Category Archives: German Royals

Franz Friedrich Anton, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

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.

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Franz Friedrich Anton, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld; Credit – Wikipedia

On July 15, 1750, Franz Frederick Anton, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, the grandfather of both Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert, was born in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now a town in Bavaria, Germany. He was the eldest of the seven children of Ernst Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and his wife Sophia Antonia of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Out of the seven children, only Franz Frederick Anton, a sister, and a brother survived childhood.

  • Karl (1751-1757), died in childhood
  • Friederike Juliane (born and died 1752), died in infancy
  • Caroline Ulrike Amalie (1753-1829), an abbess at the secular Lutheran abbey, Gandersheim Abbey
  • Ludwig Karl Friedrich (1755-1806), had an illegitimate son Ludwig Frederick Emil of Coburg (1779 – 1827) whose five children were created Freiherren (Barons) von Coburg
  • Ferdinand August Heinrich (1756-1758), died in childhood
  • Friedrich (born and died 1758), died in infancy

On March 6, 1775, Franz married Princess Sophie of Saxe-Hildburghausen, a daughter of Ernst Friedrich III Karl, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen and his third wife Princess Ernestine of Saxe-Weimar.  At the time, Franz was already in love with his future wife, Countess Augusta Reuss of Ebersdorf, but he was unable to break off his engagement with Sophie. The bride was only 16 years old and died of influenza just six months after the wedding which allowed Franz to marry his beloved Augusta.

Augusta Reuss of Ebersdorf; Credit – Wikipedia

On June 13, 1777, in the bride’s hometown of Ebersdorf, County of Reuss-Ebersdrof, now in Thuingia, Germany, Franz married Augusta Reuss of Ebersdorf, the eldest daughter of Heinrich XXIV, Count Reuss of Ebersdorf and Karoline Ernestine of Erbach-Schönberg.

Franz and Augusta had nine children:

Franz Friedrich Anton; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1800, Franz succeeded his father as Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, but he ruled only for six years before his death in 1806. In 1805, due to the ailing finances, Franz was forced by his Prime Minister Theodor Konrad von Kretschmann to make a contract between the two duchies, Coburg and Saalfeld, for a uniform system of government. In 1806, with the end of the Holy Roman Empire, the Duchy regained its independence and joined the Confederation of the Rhine.

Franz was a great lover of art and books. In 1775, he began a print collection that ultimately consisted of 300,000 prints. The collection can be visited at the Veste Coburg. Because of Franz, the family’s library had an extensive collection of books. Franz conducted an extensive renovation of the family castles. Walls, ditches, and towers were demolished and replaced by gardens and other green areas. In 1805, Franz bought back Schloss Rosenau which the family had been forced to sell in 1704 due to debts.

Franz Frederick Anton died, aged 56, on December 9, 1806, in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Bavaria, Germany. He was buried in a mausoleum in the Coburg Court Garden in Coburg. Twenty-five years later, his second wife Augusta was buried next to him.

Mausoleum of Franz Friedrich Anton and Augusta; Credit – “Coburg-Hofgarten-Mausoleum” von Störfix. Lizenziert unter CC BY-SA 3.0 über Wikimedia Commons – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coburg-Hofgarten-Mausoleum.jpg#/media/File:Coburg-Hofgarten-Mausoleum.jpg

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

Princess Beatrice of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duchess of Galliera

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Beatrice of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duchess of Galliera; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Beatrice (Beatrice Leopoldine Victoria) was the youngest child of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (the second son of Queen Victoria) and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia (the daughter of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia). She was born Beatrice Leopoldine Victoria on April 20, 1884, at Eastwell Park in Kent, England, her parents’ leased country home.

Beatrice was christened at Eastwell House on May 17, 1884. Her godparents were:

Beatrice had four siblings:

Beatrice (on her mother’s lap), with her mother and siblings. source: Wikipedia

Due to her father’s military career, as well as his future role in Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Beatrice grew up in England, Malta, and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The youngest child in the family, she was perhaps more doted upon than her elder sisters and was known as ‘Baby’ or ‘Baby-Bee’. In July 1893, Beatrice was one of the bridesmaids at the wedding of her first cousin The Duke of York, to Princess Victoria Mary of Teck (later King George V and Queen Mary). The following month, her father became the reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha upon the death of his uncle. The family moved permanently to Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in the German state of Bavaria, taking up residence at Schloss Ehrenburg in Coburg. During their years in Coburg, Beatrice’s sisters were all married, and her brother survived an attempted suicide but died in a sanatorium a month later.

