How did Wilhelm II’s mother try to shape his political outlook?

Wilhelm II’s mother, Victoria, sought to shape her son’s political outlook by attempting to instill in him the values of a 19th-century British liberal and raising him to embody the qualities of an English gentleman.1

Her efforts were part of a broader attempt to influence his upbringing, though they often conflicted with the expectations of his Prussian environment. While Wilhelm ultimately felt compelled to fulfill the traditional Prussian ideal of a "tough warrior-king," he was never able to fully discard the respect for liberal values and habits that his mother had instilled in him. This internal tension between his mother's liberal influence and his perceived duty to embody traditional martial and masculine characteristics contributed to his restless and irresolute character.1