Editing Frederick III, German Emperor (section)

==Personal life==

===Early life and education===
[[File:Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Karl von Preußen, ca 1841.jpg|thumb|left|Frederick William, ca. 1841]]
Frederick William was born in the [[New Palace (Potsdam)|New Palace]] at [[Potsdam]] in Prussia on 18 October 1831.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie|publisher=Historical Commission|year=1875|location=Bavaria}}</ref> He was a scion of the [[House of Hohenzollern]], rulers of Prussia, then the most powerful of the German states. Frederick's father, [[William I, German Emperor|Prince Wilhelm]], was the second son of [[Frederick William III of Prussia|King Frederick Wilhelm III]] and, having been raised in the military traditions of the Hohenzollerns, developed into a strict disciplinarian. William fell in love with his cousin [[Elisa Radziwill]], a princess of the [[Polish nobility]], but the court felt Elisa's rank was not suitable for the bride of a Prussian prince and forced a more suitable match.<ref name="VdK-10">Van der Kiste, p. 10.</ref> The woman selected to be his wife, Princess [[Augusta of Saxe-Weimar]], had been raised in the more intellectual and artistic atmosphere of [[Weimar]], which gave its citizens greater participation in politics and limited the powers of its rulers through a [[constitution]];{{Sfn|Dorpalen|1948|p=2}}{{Sfn|Kollander|1995|p=1}} Augusta was well known across Europe for her liberal views.<ref name="VdK-11">Van der Kiste, p. 11.</ref> Because of their differences, the couple did not have a happy marriage and,{{Sfn|Dorpalen|1948|p=2}}{{Sfn|Kollander|1995|p=1}} as a result, Frederick grew up in a troubled household, which left him with memories of a lonely childhood.{{Sfn|Dorpalen|1948|p=2}}<ref name="VdK-12">Van der Kiste, p. 12.</ref> He had one sister, [[Princess Louise of Prussia|Louise]] (later Grand Duchess of [[Grand Duchy of Baden|Baden]]), who was six years his junior and very close to him. Frederick also had a very good relationship with his uncle, the future King Frederick William IV, who has been called "the romantic on the throne".{{Sfn|Oster|2013|pp=60–65}}

Known informally as "Fritz",<ref name="MacDonogh-17">MacDonogh, p. 17.</ref> Frederick grew up during a tumultuous political period as the concept of [[liberalism in Germany]], which evolved during the 1840s, was gaining widespread and enthusiastic support.<ref name="Palmowski-43">Palmowski, p. 43.</ref> The liberals sought a unified Germany and were [[constitutional monarchists]] who desired a constitution to ensure equal protection under the law, the protection of property, and the safeguarding of basic civil rights.<ref name="Sperber-64">Sperber, p. 64.</ref> Overall, the liberals desired a government ruled by popular representation.<ref name="Kollander-1">Kollander, p. 1.</ref> When Frederick was 17, these emergent [[nationalistic]] and liberal sentiments sparked a [[Revolutions of 1848 in the German states|series of political uprisings]] across the German states and elsewhere in Europe. In Germany, their goal was to protect freedoms, such as the [[freedom of assembly]] and [[freedom of the press]], and to create a German [[parliament]] and constitution.<ref name="Palmowski-43" /><ref name="Sperber-128-129">Sperber, pp. 128–129.</ref> Although the uprisings ultimately brought about no lasting changes, liberal sentiments remained an influential force in German politics throughout Frederick's life.<ref name="Röhl-554">Röhl 1998, p. 554.</ref>
[[File:Oskar Begas Kronprinz Friedrich Wilhelm von Preußen 1867.jpg|thumb|right|Crown Prince Frederick William of Prussia, 1867, by [[Oskar Begas]]]]
Despite the value placed by the Hohenzollern family on a traditional military education, Augusta insisted that her son also receive a classical education.<ref name="VdK-12" /> Accordingly, Frederick was thoroughly tutored in both military traditions and the [[liberal arts]]. His private tutor was [[Ernst Curtius]], a famous archaeologist.<ref name="Fred">Oster, pp. 60–65.</ref> Frederick was a talented student, particularly good at foreign languages, becoming fluent in English and French, and studying Latin. He also studied history, geography, physics, music and religion, and excelled at gymnastics; as required of a Prussian prince, he became a very good rider.<ref name="M-B-44">Mueller-Bohn, p. 44.</ref> Hohenzollern princes were made familiar with the military traditions of their dynasty at an early age; Frederick was ten when he was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the First Guard Infantry Regiment of Foot. As he grew older, he was expected to maintain an active involvement in military affairs.<ref name="M-B-14">Mueller-Bohn, p. 14.</ref> However, at the age of 18, he broke with family tradition and entered the [[University of Bonn]] where he studied history, law and governance, and public policy. During his time at Bonn (1850–1852), his teachers included [[Ernst Moritz Arndt]] and [[Friedrich Christoph Dahlmann]].<ref name="Fred" /> His time spent at the university, coupled with the influence of less conservative family members, were instrumental in his embrace of liberal beliefs.<ref name="Nichols-7">Nichols, p. 7.</ref>

The Prince was slightly injured in the [[1851 Avenwedde rail accident]].{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

In 1853, Frederick was initiated into [[Freemasonry]] by his father, then [[William I, German Emperor|Prince William of Prussia]], and would later become Master of the Order of the [[Grand Landlodge of the Freemasons of Germany]].<ref name="speth">Speth, George William. ''[https://archive.org/stream/Royal_Freemasons_-_G_W_Speth#page/n0/mode/2up Royal Freemasons]''. Masonic Publishing Company, 1885, pp. 24–29.</ref> During his brief reign, he would serve as the patron of the [[Freemasonry in Germany|German Freemasons]].