Following her father’s death in 1900, Beatrice remained with her mother in Coburg, living at the Palais Edinburg (which her father had purchased in the mid-1880s) and Schloss Rosenau. In 1902, she became involved in a relationship with her first cousin, Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia. However, the Russian Orthodox Church forbade marriages between first cousins, and Michael’s brother, Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, refused to allow an exception. Michael ended the relationship the following year.

In 1906, Beatrice’s cousin, Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, married King Alfonso XIII of Spain in Madrid. It was at the wedding that Beatrice met her future husband, Alfonso XIII’s first cousin Infante Alfonso of Spain, son of Infante Antonio, Duke of Galliera, and Infanta Eulalia of Spain.

The couple was married on July 15, 1909, in Coburg. A civil ceremony was held at Schloss Rosenau, followed by a Catholic Ceremony at St. Augustine’s Church, and a Lutheran ceremony at Schloss Callenberg. Unlike her cousin, Victoria Eugenie, Beatrice chose not to convert to Catholicism before her marriage. She did later convert in 1913.

Because of the difference in religion, there was dissent within the Spanish government. While King Alfonso XIII of Spain personally encouraged and supported the marriage, the government would not allow him to give formal consent. Therefore, upon marriage, the couple was banished from Spain, and Alfonso was stripped of his honors and titles, including that of Infante of Spain. They lived in Coburg until 1912, when they were permitted to return to Spain, and Alfonso’s titles and honors were restored. Beatrice and Alfonso had three sons:

  • Infante Alvaro (1910 – 1997) – married Carla Parodi-Delfino, had issue
  • Infante Alonso (1912 – 1936) – killed in action during the Spanish Civil War, unmarried, no issue
  • Infante Ataúlfo (1913 – 1974) – unmarried, no issue

Beatrice with her three sons, circa 1913. source: Wikipedia

In 1916, Beatrice and Alfonso were sent to Switzerland. Under the guise of an official mission, rumors quickly spread that it was due to either Beatrice’s influence on Queen Victoria Eugenie or because she had rebuffed the romantic advances of King Alfonso XIII, a notorious womanizer. After some time in Switzerland, the couple moved to England where their sons were educated at Winchester College. Eight years later, they were finally permitted to return to Spain.

In the following years, the Spanish monarchy was overthrown, and the country was thrown into civil war. Beatrice’s second son Alonso was killed in action, and the family lost their properties. Initially exiled to England, they eventually returned to Spain in 1937, and settled at a new estate, El Botánico, in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, where they would live for the rest of their lives. Beatrice died on July 13, 1966, at El Botánico. She is buried with her husband at the Convent of Capuchin Fathers in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain.

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Ernst II, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Ernst II, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg; Credit – Wikipedia

Ernst II, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (Ernst Wilhelm Friedrich Carl Maximilian) was the husband of Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. He was born on September 13, 1863, in Langenburg, Principality of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He was the eldest child of Hermann, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Princess Leopoldine of Baden. Ernst had two younger sisters:

He was educated in Karlsruhe and then studied law in Paris, Bonn, Tübingen, and Leipzig, graduating in 1885. Following his military training, he was appointed Secretary of the Imperial German Embassy in St Petersburg and London. He also worked for his father when he served as Imperial Governor of Alsace-Lorraine.

source: Wikipedia

On April 20, 1896, Ernst married Princess Alexandra at Schloss Ehrenburg in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in the German state of Bavaria. She was the daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (a son of Queen Victoria), and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia (a daughter of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia). The couple was second cousins – their grandmothers Queen Victoria and Princess Feodora of Leiningen were half-sisters. Ernst and Alexandra had five children:

In 1900, his father-in-law died, and the ducal throne of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha passed to Alexandra’s cousin Charles Edward, Duke of Albany. Because Charles Edward was just sixteen years old, Ernst was appointed as Regent until the new Duke reached his majority in 1905.

Enst later tried to get into politics in the German Empire. He served as Head of the Colonial Department of the Foreign Office, and Deputy and later Vice President of the Reichstag. Following his father’s death in 1913, Ernst became the Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and took his seat in the Kammer der Standesherren (House of Lords) in Württemberg. During World War I, he served as General Delegate to the Eastern Front and as a special envoy to Constantinople and the Balkans in 1915.

