Category Archives: Württemberg Royals

Philipp Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Philipp Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg was Head of the House of Württemberg, and pretender to the former throne, from 1939 until his death in 1975.

photo: By Atelier E. Breber, Berlin – Original publication: Published as a postcard in Europe.Immediate source: Private Collection – Wartenberg Trust, PD-US, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34113255

Prince Georg Philipp Albrecht Carl Maria Joseph Ludwig Lubertus Stanislaus Leopold of Württemberg was born in Stuttgart on November 14, 1893, the eldest son of Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg and Archduchess Margarete Sophie of Austria. He had six younger siblings:

  • Duke Albrecht Eugen (1895) – married Princess Nadezhda of Bulgaria, had issue
  • Duke Carl Alexander (1896) – unmarried
  • Duchess Maria Amalia (1897) – unmarried
  • Duchess Maria Theresa (1898) – unmarried
  • Duchess Maria Elisabeth (1899) -unmarried
  • Duchess Margarita Maria (1902) – unmarried

After attending the Eberhard-Ludwigs-Gymnasium in Stuttgart, Philipp Albrecht began studying law at the University of Tübingen. He left his studies after two semesters to join the Württemberg Army in 1912. He went on to serve in the Royal Dragoon Regiment No.25 during World War I, fighting on both the Eastern and Western Fronts. Following the November Revolution in 1918, which saw the end of the monarchy, he retired from military service and returned to his studies in Tübingen, eventually earning his doctorate in 1925.

Philipp Albrecht was married twice. His first wife was Archduchess Helena of Austria, Princess of Tuscany. She was the daughter of Archduke Peter Ferdinand of Austria and Princess Maria Cristina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Philipp Albrecht and Helena married in Altshausen on October 24, 1923. Sadly, Helena died just a week after giving birth to their only child:

  • Duchess Maria Christina (1924) – married Prince Georg Hartmann of Liechtenstein, had issue

Four years later, on August 1, 1928, Philipp Albrecht married Archduchess Rosa of Austria, Princess of Tuscany. Rosa was the younger sister of his first wife. Together they had six children:

  • Duchess Helene (1929) – married Federico Pallavicini, Marchese Pallavicini, had issue
  • Duke Ludwig Albrecht (1930) – married (1) Baroness Adelheid von Bodman, had issue; (2) Angelika Kiessig, had issue
  • Duchess Elisabeth (1933) – married Prince Antoine of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, had issue
  • Duchess Marie Therese (1934) – married Prince Henri d’Orléans, Count of Paris, had issue
  • Carl, Duke of Württemberg (1936) – married Princess Diane d’Orléans, had issue
  • Duchess Maria Antonia (1937) – unmarried

Despite the monarchy having been abolished, Philipp Albrecht and his family continued to live at the Crown Prince’s Palace in Stuttgart until 1934 when they were forced to leave after he refused to fly the Nazi Flag above his home. They moved to Altshausen, where he became more involved in the family’s business ventures. After his father’s death in 1939, he became head of the House of Württemberg and pretender to the former throne and took over the management of the family’s estates. He remained very highly regarded in Württemberg for the rest of his life, unlike many of his contemporaries in other German monarchies.

Philipp Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg died in Ravensburg on April 1, 1975. He is buried in the family crypt in Altshausen.

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Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg was heir presumptive to the throne of Württemberg for just a year before the monarchy was abolished in 1918. Three years later, upon the death of his distant cousin, King Wilhelm II, he became Head of the House of Württemberg and pretender to the former throne.

source: Wikipedia

Albrecht Maria Alexander Philipp Joseph of Württemberg was born in Vienna on December 23, 1865, the eldest son of Duke Philipp of Württemberg and Archduchess Maria Teresa of Austria. He had four younger siblings:

Albrecht studied law at the University of Tübingen before beginning his military career. Having joined the Württemberg Army in 1885, he also received training in the Prussian Army. Rising quickly through the ranks, Albrecht held numerous commands and became Commander-in-Chief of the 4th Army on the Western Front during World War I. He was considered one of the most skilled military leaders of the war, and he was highly recognized. German Emperor Wilhelm II awarded him the German Order of Merit and appointed him Fieldmarshal in the Prussian Army.

