Rennell Rodd

Frederick, Crown Prince and Emperor Rennell Rodd

Frederick III, second German Emperor, reigned for only three months, from March to June 1888. Having been Crown Prince for twenty-seven years, he was stricken with cancer of the larynx, and by the time he succeeded his elderly father on the throne he was unable to speak above a whisper. Married to Victoria, Princess Royal of Great Britain, he was the hope of liberals throughout Germany and Europe. Had he ruled for longer in good health, the war of 1914-18 would almost certainly have been avoided. Rodd's brief biographical essay, first published in November 1888, was the first life of him to appear. This new edition contains the original text, with a foreword by royal biographer John Van der Kiste which includes the background to the writing of the book and a note on the life of the author, and additional illustrations.