Monday, August 11, 2008

A previous engagement for Carmo

One can perhaps understand Empress Hermine's concern for her daughter, Carmo's marriage possibilities. Hermine was, of course, one of five daughters of Heinrich XXII, Prince of Reuss-Greiz and his wife, Princess Ida of Schaumburg-Lippe. She also had one brother, Heinrich XXIV, who had died, insane, in 1927, and was the last of the Greiz line. Hermine's first marriage to a Prince of Schoeniach-Carolath, a minor Silesian noble house was hardly a grand match. She scored a coup, however, when she became the second wife of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Even though, the marriage took place after the Kaiser had gone into exile, Hermine's children by her first marriage would, perhaps, have better chances of marrying well.
This seemed the case when Princess Caroline's engagement to Heinrich XLV, Prince of Reuss zu Schleiz on May 22, 1931.
The 36-year-old Prince Heinrich had served as a First Lieutenant in the German army until the "new regime had forced him to seek other employment." He was currently living at his family's castle, writing plays.
The marriage between Carmo and Heinrich did not take place. Prince Heinrich never married. He was reported missing in 1945, and declared dead in 1962.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

according to online gotha,carmo finaly married hugo herbert hartung,in 1936.who was that man ? I think hermine was not very happy with the marriage of her daughter !

Anonymous said...

There has never been a Principality of Schoenaich-Carolath.

As far as I know the Schoenaich-Carolath family (Silesian Uradel) has never been reichsunmittelbar and is not considered a mediatized house - I am sure they weren't Standesherren in the 19th century, which means they aren't ebenbürtig.

Dynastically speaking I wouldn't call a prince of Schoenaich-Carolath "a good match" for a member of a reigning house, but maybe the prince was very very rich...

I follow your site with great interest by the way!

Anonymous said...

Oops ! he was a german business man ! sorry,but I forgot that you wrote about him on saturday,9th of august !

Anonymous said...

Monarchen Nl,

you are absolutely right about the Schoenaich-Carolath Family.

They are in deed Uradel from an area called iederlausitz/Selisia).


They were mentioend for the first time 1329 in a deed. They acquired Carolath (which is now in Poland) and Beuthen in 1550, became Barons (Freiherr) in 1616, counts of the Empire in 1700 and in 1741 prussian Princes (Fürsten zu Carolath-Beuthen). They were a family serving the King of Prussia but never sovereign. They became members of the Prussian Herrenhaus only in 1854.

In this sense they were not ebenbürtig.

Anonymous said...

Marlene,

why did this engagement ended?

Carmo does not seem to have any luck in her relationships? Did she have a partenr in life after her husband died, even not been married to him?

Marlene Eilers Koenig said...

I have no information about Carmo post jewels. The Handbuch des Adels says she's alive, but no address.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Marlene!