In 1936, Ernst joined the Nazi Party. Following World War II, Ernst retired from official service and lived a quiet and more private life. He spent his remaining years working with charities and organizations in Württemberg, including the Order of Saint John and the Red Cross.

Ernst II, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, died on December 11, 1950, in Langenburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He is buried alongside his wife in the family cemetery at Schloss Langenburg.

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Princess Alexandra of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Princess Alexandra of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg; source: Wikipedia

Princess Alexandra (Alexandra Louise Olga Victoria) was the third daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (son of Queen Victoria), and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia (daughter of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia). She was born on September 1, 1878, at Schloss Rosenau near Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in the German state of Bavaria. Her christening took place a month later at Palais Edinburg in Coburg. Among her godparents was her maternal uncle, Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia.

Alexandra had four siblings:

 

As the family moved around often due to her father’s naval career, Alexandra grew up in the United Kingdom, Cyprus, Malta, and Coburg. From the mid-1880s, the family spent significant time in Coburg, as her father was the heir-presumptive to his childless uncle, Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. When Alfred succeeded to the ducal throne in August 1893, the family took up permanent residence in Coburg. Alexandra was then styled HRH Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Alexandra & Prince Ernst of Hohenlohe-Langenburg; source: Wikipedia

At Schloss Ehrenburg in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Bavaria, Germany, on April 20, 1896, Alexandra married Prince Ernst of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. He was the eldest son of Hermann, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Princess Leopoldine of Baden. Alexandra and Ernst were second cousins. Their grandmothers, Queen Victoria and Princess Feodora of Leiningen, were half-sisters.  The couple had five children:

When Alexandra’s father died in 1900, her husband Ernst served as Regent for the new Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Alexandra’s first cousin, Prince Charles Edward, Duke of Albany, until he reached his maturity in 1905. As her husband pursued his ambitions elsewhere, Alexandra often spent time with her mother in Coburg and visited her sisters. In 1913, her father-in-law died, and she and her husband became the Prince and Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, taking up residence at Schloss Langenburg. Living a relatively quiet life, Alexandra worked during World War I as a nurse with the Red Cross. After her mother died in 1920, Alexandra and her sisters inherited Palais Edinburg in Coburg, and, along with her sisters, leased Schloss Rosenau from the state until the late 1930s. In 1937, Alexandra joined her husband, and some of her children, as a member of the Nazi Party.

Princess Alexandra died on April 16, 1942, in Schwäbisch Hall, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. She is buried in the family cemetery at Schloss Langenburg.

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Victoria Melita of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna of Russia

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2015

Victoria Melita of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna of Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh (known as ‘Ducky’ in the family) was born on November 25, 1876, at the San Anton Palace in Malta, where her father was stationed with the Royal Navy at the time. She was the second daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh (later Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia. She was a granddaughter of both Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Alexander, Emperor II of All Russia.

Victoria Melita was christened on  January 1, 1877, at San Anton Palace in Malta by a Royal Navy chaplain. Her grandmother Queen Victoria was one of her godparents.

Ducky had four siblings:

During her childhood, the family’s primary homes were Clarence House in London and Eastwell Park in Kent. They also spent several years at the San Anton Palace in Malta when her father was stationed there with the Royal Navy. In addition, they had homes in Coburg – Palais Edinburg and Schloss Rosenau – where her father was heir to his childless uncle Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

In 1891, Queen Victoria began promoting the idea of a marriage between Ducky and her first cousin, Ernst Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine. He was the son of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, and Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse and by Rhine. When the two were visiting Queen Victoria, she observed that they got along well and, coincidentally, even shared the same birthday.

Victoria Melita and Ernst Ludwig, 1894. source: Wikipedia

In 1893, Victoria Melita’s father succeeded to the Grand Ducal throne of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and she became Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The following year, on April 9, 1894, she and Ernie (who was now Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine) married at Schloss Ehrenburg in Coburg. The couple had two children:

Despite Queen Victoria’s observations, the new Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine and her husband were terribly mismatched. Victoria Melita craved Ernie’s attention, while he focused more on their daughter than his wife. For a few years, they seemed to make the best of it, enjoying each other’s company and entertaining friends and family from around Europe. By the late 1890s, it was clear that the marriage was a mistake. Allegedly, the final blow for Ducky was finding her husband in an intimate situation with a male servant. Despite this, Queen Victoria would not permit a divorce and the two continued their unhappy lives. Following Queen Victoria’s death in 1901, there was no longer any obstacle to ending their marriage, and they divorced on December 21, 1901. Ducky returned to her mother in Coburg, and she and her former husband shared custody of their young daughter. Two years later, while visiting the Russian Imperial Family, Ducky’s and Ernst’s daughter Princess Elisabeth fell ill with typhoid. Before Ducky could arrive, the young princess died. Her daughter’s death finally severed the connection that Ducky had with her former husband and her former home.

