with her - which Heinrich knows about and is asked for permission for -, they probably would have worked out splendidly as a couple, btw. When he already knew he was dying, the last time he saw her in Berlin before going to Oranienburg to die, she was joking, so he didn't have the heart to tell her how unwell he was, and pretended. And then he went to die in Oranienburg with Amalie at his side, because if there's one thing this generation of Hohenzollern were consistent about, it's that in the end, you are always closer to your siblings than to anyone else.) So do we have a tolerable marriage here with Mina the Fairy and Heinrich? We do not. Because the death of AW and the Seven-Years-War change all.
Far from grieving AW together with her, both Ferdinand and Heinrich completely alter their behaviour towards Mina. Ferdinand doesn't just stop the flirting, he stops any friendly interaction whatsoever and is completely cold. Heinrich returns form the war with PtSD, a massive chip on his shoulder, and unhealed grief. He doesn't take it out on servants (he's great to those) or subjects in general (championing anyone from occupied Saxons to soldiers without a pension is a thing), but he does take it out on his unwanted wife in incredible petty ways. He changes her staff, dismissing the people she liked and trusted with people of his choice she doesn't even know before he inflicts them on her, and bear in mind the two have separate households,so there was no reason why he should care. He keeps withholding her budget so she has to humiliate herself and ask for the money repeatedly. And then, when she's finally allowed at Rheinsberg again, you get a soop opera style intrigue because one of Heinrich's boyfriends is about to be replaced by another (the other being Kaphengst), and not taking it well. Whereupon the about to be dumped boyfriend concludes that if he does Heinrich a favor, Heinrich won't dump him. So what does he do? Compromises Mina in public with a fake embrace/attempted kiss. There are other ladies present to testify she did not want this, but Heinrich does take the excuse to banish his wife from his presence once and all and reduce her budget some more. (The old boyfriend gets still dumped.) If anyone in Berlin receives Heinrich, his wife must never ever be there.
At the end of all this, the previously spirited, cheerful Mina is now so cowed and downbeaten that she doesn't permit herself to critisze anyone in even the slightest manner and practically asks for permission to breathe. (She'll survive Heinrich, who at least in his will leaves her a decent sum and states it their "situation" wasn't her fault, but goes blind and deaf in her old age, and will be left in Berlin once the great nieces and great nephews get out of town to escape Napoleon. That's FW3 and the famous Queen Louise, btw.)
Meanwhile, previous wallpaper Louise experiences a stunning reversal of roles. Because Fritz, possibly because this is the one person in connection with AW who didn't love AW and thus doesn't grieve for him as a person, just is impacted by his death in her role as (former) crown princess, decides to atone for his treatment of AW by being consistently kind to his widow. Also, it dawns to everyone that in this very dysfunctional clan, Louise is someone who is just... nice. She always has time for everyone. She doesn't hold a grudge. If you ask her to mediate between quarrelling family members - say, Heinrich and Amalie re: the "who was worst" argument - she will. She'll comfort you if you're in distress. The very sharp tongued Amalie when writing a "we all suck here, be warned" letter to future FW2's second wife to be, makes an exception for Louise who she says is "an angel". This combination of regard by the King and everyone liking her means Louise the widow florishes. She voices opinions in public. And lo, she has a mind of her own no one previously noticed. She plays hostess at receptions far more than her sister EC does. As mentioned, Fritz keeps that altered last will from her; on the contrary, other than unfortunate future FW2, she gets to raise her kids. Whenever she wants something, Fritz has time for her. As she doesn't respond to this by gloating but by spreading the kindness to other family members as best she can, her credit with everyone rises even more. (She also gets Fritz to be a bit nicer to EC in his old age; Lehndorff notes that unprecedented in 24 years, the King spends two hours in conversation with the Queen, alone!!!)
She still goes through heartbreak - that baby she was pregnant with when AW died, another son, doesn't surivee the year, and of course much later Henricus Minor dies. But she ends up hands down as the one of the three unwanted wives faring best in her later years.
Though EC also gets some royal regard after Fritz has died, because as it turns out, nephew FW2, in tune of doing the opposite of what his uncle did, goes out of his way to be nice to her, invites her to concerts, receptions, visits her regularly (which encourages others to visit, as this is how things go at a court), even offers her Sanssouci if she wants it. (She doesn't, as, she states, Fritz hadn't wanted her there when he was alive, she would not go against his wishes now he's dead.) EC in her old age throws herself into supporting charities and ends up at peace. Lehndorff once notes down that she loves visiting the zoo, and how strange it is that such a minor thing should give a Queen such pleasure.
And thus ends the warning tale of why you should not ever marry a Hohenzollern. At least not a male one. Sources for all this, because Ziebura is a laudable author in always providing them: Mina's diary, Louise's letters to brother Ferd, EC's letters to brother Ferd, and of course all the Hohenzollern sibling correspondence with each other.
