| King David VII Hohenzollern | |
|---|---|
| |
| The-then Prince Joachim, c.1915-1920 | |
| Monarch of Georgia | |
| Reign | 1 March, 1919 - 7 February, 1922 |
| Predecessor | Constantine II (United Georgia) |
| Successor | Georgia IX |
| Prime Ministers | Mikheil Tsereteli, (1919) Shalva Maglakelidze (1919-1922) |
| Born | 17 December 1890 Potsdam,  Kingdom of Prussia,  German Empire
|
| Died | 7 February 1922 (aged 31) Tbilisi,  Kingdom of Georgia
|
| Spouse | Princess Marie-Auguste of Anhalt |
| Issue | King George IX |
| Full name | |
| Joachim Franz Humbert | |
| House | Hohenzollern |
| Father | Wilhelm II, German Emperor |
| Mother | Augusta Victoria, Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein |
| Religion | Lutheran |
Prince Joachim Franz Humbert of Prussia (17 December 1890 – 7 February, 1922), known by his Georgian Regal Name as David VII, was the Monarch of Georgia from 1919 to his suicide in 1922. He was the first monarch from the House of Hohenzollern, as well as the first monarch of an independent Georgia for over 100 years.
His marriage to Princess Marie-Auguste of Anhalt in 1916 was unhappy, though they had one son, Prince Karl Franz (the future George IX). Marie-Auguste had affairs with other men and left Joachim and their son at periods. They remained married, in part due to Joachim’s position and its moral and religious responsibility. This, among with the pressure of being monarch[1], led to Joachim’s attempted suicide in 1922. The Georgian Palace Guards found him, seriously injured with his military revolver, and rushed him to the royal doctor. He later died just 7 hours later, and received a state funeral one week later.
Legacy[]
Joachim’s short reign of almost three years left a relatively weak impression, with more credit being given to his son Karl Franz’s reign of over fifty years. However, he is still known as being a founding father of the modern Georgian state and monarchy. His rule was dominated by the German Diplomat Friedrich Werner von der Schulenburg and the royalist Georgian nobility. His depression in his later years made him withdraw from the majority of the running of the state, preferring to leave it to his royal council.
Titles and Styles[]
- 17 December 1890 - 1 March, 1919: Prince of Prussia
- 1 March, 1919 - 7 February 1922: Monarch of Georgia
- ↑ Hayden-Bradley: Clients of the Kaiserreich Volume I, pg. 165