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Revision as of 15:09, 2 December 2006

XXI
Wilhelmshöhe 22/VIII/1901


Dearest Nicky

Your kind letter of the 17th has just reached me this morning and I hasten to thank you for the kind feelings you express in its lines. I am most grateful and highly pleased to see by your letter that I shall really have the great pleasure of meeting you near Dantzig.[1] The more so as I shall do it at the head of my fleet, which will be most eager to salute its Admiral and which hopes that it will be able to earn his satisfaction when he inspects it. For it is well known among the officers and crews of my Navy, that with your interest in and knowledge of naval matters you look upon your position as our Hon. Admiral in real earnest and that you inspect with the eyes of an expert. Consequently they will use every effort to show what they can do. I only beg you not to forget -- what you perfectly know through our publications -- that my fleet is just in the act of expansion and transformation. This of course is a drawback to its outward appearance, as old material and new and many different types are grouped together, by which the general appearance of the Fleet shows a lamentable want of harmony and homogenousness.

You have kindly alluded to Adalbert's visit, whom you have awfully spoilt by your grand hospitality: your prise makes Papa and Mama very proud. I hope he will allways be worthy of it. Your sympathy in my bereavement by the death of poor dear Mama[2] has deeply touched me. You are of course able to judge from your own sad experience, when your poor father died, what it means to lose a parent who to all human knowledge might have been spared to live for many long years! Yet in this case the suffering was so terrible, that one could look upon the end as a release, when the Lord called her away, and her last hours were I am thankful to say quite peaceful and painless. Thanks to the great speed of my Yacht and her consorts who took me in 28 hours from Bergen to Kiel, I was able to reach Cronberg in time to find her still conscious. I have communicated your kind invitation to meet him, to the Chancellor,[3] who is deeply honoured, that you show him such confidence, as he was quite unprepared. I myself am very happy, because he is a very good "connoiseur" of Russian affairs and traditions and retains a thankful memory and deep attachment to your family from his stay in Petersburg. Regarding Count Lamsdorf[4] I shall of course receive him should he be on board your Yacht; should that not be the case, and as we are not on shore at all, please do not trouble the poor Minister to make the long voyage to Dantzig. The heat we suffered from in Norway[5] was appaling, up to 30° Reaumur in the shade! Like in Syria! My suite some 20 men managed to finish off 167 bottles of Apolinaris in one day! -- May the weather be fine, without the above result when you come; the details of the programme will be forwarded to you by Paulis. Best thanks for the Anna Medal just received, which pretty and gives me great pleasure and best love to Alix from your most devoted and aff-ate

Willy


Notes

  1. The meeting of the Czar and the Kaiser at Danzig took place on September 11th, 1901.
  2. The Empress Frederick died at Friedricherahe on August 5th, 1901.
  3. It was announced in Berlin on August 26th that Count Bulow would be present at the meeting of the two Emperors.
  4. The Russian Foreign Minister.
  5. The Kaiser had been recalled from Norway by the death of the Empress Frederick.

Return to 'Willy-Nicky' Letters XXI - XXVIII (22 August 1901 - 30 October 1904)