PEEBLES PROFILES
EPISODE 196
Prinz Heinrich von Preußen (Prince Henry of Prussia)
EARLY YEARS
Born in Prussian Berlin on August 14, 1862, Albert Wilhelm Heinrich was the third child (second son) of eight children born to Kronprinz Friedrich Wilhelm (later Kaiser Friedrich III) and Victoria, Princess Royal (later Empress Victoria, then Empress Friedrich in widowhood, the eldest daughter of England’s Queen Victoria). Heinrich was three years younger than his brother, Kaiser Wilhelm II. Heinrich was also born on the same day as Friedrich Wilhelm I, the “Soldier King” of Prussia.
After leaving the Kassel gymnasium in 1877, fifteen-year-old Heinrich entered the Imperial German Navy cadet program. His education included a two-year voyage around the world (from 1878 to 1880), the naval officer examination (Seeoffizierhauptprüfung) in October 1880, and attending the Imperial German Naval Academy (from 1884 to 1886). During this period of his life, Heinrich attained the rank of Leutnant zur See (lieutenant at sea) on October 18, 1881. He became Kapitänleutnant (lieutenant commander) three years later. In 1886, he was an executive officer on the ironclad corvette SMS Oldenburg.
FIRST COMMANDS
As an imperial prince, Heinrich quickly became a naval commander. In 1887, he led a torpedo boat and (simultaneously) the First Torpedo Boat Division. On October 18th of that year, he was given the rank of Korvettenkapitän.
In mid-June 1888, Wilhelm II became Kaiser after the death of Friedrich III (who ruled for only one hundred days). That same year, Heinrich took the reins of the Imperial Yacht SMY Hohenzollern. On the Kaiser’s 30th birthday (January 27, 1889), Heinrich was promoted to Kapitän zur See (captain at sea).
Over the next seven years, Heinrich assumed four commands:
1. the protected cruiser SMS Irene (named in honor of his wife) from 1889 to 1890
2. the armored coastal defense ship SMS Beowulf in 1892
3. the ironclad corvette Sachsen from 1892 to 1894
4. the pre-dreadnought battleship Wörth from 1894 to 1895
Heinrich became a Konteradmiral (rear admiral) on September 15, 1895.
SQUADRON COMMANDER
Beginning in 1896, Prinz Heinrich von Preußen commanded several naval task forces. He was commander of the Second Division, First Battle Squadron for two years. Then in 1897, Heinrich took control of the Second Division, Cruiser Squadron. This improvised unit joined the East Asia Squadron in consolidating and securing a foothold on the region of Kiaochow and the port of Tsingtao in 1898.
Heinrich‘a success was more diplomatic than military. He became the first-ever European potentate to be received at the Chinese imperial court. In 1899, Heinrich was officially named commander of the East Asia Squadron, later of a capital-ship squadron. On December 5th of that year, he was given the rank of Vizeadmiral (vice admiral).
With the dawn of the 20th century, Heinrich was Commander of Cruiser Squadron… then Battle Squadron. He would hold the latter post for a period of three years, during which he was promoted yet again to a full admiral on September 13, 1901.
In 1903, Heinrich was the lead admiral of the Baltic Sea Naval Command. Then from 1906 to 1909, he was Commander of the High Seas Fleet. On September 4, 1909, Heinrich was once again promoted, this time to Großadmiral (grand admiral). He was also named Inspector General of the Imperial German Navy.
THE GREAT WAR
At the beginning of the First World War, Prinz Heinrich was named Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial German Baltic Fleet… which was grossly inferior to that of the Tsarist Russian naval force. Nevertheless, he succeeded in keeping the Russians on the defensive in the Baltic, hindered them from making attacks on the German coast.
But in early November 1917, the Bolsheviks seized power in Petrograd. Nearly four months later, hostilities with Russia officially ended with the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. As a result, the naval mission in the Baltic was finished… and Prinz Heinrich simply left active duty. With the dissolution of the German monarchy and the signing of the armistice at Compiegne in November 1918, Heinrich left the navy.
