Philipp, prince of Eulenburg

Philipp, prince of Eulenburg (born Feb. 12, 1847, Königsberg, Prussia [now Kaliningrad, Russia]—died Sept. 17, 1921, Liebenberg, Ger.) was a diplomat and intimate friend and adviser of the German emperor William II.

After leaving the army, Eulenburg entered the diplomatic service (1877) and served as secretary to the Prussian mission in Munich (1881–88). A close friend of William II since 1886, he became the Emperor’s most influential adviser after Bismarck’s fall (1890). In 1894 he refused the chancellorship but went as ambassador to Vienna (1894–1902). In 1901 he was created Graf von Sandels. Eulenburg’s career ended tragically when the publicist Maximilian Harden printed (1906) in his paper Die Zukunft a series of attacks on Eulenburg’s private life. He was accused of homosexuality and, although the charges were never proved, the ensuing scandal seriously damaged the monarchy’s prestige. Eulenburg’s works include Aus 50 Jahren (1923; “Reminiscences of 50 Years”) and Mit dem Kaiser als Staatsmann und Freund auf Nordlandreisen, 2 vol. (1931; “With the Emperor as Statesman and Friend on Travels in Scandinavia”).