Monthly Archives: July 2019

Prince Oskar of Prussia

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Prince Oskar of Prussia

Prince Oskar Karl Gustav Adolf was the fifth son of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia and Princess Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein. He was born at the Marble Palace in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg, on July 27, 1888, and had six siblings:

Like his elder brothers, Oskar was educated at Plön, where he received strict military training. He served in the Prussian forces during World War I, leading his troops into numerous successful battles. Toward the end of the war, he served on the Eastern Front and received numerous medals and honors for his bravery. He continued to serve for several years after the fall of the Prussian monarchy.

Prince Oskar with his wife and children, 1925. photo: By Bundesarchiv, Bild 102-00069 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5478638

On July 31, 1914, at Bellevue Palace in Berlin, Oskar married Countess Ina-Marie von Bassewitz. As the marriage was considered morganatic, the bride could not take her husband’s style and title. Instead, four days prior to the wedding, Ina-Marie was created Countess von Ruppin. Several years later, in November 1919, the marriage was decreed dynastic, and Ina-Marie and her children were elevated to HRH Prince/Princess of Prussia as of June 1920. The couple had four children:

  • Prince Oskar (1915-1939) – unmarried
  • Prince Burchard (1917-1988) – married Countess Eleonore Fugger von Babenhausen, no issue
  • Princess Herzeleide (1918=1989) – married Karl, Prince Biron von Kurland, had issue
  • Prince Wilhelm-Karl (1922-2007) – married Irmgard von Veltheim, had issue

From 1926 until his death in 1958, Oskar served as Master of Knights of the Johanniterorden (Order of Saint John) – an ancient order which has been a favorite of the Hohenzollerns. He is credited with saving the order from extinction at the hands of the Nazi regime.

Prince Oskar suffered from declining health for the last few years of his life. He died of stomach cancer in a clinic in Munich, Germany on January 27, 1958. He is buried at Hohenzollern Castle in Bisingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Ernst Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha: In 1675, Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg died. Initially, his seven sons collectively governed the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, as set out in their father’s will. In 1680, the seven brothers concluded a treaty of separation, with each brother getting a portion of the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha Altenburg and becoming a Duke. One of the seven new duchies was the Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld and Johann Ernst, one of the seven sons of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg became the first Duke of Saxe-Saalfeld.  When two of his brothers died without male heirs, Johann Ernst took possession of Coburg (in 1699) and Römhild (in 1714). In 1699, Johann Ernst’s title changed to Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

In 1825, 145 years after the initial split, another line became extinct and there was another split between three surviving duchies. Ernst III, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld became Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. For more information on the switch, see Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Index.

On November 9, 1918, after the German Empire lost World War I, the Workers’ and Soldiers Council of Gotha, deposed the last Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Charles Edward, a grandson of Queen Victoria.  Five days later, he signed a declaration relinquishing his rights to the throne. The territory that encompassed the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is now in the German states of Bavaria and Thuringia.

********************

Credit – Wikipedia

The great-grandfather of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert, Ernst Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, was born on March 8, 1724, in Saalfeld, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Thuringia, Germany. Ernst Friedrich was the eldest of the eight children and the eldest of the four sons of Franz Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and Anna Sophie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.

Ernst Friedrich had seven siblings:

Sophia Antonia of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel; Credit – Wikipedia

On April 23, 1749, Ernst Friedrich married Sophia Antonia of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, daughter of Ferdinand Albrecht II, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and his first cousin once removed Antoinette Amalie of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel.

Ernst Friedrich and Sophia Antonia had seven children but only three survived childhood:

Ernst Friedrich nearly became Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. Prince Heinrich XXXV of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was a controversial and extravagant ruler who was emotionally distanced from his family, his principality, and his subjects. Since he had a tense relationship with his family, he decided to bequeath his assets to Ernst Friedrich. However, when Heinrich died unmarried in 1758, he was succeeded by his nephew Christian Günther III.

In 1764, Ernst Friedrich succeeded his father as Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and transferred the official residence of the duchy from Saalfeld to Coburg. Because the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was heavily in debt, Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II appointed a debit commission headed by Prince Joseph of Saxe-Hildburghausen and then Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, to prevent the bankruptcy of the duchy. The work of the debt commission lasted over thirty years and during that time period, Ernst Friedrich was given a strict annual allowance.

The Morizkirche in Coburg where Ernst Friedrich and his wife are buried; Credit – By PeterBraun74 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6965943

Ernst Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld died on September 8, 1800 in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld at the age of 76. He was buried in the ducal crypt at the Morizkirche (or Stadtkirche St. Moriz) in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Bavaria, Germany. His wife Sophia Antonia survived him by almost two years, dying on May 17, 1802, at the age of 78. She was buried with her husband.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty

Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2019). Ernst Friedrich (Sachsen-Coburg-Saalfeld). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Friedrich_(Sachsen-Coburg-Saalfeld) [Accessed 7 Feb. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Ernest Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Frederick,_Duke_of_Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld [Accessed 7 Feb. 2019].

Elizabeth Charlotte (Liselotte) of the Palatinate, Duchess of Orléans

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Credit – Wikipedia

Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate was the second wife of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, the only sibling of King Louis XIV of France. She was born on May 27, 1652, at Heidelberg Castle in Heidelberg, then in the Electorate of the Palatinate, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Nicknamed Liselotte, she was the only daughter and the second of the three children of Karl I Ludwig, Elector Palatine and Charlotte of Hesse-Kassel, daughter of Wilhelm V, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel.

