European Heraldry :: Prussia/German Empire

Albert (1490 – 1568) 37th Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights and, after converting to Lutheranism, the first duke of the Duchy of Prussia, which was the first state to adopt the Lutheran faith. Grandson of Albert III Achilles, Elector of Brandenburg. Married firstly Dorothea of Denmark (1504 – 1547) daughter of King Frederick I of Denmark and secondly Anna Maria (1532 – 1568) daughter of Eric I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg.

Albert Frederick (1553 – 1618) Duke of Prussia. Married Marie Eleonore of Cleves (1550 –1608) daughter of Wilhelm, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg.

John Sigismund (1572 – 1619) Elector of Brandenburg, Duke of Cleves,Count of Mark,Count of Ravensburg from 1614 and Duke of Prussia from 1618. Married Anna of Prussia and Jülich-Cleves-Berg (1576 – 1625) daughter of Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia. See above.

Frederick III and I (1657 – 1713) Elector of Brandenburg, Duke of Cleves,Count of Mark,Count of Ravensburg and Duke of Prussia. First King in Prussia from 1701. Prince of Neuchâtel from 1707 and Prince of Orange (disputed) from 1702. Married firstly Landgravine Elisabeth Henriëtte of Hesse-Kassel (1661 – 1683) daughter of William VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, secondly Sophia Charlotte of Hanover (1668 – 1705) daughter of Ernest Augustus, Elector of Brunswick-Lüneburg and thirdly Sophia Louisa of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1685 – 1735) daughter of Frederick, Duke of Mecklenburg-Grabow. Founder of The Order of the Black Eagle in 1701.

Frederick William I (1688 – 1740) King in Prussia. "The Soldier King". Married Sophia Dorothea of Hanover (1687 –1757) daughter of George Louis, Elector of Hanover, later King George I of Great Britain.

Frederick II (1712 – 1786) "The Great", King in Prussia and in 1772 declared himself King of Prussia. Married Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern (1715 – 1797) daughter of Ferdinand Albert Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Bevern. Founder of The Pour le Mérite in 1740.

Frederick William II (1744 – 1797) King of Prussia. Married firstly Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1746 – 1840), Crown Princess of Prussia, daughter of Charles I, Duke of Brunswick -Wolfenbüttel (divorced 1769) and secondly Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt (1751 – 1805) daughter of Ludwig IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt. He revived the Order of the Red Eagle as a Prussian royal order in 1792.

Frederick William III (1770 – 1840) King of Prussia. Married Duchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1776 – 1810) daughter of Charles II Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Founder of The Iron Cross in 1813. Founder of The Order of Louise in 1814.

Frederick William IV (1795 – 1861) King of Prussia. Prince of Neuchâtel until 1857. Married Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria (1801 – 1873) daughter of Maximilian I, King of Bavaria

William I (1797 – 1888) King of Prussia. First German Emperor from 1871. Married Princess Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (1811 – 1890) daughter of Karl Friedrich, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. Founder of The Royal Order of the Crown in 1861.

Frederick III (1831 – 1888) King of Prussia and German Emperor. Married Victoria, Princess Royal (1840 – 1901) daughter of Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

William II (1859 – 1941) King of Prussia and German Emperor until 1918. Married firstly Princess Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein (1858 – 1921) daughter of Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein and secondly Princess Hermine Reuss of Greiz (1887 – 1947) daughter of Heinrich XXII, Prince Reuss of Greiz. Founder of The Order of Merit of the Prussian Crown in 1901.