Why you should never marry a Hohenzollern: The Wives' Tale
(BTW, considering the Heinrich bio was Eva Ziebura's first book on matters Hohenzollern and this is one of her latest, with nearly fifteen years between the time of publication, it's interesting to see her getting more critical on her fave Heinrich (re: his wife only, though) while also also presenting Fritz as not quite as much of a jerk, well, other than to his wife and brothers.)
Since we have a lot repeating names (several Wilhelmines and Amalies), I've decided to come up with a nickname system to avoid confusion.
Wilhelmine - is our Margravine of Bayreuth
Mina - is Heinrich's wife, otherwise known as Princess Wilhelmine of Hessen-Kassel
Wilhelmine Minor - is AW's daughter Wilhelmine, favored niece of Fritz
Amalie - is the unmarried sister, music lover and sharp tongued mother critisizer
Louise - is Louise Amalie, AW's wife, also EC's sister
Ferdinand - youngest Hohenzollern brother
Ferd - EC's and Louise's brother, not dying in one of Fritz' battles
Elisabeth Christine can stay EC, as only her aunt, MT's mother is called the same, and that lady does not show up in this tale.
So: EC and her sister Louise, the two Braunschweig-Bevern girls, have one big disadvantage from the start when marrying into this family, well, other than their grooms not wanting them in general - they don't have the cultural education that SD provided for her daughters, and they don't have wit - or to put it French, as the brothers did - ésprit. They also either stuttered or, as Ziebura speculates based on the description, lisped, meaning people had trouble understanding them at first. And both were pretty shy when arriving in the crazy dysfunctional clan of doom. (Mina, however, will later prove that you can be beautiful, witty, well educated and a hit in society and still get your life trainwrecked by marrying a Hohenzollern.) Fritz' unflattering description of his fiancee in letters to all and sunder, not just Wilhelmine, are well known.
EC, who notices she's seen as a disappointment, knocks herself out to improve. She studies French and music. She intercedes for Fritz with her terrifying father-in-law, who likes her (modest, silent in public - just what a woman should be). She gets him money loans from brother Ferd. And for the Rheinsberg years, this all seems to pay off. They get along. He's nice, even calls her "sweet" in a letter not adressed to Dad. Then FW dies, Fritz becomes king, and immediately makes it clear how things will be from now on. That he does not want her as part of his life in any way he can possibly avoid. This, incidentally, doesn't just mean homoscial life with the boys, it includes family outings with other female Hohenzollerns present - when he's visiting SD and Amalie, either together or apart. When it's Carnival time in Berlin EC has no idea whether or not she's supposed to participate until less than a day before getting short notice that yes, she's supposed to show up at event x and reprsent with him. Otoh, when there is a big state event in Sanssouci and Fritz belatedly realises he needs some ladies present, does he ask his wife? He does not. He really does not want her there. Instead, he quickly drags his sister and a few other ladies from Berlin and has them brought back there late at night. Writes a lamenting EC to brother Ferd, when her husband and those of his siblings currently around are off to one a non-Wusterhausen Hohenzollern country residence: "They're all gone, and I'm sitting around here like a prisoner."
So she's possibly the only person who is really really happy when AW marries her sister Louise. (Since she won't be alone anymore and will have an ally at court who loves her.) That marriage had been arranged in FW's time but happened post-Fritz ascending to the throne. Like I said in an earlier post, AW was, at best, indifferent. They had sex, they had kids, but zilch interaction beyond that. Louise during AW's life time is hardly noticed by anyone, she's regarded as utterly bland and dull and just trying to please everyone as best she can. After falling in love with Sophie von Pannwitz, AW tries to get permission from his brother to divorce her, but no dice. (She is, though, the one case which actually gets a surprisingly happy ending... of sorts... later.) In the last year of his life, post disgrace, AW, proving that he's not immune from "when miserable,kick downwards" syndrome so popular in his family, and changes his will stating that his wife is to be pensioned of but the kids are to be raised by his sister-in-law. Given his wife is actually pregnant at the time of his death, this comes across as stunningly cold and cruel, so it's a lucky thing Fritz decides to ignore that part of the will, but more about this later.)
Then there's Mina. That her marriage came to be counts as one instance where Ziebura argues Fritz was actually being more a jerk than FW, because at least the enforced Fritz/EC marriage had a dynastic reason, as Fritz was the crown prince. Otoh, the only point of Heinrich's marriage was to put him through the same thing Fritz had been put through, and never mind the unlucky bride. There was zero dynastic reason - AW at that point had already sired two male Hohenzollern kids, and between his brothers and those nephews, the royal line was definitely secure.