Liselotte had two brothers:

Elizabeth Stuart, Electress Palatine, Liselotte’s paternal grandmother; Credit – Wikipedia

Liselotte’s paternal grandmother was Elizabeth Stuart, the daughter of King James I of England and the granddaughter of Mary, Queen of Scots. Liselotte’s paternal aunt Sophia of the Palatinate, Electress of Hanover was the heiress presumptive to Queen Anne of Great Britain in accordance with the Act of Settlement 1701 but Sophia died two months before Queen Anne died. Upon Queen Anne’s death on August 1, 1714, Liselotte’s first cousin succeeded to the British throne as King George I of Great Britain.

Liselotte’s parents did not have a happy marriage. In 1653, her father Karl Ludwig began an affair with Marie Luise von Degenfeld, a lady-in-waiting to her mother. Five years later, Karl Ludwig published divorce documents and declared himself to be married to Marie Luise von Degenfeld, though many questioned the legality of the divorce and considered the marriage to be bigamous. Liselotte’s mother Charlotte lived the next twenty-three years in seclusion, only to emerge after the death of Karl Ludwig when their son became the next Elector Palatine.

Liselotte had thirteen half-siblings via her father’s relationship with Marie Luise von Degenfeld. All of them had the surname “von der Pfalz” and all received the title Raugraf or Raugräfin (Raufgrave or Raufgravine in English). Five of her half-siblings died at an early age. Of the survivors, all five sons died unmarried and childless, four were killed in action as soldiers, and one was killed in a duel. Of the three surviving daughters, only Karoline, the oldest, married.

  • Karl Ludwig (1658 – 1688), unmarried, killed in action
  • Karoline Elisabeth (1659 – 1696), married Meinhardt Schomberg, 3rd Duke of Schomberg, had four children
  • Luise (1661 – 1733), unmarried
  • Ludwig (born and died1662), died in infancy
  • Amalie Elisabeth (1663 – 1709), unmarried
  • Georg Ludwig (1664 – 1665), died in infancy
  • Frederike (1665 – 1674), died in childhood
  • Friedrich Wilhelm (1666 – 1667), died in infancy
  • Karl Eduard (1668 – 1690), unmarried, killed in action
  • Sophie (born and died 1669), died in infancy
  • Karl Moritz (1671 – 1702), unmarried, killed in action
  • Karl August (1672 – 1691), unmarried, killed in action
  • Karl Kasimir (1675 – 1691), unmarried, killed in a duel

Sophia of the Palatinate, Electress of Hanover, Liselotte’s favorite aunt; Credit – Wikipedia

Due to the situation with her parents, five-year-old Liselotte was sent off to Hanover to live with her paternal aunt Sophia of the Palatinate, wife of Ernst August, Elector of Hanover, and the mother of the future King George I of Great Britain. Liselotte considered the seven years she lived in Hanover as the happiest years of her life. While living with her aunt, Liselotte was educated by Gottfried Leibniz, one of the most important mathematicians and natural philosophers of the Age of Enlightenment. Leibniz served the House of Hanover as a historian, political adviser, and librarian. Liselotte visited her paternal grandmother, born Elizabeth Stuart, in The Hague in the Dutch Republic and got to know her second cousin Willem III, Prince of Orange, later King William III of England. As a young girl, Liselotte hoped to marry her cousin Willem.

In 1662, Liselotte moved back to Heidelberg and lived with her father, brother, stepmother, and her half-siblings. She did develop relationships with her half-siblings. Liselotte corresponded with several of her half-sisters after her marriage. Her half-brother Karl Moritz was her favorite and he visited her several times at the French court after her marriage.

Liselotte in 1670; Credit – Wikipedia

On June 30, 1670, Liselotte’s first cousin once removed, Henrietta of England, daughter of King Charles I of England, wife of Philippe, Duke of Orléans, and sister-in-law of King Louis XIV of France, died at the age of 26. There were rumors that her husband’s lover Philippe, Chevalier de Lorraine had poisoned her. While Henrietta was mourned at the French court, she was not mourned by her husband due to their strained relationship. Philippe’s brother King Louis XIV wanted a male heir to continue the Orléans line and looked for a second wife for Philippe himself. King Louis XIV rejected many potential second brides for his brother before settling on 18-year-old Liselotte.

Philippe, Duke of Orléans; Credit – Wikipedia

Liselotte had been raised in the Calvinist religion, a form of Protestantism, and yet no one in her family said anything about her marrying a Roman Catholic. Marrying the only sibling of the King of France was obviously a good match. Liselotte converted to Roman Catholicism but the religion never imprinted on her. She was never worried about her salvation, and she was not fond of the long Catholic Masses. On November 16, 1671, Liselotte was married by proxy to Philippe I, Duke of Orléans at Metz Cathedral in northeast France, near the borders of the German territories. At that time, she also received the Roman Catholic sacraments of the Eucharist (Communion) and Confirmation. Three days later, on November 19, 1671, at Saint Etienne Cathedral in Châlons, France, Liselotte and Philippe married in person.

Liselotte acted as a mother to Philippe’s children by his first wife Henrietta and maintained correspondence with them throughout their lives.

Philippe and Henrietta’s children, Liselotte’s stepchildren:

Liselotte with her two surviving children; Credit – Wikipedia

As with his first marriage, Philippe had homosexual affairs but was intent on fulfilling his dynastic responsibility of having children. Philippe and Liselotte had three children:

Liselotte never felt comfortable at the French court which was governed by rigorous etiquette and where all sorts of intrigues flourished. She did, however, have a good relationship with her brother-in-law King Louis XIV. Liselotte had apartments at the Palace of Versailles and at the Palais-Royal in Paris but her favorite residence, was the Château de Saint-Cloud on the outskirts of Paris, the couple’s main residence when they were not at the Palace of Versailles. After the birth of their three children, Liselotte and Philippe mutually agreed to end marital relations. In 1682, Liselotte was quite distressed that Philippe’s slavish devotion to his lover Philippe, Chevalier de Lorraine upset their “marriage.” She asked King Louis XIV if she could retire to the convent where her paternal aunt Louise Hollandine of the Palatinate was the abbess but Louis XIV refused.

