I Neues Palais 8/XI/94
WWI Document Archive > Pre - 1914 Documents > Willy-Nicky Letters between the Kaiser and the Czar > Introduction, and Letters I-V (8 November 1894-10 July 1895) > I Neues Palais 8/XI/94
I
Neues Palais 8/XI/94
My dear Nicky
The heavy and responsible task for which Providence has destinied you has come upon you with the suddeness of a surprise, through the so unexpected and untimely death of your dear lamented father.[1] These lines are to express my fullest and warmest sympathy with you and your Alix[2] and your poor distressed mother.[3] I can well understand the feelings which must have agitated your heart in witnessing the ebbing away of the life of your father, as his illness and sudden passing away was so very like my own dear Papa's;[4] with whose character and kind geniality the late Czar had so many likness. My prayers to God for you and your happiness are unceasing. May heaven comfort you in your grief and give you strength for your heavy duties, and may a long and peaceful reign give you the opportunity of looking after the welfare of your subjects. The sympathy and real grief at the so untimely end of your lamented father in my country will have shown you how strong the monarchical instinct is and how Germany feels for you and your subjects. As former you will always find me the same in undiminished friendship and love to you. What our political ideals are we both know perfectly and I have nothing to add to our last conversation in Berlin,[5] I only can repeat the expression or you and the assurance that I shall always cultivate the old relations of mutual friendship with your house in which I was reared by my Grandfather,[6] and some examples of which I was so glad to be able to give to your dear Papa in these last six months of his reign, and which I am happy to hear were fully appreciated by him. I would have come myself to pray with you at the funeral,[7] but I have so much to do with administration at home that it is impossible. Henry will be the bearer of my messages, Gen. v. Plessen,[8] commandant of my Headquarters, Lieut. Col. v. Moltke[9] my Aide de Camp, and Gen. v. Villaune[10] your old friend will accompany him on board his ship to Cronstadt. At the same time by land Col. v. Saussin of the Kaiser Alexander Garde Grend. Reg. I. will report himself to you as the new Chef of the Regiment. Whereas to your Regiment of Hussars[11] I have given your name of which they will be immensely proud. In the first named Guard Regiment the person of the late Tsar was always highly venered and last Mondays the whole corps of its officers and the four Colours of the Reginal joined their prayers with mine of the chapel of the Russian Embassy at Berlin. Now, dearest Nicky, Good bye, God bless and protect you and dear Alix and give you happiness in your new married life, that is the warm wish of
Your most aff-ate and devoted friend and cousin William.
Notes
- ↑ Alexander III., the father of Nicholas II., died at Livadia on November Ist, 1894.
- ↑ Princess Alix of Hesse, to whom Nicholas was betrothed. They were married 18 days after the date of this letter, on November 26th, 1894.
- ↑ The Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna, formerly Princess Dagmar of Denmark.
- ↑ Emperor Frederick.
- ↑ The conversation referred to took place on January 28th, 1894.
- ↑ William I., the first German emperor.
- ↑ The funeral of the late Czar took place on November 19th, 1894. Prince Henry of Prussia represented the Kaiser.
- ↑ Von Plessen was commandant of the Kaiser's headquarters.
- ↑ Lieutenant-Colonel von Moltke a nephew of the great Moltke -- was the Kaiser's aide-de-camp since 1891. From 1906 to December, 1914, he was Chief of the German General Staff.
- ↑ Von Villaune is probably General Carl von Villauny.
- ↑ The 8th Hussars.
WWI Document Archive > Pre - 1914 Documents > Willy-Nicky Letters between the Kaiser and the Czar > Introduction, and Letters I-V (8 November 1894-10 July 1895) > I Neues Palais 8/XI/94