source: Wikipedia

On January 24, 1893 in Vienna, Albrecht married Archduchess Margarete Sophie of Austria, the daughter of Archduke Carl Ludwig of Austria and Princess Maria Annunciata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Margarete Sophie’s father was the younger brother of both Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, and Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico. And her brother was Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose assassination in 1913 was a primary cause of World War I. As the heir-presumptive to the throne of Württemberg, Albrecht and Margarete took up residence in the Crown Prince’s Palace in Stuttgart, where they had seven children:

Altshausen Castle. photo: Andreas Praefcke – Eigenes Werk own photograph, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=169884

On November 30, 1918, King Wilhelm II abdicated, ending the monarchy of Württemberg. At that time, the former King gave Albrecht and his family Altshausen Castle to use as their primary residence. (link in German). Just three years later, on October 2, 1921, the former King died and Albrecht became Head of the House of Württemberg and pretender to the former throne.

Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg died at Altshausen Castle in Althausen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany on October 31, 1939. He was buried in the family crypt at the Church of St. Michael, Althausen Castle.

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Antoinette of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess of Württemberg

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Antoinette of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess of Württemberg; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was the sister of Leopold I, the first King of the Belgians and an aunt to both Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. She was the second of the nine children and the second of the five daughters of Franz Friedrich Anton, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and second wife Augusta Reuss of Ebersdorf. Antoinette Ernestine Amalie was born in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Bavaria, Germany on August 28, 1779.

In 1794, the Russian Empress Catherine the Great sent Count Andrei Budberg, a Russian diplomat, off to the courts of Europe to search for a potential bride for her grandson, Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich of Russia. Konstantin was the second son of the future Paul I, Emperor of All Russia and Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg. While traveling, Budberg became ill and stopped in Coburg where he was treated by Baron von Stockmar, the Coburg court’s physician. Stockmar learned of Budberg’s mission and suggested the daughters of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

Antoinette in a painting sent to Russia for her possible groom Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich; Credit – Wikipedia

Once the prospect of a Coburg bride was approved by Catherine the Great, Antoinette and her elder sister Sophie and her next younger sister Juliane, accompanied by their mother, traveled to Saint Petersburg in August 1795. Her elder sister Sophie had all the prerequisites to be selected. She was the eldest and her mother wrote in the diary of the St. Petersburg trip that Empress Catherine liked Sophie the best. After several weeks, Konstantin chose her younger sister, 14-year-old Juliane, and the two became engaged. However, the marriage did not last long. By 1801, Juliane and Konstantin were living apart and eventually, their marriage was annulled.

Antoinette married Duke Alexander of Württemberg in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld on November 17, 1798. Alexander was the eleventh of the twelve children and seventh of eight sons of Friedrich II Eugen, Duke of Württemberg and Friederike of Brandenburg-Schwedt, a niece of Friedrich II (the Great), King of Prussia. Among Alexander’s siblings were his eldest brother Friedrich who would become the first King of Württemberg, his eldest sister Sophie Dorothea (Empress Maria Feodorovna) who was the second wife of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia and his sister Elisabeth who was the first of the four wives of the future Franz I, Emperor of Austria. Sadly, Elisabeth died at the age of 22 in childbirth.

Alexander of Württemberg; Credit – Wikipedia

Antoinette and Alexander had one daughter and four sons:

Alexander and Antoinette are the ancestors of the fifth branch of the House of Württemberg. When the eldest branch died out upon the death of King Wilhelm II of Württemberg in 1921, the ducal line became the new dynasty of the House of Württemberg.

Alexander began his military service in the Württemberg army in 1791 and then transferred to the Austrian army, serving in the campaign against France in 1796-1799. In 1799, on the recommendation of Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov, a Russian military leader and a national hero, Alexander joined the Russian army. Antoinette and Alexander settled in Russia where he had a military and diplomatic career. Two of his sons, Alexander and Ernst, were generals in the Russian army.