On June 9, 1701, Philippe I, Duke of Orléans died from a stroke at the Château de Saint-Cloud at the age of 60. After Philippe’s death, Liselotte was concerned that she would be forced to retire to a convent as stated in her marriage contract. However, her brother-in-law Louis XIV appreciated her and allowed Liselotte to keep her apartments at all the royal residences and retain her rank. She received funds from Philippe’s estate, King Louis XIV, and her son Philippe II, Duke of Orléans

Liselotte in her later years; Credit – Wikipedia

Liselotte survived Philippe by twenty-one years, dying at her favorite home, the Château de Saint-Cloud, at age 70 on December 8, 1722. She was buried at the Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France. Liselotte and Philippe were the founders of the 4th House of Orléans, sometimes called the House of Bourbon-Orléans, which is still in existence today.

Basilica of St. Denis; Credit – By Thomas Clouet – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42109690

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2019). Liselotte von der Pfalz. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liselotte_von_der_Pfalz [Accessed 26 Jul. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Charles I Louis, Elector Palatine. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_I_Louis,_Elector_Palatine [Accessed 26 Jul. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Elizabeth Charlotte, Madame Palatine. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Charlotte,_Madame_Palatine [Accessed 26 Jul. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Landgravine Charlotte of Hesse-Kassel. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landgravine_Charlotte_of_Hesse-Kassel [Accessed 26 Jul. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Marie Luise von Degenfeld. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Luise_von_Degenfeld [Accessed 26 Jul. 2019].
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2019). Philippe I, Duke of Orléans. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/philippe-i-duke-of-orleans/ [Accessed 26 Jul. 2019].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. (2019). Élisabeth-Charlotte de Bavière. [online] Available at: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89lisabeth-Charlotte_de_Bavi%C3%A8re [Accessed 26 Jul. 2019].
  • Fraser, Antonia. (2006). Love and Louis XIV. New York: Nan A. Talese Doubleday.

Franz Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha: In 1675, Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg died. Initially, his seven sons collectively governed the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, as set out in their father’s will. In 1680, the seven brothers concluded a treaty of separation, with each brother getting a portion of the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha Altenburg and becoming a Duke. One of the seven new duchies was the Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld and Johann Ernst, one of the seven sons of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg became the first Duke of Saxe-Saalfeld.  When two of his brothers died without male heirs, Johann Ernst took possession of Coburg (in 1699) and Römhild (in 1714). In 1699, Johann Ernst’s title changed to Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

In 1825, 145 years after the initial split, another line became extinct and there was another split between three surviving duchies. Ernst III, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld became Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. For more information on the switch, see Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Index.

On November 9, 1918, after the German Empire lost World War I, the Workers’ and Soldiers Council of Gotha, deposed the last Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Charles Edward, a grandson of Queen Victoria.  Five days later, he signed a declaration relinquishing his rights to the throne. The territory that encompassed the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is now in the German states of Bavaria and Thuringia.

********************

Credit – Wikipedia

Franz Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was born September 25, 1697, in Saalfeld, Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld, now in the German state of Thuringia. He was the youngest of the three sons and the seventh of the eight children of Johann Ernst IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and his second wife Charlotte Johanna of Waldeck-Wildungen.

Franz Josias had seven siblings:

  • Wilhelm Friedrich (1691 – 1720), unmarried
  • Karl Ernst (1692 – 1720), unmarried
  • Sophia Wilhelmina (1693 – 1727), married Friedrich Anton, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, had one son and two daughters
  • Henriette Albertine (1694 – 1695), died in infancy
    Luise Amalia (1695 – 1713), died as a teenager
  • Charlotte (born and 1696), died in infancy
  • Henriette Albertine (1698 – 1728), unmarried

He also had three half-siblings from his father’s first marriage to Sophie Hedwig of Saxe-Merseburg, who died in childbirth along with a stillborn son:

Franz Josias’s paternal uncles Albrecht, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Heinrich, Duke of Saxe-Römhild died without male heirs. Upon their deaths, Franz Josias’s father Johann Ernst took possession of Coburg (in 1699) and Römhild (in 1714). In 1699, Johann Ernst’s title changed to Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

Franz Josias had served in the army of the Holy Roman Empire since 1718, had fought in 1719 in the Battle of Francavilla, and participated in the sieges of Palermo and Messina. In 1720, after the deaths of his two elder brothers, he returned to Coburg upon his father’s request. Johann Ernst IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld had only two surviving sons, Christian Ernst from his first marriage and Franz Josias from his second marriage. Franz Josias was described as a handsome man although he lost his left eye while playing a match in the then very popular sport, badminton.

Anna Sophie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt; Credit – Wikipedia

Franz Josias married Anna Sophie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in Rudolstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, now in the German state of Thuringia, on January 2, 1723. Anna Sophie was the daughter of Ludwig Friedrich I, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Anna Sophie of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg.

Franz Josias and Anna Sophie had eight children:

Christian Ernst, Franz Josias’s elder half-brother had fallen in love with Christiane von Koss, the daughter of Saalfeld forestry master. This relationship displeased both his father and his half-brother. Eventually, Christian Ernst’s father consented to the marriage, and the couple was married morganatically on August 18, 1724. A morganatic marriage meant that Christiane and any children from the marriage would not be entitled to her husband’s titles and privileges.

