Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse

Frederick Charles Louis Constantine, Prince and Landgrave of Hesse, was born 1 May 1868 into German nobility and married into the inner circle of the Kaiser, becoming Wilhelm II's brother-in-law. In the closing chaos of World War I, on 9 October 1918, the Finnish parliament elected him King of Finland — a bid to anchor the newly independent nation to Germany. The war ended badly for Berlin, and the throne became a liability. On 14 December 1918, Frederick renounced it, never having reigned or ruled. He lived another two decades, dying 28 May 1940, a footnote monarch who held a kingdom for sixt…