On October 8, 1905, Ducky married for a second time. This time her husband was another first cousin, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia, with whom she had had a mutual attraction for many years. They had first met in 1891 when Ducky traveled to Russia to attend the funeral of her aunt by marriage, Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna (the former Princess Alexandra of Greece). However, while the two were attracted to each other, Ducky’s mother made every effort to dissuade her from the thought of marrying him, as the Russian Orthodox Church did not permit marriages between first cousins.

Despite this, the two maintained their attraction and eventually decided to marry. When Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia found out about the marriage, he stripped Kirill of his royal funding, his titles, and his military appointments. Nicholas also banished Kirill from Russia, so the couple settled in France. They had three children:

Victoria Melita with her husband Kirill and their two daughters; source: Wikipedia

In 1908, Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia put his personal feelings aside and permitted Kirill and Victoria Melita to return to Russia. Recent deaths in the Imperial Family brought Kirill to third in the line of succession, and it was deemed necessary to allow his return and restore his funding and military appointments. Victoria Melita was given the style of Imperial Highness and created Grand Duchess Viktoria Feodorovna.

During World War I, Ducky worked as a nurse with the Red Cross. Soon after Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia’s abdication in 1917, Ducky and Kirill decided it was best to leave Russia. They traveled to Finland and remained there for over two years. In the fall of 1919, they moved on to Munich where they reunited with Ducky’s mother, and then they all moved to Zurich, Switzerland.

After her mother died in 1920, Ducky’s family now had two homes at their disposal – her mother’s villa in Nice and the Villa Edinburg, which later became known as the Kirill Palace, in Coburg, now in Bavaria, Germany, and for the next several years, split their time between the two. In 1926, they settled for the last time in France, purchasing a villa in Saint-Briac. Here they settled into a quieter life, while Victoria Melita put her energies into raising her son and ensuring her daughters made significant marriages.

Victoria Melita with her husband Kirill and their two youngest children. source: Wikipedia

In February 1936, while attending the christening of her fifth grandchild, Victoria Melita suffered a stroke. She passed away on March 1, 1936, at the age of 59. She was first buried in the Ducal Mausoleum at the Glockenburg Cemetery in Coburg, Bavaria, Germany. In March 1995, her remains, as well as those of her husband, were moved to the Grand Ducal Burial Vault at the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg, Russia.

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King Ferdinand of Romania

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

King Ferdinand of Romania – source: Wikipedia

King Ferdinand of Romania was born Prince Ferdinand Viktor Albert Meinrad of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, a Roman Catholic branch of the House of Hohenzollern. He was born on August 24, 1865, in Sigmaringen, Kingdom of Prussia, now in southern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, the second of three sons of Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen and Infanta Antonia of Portugal.

Ferdinand had two brothers:

Following his primary and secondary studies in Dusseldorf, he attended the Military School in Kassel, graduating in 1887 with the rank of Lieutenant. He then attended the University of Leipzig and the School of Political Science and Economics in Tübingen until early 1889. During his schooling, he shows exceptional skill as a linguist, becoming fluent in French, English, and Russian. Through a tutor sent by his uncle, he also learned Romanian and studied the literature, history, and geography of his future homeland.

Ferdinand (left) with his uncle, King Carol I, and his son, the future Carol II. source: Wikipedia

In 1866, his uncle Prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen had been elected Ruling Prince of the Romanian United Principalities, and in 1881 was proclaimed King Carol I of Romania. King Carol and his wife Princess Elisabeth of Wied had only one daughter who died at the age of three. With no sons to inherit the throne, the succession passed to his younger brother Leopold, Ferdinand’s father. Leopold renounced his rights in 1880, as did his eldest son in 1886. Ferdinand became heir-presumptive to the Romanian throne. He was formally recognized as Crown Prince by the Romanian government in 1889. As part of the agreement, he was permitted to retain his Catholic faith but agreed that any children would be raised in the Orthodox church.

