RARE "Prince of Hesse-Kassel" Friedrich Wilhelm Signed Album Page COA For Sale

FrederickWilliam George Adolphus, Landgrave of Hesse(German:Friedrich Wilhelm Georg Adolf von Hessen-Kassel; 25 November 1820 – 14 October 1884) wasthe only son ofWilhelm I, Landgrave Charlotte of Denmark.Prince Frederick William of Hesse-Kassel was born in Copenhagen on 26November 1820. He moved to Denmark with his family at the ageof three, and grew up there. He attended the university in Bonn, and then begana military career. In 1843 he was third in line for the Danish throne after theKing's son and brother, Prince Ferdinand.His siblings includedLouise of Hesse-Kassel,future Queen of Denmark,PrincessMarie Luise Charlotte of Hesse-Kasseland PrincessAugusteSophie Friederike of Hesse-Kassel. On 28 January 1844, Frederickmarried Grand DuchessAlexandra Nikolaevna ofRussiaatSt Petersburg. Frederick had come to St Petersburg as aprospective bridegroom for her sisterOlga, but fell in lovewith Alexandra instead on the first evening he spent with the family. AlthoughOlga was the elder daughter and also found Frederick to be an engaging youngman, she stepped aside in favour of her sister, and even chaperoned the couplewhen they wanted to spend time together. The emperor and empress then gavetheir permission for Alexandra and Frederick to be married. Alexandra becameacutely ill with tuberculosis shortly before her wedding, and this complicatedthe pregnancy which soon followed. She was never well enough to travel to Hesseand take up her new position with her husband. They stayed in St. Petersburg,where her health rapidly declined. She went into labor prematurely, threemonths before the child was due, and gave birth to a son, Wilhelm. The infantdied shortly after he was born, and Alexandra died later the same day. Herparents were devastated and their grief would last until the end of their lives.She was buried at the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg. The son wasburied in Rumpenheim, now a borough ofOffenbach am Main, Germany.In 1849 Frederick WilliamjoinedHMSCleopatrato train as amidshipman.TheCleopatrawas reassigned toSingaporetotake the place ofHMSMaeander.She arrived in Singapore from Devonport via Riode Janeiro under Captain Massie on 14 September 1849 and left withHMSReynardforLabuanandChina on 10 October. The Singapore paper mistakenly described the Prince as theson of theDanish kingbut the king had no sons, he was an heir to the throne.On 26 May 1853, Frederick married Alexandra'sfirst cousin,Princess Anna of Prussia(1836–1918),atCharlottenburg PalaceinBerlin. Although they had six children together, Frederick andAnna were never emotionally close, and it is speculated that one reason wasbecause Fritz was unable to overcome his grief for his first wife.