Princess Anna of Prussia

A beautiful portrait of Princess Anna of Prussia

Anna of Prussia (German: Maria Anna Friederike von Preußen; 17 May 1836 – 12 June 1918 / Now Poland) was a Prussian princess as the granddaughter of King Frederick William III of Prussia. She was the second wife of Prince Frederick William of Hesse-Kassel.

Anna was the youngest of the three children of Prince Charles of Prussia and Princess Marie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.

As a beautiful young princess, she was the object of much attention at court. In the winter of 1852, the young Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria met her in Berlin, fell in love, and wished to propose to her. His mother, Archduchess Sophie of Austria, wrote to her sister Queen Elisabeth of Prussia referring to "the happiness that showed itself to him like a fleeting dream and made an impression on his heart -- alas -- much stronger and deeper than I had first thought." However, Anna was already engaged at that time, and as an added complication, there were strong feelings against an alliance with Austria among Prussian statesmen. Franz Joseph's mother asked, "whether there is any hope that this sad marriage, which they are imposing on this charming Anna and which leaves her no prospect of happiness whatsoever, could be prevented," but to no avail. Sophie predicted that Anna's marriage to her betrothed, Frederick William of Hesse-Kassel, would be unhappy, which turned out to be correct.

On 26 May 1853, Anna married her second cousin Prince Frederick William of Hesse-Kassel at Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin. Anna was the second wife of her new husband, They have six children, being:

Prince Frederick William III of Hesse (1854–1888); never married; died at sea on a voyage from Batavia to Singapore.

Princess Elisabeth Alexandra Charlotte of Hesse (1861–1955); married Leopold, Hereditary Prince of Anhalt and had issue.

Prince Alexander Frederick of Hesse (1863–1945); married Baroness Gisela Stockhorner von Starheim, daughter of Otto, Baron Stockhorner von Starheim and Emilie Susanne Hildegard, Baroness von Wolzogen-Neuhaus; had issue.

Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse, King of Finland (1868–1940); married Princess Margaret of Prussia and had issue.

Princess Marie-Polyxene of Hesse (1872–1882); died at age 10 of osteomyelitis.

Princess Sybille Marguerite of Hesse (1877–1925); married Friedrich Alexander Henry Robert Carl Albert, Baron von Vincke (divorced 1923).