King Carl, Carte de Visite. 1864 Germany

Postcards : Royalty

 

King Charles portrait photo ( CdV ). Carte de Visite from 1864 the year of his accession to the throne.

Charles of Württemberg (German: Karl Friedrich Alexander, König von Württemberg) was the third King of Württemberg, from 25 June 1864 until his death in 1891.

He was born 6 March 1823 at Stuttgart, as HRH Charles Frederick Alexander, Crown Prince of Württemberg the son of William I, King of Württemberg (1781-1864) and his third wife Pauline of Württemberg (1800-1873).

He studied in Berlin and Tübingen.

On 13 July 1846 he married Olga Nikolaievna of Russia, daughter of Tsar Nicholas I and Charlotte of Prussia. Charlotte was a daughter of Frederick William III of Prussia and Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. She took the name Alexandra upon her marriage.

Karl acceded to his father's throne in 1864, making Olga Queen of Württemberg his wife.

The couple had no children, perhaps because of Karl's homosexuality. Karl became the object of scandal several times for his closeness with various men. The most notorious of these was the American Charles Woodcock, a former chamberlain whom Karl elevated to Baron Savage in 1888.

Under Charles' leadership, Württemberg became, in 1871, part of the German Empire.

Item ID: col-1946