Veste Coburg; Credit – By Presse03 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6251198

As the elder son, Christian Ernst was his father’s heir but because of his unequal marriage, Franz Josias claimed the sole inheritance of the duchy. However, Johann Ernst decided that both his sons should reign jointly, and upon his death in 1729, his will forced the joint reign. After their father’s death, Christian Ernst resided at Schloss Saalfeld (link in German) and Franz Josias lived at Veste Coburg. From 1735, with the support of the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, Franz Josias effectively ruled over Coburg in his own right.

On September 4, 1745, Christian Ernst died at Schloss Saalfeld at the age of 62. Christian Ernst had died childless and so his half-brother Franz Josias became the sole Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. After the death of his brother, Franz Josias introduced primogeniture in the duchy so there would be no question about the succession.

From 1750 to 1755, he served as Regent of the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, along with Friedrich III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, for Ernst August II Konstantin, Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach until he came of age.

Franz Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld died on September 16, 1764, aged 66, at Schloss Rodach in Rodach, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. He was buried in the ducal crypt at the Morizkirche (or Stadtkirche St. Moriz) in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Bavaria, Germany. His wife Anna Sophie survived him by sixteen years, dying on December 11, 1780, at the age of 80. She was buried with her husband at the Morizkirche in Coburg.

Morizkirche where Franz Josias is buried; Credit – Wikipedia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2019). Franz Josias (Sachsen-Coburg-Saalfeld). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Josias_(Sachsen-Coburg-Saalfeld) [Accessed 6 Feb. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Francis Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Josias,_Duke_of_Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld [Accessed 6 Feb. 2019].
  • Flantzer, S. (2019). Johann Ernst IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/johann-ernst-iv-duke-of-saxe-coburg-saalfeld/ [Accessed 6 Feb. 2019].
  • Flantzer, S. (2019). Christian Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/christian-ernst-ii-duke-of-saxe-coburg-saalfeld-8-4-19/ [Accessed 6 Feb. 2019].

Christian Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha: In 1675, Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg died. Initially, his seven sons collectively governed the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, as set out in their father’s will. In 1680, the seven brothers concluded a treaty of separation, with each brother getting a portion of the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha Altenburg and becoming a Duke. One of the seven new duchies was the Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld and Johann Ernst, one of the seven sons of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg became the first Duke of Saxe-Saalfeld.  When two of his brothers died without male heirs, Johann Ernst took possession of Coburg (in 1699) and Römhild (in 1714). In 1699, Johann Ernst’s title changed to Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

In 1825, 145 years after the initial split, another line became extinct and there was another split between three surviving duchies. Ernst III, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld became Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. For more information on the switch, see Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Index.

On November 9, 1918, after the German Empire lost World War I, the Workers’ and Soldiers Council of Gotha, deposed the last Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Charles Edward, a grandson of Queen Victoria.  Five days later, he signed a declaration relinquishing his rights to the throne. The territory that encompassed the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is now in the German states of Bavaria and Thuringia.

********************

Christian Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was the only son and the second of the three children of Johann Ernst IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and his first wife, Sophie Hedwig of Saxe-Merseburg. He was born in Saalfeld, Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld, now in the German state of Thuringia, on August 18, 1683.

Christian Ernst had two sisters:

On August 2, 1686, two weeks short of his first birthday, Christian Ernst’s mother died in childbirth after giving birth to a stillborn son. Four years after his mother’s death, Christian Ernst’s father married Charlotte Johanna of Waldeck-Wildungen on December 2, 1690. Charlotte Johanna was the daughter of daughter of Count Josias II of Waldeck-Wildungen and Wilhelmine Christine of Nassau-Hilchenbach.

Christian Ernst had eight half-siblings from his father’s second marriage:

Christian Ernst’s paternal uncles Albrecht, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Heinrich, Duke of Saxe-Römhild died without male heirs. Upon their deaths, Christian Ernst’s father Johann Ernest took possession of Coburg (in 1699) and Römhild (in 1714). In 1699, Johann Ernst’s title changed to Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

Christian Ernst fell in love with Christiane von Koss, the daughter of Saalfeld forestry master. This relationship displeased both his father and his only surviving half-brother Franz Josias. Eventually, Christian Ernst’s father consented to the marriage, and the couple was married morganatically on August 18, 1724. A morganatic marriage meant that Christiane and any children from the marriage would not be entitled to her husband’s titles and privileges.

Schloss Saalfeld; Credit – Wikipedia

As the elder son, Christian Ernst was his father’s heir but because of his unequal marriage, his half-brother Franz Josias claimed the sole inheritance of the duchy. However, Johann Ernst decided that both his sons should reign jointly, and upon his death in 1729, his will forced the joint reign. After their father’s death, Christian Ernst resided at Schloss Saalfeld (link in German) and Franz Josias lived at Veste Coburg. From 1735, with the support of the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, Franz Josias effectively ruled over Coburg in his own right.

Christian Ernst was an advocate of Pietism, a movement within the Lutheran religion that emphasized individual piety and living a vigorous Christian life.  As a result, he turned Saalfeld into a very pious court. Nikolaus von Zinzendorf, a religious and social reformer, was a frequent visitor to Saalfeld and Christian Ernst had long talks with and regularly corresponded with him.

The interior of the Johanneskirche in Saalfeld; Credit – Wikipedia

On September 4, 1745, Christian Ernst died at Schloss Saalfeld at the age of 62. He was buried in the ducal crypt at the Johanneskirche (link in German) in Saalfeld, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Thuringia, Germany. Christian Ernst died childless and so his half-brother Franz Josias, who was fourteen years younger, became the sole Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2019). Christian Ernst (Sachsen-Coburg-Saalfeld). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Ernst_(Sachsen-Coburg-Saalfeld) [Accessed 5 Feb. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Christian Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Ernest_II,_Duke_of_Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld [Accessed 5 Feb. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld [Accessed 5 Feb. 2019].