After arriving in Romania in 1889, Ferdinand (‘Nando’ as he was known in the family) became involved with the Romanian writer and friend of Queen Elisabeth, Elena Văcărescu. This caused a scandal because of her unequal rank and because the Romanian constitution banned Ferdinand from marrying a Romanian. In 1891, the relationship ended, the young woman was exiled to France, and Queen Elisabeth, who had encouraged the romance, was sent away for several years. King Carol I then sent Ferdinand on a tour of Europe to find a suitable bride.

 

On January 10, 1893, at Sigmaringen Castle in Sigmaringen, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, Ferdinand married his third cousin, Princess Marie of Edinburgh, daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh (and later Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia and a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Following the civil ceremony held at the castle, a Catholic ceremony was held in the city’s cathedral, and then an Anglican ceremony was held at the palace. The couple officially had six children.  The two youngest children are believed to have been fathered by Marie’s lover but were formally acknowledged by Ferdinand as his own:

Ferdinand and Marie overseeing the crossing of the Tisza River, August 1919. source: Wikipedia

On October 10, 1914, Ferdinand became King of Romania upon the death of his uncle. Already in the early stages of World War I, Ferdinand maintained Romania’s neutrality until finally entering the war, on the side of the Allied Powers, in August 1916. During the war, Ferdinand and his wife traveled extensively to support the troops and boost morale among the Romanian people. By the end of the war, through Ferdinand’s leadership, the Kingdom of Romania had grown to include the regions of Bessarabia, Bukovina, and Transylvania.

Following World War I and the Hungarian-Romanian War of 1919, King Ferdinand and Queen Marie were finally crowned in an elaborate ceremony held in Alba Iulia, in Transylvania, on October 15, 1922. The following years were focused on rebuilding the country and returning it to the once-flourishing region it had been.

 

King Ferdinand died of intestinal cancer on July 20, 1927, at Peleș Castle, in Sinaia, Romania. He is buried at the Monastery of Curtea de Argeș in Curtea de Argeș, Romania. As his elder son Carol had renounced his rights to the throne, Ferdinand was succeeded by his five-year-old grandson King Mihai.

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Romania Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Prince Alfred of Edinburgh, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Prince Alfred of Edinburgh, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; Credit: Wikipedia

Prince Alfred, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Alfred Alexander William Ernest Albert), was the eldest child and only son of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, second son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, only surviving daughter of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia. Known within the family as ‘Young Affie’, he was born on October 15, 1874, at Buckingham Palace. At the time of his birth, he was styled HRH Prince Alfred of Edinburgh, as his father had not yet become Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

His christening was held November 27, 1874, in the Lower Bow Room at Buckingham Palace, with the following godparents:

Young Affie had four younger sisters:

Affie with his mother and sisters. source: Wikipedia

As it was expected he would one day inherit the ducal throne of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, young Affie was raised primarily in Germany. Separated from his family, he received a strict German education and later served as a Lieutenant in the Prussian 1st Foot Guards in Potsdam. Unlike many of his relatives, he did not enjoy military life. It is believed that during this time he first contracted syphilis, which would later be a likely factor in his death.

In August 1893, his father succeeded to the ducal throne of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and young Alfred became the Hereditary Prince. Less than two years later, it was announced that Alfred was engaged to Duchess Elsa of Württemberg, but the marriage never took place.

In January 1899, he was noticeably absent from the celebrations for his parents’ 25th wedding anniversary. The details surrounding his death were never formally given, and vary from source to source. Some say he was suffering from a breakdown, others a tumor, others tuberculosis. More than likely, he was suffering serious effects of syphilis he had contracted some years earlier.

It is generally accepted that Prince Alfred shot himself while the rest of the family was gathered for the anniversary celebrations. Having survived the gunshot, he was cared for at Schloss Friedenstein in Gotha, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in the German state of Thuringia, for several days, before being moved, against the doctors’ recommendation, to the Martinnsbrunn Sanatorium in Gratsch, near Meran, Austria (now Merano, Italy). This was apparently done at the direction of his mother who was both angry and embarrassed that his injury happened while the whole family was gathered together.

Prince Alfred, aged 24, died at the sanatorium on February 6, 1899. He was buried in the Ducal Mausoleum at the Glockenburg Cemetery in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Bavaria, Germany.

