Her two other sons, Philipp and Christoph, embraced Nazism, and Margaret, who was a sister of the last Kaiser Wilhelm II, invited Adolf Hitler to tea and flew the swastika from her home at Schloss Kronberg. He was killed in close fighting his throat was slit by an enemy bayonet. Princess Margaret's oldest son, Friedrich Wilhelm died on 12 September 1916 at Kara Orman in Romania. Max's younger brother Wolfgang appealed for help to the British authorities, and eventually, after an enquiry was made, Maximilian's body was returned to his family. The priest refused to identify the grave until the Germans had left Belgium and a compensation was paid. He died soon afterward and his body was secretly buried in the village of Caestre by the local people, who learned he was the Kaiser's nephew. Prince Maximilian, Princess Margaret's second and favorite son, was serving near Aisne when he was seriously wounded by machine gun fire in October 1914. Margaret's elder sons, Friedrich Wilhelm and Maximilian, were killed in action during World War I. Her predecessor as Grand Duchess-consort of Finland was her first cousin, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia. She would have become the Queen of Finland. In 1918, Margaret's husband accepted the offer of the throne of newly independent Finland, but due to German misfortunes in World War I, soon renounced it. However, Margaret was committed to maintain the house of her mother which entailed a great expense and the family moved to Friedrichshof. It was highly unconventional for a husband to reside in his wife's home. In 1901, Princess Margaret inherited Schloss Friedrichshof at the death of her mother. Margaret's husband was her mother's favorite son-in-law. The couple's main residence during the early years of marriage was Schloss Rumpenheim. Princess Margaret had a strong personality she would always seem more secure and grounded than her husband. Later, however, he gave his blessing, since Margaret herself "was so unimportant". Initially, her brother Wilhelm opposed the match as he felt that Frederick Charles's position was too "minor" for the Kaiser's sister. They were second cousins, both great-grandchildren of King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia, he through his mother Anna, she through her father Friedrich. This disparity came to an end in 1925 when Frederick Charles became Landgrave of Hesse and Head of the house of Hesse-Kassel. Prince Frederick Charles, as was his title when he married, was addressed as His Highness, while Princess Margaret warranted Royal Highness. The position was held by his older and virtually blind brother Landgrave Alexander Friederich, who relinquished it in the mid-1920s in order to enter an unequal marriage. Īt the time of the wedding, Prince Frederick Charles was not the Head of the House of Hesse-Kassel. They were married on 25 January 1893 at the Hohenzollern Stadtschloss in Berlin on the anniversary of her parents' wedding. When he did not reciprocate her affection, she moved on to her second choice, Max's close friend, Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse, future head of the Hesse-Kassel dynasty and future elected King of Finland. Princess Margaret was first attracted to Prince Maximilian of Baden. As an adult, she was said to resemble her aunt, Princess Alice. She was a first cousin of both King George V of the United Kingdom and Empress Alexandra of Russia, all three being grandchildren of Victoria. Margaret was widely regarded as the most popular of Kaiser Wilhelm II's sisters, and she maintained good relations with a wide array of family members. She remained close to her mother after the death of her father. Together with her sisters, Princess Viktoria and Princess Sophie, Margaret was deeply attached to her parents, forming an antagonist group to that of her eldest siblings, William II, Princess Charlotte and Prince Heinrich. Princess Margaret grew up amid great privilege and formality. Crown Princess Margherita of Italy was her godmother and Emperor Pedro II of Brazil was her godfather. She was named Margarethe Beatrice Feodora. Born on 22 April 1872 in the Hohenzollerns' New Palace in Potsdam, by the time the infant was christened, her head was covered with short hair like moss, from which she acquired her nickname "Mossy". Princess Margaret of Prussia was the youngest of eight children born to Frederick III, then-Crown Prince of the German Empire and his wife, Victoria, Princess Royal, Britain's Queen Victoria's eldest daughter.
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