Alexander’s sister Empress Maria Feodorova of Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

Alexander was the brother of Empress Maria Feodorova (born Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg), the wife of Emperor Paul I, and the maternal uncle of two future Emperors of All Russia, Alexander I and Nicholas I. A year after their arrival in Russia, Emperor Paul was assassinated and his son Alexander became Emperor. Antoinette took an active part in the life of the Russian Imperial Family. She was very friendly with Alexander I’s wife Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna, born Louise of Baden.

In the marital conflict between her sister Juliane, now Grand Duchess Anna Fedorovna, and her husband Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, Antoinette sided with Konstantin, calling her sister “the shame of the family.” In 1817, Antoinette and her daughter Maria were among those who met Princess Charlotte of Prussia, the bride of Grand Duke Nicholas Pavlovich, the future Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia.

Antoinette in later life; Credit – Wikipedia

Antoinette and her family traveled to Austria and Germany between 1819 – 1821 where they visited family and friends. When they returned to Russia, they settled in a magnificent palace in the Yusupov Garden in St. Petersburg.

Antoinette died from erysipelas at the age of 44 on March 14, 1824, in St. Petersburg, Russia. She was buried in Gotha, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in the German state of Thuringia, at Castle Friedenstein (link in German) in the Prince’s Crypt at the castle church next to her two sons who had died in childhood. Alexander survived his wife by nine years, dying on July 4, 1833, aged 62, at the Gotha residence of his son-in-law Ernst I of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He was buried next to his wife Antoinette and their two sons who had died in childhood.

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). Antoinette von Sachsen-Coburg-Saalfeld. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoinette_von_Sachsen-Coburg-Saalfeld [Accessed 4 Feb. 2019].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2019). Alexander Friedrich Karl von Württemberg. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Friedrich_Karl_von_W%C3%BCrttemberg [Accessed 4 Feb. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Antoinette_of_Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld [Accessed 4 Feb. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Duke Alexander of Württemberg (1771–1833). [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Alexander_of_W%C3%BCrttemberg_(1771%E2%80%931833) [Accessed 4 Feb. 2019].
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. (2019). Антуанетта Саксен-Кобург-Заальфельдская. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D0%BD%D1%82%D1%83%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%82%D0%B0_%D0%A1%D0%B0%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%BD-%D0%9A%D0%BE%D0%B1%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B3-%D0%97%D0%B0%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C%D1%84%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%B4%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%8F [Accessed 4 Feb. 2019].

Sophia Dorothea of Württemberg, Maria Feodorovna, Empress of All Russia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Credit – Wikipedia

The second wife of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia, Her Serene Highness Duchess Sophia Dorothea of Württemberg (Sophia Marie Dorothea Auguste Luise) was the eldest of the four daughters and the fourth of the twelve children of Friedrich II Eugen, Duke of Württemberg and Friederike Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt. She was born on October 25, 1759, in Stettin, Kingdom of Prussia (now Szczecin, Poland), the same birthplace as her mother-in-law Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia. Sophia Dorothea’s father served in the Prussian army as did the father of Catherine the Great. Her mother was a niece of Friedrich II (the Great), King of Prussia.

Sophia Dorothea had eleven siblings. All but one survived to adulthood.

Sophia Dorothea in 1770; Credit – Wikipedia

After Sophia Dorothea’s father finished his military service, the family moved to Château de Montbéliard, a Württemberg castle in Montbéliard, France. Sophia Dorothea had a happy family life and was taught to be modest, disciplined, and religious. She was instructed in French, Italian, Latin, history, and geography. In addition, she was taught conversation, music, dance, drawing, painting, needlework, and housekeeping skills.

In 1773, when Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia was searching for a bride for her 18-year-old son and heir Grand Duke Paul Petrovich (the future Paul I, Emperor of All Russia), Sophia Dorothea was one of the possibilities but was eventually excluded because she was too young. Wilhelmine Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt (Grand Duchess Natalia Alexeievna) married Paul in 1773 but she died in childbirth in April 1776 along with her only child. In that same year, 16-year-old Sophia Dorothea was engaged to Ludwig of Hesse-Darmstadt who would become the first Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and was the brother of Paul’s deceased first wife. Sophia Dorothea’s great-uncle Friedrich II (the Great), King of Prussia suggested she would make an ideal second wife for Grand Duke Paul. Catherine the Great, who had been born a German princess (Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst) in the same city as Sophia Dorothea and received a similar upbringing, thought it was a wonderful idea. The engagement to Ludwig of Hesse-Darmstadt was broken off and Ludwig received a monetary compensation.

