Wilhelm II of Germany

Wilhelm II of Germany (born Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert von Preußen 27 January, 1859–4 June 1941), was the last German Emperor (Kaiser) and the last King (König) of Prussia, ruling from 1888 to 1918.

Trivia

• The first grandchild of Queen Victoria.
• Wilhelm developed a penchant for archaeology during his vacations on Corfu, a passion he harbored into his exile. He also sketched plans for grand buildings and battleships when he was bored, although experts in construction saw his ideas as grandiose and unworkable. One of Wilhelm's greatest passions was hunting, and he bagged thousands of animals, both beast and bird. While in exile, he also developed a hobby of cutting down trees. During his years in Doorn, he largely deforested his estate.
• It is said that Wilhelm, despite his great dislike of Hitler, expressed some reserved admiration that the Führer managed to bring most of Europe under the German yoke; something the Kaiser's generals had failed to do some twenty years earlier.
• Wilhelm owned a vast collection of uniforms and costumes. He wore different ones for each occasion, oftentimes 4 or more a day. For instance, when eating plum pudding he would dress as a British Admiral.
• Wilhelm had his summer palace in Stuttgart. When in residence, he held a parade every Sunday at noon. In full military dress, the Kaiser, his officers and cavalry, marched up and down the main street; the townsfolk were "encouraged" to attend.
• The emperor loved all things Norwegian. He often spent his summer holidays on his yacht, cruising Norway's coast. When the city of Ålesund was demolished by a great fire in 1904, he oversaw and partially-financed its restoration in jugendstil architecture.
• Wilhelm paid for the sarcophagus of Saladin which is now interred in the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.