===Marriage and family===
{{See also|Rulers of Germany family tree}}
[[Image:Victoria, Princess Royal.jpg|right|thumb|upright|[[Victoria, Princess Royal]]—eldest daughter of [[Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom]]—whom Frederick married in 1858]]
[[File:The Crown Prince of Prussia and Prince Wilhelm II. at Balmoral Castle. - Oct. 1863.jpg|right|thumb|upright|Frederick and his son, Wilhelm, in October 1863 at Balmoral castle]]
Royal marriages of the 19th century were arranged to secure alliances and to maintain blood ties among the European nations. As early as 1851, [[Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom]] and her German-born husband, [[Albert, Prince Consort|Prince Albert]], were making plans to marry their eldest daughter, [[Victoria, Princess Royal]], to Frederick. The royal dynasty in Britain was predominantly German; there was little British blood in Queen Victoria, and none in her husband.<ref name="VdK-15">Van der Kiste, p. 15.</ref> They desired to maintain their family's blood ties to Germany, and Prince Albert further hoped that the marriage would lead to the liberalization and modernization of Prussia. King [[Leopold I of Belgium]], uncle of both Victoria and Albert, also favoured this pairing; he had long treasured [[Baron Stockmar]]'s idea of a marriage alliance between Britain and Prussia.<ref name="VdK-16">Van der Kiste, p. 16.</ref> Frederick's father, Prince William, had no interest in the arrangement, hoping instead for a [[Russian grand duchess]] as his daughter-in-law.<ref name="VdK-15" /> However, Princess Augusta was greatly in favour of a match for her son that would bring closer connections with Britain.<ref name="MacDonogh-17" /> In 1851, his mother sent Frederick to England, ostensibly to visit the [[Great Exhibition]] but in truth, she hoped that the cradle of liberalism and home of the industrial revolution would have a positive influence on her son. Prince Albert took Frederick under his wing during his stay but it was Albert's daughter, only eleven at the time, who guided the German prince around the Exhibition. Frederick only knew a few words of English, while Princess Victoria could converse fluently in German. He was impressed by her mix of innocence, intellectual curiosity and simplicity, and their meeting proved to be a success. A regular exchange of letters between Victoria and Frederick followed.<ref name="Fred"/>
[[File: Frederico da Prússia - 1855.jpg|thumb|left|Prince Frederick, {{circa|1855}}]]
Frederick proposed to Victoria in 1855, when she was 14 years old. The betrothal of the young couple was announced on 19 May 1857, at Buckingham Palace and the Prussian Court,<ref name="VdK-31">Van der Kiste, p. 31.</ref> and their marriage took place on 25 January 1858 in the Chapel Royal of [[St. James's Palace]], London. To mark the occasion, Frederick was promoted to major-general in the Prussian army. Although it was an arranged marriage, the newlyweds were compatible from the start and their marriage was a loving one;<ref name="MacDonogh-17-18">MacDonogh, pp. 17–18.</ref><ref name="VdK-43">Van der Kiste, p. 43.</ref> Victoria too had received a liberal education and shared her husband's views. Of the two, Victoria was the dominant one in the relationship.<ref name="Fred"/> The couple often resided at the [[Kronprinzenpalais|Crown Prince's Palace]] and had eight children: [[Wilhelm II, German Emperor|Wilhelm]] in 1859, [[Charlotte, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen|Charlotte]] in 1860, [[Albert Wilhelm Heinrich of Prussia|Henry]] in 1862, [[Prince Sigismund of Prussia (1864-1866)|Sigismund]] in 1864, [[Princess Viktoria of Prussia|Victoria]] in 1866, [[Prince Waldemar of Prussia (1868-1879)|Waldemar]] in 1868, [[Sophia of Prussia|Sophia]] in 1870 and [[Princess Margaret of Prussia|Margaret]] in 1872. Sigismund died at the age of 2 and Waldemar at age 11,<ref name="Kollander-21">Kollander, p. 21.</ref> and their eldest son, Wilhelm, suffered from a withered arm—probably [[Erb's Palsy]] due to his difficult and dangerous [[breech birth]], although it could have also resulted from a mild case of [[cerebral palsy]].<ref name="Röhl-12">Röhl 1998, p. 12.</ref><ref name="MacDonogh-22">MacDonogh, p. 22.</ref> Wilhelm, who became emperor after Frederick's death, shared none of his parents' liberal ideas; his mother viewed him as a "complete Prussian".<ref name="Röhl-101">Röhl 1998, p. 101.</ref> This difference in ideology created a rift between Wilhelm and his parents (which was exacerbated by Bismarck's interference), and relations between them were strained throughout their lives.<ref name="Röhl-101" /><ref name="Röhl-xiii">Röhl 1998, p. xiii.</ref>

===Religion===
Emperor Frederick III was a [[Lutheran]] member of the [[Evangelical State Church of Prussia's older Provinces]]. It was a [[United Protestant]] denomination, bringing together [[Reformed tradition|Reformed]] and [[Lutheran]] believers.