In a meeting arranged by King Friedrich II of Prussia, Sophia Dorothea and Paul first met in Berlin, Prussia in June 1776. Through the efforts of Friedrich, the widowed Paul became reconciled to a second marriage and immediately liked Sophia Dorothea. The 16-year-old Sophia Dorothea was pleased with the prospect of becoming Empress of All Russia. She arrived in Russia in August 1776. On September 14, 1776, Sophia Dorothea converted from Lutheranism to Russian Orthodoxy and received the name Maria Feodorovna. The next day Maria was formally betrothed to Paul and was created a Grand Duchess of Russia. On October 7, 1776, less than six months after the death of Paul’s first wife, 17-year-old Maria Feodorovna and 22-year-old Paul Petrovich were married in St. Petersburg. The couple had a happy marriage for many years.

Grand Duke Paul, the future Emperor Paul I by Alexander Roslin; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Feodorovna and Paul had ten children including two Emperors of All Russia. Only one of their children did not survive childhood.

The family of Maria Feodorovna and Paul in 1800; Credit – Wikipedia

The relationship between Paul and his mother had never been good. Paul had been taken at birth by his great-aunt Elizabeth I, Empress of All Russia, and raised under her supervision. Even after the death of Empress Elizabeth, Paul’s relationship with Catherine hardly improved. Paul’s early isolation from his mother created a distance between them which later events would reinforce.

At first, Maria Feodorovna and Catherine had a good relationship but the situation deteriorated when Maria’s first child was born in 1777. Just as Empress Elizabeth had done to her, Catherine the Great took away Maria’s firstborn child Alexander to raise him without interference from his parents. When a second son, Constantine, was born in 1779, Catherine also took him away. Maria and Paul were allowed to visit their sons only once a week. As their reward for producing an heir to the throne, Maria and Paul were given Pavlovsk Palace near Tsarkoye Selo. All of Maria and Paul’s remaining children were allowed to stay with them but the couple had a great feeling of animosity toward Catherine. When their eldest daughter Alexandra was born, Catherine presented the couple with Gatchina Palace near St. Petersburg which had been built for Count Grigori Grigoryevich Orlov, who had been a favorite of Catherine.

The approach to Pavlovsk Palace in 1808 Gabriel Ludwig Lory; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Feodorovna promoted the arts, painted watercolors, designed cameos, and created ivory artworks. She was a gifted musician, played the harpsichord, and arranged for plays to be performed at her court. Maria and Paul were particularly interested in German and French literature and created an extensive library of German works at Gatchina Palace where writers, artists, and scholars frequently gathered. Maria was instrumental in supporting the expeditions of Adam Johann von Krusenstern, a Russian admiral and explorer who led the first Russian circumnavigation of the world. She also supported welfare institutions and founded a mental institution in Saint Petersburg.

Catherine II (the Great) by Alexander Roslin, 1776; Credit – Wikipedia

Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia never considered inviting her son Paul to share her power in governing Russia. Once Paul’s son Alexander (the future Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia) was born, it appeared that Catherine had found a more suitable heir. It is possible that Catherine intended to bypass Paul and name her grandson Alexander as her successor but she never got the chance. On November 4, 1796, Catherine suffered a stroke. Despite all attempts to revive her, she fell into a coma from which she never recovered. Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia died on November 6, 1796, at the age of 67 and after a reign of 34 years. Paul was now Emperor of All Russia and Maria Feodorovna was Empress.

As Empress, Maria Feodorovna was more visible and was allowed to exert some political influence. She was responsible for the state welfare institutions and was a supporter of hospitals, soup kitchens, orphanages, and other facilities for the needy.  Maria continued to promote the cultural life of Russia and personally supervised the beautification of imperial residences especially Gatchina Palace and the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg.

