August 21st 1728 is the entry about the punished pages, plural; I also misremembered the punishment. Just before this info, 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. On the 18th, too of the King's body pages had to stand on the block for four hours at Neumarkt because they'd forgotten to bring the King's overcoat along in the morning for the parade when it had started to rain.
Stratemann includes a sympathy poem written for Fritz in late 1730. (I'll get to by whom and why.) 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. 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, June 31st 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 200 000 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.
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 famiilias vein. Our editor chides Wilhelmine again for her harsh, unloving picture of her parents. However: at this point Stratemann still insists she's simply ill. In 1731, he'll finally admit she wasn't ill, she was 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, talk is out 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, 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.
The Braunschweig Perspective: Family Holidays
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. On the 18th, too of the King's body pages had to stand on the block for four hours at Neumarkt because they'd forgotten to bring the King's overcoat along in the morning for the parade when it had started to rain.
Stratemann includes a sympathy poem written for Fritz in late 1730. (I'll get to by whom and why.) 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. 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, June 31st 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 200 000 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.
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 famiilias vein. Our editor chides Wilhelmine again for her harsh, unloving picture of her parents. However: at this point Stratemann still insists she's simply ill. In 1731, he'll finally admit she wasn't ill, she was 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, talk is out 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, 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.