Figure 2.--Prince Wilhelm-Karl is seen here wearing a dress. He looks to be about 4 years old. He has bangs with longish hair at the side.

Prince Wilhelm Karl was the youngest son of Prince Oskar. Prince Oskar morganatically married Countess Ina-Marie von Bassewitz in 1914, the year World war I broke out. There were three siblings, two brothers and a sister. Prince Wilhelm-Karl was the youngest in the family. We have no information on his childhood at this time. As he was born in 1922, it was after his grandfather had abdigated and the Hohenzollern's were no longer the German ruling family. His childhood was thus very different than his father's childhood. Almost surely as he was 11 years old when the NAZIs seized power and his father was an ardent NAZI, he mist have joined the Hitler Youth. As a boy he wore dresses, a fashion that was becoming less common after World War I in the 1920s. He is pictured here about 1927 or 28 wearing a long pants sailor and strap shoes with older sister Princess Herzeleide. I'm not sure what color the strap shoes were, but the look identical to the ones worn by his sister. Many boys who normally wore short pants might have a long pants sailor suit. Actually the long pants suits were common among royal families. The suit looks to be a button-on style and the pants, at least in the legs are cut quite narrow. He wore bangs as a boy, but when he was breeched his hair at the side was cut shorter. Wilhelm-Karl married Armgard von Veltheim in 1952 and they had three children.

Parents

Father

Oscar Charles Gutav Adolf Hohenzollern (1888-1973) was a son of Kaiser Wilhelm II. He was given the title of Prince of Prussia. He became an early supporter of the NAZIs.

Mother

Prince Oskar morganatically married Countess Ina-Marie von Bassewitz (1888-1973). Her parents were Count Karl Heinrich von Bassewitz-Levetzow and Countess Margarete Cäcilie von der Schulenburg. Ina-Marie was created Countess of Ruppin. The year of the marraige, 1914, was a fatefull one for German royalty as it was the year World War I broke out.

Siblings

There were three siblings, two brothers and a sister. Prince Wilhelm-Karl was the youngest in the family.

Childhood

We have no information on his childhood at this time. As he was born January 30, 1922 at Potsdam, Germany. It was after his grandfather had abdigated and the Hohenzollern's were no longer the German ruling family. His childhood was thus very different than his father's childhood. Almost surely as he was 11 years old when the NAZIs seized power and his father was an ardent NAZI, he mist have joined the Hitler Youth.

Figure 2.--This is the wife and children of Prince Oscar, a son of Wilhelm II. The children are Prince Wilhelm-Karl and Princess Herzeleide-Ina-Marie. The photograph was taken about 1927. Prince Wilhelm-Karl wears a button-on sailor suit with white socks and strap shoes.

Childhood Clothing

As a boy he wore dresses, a fashion that was becoming less common after World War I in the 1920s. He wears a white dress at about age 4. His dress was different from that of his sister in that it was a "A"-line dress without a waist. His sister also wore a white dress, but it had a definite low waist, presumably with a bow in back.I'm not sure when he was breeched, but he looks to still be wearing dresses ar age 4. He is pictured here about 1927 or 28 wearing a long pants sailor and strap shoes with older sister Princess Herzeleide. I'm not sure what color the strap shoes were, but the look identical to the ones worn by his sister. Many boys who normally wore short pants might have a long pants sailor suit. Actually the long pants suits were common among royal families. The suit looks to be a button-on style and the pants, at least in the legs are cut quite narrow. He wore bangs as a boy, but when he was breeched his hair at the side was cut shorter. Note that his sister wears ringlets and a hair bow.

Title

Wilhelm-Karl received the title of the Count von Ruppin.

Marriage

Wilhelm-Karl married Armgard von Veltheim (1926- ). Armgard was born in Detroit, Michigan in the United States. Her parents were Freidrich Bertram Hans and Ottonie Luise Sophie von Alvensleben. The marriage was a civil ceremony on March 1, 1952 at Destedt, near Brunswick, Germany.

Children

There were three children: Prince Donata Victoria Ina Maria (1952- ), Prince Wilhelm Karl Oskar F. (1955- ), and Prince Oskar Michael Hans Karl (1959- ).

Created: November 8, 2000
Last updated: February 15, 2003