So Mina arrives in Berlin, she's, as mentioned, beautiful, witty, charming, well educated, and as opposed to poor dull EC and Louise, she's a hit with the royal family and everyone else from the start. SD adores her (this never happened with her sisters-in-law). AW and Ferdinand both flirt intensely with her, Fritz approves of her and is complimentary in letters about her. Heinrich, at that point, is at least polite and it looks like they can have an arrangement that works. (He's also okay with his brothers flirting with her, since this provides at least the platonic romantic games he has no interest in playing.) She's nicknamed "the fairy" - "die Fee" - which in German and French, btw has no slang connotations with homosexuality. (Considering that AW beyond the courtly flirtations keeps up an intense correspondance with her - which Heinrich knows about and is asked for permission for -, they probably would have worked out splendidly as a couple, btw. When he already knew he was dying, the last time he saw her in Berlin before going to Oranienburg to die, she was joking, so he didn't have the heart to tell her how unwell he was, and pretended. And then he went to die in Oranienburg with Amalie at his side, because if there's one thing this generation of Hohenzollern were consistent about, it's that in the end, you are always closer to your siblings than to anyone else.) So do we have a tolerable marriage here with Mina the Fairy and Heinrich? We do not. Because the death of AW and the Seven-Years-War change all.
Far from grieving AW together with her, both Ferdinand and Heinrich completely alter their behaviour towards Mina. Ferdinand doesn't just stop the flirting, he stops any friendly interaction whatsoever and is completely cold. Heinrich returns form the war with PtSD, a massive chip on his shoulder, and unhealed grief. He doesn't take it out on servants (he's great to those) or subjects in general (championing anyone from occupied Saxons to soldiers without a pension is a thing), but he does take it out on his unwanted wife in incredible petty ways. He changes her staff, dismissing the people she liked and trusted with people of his choice she doesn't even know before he inflicts them on her, and bear in mind the two have separate households,so there was no reason why he should care. He keeps withholding her budget so she has to humiliate herself and ask for the money repeatedly. And then, when she's finally allowed at Rheinsberg again, you get a soop opera style intrigue because one of Heinrich's boyfriends is about to be replaced by another (the other being Kaphengst), and not taking it well. Whereupon the about to be dumped boyfriend concludes that if he does Heinrich a favor, Heinrich won't dump him. So what does he do? Compromises Mina in public with a fake embrace/attempted kiss. There are other ladies present to testify she did not want this, but Heinrich does take the excuse to banish his wife from his presence once and all and reduce her budget some more. (The old boyfriend gets still dumped.) If anyone in Berlin receives Heinrich, his wife must never ever be there.
At the end of all this, the previously spirited, cheerful Mina is now so cowed and downbeaten that she doesn't permit herself to critisze anyone in even the slightest manner and practically asks for permission to breathe. (She'll survive Heinrich, who at least in his will leaves her a decent sum and states it their "situation" wasn't her fault, but goes blind and deaf in her old age, and will be left in Berlin once the great nieces and great nephews get out of town to escape Napoleon. That's FW3 and the famous Queen Louise, btw.)
Meanwhile, previous wallpaper Louise experiences a stunning reversal of roles. Because Fritz, possibly because this is the one person in connection with AW who didn't love AW and thus doesn't grieve for him as a person, just is impacted by his death in her role as (former) crown princess, decides to atone for his treatment of AW by being consistently kind to his widow. Also, it dawns to everyone that in this very dysfunctional clan, Louise is someone who is just... nice. She always has time for everyone. She doesn't hold a grudge. If you ask her to mediate between quarrelling family members - say, Heinrich and Amalie re: the "who was worst" argument - she will. She'll comfort you if you're in distress. The very sharp tongued Amalie when writing a "we all suck here, be warned" letter to future FW2's second wife to be, makes an exception for Louise who she says is "an angel". This combination of regard by the King and everyone liking her means Louise the widow florishes. She voices opinions in public. And lo, she has a mind of her own no one previously noticed. She plays hostess at receptions far more than her sister EC does. As mentioned, Fritz keeps that altered last will from her; on the contrary, other than unfortunate future FW2, she gets to raise her kids. Whenever she wants something, Fritz has time for her. As she doesn't respond to this by gloating but by spreading the kindness to other family members as best she can, her credit with everyone rises even more. (She also gets Fritz to be a bit nicer to EC in his old age; Lehndorff notes that unprecedented in 24 years, the King spends two hours in conversation with the Queen, alone!!!)
She still goes through heartbreak - that baby she was pregnant with when AW died, another son, doesn't surivee the year, and of course much later Henricus Minor dies. But she ends up hands down as the one of the three unwanted wives faring best in her later years.
Though EC also gets some royal regard after Fritz has died, because as it turns out, nephew FW2, in tune of doing the opposite of what his uncle did, goes out of his way to be nice to her, invites her to concerts, receptions, visits her regularly (which encourages others to visit, as this is how things go at a court), even offers her Sanssouci if she wants it. (She doesn't, as, she states, Fritz hadn't wanted her there when he was alive, she would not go against his wishes now he's dead.) EC in her old age throws herself into supporting charities and ends up at peace. Lehndorff once notes down that she loves visiting the zoo, and how strange it is that such a minor thing should give a Queen such pleasure.
And thus ends the warning tale of why you should not ever marry a Hohenzollern. At least not a male one. Sources for all this, because Ziebura is a laudable author in always providing them: Mina's diary, Louise's letters to brother Ferd, EC's letters to brother Ferd, and of course all the Hohenzollern sibling correspondence with each other.