As Emperor, Paul agreed with the practices of autocracy and tried to prevent liberal ideas in the Russian Empire. He did not tolerate freedom of thought or resistance against autocracy. Because he overly taxed the nobility and limited their rights, the Russian nobles, by increasing numbers, were against him. Paul’s reign was becoming increasingly despotic. Eventually, the nobility reached their breaking point. As early as the end of 1797, rumors began swirling of a coup d’état being prepared by the nobility. It is probable that Paul’s son and heir Alexander knew of the coup d’état plans and that Maria Feodorovna knew about the existence of plans.

Afraid of intrigues and assassination plots, Paul disliked the Winter Palace where he never felt safe so he had the fortified Mikhailovsky Castle built in Saint Petersburg. In February 1801, Paul and his family moved into Mikhailovsky Castle. On the night of March 23, 1801, only forty days after moving into the castle, a group of conspirators charged into Paul’s bedroom, forced him to abdicate, and then strangled and trampled him to death. Paul’s eldest son, who probably knew about the coup but not the murder plot, succeeded as Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia.

Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna in mourning by Gerhard von Kügelgen, 1801; Credit – Wikipedia

After Paul’s death, Maria Feodorovna made her home at Pavlovsk Palace.  She demanded recognition as the highest-ranking woman in Russia and took precedence over Alexander I’s wife Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna. Sadly, Maria was similarly hurtful to her daughter-in-law as Catherine the Great had been to her. Maria’s charitable work, which started under the reign of her husband, continued during her widowhood. Although Maria Feodorovna was unable to make direct political decisions, she did have a great influence on her son Alexander as well as on her other children.

Maria Feodorovna actively participated in the marriage arrangements of her younger children with members of European royal families. The current Dutch royal family are her descendants. Although Maria had not been allowed to make decisions regarding the education of her two eldest sons, she did so with her two younger sons and influenced them in their conservative sentiments. When Alexander I died in 1825 and Nicholas I, who was 19 years younger than Alexander, became the new Emperor, his reign was politically conservative and extremely reactionary.

Empress Maria Feodorovna lived long enough to see the first three years of the reign of her third son Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia. She outlived five of her ten children, dying at Pavlovsk Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia on November 5, 1828, at the age of 69 after a short illness. Maria Feodorovna was buried at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

Tomb of Empress Maria Feodorovna; Photo Credit – Автор: El Pantera – собственная работа, GFDL, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36433080

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.

Romanov Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2018). Sophie Dorothea von Württemberg. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_Dorothee_von_W%C3%BCrttemberg [Accessed 25 Jan. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Maria Feodorovna (Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg). [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Feodorovna_(Sophie_Dorothea_of_W%C3%BCrttemberg) [Accessed 25 Jan. 2018].
  • Lincoln, W. Bruce. (1981). The Romanovs: Autocrats of  All the Russias. New York, NY.: Doubleday
  • Massie, R. (2016). Catherine the Great. London: Head of Zeus.
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. (2018). Мария Фёдоровна (жена Павла I). [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D0%A4%D1%91%D0%B4%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B0_(%D0%B6%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%9F%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%BB%D0%B0_I) [Accessed 25 Jan. 2018].

Amelia of Württemberg, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

source: Wikipedia

Amalie of Württemberg, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg

Duchess Amalie Therese Luise Wilhelmine Philippine of Württemberg was the wife of Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. Born in Wallisfurth, Kingdom of Prussia (now Wolany, Poland) on June 28, 1799, she was the daughter of  Duke Ludwig of Württemberg and Princess Henriette of Nassau-Weilburg.

Amalie had four siblings:

Amalie also had one half-brother from her father’s first marriage to Princess Maria Czartoryska:

Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. source: Wikipedia

On April 24, 1817, Amalie married Hereditary Prince Joseph of Saxe-Hildburghausen. He was the son of Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen (later Duke of Saxe-Altenburg) and Duchess Charlotte George of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The couple married in Kirchheim unter Teck in Württemberg, and had six daughters:

Following her marriage, she began to get involved with charitable causes in her new home. In 1819, she founded the Industrial School for orphaned children in Hildburghausen and founded a Woman’s Association the following year. After her father-in-law became Duke of Saxe-Altenburg in 1826, the family moved to Schloss Altenburg, and she continued with her philanthropic work, establishing several schools and institutions in Altenburg.

