[simo7]

Not only they were cousins, in their private correspondence right before the outbreak of WWI they were addressing each other as Willy and Nicky[0]. By the way they fought against each other.

0: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willy%E2%80%93Nicky_correspond...

edit: I meant the correspondence between the third cousin, Wilhelm II, and Tsar Nicholas.

[riffraff]

There's a beautiful poem in roman dialect called "the war lullaby"[0] from this period. The last two stanzas speak of this, and go something like:

    Sleep tight, my darling
    while this mess goes on
    sleep well, as tomorrow
    we'll see the kings again
    
    exchanging pleasantries
    good friends as before
    they're cousins, and amongst relatives
    you don't need formalities,
    again will turn friendly
    the personal relations.
    
    And reunited among them
    with no sign of remorse
    they'll give a nice speech 
    on Peace and Labour
    to that dumb people
    spared by the gun.

[0] in italian/romanesco http://www.la-poesia.it/poesie-di-trilussa/trilussa-ninna-na...

[guelo]

I wouldn't translate "popolo cojone" as dumb people.

[Animats]

"War: a massacre of people who don't know each other for the profit of people who know each other but don't massacre each other."

Very much the case in 19th century Europe, where most of the royalty was related.

[jonny_eh]

Kaiser Wilhelm doesn't look too different either.