FAMILY
On May 24, 1888, Heinrich married first cousin Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine. His father Kaiser Friedrich III (who would pass away three weeks later from throat cancer) and his mother Empress Victoria were in attendance. The marriage produced three sons: Waldemar, Sigismund, and Heinrich.
Two of the sons (Waldemar and Heinrich) were both hemophiliacs. They inherited the disease through Irene from their maternal great-grandmother, Queen Victoria of England. Sadly, four-year-old Heinrich died from the disease after bumping his head, suffering a brain hemorrhage in the process.
PERSONA… AND DEATH
Prinz Heinrich received one of the first pilot’s licenses in Germany… and was viewed as a spirited and excellent seaman. Dedicated to modern technology, he was able to quickly understand the practical value of technical innovations. As a yachting enthusiast, Heinrich became one of the first members of the Kiel Yacht Club, which was established by a group of naval officers in 1887. Soon, he became the club’s patron.
Heinrich was also interested in motor cars. Supposedly, he invented a windshield wiper and car horn. In his honor, the Prinz-Heinrich-Fahrt (Prince Henry Tour) was established in 1908. The event was similar to the earlier Kaiserpreis, which was a precursor to the German Grand Prix. Both the Kaiser and Prinz Heinrich gave patronage to the Kaiserlicher Automobilclub (Imperial Automobile Club). From 1911 until 1914, the British carmaker Vauxhall Motors produced the model C-10. It was honorably-named the “Vauxhall Prince Henry” after initially being built for participation in the 1911 Prinz-Heinrich-Fahrt.
After the German Revolution of 1918-19, Heinrich lived with his family in Hemmelmark (near Eckernförde) in Schleswig-Holstein. He continued his passion for motor sports and sailing. Even in his old age, Heinrich was a very successful participant in regattas! He popularized the Prince Henry cap, which is still worn today by older sailors.
In 1899, Heinrich received an honorary doctorate (Doctor of Engineering honoris causa) from the Technical University of Berlin. He also received numerous similar honors from other foreign countries… including an honorary doctorate (LL.D.) from Harvard University in March 1902 during his visit to the United States.
Like his father, Prinz Heinrich von Preußen died of throat cancer in Hemmelmark on April 20, 1929 at the age of sixty-six.
OFFICER COMMISSIONS
Prinz Heinrich von Preußen was commissioned (some honorary as noted) with the following national and foreign units:
GERMAN EMPIRE
– Royal Prussian First Foot Guard Regiment (colonel-general)
– Royal Saxon, Second Grenadier Regiment “Kaiser Wilhelm, King of Prussia” Number 101
– Royal Bavarian Eighth Artillery Regiment (colonel-in-chief)
– 1st Grand Duke Hessian Field Artillery Regiment Number 25
– Brandenburg “Prince Henry of Prussia” Fusilier Regiment Number 35 (colonel-in-chief)
AUSTRIA-HUNGARY
– Imperial and Royal Army, Infantry Regiment Number 20
– Imperial and Royal Navy (vice admiral)
– Imperial and Royal Navy (rear admiral in 1899)
UNITED KINGDOM
– Royal Navy (honorary admiral on September 13, 1901)
– Royal Navy (honorary vice admiral on February 5, 1901)
RUSSIA
– Imperial Dragoon Regiment Number 33 (colonel)
NATIONAL HONORS
PRUSSIA
– Knight of the Black Eagle (August 14, 1872) with Collar (1881)
– Grand Cross of the Red Eagle, 1872