Johann Ernst IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha: In 1675, Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg died. Initially, his seven sons collectively governed the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, as set out in their father’s will. In 1680, the seven brothers concluded a treaty of separation, with each brother getting a portion of the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha Altenburg and becoming a Duke. One of the seven new duchies was the Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld and Johann Ernst, one of the seven sons of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg became the first Duke of Saxe-Saalfeld.  When two of his brothers died without male heirs, Johann Ernst took possession of Coburg (in 1699) and Römhild (in 1714). In 1699, Johann Ernst’s title changed to Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

In 1825, 145 years after the initial split, another line became extinct and there was another split between three surviving duchies. Ernst III, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld became Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. For more information on the switch, see Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Index.

On November 9, 1918, after the German Empire lost World War I, the Workers’ and Soldiers Council of Gotha, deposed the last Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Charles Edward, a grandson of Queen Victoria.  Five days later, he signed a declaration relinquishing his rights to the throne. The territory that encompassed the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is now in the German states of Bavaria and Thuringia.

********************

Credit – Wikipedia

The founder of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld which was the precursor to the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and the ancestor of all British monarchs since Queen Victoria, Johann Ernst IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was born on August 22, 1658, in Gotha, Duchy of Saxe-Gotha, now in Thuringia, Germany. He was the fifteenth of the eighteen children and the eleventh of the twelve sons of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha and Elisabeth Sophie of Saxe-Altenburg.

Johan Ernst had seventeen siblings. The birth of his siblings spanned 25 years. Three siblings of his siblings died in December 1657 from smallpox and six died in infancy.

Johann Ernst was the youngest of his father’s seven surviving sons. All seven surviving sons were raised and educated as future rulers because Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha disliked primogeniture in which the eldest son is the sole heir. In 1672, the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha and the Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg were united under Ernst I when Friedrich Wilhelm III, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, the cousin of Ernst’s wife Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg, died childless. Ernst I was now the Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg.

Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, father of Johann Ernst; Credit – Wikipedia

On March 26, 1675, Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg died. Initially, all seven brothers governed the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, as set out in their father’s will. On February 24, 1680, the seven brothers concluded a treaty of separation, with each brother getting a portion of the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha Altenburg and becoming a Duke.

The map below shows the combined territory of Saxe-Gotha and Saxe-Altenburg from 1672 before it was again divided in 1680.

Credit – Wikipedia

Joann Ernst’s elder brothers Albrecht of Saxe-Coburg and Heinrich of Saxe-Römhild died without male heirs. Upon their deaths, Johann Ernest took possession of Coburg (in 1699) and Römhild (in 1714). In 1699, Johann Ernst became Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

In 1825, 145 years after the initial split, the House of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg became extinct and the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg was split. Saxe-Gotha passed to the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld who in turn gave Saalfeld to the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. The Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen received Saxe-Altenburg and gave the district of Hildburghausen to Saxe-Meiningen.

As a result:

On February 18, 1680, Johann Ernst married Sophie Hedwig of Saxe-Merseburg, daughter of Christian I, Duke of Saxe-Merseburg and Christiana of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.  Three years earlier, Sophie Hedwig’s sister Christiane married Christian, Duke of Saxe-Eisenberg, Johann Ernst’s brother. Sophie Hedwig, aged 25, died in childbirth on August 2, 1686, after giving birth to a stillborn son. She was buried in the Johanneskirche in Saalfeld, Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld, now in Thuringia, Germany.

Johann Ernst and Sophie Hedwig had three children:

Charlotte Johanna of Waldeck-Wildungen, Johann Ernst’s second wife; Credit – Wikipedia

Four years after his first wife’s death, Johann Ernst married Charlotte Johanna of Waldeck-Wildungen on December 2, 1690. Charlotte Johanna was the daughter of Count Josias II of Waldeck-Wildungen and Countess Wilhelmine Christine of Nassau-Siegen. Charlotte Johanna died on February 1, 1699, at the age of 34 and was buried in the Johanneskirche in Saalfeld, Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld, now in Thuringia, Germany. Johann Ernst did not marry again.

Johann Ernst and Charlotte Johanna had eight children:

Schloss Saalfeld; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1677, Ernst’s elder brothers Albrecht and Bernhard started the construction of a castle on the site of a former Benedictine monastery in Saalfeld. When Johann Ernst became Duke of Saxe-Saalfeld in 1680, he took over the construction of the unfinished castle. He moved in the castle, Schloss Saalfeld, in 1691 and it was his residence for the remainder of his life. Today the castle serves as the administrative seat of the district Saalfeld-Rudolstadt and the castle gardens are a public park.

Johanneskirche, the burial site of Johann Ernst and his two wives; Von Michael Sander – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3775005

Johann Ernst IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld died at Schloss Saalfeld on February 17, 1729, at the age of 70. He was buried with his two wives in the crypt at the Johanneskirche (link in German) in Saalfeld, Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld, now in Thuringia, Germany.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2019). Johann Ernst (Sachsen-Coburg-Saalfeld). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Ernst_(Sachsen-Coburg-Saalfeld) [Accessed 5 Feb. 2019].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2019). Schloss Saalfeld. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schloss_Saalfeld [Accessed 5 Feb. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). John Ernest IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ernest_IV,_Duke_of_Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld [Accessed 5 Feb. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld [Accessed 5 Feb. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Saxe-Gotha. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saxe-Gotha [Accessed 5 Feb. 2019].

Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia

Prince August Wilhelm Heinrich Günther Viktor of Prussia was the fourth son of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia and Princess Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein. He was born on January 29, 1887, at the Potsdam City Palace, in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany.

