WI Wilhelm I. marries Elisa Radziwill?

[historyfool]

In the 1820s then heir presumptive Wilhelm of Prussia (the later German emperor) intended to marry his second cousin once removed Elisa. His father was initially in favour. But certain interests at court sabotaged it by pushing the position that her rank in nobility was insufficient for the heir of the throne. That position is somewhat debateable, but it prevailed and attempts to work around it failed as well.

So WI the marriage went through as acceptable for the Hohenzollern either because it is decided her rank is sufficient or because one of the workarounds succeeds? Say it also butterflies her death by tuberculosis. What would be the effects of a Polish Queen of Prussia? Or, if the unification of Germany still happens under Prussian leadership, even a German Empress from the Polish nobility?

 

[JonasResende]

In the 1820s then heir presumptive Wilhelm of Prussia (the later German emperor) intended to marry his second cousin once removed Elisa. His father was initially in favour. But certain interests at court sabotaged it by pushing the position that her rank in nobility was insufficient for the heir of the throne. That position is somewhat debateable, but it prevailed and attempts to work around it failed as well.

So WI the marriage went through as acceptable for the Hohenzollern either because it is decided her rank is sufficient or because one of the workarounds succeeds? Say it also butterflies her death by tuberculosis. What would be the effects of a Polish Queen of Prussia? Or, if the unification of Germany still happens under Prussian leadership, even a German Empress from the Polish nobility?

It wasn't debatable. The Radziwills were neither a mediatized nor a reigning house. There had been talk of having Tsar Alexander "adopt" her, then Grand Duke Konstantin, but both dithered on the idea. Secondly, due to the marriage being morganatic, she won't be styled Queen of Prussia in the long-run. Wilhelm can still succeed, but their children cannot, so the throne would end up passing to the heirs of his next brother, Prince Karl.

 

[Valena]

Well, Radziwills were the Princes of HRE (actually different branches hold ducal dignities).
Her father was a Prince of HRE as the Duke of Olyka and Nieswizh, but that's it - a mediatized prince and nothing more. I can see why such marriage will be considered a waste.

 

[historyfool]

It wasn't debatable. The Radziwills were neither a mediatized nor a reigning house. There had been talk of having Tsar Alexander "adopt" her, then Grand Duke Konstantin, but both dithered on the idea. Secondly, due to the marriage being morganatic, she won't be styled Queen of Prussia in the long-run. Wilhelm can still succeed, but their children cannot, so the throne would end up passing to the heirs of his next brother, Prince Karl.

It is debateable because the family had been an acceptable, equal partner for the German ruling houses (for example Queen Elisabeth Ludovika, the wife of Friedrich Wilhem IV. was descended from one such marriage) before and even married into the Hohenzollern family before without any issue (for example Ludwig von Brandenburg married a Radziwill while being second in the succession in 1681). In practice until the decision of this case they had been viewed as equal rank due to their rank in Polish Nobility and some of the expert surveys at the time came to that conclusion. The argument which won was that only the rank of the family within the former HRE counted and was then combined with the allegation (based on shaky proofs) that said rank had been bought from emperor Maximilian.
The opinion that the (lower) rank within the HRE took precedence over the (equal) rank the family had in Polish nobility is debateable, since that argument was used for the first (and I believe only) time in this case.

 

[Jonathan]

Lets say for this TL sake that Elisa Radziwill, was considered of sufficient rank due to her mother's birth, being a Prussian Princess her self with also the fact that learned men of the Prussian court, worked endlessly on persuading King Frederick William III, to acknowledge the union of these two young royal.

As Prince Wilhelm loves and adores Elisa, their marriage would be blessed with many children.
Elisa would most likely live until around 65-80.
With a loving grandparents maybe Wilhelm II may not be as warmongering as OTL

 

[JonasResende]

It is debateable because the family had been an acceptable, equal partner for the German ruling houses (for example Queen Elisabeth Ludovika, the wife of Friedrich Wilhem IV. was descended from one such marriage) before and even married into the Hohenzollern family before without any issue (for example Ludwig von Brandenburg married a Radziwill while being second in the succession in 1681). In practice until the decision of this case they had been viewed as equal rank due to their rank in Polish Nobility and some of the expert surveys at the time came to that conclusion. The argument which won was that only the rank of the family within the former HRE counted and was then combined with the allegation (based on shaky proofs) that said rank had been bought from emperor Maximilian.

Firstly, Elisabeth Luise was descended in the female line, male line she was a princess of Bavaria. Secondly, Ludwig of Brandenburg who married Karolina Radziwillowna in the 17th century was regarded as equal due to the fact that she was sole heiress to her family's Lithuania estates. It's the same as how a marriage with a princess of Thurn und Taxis was regarded as "equal" when duke Karl Alexander of Württemberg married her in the 18th century, but according to house laws of the house of Württemberg of 1803, a marriage to a princess of Thurn und Taxis is regarded as "unequal" see the marriage of Duke Paul of Württemberg and Maria Sophie of Thurn und Taxis in the 1820s. Or as in another case, Karl Alexander married Maria Auguste of Thurn und Taxis, and it was regarded as equal, while Karl III Philipp of the Palatinate married another member of the same family as his third wife - Violante Therese of Thurn und Taxis - but it was regarded as unequal due to the family being "new money" only being elevated to the barony in 1657, and counts of the Empire in 1701.

The opinion that the (lower) rank within the HRE took precedence over the (equal) rank the family had in Polish nobility is debateable, since that argument was used for the first (and I believe only) time in this case.

It was probably used for the first and only time since the dissolution of the empire was still within living memory so the rules were perhaps a bit fuzzy.