Below are some suicide prevention resources.

In the United States, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 988. Anyone in the United States can text or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to reach trained counselors who can help them cope with a mental health emergency. National Institute of Mental Health: Suicide Prevention is also a United States resource.

Other countries also have similar resources. Please check the resources below.

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Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, Duchess of Edinburgh, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

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.

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source: Wikipedia

Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, Duchess of Edinburgh, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia was the wife of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the second son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. She was born on October 17, 1853, at Tsarskoye Selo, near St. Petersburg, Russia, the only daughter of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia and Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine.

Marie had seven siblings:

Marie with her father and siblings, 1860. source: Wikipedia

Raised as the only daughter, Maria was very close to her father, who was completely devoted to her. She also had very close relationships with her brothers but was not particularly close to her mother. Despite this, her mother’s death in 1880 was very difficult for Maria.

The Orthodox wedding of Maria and Alfred, painting by Nicholas Chevalier. source: Wikipedia

During a family holiday in Hesse in 1868, Marie first met Prince Alfred. Despite the misgivings of both her parents and Alfred’s mother, the couple was married on January 23, 1874, at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. Upon their return to London, they took up residence at Clarence House in London, and Eastwell Park in Kent, which they leased until 1893.

Marie and Alfred had five children:

The new Duchess of Edinburgh was not well received by British society, many of whom thought her very condescending and haughty. And from most accounts, this was very true. Used to the splendor and pageantry of the Russian court, she found the British court very dull by comparison. She also felt that, as the daughter of an Emperor, she should outrank all the other members of the British royal family – in particular, her sister-in-law, The Princess of Wales, who was merely the daughter of a king. Despite the demands of Marie and her father, Queen Victoria would not sanction anything of the sort.

In August 1893, her husband became the reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha upon the death of his childless uncle, Ernst II. They had owned a home in Coburg – Palais Edinburg – since the early 1880s, but now took up permanent residence in Schloss Ehrenburg, the traditional ducal residence in the city. They also lived at Schloss Rosenau, which Ernst II had given to Alfred as his personal property. The new Grand Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Marie was very pleased with her new position, no longer outranked by her sisters-in-law, and no longer under the constant watchful eye of her mother-in-law. From that point on, she rarely spent any significant amount of time in Britain.

The Duke and Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha with their daughters, and the Dowager Duchess. source: Wikipedia

In 1899, Marie and Alfred celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. During the celebrations in January, their son Affie attempted suicide and died shortly thereafter. The following year, her husband died and the Ducal throne passed to his nephew, Charles Edward, Duke of Albany. Marie returned to Palais Edinburg and also spent much of her time at Schloss Rosenau.

The remaining years of her life saw the overthrow of the Russian monarchy, the murders of many of her Russian relatives, and the end of the Duchies of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Her last remaining brother, Grand Duke Paul, was murdered by the Bolsheviks in January 1919, leaving Marie the last of her generation.

The Dowager Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha died on October 24, 1920, in Zurich, Switzerland. Legend has it that she received a telegram addressed to ‘Frau Coburg’ which distressed her so greatly that it caused her death. She is buried alongside her husband in the Ducal Mausoleum at the Glockenburg Cemetery in Coburg, Bavaria, Germany.

Following her death, Palais Edinburg was left to her daughter, Princess Alexandra. The villa behind it, which had formed part of the residence, was left to her daughter Victoria Melita and became known as the Kirill Palace. Both would eventually be sold to the government around 1940.

The Ducal Mausoleum in the Glockenberg Cemetery. photo: by Störfix – Selbst fotografiert, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4010189

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

Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

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.

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Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha – source: Wikipedia

Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, was the fourth child of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Born at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England on August 6, 1844, Alfred was christened on September 6, 1844, in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle with the names Alfred Ernest Albert. His godparents were:

Alfred had eight siblings:

 

After being educated at home, along with his older brother The Prince of Wales (future King Edward VII), Alfred entered the British Navy at just 14 years old. Rising quickly through the ranks, by February 1866 he had been elevated to the rank of Captain, and the following year was given command of his own ship, HMS Galatea.