He had six siblings:

Along with his brothers, August Wilhelm was given a strict military education at Princes’ House at Plön Castle. He later studied at the universities in Bonn, Berlin, and Strasbourg, and received his doctorate in political science in 1907.

Alexandra Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. source: Wikipedia

On October 22, 1908, at the Berlin City Palace, August Wilhelm married his first cousin, Princess Alexandra Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. She was the daughter of Friedrich Ferdinand, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein and Princess Karoline Mathilde of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (his mother’s sister). The marriage ended 12 years later, and August Wilhelm was given full custody of their only child:

Following their marriage, the couple initially planned to live at Schönhausen Palace in Berlin but instead moved to Villa Leignitz in Sanssouci Park in Potsdam, which was given to them by August Wilhelm’s father. During World War I, he served as District Administrator of Ruppin and used Rheinsberg Palace as his residence. During this time, his marriage fell apart, reportedly due to his close relationship with his personal adjutant. Following the war and the end of the monarchy, August Wilhelm remained at his home in Sanssouci, where he lived a very quiet life. Having taken up drawing, he often sold some of his work to gain some additional income. August Wilhelm and his wife also divorced, in March 1920, and he retained full custody of their only child.

Prince August Wilhelm speaking at a Nazi party rally in 1932. photo: Von Bundesarchiv, B 145 Bild-P046293 / Weinrother, Carl / CC BY-SA 3.0 DE, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9842838

In later years, August Wilhelm became involved with the Nazi Party – much to the dislike of his family. His involvement was, however, welcomed by Hitler, who saw the possibility of using him to help gain support and votes to bring the party into power. He was later made a member of the German Reichstag, which he held until the establishment of the Third Reich when Hitler no longer needed him anymore. He remained involved in the party, however, until making some private but negative comments about Joseph Goebbels in 1942.

On May 8, 1945, August Wilhelm was arrested by US forces for being a Nazi. In 1948 he was finally sentenced to 2-½ years of hard labor but was considered to have already served his sentence and he was released. However, just after his release, new charges were filed and another arrest warrant issued from a court in Potsdam, which was now in the Soviet zone. He was never physically arrested, and soon became seriously ill. Prince August Wilhelm died in a hospital in Stuttgart, Germany on March 25, 1949. He is buried in Langenburg, Germany in the cemetery of the Princes of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Zweibrücken

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt (Marie Augusta Wilhelmine) was the first wife of the future Maximilian I Joseph, King of Bavaria. She died before her husband became King of Bavaria but she did give birth to his heir. Born on April 14, 1765, in Darmstadt in the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in Hesse, Germany, Augusta Wilhelmine was the ninth of the nine children and the fourth of the four daughters of Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt, the second son of Ludwig VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, and Countess Maria Louise Albertine of Leiningen-Falkenburg-Dagsburg.

Augusta Wilhelmine had eight older siblings:

Augusta Wilhelmine’s husband Maximilian Joseph; Credit – Wikipedia

Augusta Wilhelmine married Count Palatine Maximilian Joseph von Zweibrücken, the future King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, on September 30, 1785, in Darmstadt, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt now in Hesse, Germany. Maximilian Joseph was a member of the House of Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Zweibrücken, a branch of the House of Wittelsbach. He was the son of the Count Palatine Friedrich Michael of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld and Maria Francisca of Sulzbach.

Augusta Wilhelmine and Maximilian Joseph had five children:

Augusta Wilhelmina with her two eldest children Ludwig and Augusta; Credit – Wikipedia

The family mainly lived in Strasbourg, France where Maximilian Joseph was stationed with the French army, attaining the rank of Major General. The couple often visited Paris where Augusta Wilhelmine met Queen Marie Antoinette of France. Afterward, the two corresponded with each other. After the outbreak of the French Revolution, Maximilian Joseph joined the Austrian Army.

In 1789, Maximilian Joseph’s regiment revolted and the family fled to Augusta Wilhelmine’s parents in Darmstadt. The family then settled near the town of Mannheim, then in the Palatinate, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, which belonged to Maximilian Joseph’s family. In December 1794, the French army attacked Mannheim and the family home was attacked by French artillery. Once again the family had to flee.

In 1795, upon the death of his brother Karl II August, Duke of Zweibrücken, Maximilian Joseph succeeded him as Duke of Zweibrücken. However, at that time the Duchy of Zweibrücken was entirely occupied by the French.

On March 30, 1796, 31-year-old Augusta Wilhelmine, weakened from five pregnancies and the travails of war, died from pulmonary tuberculosis at Schloss Rohrbach (link in German) near Heidelberg, then in the Palatinate, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. She was buried in the Stadtkirche (City Church) Darmstadt in Darmstadt, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in Hesse, Germany.

In 1797, Augusta Wilhelmine’s widower Maximilian Joseph married for a second time, to Princess Caroline of Baden, and had seven more children.  Maximilian Joseph became the first King of Bavaria on January 1, 1806.

Interior of the Stadtkirche Darmstadt where Augusta Wilhelmine is interred; Credit – CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=788614

Bavaria Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2019). Auguste Wilhelmine von Hessen-Darmstadt. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auguste_Wilhelmine_von_Hessen-Darmstadt [Accessed 18 Jul. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Princess Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Augusta_Wilhelmine_of_Hesse-Darmstadt [Accessed 18 Jul. 2019].
  • Mehl, S. (2019). Maximilian I Joseph, King of Bavaria. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/maximilian-i-joseph-king-of-bavaria/ [Accessed 18 Jul. 2019].
  • Nl.wikipedia.org. (2019). Augusta Wilhelmina van Hessen-Darmstadt. [online] Available at: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augusta_Wilhelmina_van_Hessen-Darmstadt [Accessed 18 Jul. 2019].

