#wilhelmposting

[fitzrove]

"Of course I can't tell you everything I saw, heard and did; suffice it to say that I spent 4-5 hours in the [1873 Vienna World] Fair every day; I kept a diary of what I saw. The young 15-year-old Crown Prince and I had become very good companions and went on many an excursion and many a walk together. [...] I quickly became well acquainted with Crown Prince Rudolf, which was not surprising given his winning personality, which easily captivated those unfamiliar with the world. We went on many excursions together to the surroundings of Vienna, especially to the wonderful Vienna Woods, the Lainzer Tiergarten and the Kahlenberg, from where we enjoyed the beautiful view over the city and its surroundings. Of course, we also visited all the sights of Vienna, among which the famous gems of the old German Empire were not the least of my interests. I usually shared meals with Crown Prince Rudolf, and we were occasionally invited to dine with the Majesties. (pp. 85-86) [...] As I mentioned, I had become acquainted with Crown Prince Rudolf at the Vienna World Exhibition and had sought to maintain good relations with him ever since. He was a stimulating, intelligent man, captivating in his fresh liveliness, full of sparkling humor, but not without a considerable satirical streak. We were both great nature lovers and also devoted to our passion for hunting; Rudolf was also a knowledgeable zoologist, especially an ornithologist. To my chagrin, however, I noticed over the years that he didn't take religion very seriously, and it was painful for me when my companion poured out his mocking jokes about the church and the clergy as well as the simple faith of the country folk. Other character flaws could not remain hidden from me either, and so it came to pass that my original trust dwindled and we grew more and more apart over time. In addition, I gradually realized how little the crown prince was inwardly inclined towards the new German Empire and the Dual Alliance; above all, he hated Prussianism in his soul. For all these reasons, our relations became cooler and were ultimately cultivated on both sides solely from the point of view of political necessity." (pp. 276-277)

ex-Kaiser Wilhelm on Crown Prince Rudolf in his memoirs (Aus meinem Leben, 1927), translated from German by me with help from DeepL

[fitzrove]

wilhelm and women (and men)

[fitzrove]

tfw you once accidentally channeled wilhelm in your fanfic or something and wrote a dialogue line almost identical to something he said irl 😭😭😭

[fitzrove]

nobody:

wilhelm's aristocratic friends: let's pretend to be a dog he'll love that. maybe this will make me forget that my sister is dying

hmm