During his military career, Alfred found himself potentially taking a throne of his own. After deposing their ruler King Otto, the people of Greece voted to determine the future of the Greek monarchy. Prince Alfred received 95% of the votes. Despite this, under the terms of the London Conference of 1832, members of the ruling families of the Great Powers (Britain, France, and Russia) were prohibited from ascending the Greek throne. In addition, Queen Victoria was adamantly opposed to the idea, as Alfred was already intended to succeed his uncle Ernst as Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Alfred’s father and elder brother had both renounced their rights of succession, leaving Alfred as heir-apparent to his uncle. The Greek throne ended up going to Prince Vilhelm of Denmark, who reigned as King George I of the Hellenes.

Along with his military career, from 1863-1865, Prince Alfred studied at the University of Edinburgh, and the University of Bonn. With his future role as Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in mind, in 1865 Alfred purchased a palace in Coburg, just across the square from Schloss Ehrenburg, the official ducal residence. This palace, known as Palais Edinburg,  would be his residence in Coburg until his accession 28 years later. The following year, in May 1866, he was created Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Ulster, and Earl of Kent. Along with this came a parliamentary allowance of £15,000 per year, and a seat in the House of Lords.

From a young age, Prince Alfred developed a strong interest in stamp collecting. Through the years, he amassed a rather extensive collection, which he later sold to King Edward VII who passed it on to his son, King George V. Today, it forms part of the Royal Philatelic Collection, housed at St James’ Palace in London, England.

On January 24, 1867, Alfred set sail on HMS Galatea for a trip around the world. Following a visit to Cape Town in South Africa, he arrived in Australia on October 31, the first British royal to set foot in the country. On March 12, 1868, while visiting Sydney, Prince Alfred was the victim of an assassination attempt. An Irishman, Henry James O’Farrell, fired at the Prince from behind, striking him just to the side of his spine. Alfred was quickly taken to Government House in Sydney, where he spent several weeks recovering before again assuming command of his ship and returning home in June 1868. In an outpouring of support for the Prince, the people voted for some sort of memorial to be built in his honor. This led to the construction of the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney. In addition to being the first British royal in Australia, Prince Alfred was also the first to visit New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, India, and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in visits over the next several years.

 

On January 24, 1874, at the Winter Palace in St Petersburg, Russia, Alfred married Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna, the only daughter of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia and Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine. The couple settled at Clarence House in London, England, and Eastwell Park in Kent, England which they leased until 1893.

Alfred and Marie had five children:

Over the next nearly twenty years, Alfred’s distinguished naval career saw him serve as Admiral Superintendent of Naval Reserves, Commander-in-Chief of both the Channel Fleet and the Mediterranean Fleet, and  Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth. In June 1893, he was made Admiral of the Fleet, the highest rank in the British Navy.

Prince Alfred (right) with his brothers Edward, Prince of Wales (left) and Arthur, Duke of Connaught. source: Wikipedia

However, Alfred’s Royal Navy career would soon come to an end. On August 23, 1893, Alfred’s uncle Ernst died, and he became the reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. While this had been the plan for many years, Alfred resented having to give up his naval career and his British life. He gave up his British annuity, his seat in the House of Lords, and became the first person to voluntarily resign from the Privy Council. However, he successfully petitioned Parliament to continue the separate funding he received to maintain Clarence House for the rest of his life.

The transition to his new position was not easy. The people were mostly against the idea of a British prince being their Duke even though his father was born a Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. But Alfred managed to build up the people’s confidence in him and soon became quite popular. Leaving most of the governing to the State Ministry, Alfred spent his time traveling, hunting, and following all the latest advances of the Royal Navy which he greatly missed.

Sadly, Alfred’s reign would be rather short. On July 30, 1900, at Schloss Rosenau, in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Bavaria, Germany, Alfred died from throat cancer at the age of 55. He was buried in the Ducal Mausoleum in the Glockenburg Cemetery in Coburg. He was succeeded by his nephew, Prince Charles Edward, Duke of Albany, son of his late brother Leopold.

The Ducal Mausoleum in the Glockenberg Cemetery. photo: by Störfix – Selbst fotografiert, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4010189

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.

Recommended Book

  • Dearest Affie: Alfred, Queen Victoria’s Second Son – John Van Der Kiste

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

Queen Victoria Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Prince Henry of Battenberg

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Prince Henry of Battenberg; Credit – Wikipedia

The husband of Queen Victoria’s daughter Princess Beatrice, Prince Henry of Battenberg (Henry Maurice, German: Heinrich Moritz) was born on October 5, 1858, in Milan, Lombardy–Venetia, Italy. Henry (called Liko) was the fourth of the five children of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine and Countess Julia Hauke. As his parents’ marriage was morganatic, Henry and his siblings took their titles from their mother, who had been created Countess of Battenberg and was later elevated to Princess of Battenberg in 1858. See Unofficial Royalty: Who Are The Battenbergs?