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Friedrich II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Credit – Wikipedia

Friedrich II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel was the husband of Princess Mary of Great Britain, daughter of King George II of Great Britain. He became famous during the American Revolution as a supplier of thousands of Hessian soldiers who fought on behalf of the British.

Born on August 14, 1720, in Kassel in the Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel, now in Hesse, Germany, Friedrich was the eldest surviving son of Wilhelm VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and his wife Dorothea Wilhelmine of Saxe-Zeitz. His paternal uncle was King Fredrik I of Sweden.

Friedrich had two siblings:

In 1725, when Friedrich was five-years-old, his mother became mentally ill and never appeared at court thereafter. Friedrich was first educated by Colonel August Moritz von Donop and then by the Swiss theologian and philosopher Jean-Pierre de Crousaz.

Princess Mary of Great Britain, Friedrich’s first wife; Credit – By Johann Heinrich Tischbein – Museumslandschaft Hessen Kassel, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74554565

In 1740, a marriage was arranged for the 20-year-old Friedrich with 17-year-old Princess Mary of Great Britain, a daughter of King George II of Great Britain and his wife Caroline of Ansbach. A proxy marriage, with Mary’s brother Prince William, Duke of Cumberland standing in for the groom, was held on May 19, 1740, in the Chapel Royal of St. James’ Palace in London, England. Mary left England In June and married Friedrich in person on June 28, 1740.

Mary and Friedrich had four sons:


Friedrich and Mary’s sons: Wilhelm, Karl, and Friedrich; Credit – Wikipedia

Friedrich and his wife Mary are ancestors of the current British royal family through their fourth son Prince Friedrich. Prince Friedrich’s daughter Augusta was the grandmother of Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, better known as Queen Mary, the wife of King George V of the United Kingdom. Through their third son Prince Karl, Friedrich and Mary are great-grandparents of King Christian IX of Denmark. Through King Christian IX, Friedrich and Mary are ancestors of six of the ten current European royal families: Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Friedrich and Mary’s marriage was not a happy one and Friedrich was cruel and abusive. After the birth of their fourth son, Friedrich left Mary and their sons. Eventually, Friedrich sent her a letter saying that before they had married, he had been in love with a Catholic woman who he had wanted to marry. However, she would not agree to marry Friedrich unless he converted to Catholicism which he refused to do, fearing the reaction of his family and future subjects. Shortly before the birth of his fourth son, Friedrich received word that his former love was dying and he went to see her. She asked him to convert to Catholicism so their souls could be reunited in heaven and Friedrich agreed to do so. In February 1749, Friedrich visited the Archbishop-Elector of Cologne Clemens August of Bavaria who received him into the Roman Catholic Church. Furious, Mary’s father King George II ordered his daughter back to England but she refused, saying that it was her duty to remain in the place that God had placed her and that she would ensure her sons would be brought up Protestant.

By 1754, it became obvious to Friedrich’s father Wilhelm VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, that the marriage of his son and Mary was irretrievably broken and he took in his daughter-in-law and grandchildren to live with him. In 1755, Mary and Friedrich officially separated but Mary refused a divorce in order to deprive her husband of the opportunity to remarry. Friedrich’s father ordered him to leave the Protestant religion untouched in Hesse-Kassel and gave his eldest grandson the County of Hanau-Münzenberg, under the regency of Mary. Friedrich never saw his wife again and did not see his children until 1782.

Friedrich’s second wife Philippine of Brandenburg-Schwedt; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1760, Wilhelm VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel died and Friedrich became Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. As there had been no divorce, Mary was then Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel. When Mary died in 1772, Friedrich was finally free to marry again. On January 10, 1773, Friedrich married Margravine Philippine of Brandenburg-Schwedt, who was twenty-five years younger than her husband. Philippine was the daughter of Margrave Friedrich Wilhelm of Brandenburg-Schwedt and his wife Princess Sophia Dorothea of Prussia. Wilhelm and Philippine had no children but eventually, Philippine was able to reconcile her husband with his children from his first marriage, from whom he had been estranged since 1754.

Hessian soldiers; Credit – Wikipedia

At that time, it was the usual practice for smaller principalities to rent out their soldiers to other countries, and Friedrich was no exception. He rented out so many soldiers to his first wife’s nephew King George III of Great Britain for use during the American Revolution, that “Hessian” became an American term for all German soldiers used by the British during the American Revolution. With the income received from hiring out his soldiers, Friedrich became one of the richest rulers in Germany. With this revenue, he became a patron of the arts and sciences and hired architect Simon Louis du Ry to transform the town of Kassel into a modern capital city.

On October 31, 1785, Friedrich II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel died suddenly from a stroke at the age of 65 at Castle Wessenstein (now known as Castle Wilhelmshöhe) in Kassel in the Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel, now in Hesse, Germany. He left behind for his son and successor, Wilhelm IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, a developed economy and a full treasury. Friedrich was buried at the Roman Catholic Church of St. Elisabeth (link in German) in Kassel which was built on Friedrich’s order by architect Simon Louis du Ry between 1770 and 1777. The original church was destroyed during World War II, then demolished and rebuilt after the war. Friedrich’s remains were reinterred in the new church in a new tomb. He is the only Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel who was not buried in the Protestant Martinskirche (St. Martin’s Church) (link in German) in Kassel.