Amalie with her husband and surviving daughters, painted c1847, by Joseph Karl Stieler, source: Wikipedia

Despite her efforts, Amalie was never very popular with the people of Saxe-Altenburg, who found her very haughty and proud. This contributed to the growing discontent of the working class people, leading up to the Revolution in 1848 which would bring about her husband’s abdication.

The ruins of the Ducal Mausoleum in Altenburg Cemetery. photo: geo.viaregia.org

Duchess Amalie of Saxe-Altenburg died on November 28, 1848, in Altenburg, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in Thuringia, Germany. Two days after her death, her husband was forced to abdicate the throne of the Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg and was succeeded by his younger brother Georg. Amalie was buried in the Ducal Mausoleum in the Altenburg Cemetery. In 1974, the remains of those buried in the Mausoleum were removed and reburied on the grounds of the cemetery.

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-Altenburg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Friederike of Württemberg, Princess of Holstein-Gottorp

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Friederike of Württemberg, Princess of Holstein-Gottorp

Friederike of Württemberg was the wife of the future Grand Duke Peter I of Oldenburg. She was born Duchess Friederike Elisabeth Amalie Auguste on July 27, 1765, in Treptow an der Rega, Pomerania, now Trzebiatów, Poland, the daughter of Friedrich II Eugen, Duke of Württemberg and Friederike Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt. Friederike had 11 siblings:

Peter of Holstein-Gottorp, later Peter I of Oldenburg

At just 15 years old, Friederike married Prince Peter of Holstein-Gottorp (later Duke Peter I of Oldenburg) on June 6, 1781. The marriage was promoted by her sister Sophie, who was married to the future Paul I, Emperor of All Russia, and was intended to help strengthen the relationship between Württemberg and Russia. Friederike and Peter had two surviving children:

Ducal Mausoleum, Saint Gertrude’s Cemetery in Oldenburg. photo: by Corradox – Own Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12178691

Friederike died in Vienna, Austria on November 24, 1785, several weeks after having given birth to a stillborn son. She was just twenty years old. Some reports imply that she never recovered from childbirth, while others suggest that she died from breast cancer. Friederike was initially interred in the chapel at Eutin Castle in Eutin, Duchy of Oldenburg, now in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein.   In 1790, her remains were moved to the newly built Ducal Mausoleum in Saint Gertrude’s Cemetery in Oldenburg, Duchy of Oldenburg, now in the German state of Lower Saxony, 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.

Oldenburg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Charlotte of Schaumburg-Lippe, Queen of Württemberg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

photo: Von Andreas Faessler – Eigenes Werk, CC-BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39455299

Charlotte of Schaumburg-Lippe, Queen of Württemberg

Princess Charlotte Marie Luise Ida Hermine Mathilde of Schaumburg-Lippe was the second wife of King Wilhelm II of Württemberg, and the kingdom’s last Queen. She was born on September 10, 1864, at Schloss Ratiborschitz in Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic, to Prince Wilhelm of Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Bathildis of Anhalt-Dessau, and had seven younger siblings:

Charlotte was raised primarily at Schloss Náchod, the family’s estate in Náchod, now in the Czech Republic, and showed a great interest in sports and hunting, in addition to the more traditional music and art.

King Wilhelm II of Württemberg. source: Wikipedia

At 22-years-old, Charlotte married the then-Crown Prince Wilhelm of Württemberg on April 8, 1886. Wilhelm had been widowed four years earlier and had a young daughter. Despite hoping that this new marriage might produce a male heir, Charlotte and Wilhelm had no children of their own.

