Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa - (1840-1901)

In a letter of 22^nd August 1914 to her mother, Juliet Sladden refers to an article in the latest edition of the satirical magazine, Punch.

The 19th August 1914 issue of Punch contained the following short snippet:  "Dear Mr Punch, You may remember that Queen Victoria recorded in her Journal in the Highlands that 'Vicky sat down on a wasps' nest’.  'Vicky,' of course, was destined later to be the mother of Wilhelm II.  Can we not see in the present situation rather a remarkable example of heredity?  Yours, etc, Medico."

Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa (the “Vicky” in the article) was the eldest child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.  In 1858 she married Frederick of Germany who was to become the future Emperor.  A year later she gave birth to her first child, the future Kaiser Wilhelm II.  Victoria became Empress on 9^th March 1888 when her husband became Emperor Frederick III, but the reign lasted for only 99 days as Frederick died on 15^th June 1888.

The Empress Dowager died at Friedrichshof on 5^th August 1901 less than seven months after the death of her mother.