Queen Charlotte of Württemberg

Princess Charlotte of Schaumburg-Lippe (10 October 1864 – 16 July 1946) was Queen of Württemberg from 6 October 1891 to 30 November 1918 as the second wife and consort of King William II. She was the daughter of Prince William of Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Bathildis of Anhalt-Dessau. Charlotte was not only the last queen of Württemberg, but the last surviving queen of any German state. Biography Early life Charlotte was born in Schloss Ratiborschitz, Bohemia (now Ratibořice, Česká Skalice, Czech Republic), and grew up on the princely estate at Náchod. Besides general cultural interests such as music and art she was also very keen on sporting pursuits such as swimming, tennis, cycling and - unusual for a woman of the time - skiing. She also had an extraordinary passion for hunting. Marriage On 8 April 1886 she married the heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Württemberg, Crown Prince Wilhelm, who succeeded in 1891 as King William II of Württemberg (Wilhelm II. von Württemberg). She was his second wife, and like her predecessor Princess Marie of Waldeck and Pyrmont was held to be of no political consequence. If the marriage had taken place for reasons of state - Wilhelm had no male heir - it was a miscalculation, as Charlotte produced no children.