– Knight of the Royal Crown Order, First Class (August 14, 1872)
– Grand Commander’s Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern (August 14, 1872)
– Knight of Justice of the Johanniter Order
– Long Service Award
– Pour le Mérite (August 1, 1916) with Oak Leaves (January 24, 1918)
HOHENZOLLERN-SIGMARINGEN
– Cross of Honor of the Princely House Order of Hohenzollern, First Class
ANHALT
– Grand Cross of the Order of Albert the Bear (1884)
BADEN
– Knight of the House Order of Fidelity (1881)
– Knight of the Order of Berthold the First (1881)
KINGDOM OF BAVARIA
– Knight of St. Hubert (1886)
BRUNSWICK
– Grand Cross of the Order of Henry the Lion (1888)
SAXE-COBURG AND GOTHA
DUCHY OF SAXE-ALTENBURG
SAXE-MEININGEN
ERNESTINE DUCHIES
– Grand Cross of the Saxe-Ernestine House Order (1885)
BREMEN (state)
HAMBURG
FREE HANSEATIC CITIES
– Hanseatic Crosses
GRAND DUCHY OF HESSE
HESSE AND BY RHINE
– Grand Cross of the Ludwig Order (April 1, 1875)
– Knight of the Golden Lion, with Collar (May 24, 1888)
– Medal of Bravery
MECKLENBURG
– Grand Cross of the Wendish Crown, with Crown in Ore and Diamonds
OLDENBURG
– Grand Cross of the Order of Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig, with Golden Crown (February 18, 1878)
SAXE-WEIMAR-EISENACH
– Grand Cross of the White Falcon (1882)
SAXONY
– Knight of the Rue Crown (1882)
– Grand Cross of the Albert Order, with Crown and Swords
WÜRTTEMBERG
– Grand Cross of the Württemberg Crown (1882)
FOREIGN HONORS
AUSTRIA-HUNGARY
– Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen (1872)
BELGIUM
– Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold
BRAZIL
– Grand Cross of the Southern Cross
BULGARIA
– Grand Cross of St. Alexander
CHINA
– Order of the Double Dragon, Class I Grade II
DENMARK
– Knight of the Elephant (July 30, 1888)
FINLAND
– Grand Cross of the Cross of Liberty (1918)
GREECE
– Grand Cross of the Redeemer
HAWAII
– Grand Cross of the Order of Kalākaua
ITALY
– Knight of the Annunciation (October 18, 1875)
– Grand Cross of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (October 18, 1875)
– Tuscany Tuscan Grand Ducal family: Grand Cross of St. Joseph
HOLY SEE
– Knight of the Supreme Order of Christ
JAPAN
– Grand Cordon of the Order of the Chrysanthemum (June 10, 1879)
KOREA
– Grand Cordon of the Order of the Golden Ruler (1904)
MONTENEGRO
– Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Danilo I
NETHERLANDS
– Grand Cross of the Netherlands Lion
OTTOMAN EMPIRE
– Order of Osmanieh, First Class with Diamonds
PORTUGAL
– Grand Cross of the Sash of the Two Orders
– Grand Cross of the Tower and Sword
RUMANIA
– Grand Cross of the Star of Rumania
RUSSIA
– Knight of St. Andrew
– Knight of St. Alexander Nevsky
– Knight of the White Eagle
– Knight of St. Anna, First Class
– Knight of St. Stanislaus, First Class
SERBIA
– Grand Cross of the White Eagle
SIAM
– Knight of the Order of the Royal House of Chakri (December 24, 1899)
SPAIN
– Knight of the Golden Fleece (October 3, 1883)
– Grand Cross of Naval Merit, with White Decoration (1903)
SWEDEN-NORWAY
– Knight of the Seraphim (October 17, 1887)
– Grand Cross of St. Olav, with Collar (August 1, 1888)
UNITED KINGDOM
– Honorary Grand Cross of the Bath (civil, 13 August 13, 1881… expelled in 1915)
– Stranger Knight of the Garter (August 8, 1889… expelled in 1915)
– Royal Victorian Chain (August 9, 1902…revoked in 1915)
VENEZUELA
– Collar of the Order of the Liberator