|
Princess Sophie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (25 July 1888 - 18 September 1913) was a great-granddaughter of Prince Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, who was a younger brother of Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. Her life ended in scandal after she committed suicide in apparent reaction to her family's refusal to allow her to marry Hans von Bleichröder, the son of a local banker. Reports speculating about their relationship and her later death were widespread in German and foreign newspapers. Sophie is believed to be the first European royal woman cremated. ==Family and early life== Sophie was born in Düsseldorf as the only daughter of Prince William of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and his wife Princess Gerta of Ysenburg and Büdingen in Wächtersbach.〔 She was a great great granddaughter of Charles Augustus, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, as well as a great granddaughter of William I of Württemberg. On her mother's side, Sophie was a great granddaughter of Frederick William, Elector of Hesse's morganatic marriage to Gertrude Falkenstein, Princess of Hanau. Due to her parents' lack of wealth, Sophie was brought up at Heidelberg, where they had settled for economy's sake; their family was mainly supported by gifts from the Weimar court.〔 There she led the existence of a private lady of rank, and was able to travel with much more freedom than would have been possible at the Weimar court.〔 Sophie was very popular in the city, especially among aristocratic students from the local university.〔 She used to frequent the houses of notable people in the town; it was there that she met Hans von Bleichroeder, a rising lawyer and the son of a powerful banker.〔 In addition, she and her parents were much beloved in Heidelberg for the interest they took in the poor and the general public welfare, in spite of their lack of wealth. Her home life was said to be unhappy, as her elder brother Prince Hermann's affairs weighed heavily on her spirits.〔 Just a few years previously, Hermann had lost his title and style, becoming known as Count Ostheim, after a long period of angering his family through extensive spending and later entering into a morganatic marriage with an actress.〔 Sophie was described as "a great beauty, and much admired in Court society for her charming ways".〔 She was said to be an excellent musician, with the ability to play several instruments.〔 She was also an accomplished and enthusiastic sportswoman, and was said to be an excellent shot.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Princess Sophie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (1888–1913)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|