In October 1891, Charlotte became Queen of Württemberg when her husband succeeded to the throne. The couple took up residence at the Wilhelmspalais in Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. As Queen, Charlotte did not enjoy the same popularity that her husband did. Much of this is her unwillingness to carry out her public role in the way that was expected of her by the people of Württemberg. She much preferred more private events, and after some time stopped accompanying her husband on many official events.

source: Wikipedia

Despite this, Charlotte took on the charity work which was expected of her, assuming the role in several organizations vacated by her predecessor. Charlotte was most interested in causes involving the health and welfare of women.  She was most willing to use her royal position to bring support and attention to them.

When the monarchy came to an end in 1918, King Wilhelm II negotiated with the new German state to ensure that he and his wife would receive an annual income, as well as a residence for life – Schloss Bebenhausen. The two retired to Bebenhausen, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. where Wilhelm died in 1921. Queen Charlotte remained there, going by the title Duchess of Württemberg, for another 25 years.

Having suffered a stroke that confined her to a wheelchair two years earlier, Queen Charlotte died at Schloss Bebenhausen on July 16, 1946. With little pomp or ceremony, she was quietly buried beside her husband in the Old Cemetery on the grounds of Ludwigsburg Palace in Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

In addition to having been the last Queen of Württemberg, Charlotte held the distinction of being the last living Queen from any of the German states.

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Württemberg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Marie of Waldeck-Pyrmont, Princess of Württemberg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

source: Wikipedia

Marie of Waldeck and Pyrmont, first wife of King Wilhelm II of Württemberg

Princess Marie of Waldeck and Pyrmont was the first wife of Prince Wilhelm of Württemberg, who later reigned as King Wilhelm II of Württemberg. She was born Georgine Henriette Marie on May 23, 1857, in Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont, now in Hesse, Germany, the third daughter of Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and Princess Helena of Nassau. Marie had six siblings:

Marie had one half-brother from her father’s second marriage to Princess Louise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg:

Wilhelm of Württemberg. source: Wikipedia

On February 15, 1877, in Arolsen, Marie married Prince Wilhelm of Württemberg, the future  King Wilhelm II of Württemberg, who was the son of Prince Friedrich of Württemberg and Princess Katherina of Württemberg (a daughter of King Wilhelm I). They had two children:

Princess Marie’s grave at the Old Cemetery, Ludwigsburg Palace. photo: Von peter schmelzle – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18585848

On April 24, 1882, Marie gave birth to a stillborn daughter and suffered serious complications from childbirth. She died six days later, on April 30, 1882, at Ludwigsburg Palace in Ludwigsburg, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. She is buried in the Old Cemetery on the grounds of Ludwigsburg Palace.

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Württemberg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Wilhelm II, King of Württemberg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Kingdom of Württemberg: Württemberg was a County, a Duchy, and an Electorate before becoming a Kingdom in 1806. At the end of 1805, in exchange for contributing forces to France’s armies, Napoleon, Emperor of the French recognized Württemberg as a kingdom, with Elector Friedrich formally becoming King Friedrich I  on January 1, 1806. The reign of Wilhelm II, the last King of Württemberg, came to an end in November 1918, after the fall of the German Empire led to the abdications of all the ruling families. Today the land that encompassed the Kingdom of Württemberg is located in the German state Baden-Württemberg.

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Wilhelm II, King of Württemberg; Credit – Wikipedia

King Wilhelm II was the last King of Württemerg, reigning from 1891 until the monarchy was abolished in 1918. He was born Wilhelm Karl Paul Heinrich Friedrich in Stuttgart, Kingdom of  Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, on February 25, 1848, the only child of Prince Friedrich of Württemberg, a grandson of King Friedrich I of Württemberg, and Princess Katherina Friederike of Württemberg, a daughter of King Wilhelm I of Württemberg.

He studied law, political science, and finance at the University of Tübingen and the University of Göttingen, and also served in the Prussian army. As his uncle, King Karl, was childless, Wilhelm was raised with the expectation that he would one day become King himself.

Princess Marie of Waldeck and Pyrmont. source: Wikipedia

Wilhelm’s first wife was Princess Marie of Waldeck and Pyrmont, the daughter of Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and Princess Helena of Nassau. The couple married in Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse, on February 15, 1877, and had two children:

On April 30, 1882, Princess Marie died as a result of complications from giving birth several days earlier to a stillborn daughter. Having already lost his young son, Wilhelm was devastated, and from most accounts never fully recovered from these two losses. However, with a young daughter, and hoping for a male heir, Wilhelm soon married for a second time.