Tomb of Friedrich II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel; Credit – By FriedrichII-hessen-kassel-grab-elisabethkirche.jpg: ChristosVderivative work: Rabanus Flavus – This file was derived from: FriedrichII-hessen-kassel-grab-elisabethkirche.jpg:, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23414512

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2019). Friedrich II. (Hessen-Kassel). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_II._(Hessen-Kassel) [Accessed 17 Jul. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_II,_Landgrave_of_Hesse-Kassel [Accessed 17 Jul. 2019].
  • Flantzer, S. (2019). Princess Mary of Great Britain, Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/princess-mary-of-great-britain-landgravine-of-hesse-kassel/ [Accessed 17 Jul. 2019].
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. (2019). Фридрих II (ландграф Гессен-Касселя). [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A4%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%85_II_(%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%84_%D0%93%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%BD-%D0%9A%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8F) [Accessed 17 Jul. 2019].
  • Van der Kiste, J. (2013). King George II and Queen Caroline. New York: The History Press.
    Van Der Kiste, John. The Georgian Princesses. Phoenix Mill: Sutton Publishing, 2000. Print.
    Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

Princess Mary of Great Britain, Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Credit – By Johann Heinrich Tischbein, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74554565

On March 5, 1723, Princess Mary of Great Britain was born at Leicester House, Leicester Square in London, England. She was the seventh of the eight children and the fourth of the five daughters of King George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach, then the Prince and Princess of Wales. At the time of her birth, her grandfather King George I sat upon the throne of Great Britain. When Mary was four-years-old, her grandfather died and her father succeeded him. The next year the family moved to St. James’ Palace in London.

Mary had six older siblings and one younger sibling:

Mary’s husband Friedrich II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1740, when Mary was 17 years old, a marriage was arranged for her with 20-year-old Friedrich II, the future Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. Friedrich was the son of Wilhelm VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and Dorothea Wilhelmine of Saxe-Zeitz. As Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, Friedrich became famous during the American Revolution as a supplier of thousands of Hessian soldiers who fought on behalf of the British.  A proxy marriage, with Mary’s brother William standing in for the groom, was held on May 19, 1740, in the Chapel Royal of St. James’ Palace. Mary left England In June and married Friedrich in person on June 28, 1740.

Mary and Friedrich had four sons:

Mary and her husband Friedrich are ancestors of the current British royal family through their fourth son Prince Friedrich. Prince Friedrich’s daughter Augusta was the grandmother of Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, better known as Queen Mary, the wife of King George V of the United Kingdom. Through their third son Prince Karl, Mary and her husband Friedrich are great-grandparents of King Christian IX of Denmark, as are Mary’s younger sister Louisa and her husband King Frederik V of Denmark. Through this line, Mary and Friedrich (along with her sister Louisa and Frederik V of Denmark) are ancestors of six of the ten current European royal families: Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Mary in 1762; Credit – Wikipedia

Mary’s marriage was not a happy one and Friedrich was cruel and abusive. After the birth of their fourth son, Friedrich left Mary and their sons. Eventually, Friedrich sent her a letter saying that he had been in love with a Catholic woman who he had wanted to marry. However, she would not agree to marry Friedrich unless he converted to Catholicism which he refused to do, fearing the reaction of his family and future subjects.  Shortly before the birth of his fourth son, Friedrich received word that his former love was dying and he went to see her. She asked him to convert to Catholicism so their souls could be reunited in heaven and Friedrich agreed to do so.  In February 1749, Friedrich visited the Archbishop-Elector of Cologne, Clemens August of Bavaria, who received him into the Roman Catholic Church. Furious, Mary’s father King George II ordered his daughter back to England but she refused, saying that it was her duty to remain in the place that God had placed her and that she would ensure her sons would be brought up Protestant.

By 1754, it became obvious to Friedrich’s father Wilhelm VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, that the marriage of his son and Mary was irretrievably broken and he took in his daughter-in-law and grandchildren to live with him. In 1755, Mary and Friedrich officially separated but Mary refused a divorce in order to deprive her husband of the opportunity to remarry.  Friedrich’s father ordered him to leave the Protestant religion untouched in Hesse-Kassel and gave his eldest grandson the County of Hanau-Münzenberg, under the regency of Mary.  Friedrich never saw his wife again and did not see his children until 1782.

In 1756, Mary went to Denmark to take care of the children of her younger sister Louisa who had died a few years earlier. Mary’s sons grew up in the Danish royal court and two of them married Danish princesses. In 1760, Wilhelm VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel died and his son and Mary’s husband became Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. As there was no divorce, Mary was then Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel.


Mary’s sons: Wilhelm, Karl, and Friedrich; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1785, Mary’s oldest surviving son Wilhelm returned to Hesse-Kassel when his father died to succeed him as Wilhelm IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. He later became Wilhelm I, Prince-Elector of Hesse. Karl became a Field Marshal in the Danish Army and was royal governor of the Danish duchies of Schleswig and Holstein from 1769 to 1836. Friedrich also served in the Danish Army. In 1781, he bought Rumpenheim Castle (link in German) from his brother Karl and it became his family’s seat. Mary had spent her last years living there.

Mary died on January 14, 1772, in Hanau, Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel, now in Hesse, Germany, at the age of 48. She was buried at the Marienkirche (link in German) in Hanau. Originally a Roman Catholic church built in the 1300s dedicated to Mary Magdalene, it was renamed the High German Reformed Church after the Reformation. In 1818, Mary’s son Wilhelm, now Prince-Elector of Hesse, decreed that the church should be renamed Marienkirche, St. Mary’s Church, in honor of his mother.

Tomb of Mary of Great Britain, Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel; Credit – Wikipedia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_II,_Landgrave_of_Hesse-Kassel [Accessed 17 Jul. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Princess Mary of Great Britain. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Mary_of_Great_Britain [Accessed 17 Jul. 2019].
  • Van der Kiste, J. (2013). King George II and Queen Caroline. New York: The History Press.
  • Van Der Kiste, John. The Georgian Princesses. Phoenix Mill: Sutton Publishing, 2000. Print.
  • Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.