Henry had three brothers and one sister:

Henry received a military education and was commissioned a lieutenant in the 1st Regiment of the Rhenish Hussars of the Prussian Army.  He also served in the Gardes du Corps, the personal bodyguard of the King of Prussia and, after 1871, of the German Emperor.

In 1884, Henry’s brother Louis married Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, the daughter of Queen Victoria’s third child Alice. Of course, Henry attended the wedding and so did the bride’s aunt Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom, the youngest child of Queen Victoria. Queen Victoria expected that Beatrice would never marry and remain her personal assistant and secretary. However, during the wedding celebrations, Henry and Beatrice fell in love. When Beatrice told her mother of her desire to marry Henry, Queen Victoria did not speak to Beatrice for seven months. Eventually, the Queen realized that Beatrice would not back down and decided to allow the marriage with several conditions: Henry must renounce his career, nationality, and home and agree to live with Beatrice and the Queen.

On the day before the wedding, Queen Victoria created Henry a Knight of the Garter and granted him the style Royal Highness. This style was in effect only in the United Kingdom and not in the German Empire, where Henry was still considered a Serene Highness. Beatrice and Henry were married on July 23, 1885, at Saint Mildred’s Church in Whippingham, Isle of Wight, England near Queen Victoria’s beloved home Osborne House. On the wedding day, a bill passed in the House of Lords making Henry a naturalized British subject. After the wedding, the couple was styled as Their Royal Highnesses Prince and Princess Henry of Battenberg.

Photo Credit – www.victorian-gothic.co.uk; THE BACK: (L-R): Prince Alexander of Bulgaria, Princess Louise of Wales, Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine, Princess Victoria of Wales, Prince Franz Joseph of Battenberg * THE MIDDLE: (L-R): Princess Maud of Wales, Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine, Princesses Marie Louise and Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein * THE FRONT: (L-R): Princesses Victoria Melita, Marie and Alexandra of Edinburgh and bridal couple

Beatrice and Henry had three sons and one daughter. The Spanish Royal Family descends from their marriage.

Queen Victoria with Henry and Beatrice and their three eldest children in 1889; Credit – Wikipedia

Unfortunately, Beatrice was a hemophilia carrier. Henry and Beatrice’s son Leopold was a hemophiliac and their daughter Victoria Eugenie was a carrier. Leopold died after an emergency operation at Kensington Palace when he was almost 23. Victoria Eugenie, known as Ena, brought hemophilia into the Spanish Royal Family. Two of Ena’s sons had hemophilia. Her son Alfonso died in a car accident at age 31 and her son Gonzalo also died as the result of a car accident at age 20.

NPG P1700(21b); Prince Henry Maurice of Battenberg by Walery

Prince Henry Maurice of Battenberg by Walery, albumen print, 1895 NPG P1700(21b) © National Portrait Gallery, London

Beatrice and Henry kept their promise and lived with Queen Victoria and Beatrice remained her full-time confidante and secretary. Henry was often bored by the lack of activity and to give him more to do, Queen Victoria appointed him Governor of Carisbrooke Castle and Captain-General and Governor of the Isle of Wight in 1889, Lieutenant-Colonel in the Army in 1887, Colonel in 1893, and a member of the Privy Council in 1894.

In November 1895, Henry persuaded Queen Victoria to allow him to go to West Africa to fight in the Anglo-Ashanti Wars. Henry arrived in Africa on Christmas Day 1895. By January 10, 1896, Henry was sick with malaria and it was decided to send him back to England. Henry died aboard the ship HMS Blonde off the coast of Sierra Leone on January 20, 1896, at the age of 37. His funeral took place on February 5, 1896, at St. Mildred’s Church on the Isle of Wight where he had been married. He was interred at St. Mildred’s Church in what became known as the Battenberg Chapel.

Beatrice survived Henry by 48 years, dying on October 26, 1944, at the age of 87, the last surviving child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. She was buried with Henry at St. Mildred’s Church.

Tomb of Princess Beatrice and her husband Prince Henry of Battenberg; 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.