Princess Charlotte of Schaumburg-Lippe. source: Wikipedia

His second wife was Princess Charlotte of Schaumburg-Lippe, whom he married in Bückeburg, Principality of Schaumberg-Lippe, now in the German state of Lower Saxony, on April 8, 1886. Charlotte was the daughter of Prince Wilhelm of Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Bathildis of Anhalt-Dessau. They had no children.

Wilhelm became King on October 6, 1891, upon the death of King Karl. By then, Württemberg was part of the German Empire, although it retained its status as a Kingdom. The King was much loved by his people, and respected for his more down-to-earth nature. He was often seen walking his dogs in the streets of Stuttgart, unaccompanied, and greeting all those he met along the way.

King Wilhelm II with Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I, c1909. source: Wikipedia

Wilhelm’s reign came to an end in November 1918, after the fall of the German Empire led to the abdications of all of the ruling families. Before formally abdicating, Wilhelm negotiated with the new government to receive an annual income for himself and his wife and also retained Schloss Bebenhausen in Bebenhausen, Germany where the couple lived for the remainder of their lives.

Wilhelm II, King of Württemberg; source: Wikipedia

On October 2, 1921, 73-year-old Wilhelm died at Schloss Bebenhausen in Bebenhausen, Germany, and was buried at the Old Cemetery (link in German) in Ludwigsburg, Germany beside his first wife  Pauline and their infant son Ulrich.  When his second wife Charlotte died in 1946, she was also buried next to Wilhelm.

Grave of Wilhelm and his two wives; Credit – Von peter schmelzle – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18586267

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Olga Nikolaevna of Russia, Queen of Württemberg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

source: Wikipedia

Olga Nikolaevna of Russia, Queen of Württemberg

Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia was the wife of King Karl I of Württemberg. She was born at the Anichkov Palace  in St. Petersburg, Russia, on September 11, 1822, to Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia and Princess Charlotte of Prussia, and had six siblings:

Crown Prince Karl, c1851. source: Wikipedia

In January 1846, Olga met her future husband, Crown Prince Karl of Württemberg, while both were in Palermo, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy. Karl was the son of King Wilhelm I of Württemberg and Duchess Pauline of Württemberg. After just a few times together, Karl proposed on January 18 and Olga accepted. They were married in a lavish ceremony at the Peterhof Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia, on July 13, 1846. They had no children of their own, but in 1863, took in Olga’s niece, Grand Duchess Vera Konstantinovna, the daughter of Olga’s brother Konstantin. They later formally adopted Vera in 1871. It is believed by many that Karl was gay, which contributed to their not having any children together. Whether true or not, it is a fact that he had very close relationships with several men, some of which caused significant public outcry and scandal.

From the time she arrived in Württemberg, Olga threw herself into charity work, focusing on the education of girls, and helping wounded soldiers and handicapped people. After becoming Queen in 1864, she continued to support these, and many other causes, earning her the utmost respect and devotion of the people of Württemberg.

Queen Olga (left), with two ladies-in-waiting and a reader (possibly her husband’s chamberlain and reputed lover, Charles Woodcock), c1885. photo: Wikipedia

Aside from her charity work, Queen Olga also had several other interests. One of these was a significant interest in natural science, and she amassed an extensive collection of minerals which was later left to the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart. She also, in 1881, wrote a memoir – The Golden Dream of My Youth – about her childhood and life in Russia up until the time of her marriage. She was also particularly interested in natural science and amassed an extensive collection of minerals which was later left to the State Museum of Nature in Stuttgart.

The Altes Palais (Old Castle) in Stuttgart. photo: By BuzzWoof – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3869267

Just a year after her husband’s death, Dowager Queen Olga died on October 30, 1892, at Schloss Friedrichshafen (link in German), in Friedrichshafen, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. She is buried alongside her husband in the crypt below the Schlosskirche at the Old Castle (Altes Palais) in Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.

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